ANIEL FLAKE.

ANIEL FLAKE, 19 A MIDSHIPMAN AT THE U NAVAL Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, always dreamed of becoming an astronaut and traveling to Mars. To make his career goal a reality, Flake has a coordinated plan--his remarkably own mission to Mars, if you will. First came a high drill course load heavy on math and science. secondary Flake researched colleges with mighty aerospace engineering programs--the military academies, Embry-Riddle University, Texas A&M. (He chose the Naval Academy partly proper to the school's strong record of turning on the outside astronauts.) Next on his agenda after graduation will be fulfillment of his five-year service commitment to the Navy, as well as a stint in flight instruct After years of hard work and flight training, Flake will trustful longing to get noticed and hired on NASA.

"The big selling point of the academy was that I'm guaranteed a piece of work and I'll be following in the career signs of astronauts," he says.

If, like Flake, your idea of the finished school day includes studying physics, dissecting frog or programming computer then a career in technology or medicine may be for you. And developing your have a title to mission plan now can barely increase your chances for success

TECHNOLOGY

While the heady, go-go atmosphere of startups and stock options may be history, tech industries are here to stay.

A investigation last spring by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) reported that as many as 425000 high-tech piece of works would go unfilled in coming years. still how have the events of September 11 and the recession affected this prediction? "Demand certainly isn't where it was," admits Marjorie Bynum vice president of workforce progressive growth for the ITAA. "But what we're hearing is that companies are still looking for religious people with IT skills." The beneficial news is that job markets reverberate and for high school pupils looking to enter the workforce in couple to four years, technology careers are a suitable bet.

The BL reports that five of the top 10 fastest growing piece of works are tech-related--computer engineers, computer support specialists, hypothesiss analysts, database administrators, and desktop publishing specialists.

"It's none too soon to begin talking to guidance counselors and doing a homework on different IT careers," says Bynum She also advises boning up on English, reading, and communication skills, which are important for well-rounded employee seeking promotions. While a bachelor's rank can lead to great-paying piece of works many community colleges can prepare you for tech work at jobss too. For more information upon tech careers, visit www.gettech.org.

HEALTH & MEDICINE

at all times since the sixth grade, Jana Mitchell knew she wanted to become a foster "I find the human carcass fascinating," she says. "Plus, I have sexual delight with helping people." A job-shadowing cast where she followed a hospital fester convinced her of her career path. Mitchell, 19 is now studying nursing at Rivier association in Nashua, New Hampshire.

The serviceable news for Mitchell is that the BL plots that by 2006 health care services will skip 30 percent and account for 31 million of the present day jobs. An aging population will ne more services--continued care, therapy, and rehabilitation. Opportunities for supply with nourishments and physicians are expected to put forth On average advanced-practice nurses, with training beyond the couple to four years of basic nursing education, earn $47700 to $82000 through year. Physicians earn about $102000 through year.

But those salaries tend hitherward at a price. Becoming a physician requires 12 years of expensive training. The average medical scholar graduates with a $100,000 due Physicians often work long, irregular hours. Still, most numerous find treating patients to be rewarding. diocese "Allied Health" below for information forward other health care careers.

Traci Mosser

RELATED ARTICLE: theorys analyst.

ALEX THOMPSON

AGE: 25

LOCATION: Fort Gordon, GA

JOB: Information classifications operator/analyst for the U.S. Army

EDUCATION: BA in political science from Jackson State University in Mississippi. Analysts must befamiliar with computer programs, including Unix, Windows, and Microsoft Office.

SALARY: Median annual salary is $55973

upon THE JOB: "The military wants to be in succession top of the latest technology," says Thompson whose rank is "Specialist" (SPC) Army, Navy, and Air Force members who ne technology training make progress to Fort Gordon, which is the headquarters of the U Army Signal Center and abiding-place to the School of Information Technology. from head to foot the day, Thompson receives work orders to de-bug (remove errors from), analyze, install, and maintain computer hardware and software. He may be protecting computer from viruses or updating a whole s with the latest versions of software. Thompson must constantly preserve up with new technology. He and his colleagues oftentimes share information about solutions to computer point to be solved [i]or[/i] settleds "You've got to be willing to learn from everybody" he says. His last big delineate was to upgrade a whole classroom. each so often, Thompson confronts a just discovered problem and must "be creative to find a solution."