Six Lesser-Known STEAM Careers
These days, we hear a lot in the news about careers in high-profile STEM industries. News headlines often boast of the exploding necessity for computer science and the sector’s high-paying reputation; and when you think of science, your first image might be someone in a laboratory, holding test tubes and pouring concoctions together.
However, there are actually many other career opportunities that provide equally exciting and rewarding day-to-day activities! Even though they may not be the ones to make the news, or to be instantly recognizable by aunts and uncles asking you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” during family get-togethers, these careers showcase the power of blending STEM and art together in order to create an impactful final product.
Here, I’ve highlighted six lesser-known careers that are not only related to both creativity and engineering, but also in high demand in today’s job market.
1. Medical Illustrator
This career involves both a thorough understanding of biology, as well as a talent for illustration. Most medical illustrators earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree and then go on to work across a broad range of settings. Whether it be in an academic context, in hospitals, or for companies publishing research journals, these illustrators play a key part in making medical phenomena easily comprehensible by the general public. As a result, medical illustrators are capable of working with newly-discovered or complex information and breaking it down into more understandable chunks.
2. Video Game Designer
Many, many people play video games, but very few recognize the amount of thought, creativity, and technical development that video game construction requires! As a matter of fact, many video game designers devote all their time simply to create intriguing storylines that will hook in and engage players. This task brings the technical difficulty of realistic execution to interact with the designer’s imagination, and as a result, designers must keep up-to-date with both the industry’s latest innovations and its trends.
3. Urban Planner or Grower
In an era of burgeoning urban centers, urban planners are needed to design cities that are not only navigable and sustainable but also aesthetic for the city’s inhabitants. Furthermore, urban planners have recently also turned towards targeting and remedying the environmental impact of city construction: pollution in cities such as New York is highly detrimental. One way for urban planners to bring back the environment into these enormous cities is through the strategic growth of vegetation, and urban planners are masterminds at laying out city infrastructure while finding ways to tuck in environmentally sustainable features.
4. Music Data Analysis
It may be surprising that streaming services and artist success now bear key ties to data analysis, but finding patterns in songs and their successes has become essential to the streaming industry. Statisticians with an interest in music can not only help smaller artists identify their most successful songs to invest in and promote more, helping them shape advertisements and success strategies; but also investigate patterns in music rhythm, beat, and vocals to see if listeners prefer certain types of music.
5. Cosmetic Scientist
The global cosmetic industry is projected to reach a market value of almost $800 billion in three years, but thinking of makeup and beauty products doesn’t often remind people of the scientists behind the projects! In reality, these cosmetic scientists are often required to obtain a graduate degree in chemistry in order to understand, combine, and compare how different cosmetic ingredients are delivering results. These scientists engage in exciting work, ranging from simply testing products for their safety, functionality, and effectiveness; to experimenting with pigments to design new skincare.
6. Ethical Hacker
While hacking by itself might convey a negative connotation, ethical hackers actually play a key role in network security. Certified Ethical Hackers first undergo rigorous training in order to understand and work with cybersecurity, and then go on to identify vulnerabilities, suggest improvements, and assess the safety of massive security systems. Being an ethical hacker and solving these mysterious puzzles requires both creative thinking and technical grit, and can furthermore lead to exposure to a broad range of industries and opportunities.
In conclusion, if you’re interested in any of these things — whether it be music, beauty, or video games — these careers might be interesting for you to check out and learn more about! But remember, these six careers are just a small fraction of many underrated STEAM careers. If there’s something else you’re interested in, you should never be afraid to read more about it online and see what others might have done with a talent similar to yours. There may very well be a career for you, or people who need your skills!
Written by Anne Gvozdjak, Writer at Girl Genius Magazine.
