Create Your Pathway: Recent Episodes
Create Foundation
Meet real people, working real jobs, who will tell you what they're really like.You've got a ton of options for education and work. In Create Your Pathway, you'll find quick interviews with people in a wide range of career fields. Some of them went to college; some didn't. Some of them started in one place and ended up in a completely different one. All of them have great advice for you.Join host and executive coach Rory Tyer to find out what these jobs are really like, and learn how you can create your own pathway to the work and life that you want someday.Create Your Pathway is sponsored by the Toyota Wellspring Fund. Watch all interviews (with bonus content!) on YouTube.Created, produced, and hosted by Rory Tyer.
Careers in agriculture, food, and natural resources are vital to the health, feeding, and sustaining of America's people. As Dr. Mary Love Tagert points out, these careers include skills like research, teaching, business, technology, food science, farming, and innovation. Learn from her what it looks like to work at the intersection of education, business, and agriculture, and see whether you might want to look at careers in this field.
Advertisements in the newspaper, TV commercials, jingles on the radio, grocery store posters, bumper stickers, e-mail ads and Web sites are created as part of marketing campaigns to entice consumers to buy products. Marketing is the link between an organization and its target audience, which includes customers, clients, investors and partners. Marketers create, manage, enhance and sell products and services so that they reflect well on the company’s brand. A key part of a marketer’s job is to understand the needs, preferences and constraints that define the targeted consumers corresponding to the brand. This career pathway is a good fit for people who are creative or number-minded statisticians with the ability to communicate persuasively, to “think on their feet,” to use tact, to employ good judgment and to establish and maintain effective relationships with people at all levels within and outside the company.
Workers with the skill sets necessary for efficient business management and administration operations fuel U.S. enterprises. Rewarding careers in this area of study can lead to a myriad of different companies and markets. Business management and administration professionals plan, direct, maintain and organize business operationsfor an organization. Business fundamentals serve as the foundation for all business pathways. Courses in business provide instruction in basic business skills and knowledge related to economic fundamentals, management, communications, finance, human relations, career development, ethics and business etiquette. This pathway prepares students for careers in planning, organizing, directing and evaluating business functions essential to efficient and productive business operations.
Workers with the skill sets necessary for efficient business management and administration operations fuel U.S. enterprises. Rewarding careers in this area of study can lead to a myriad of different companies and markets. Business management and administration professionals plan, direct, maintain and organize business operationsfor an organization. Business fundamentals serve as the foundation for all business pathways. Courses in business provide instruction in basic business skills and knowledge related to economic fundamentals, management, communications, finance, human relations, career development, ethics and business etiquette. This pathway prepares students for careers in planning, organizing, directing and evaluating business functions essential to efficient and productive business operations.
Almost everything you see was designed by engineers or designers before being constructed. High-rise buildings, bridges and spaceships require the expertise of architects, engineers and designers. If you are interested in being part of something like designing a condo on the beach, or designing a ship, airplane or electronic device, consider a career in engineering or design. Polymer scientists can find themselves working on an array of products and industries from agriculture to fossil fuels to cosmetics and kitchen technology.
As long as people have free time, they will pursue leisure activities. As leisure time and personal incomes grow across the nation, so will the hospitality industry. Leisure activities include theatrical activities, such as attending a cinema for a movie; going to a community theater for a play; enjoying gaming entertainment offered by casinos; or taking part in sporting activities, such as kayaking, tennis or surfing. Food services, restaurants and cocktail establishments are a widespread and familiar category within this industry. People travel for a variety of reasons, including vacations, business and visits to friends and relatives. Many travelers stay in hotels and seek accommodations while out of town. Resort and casino hotels offer activities to keep travelers and families occupied during their stay. This industry includes physical fitness facilities that feature exercise programs, gyms, health clubs and spas. This pathway introduces students to management, marketing and operation of restaurants, as well as lodging establishments and tourist attractions.
Each day of our lives is centered on energy. Without energy, your morning would be very different—no alarm clock, hot water, hair-dryer, stove, air conditioning, television or car. All of these appliances and de- vices depend on natural gas, electricity or oil. Challenges lie ahead about how we provide energy reliably in a growing world while minimizing negative impacts on the environment.
A vital part of everyone’s life, education is the future of our economy. The amount and type of education that individuals receive is a major influence on both the jobs they are able to hold and their earnings. Lifelong learning is important in acquiring new knowledge and upgrading one’s skills, particularly in this age of rapid technological and economic change. This pathway focuses on preparing students for work in a variety of institutions that offer academic education, career and technical instruction, and other education and training to millions of students each year. This industry also includes institutions that provide training, consulting and other support services to schools and students, such as curriculum development, student exchanges and tutoring. Also included are schools or programs that offer nonacademic or self–enrichment classes, including automobile driving and cooking instruction, among others.
Workers with the skill sets necessary for efficient business management and administration operations fuel U.S. enterprises. Rewarding careers in this area of study can lead to a myriad of different companies and markets. Business management and administration professionals plan, direct, maintain and organize business operationsfor an organization. Business fundamentals serve as the foundation for all business pathways. Courses in business provide instruction in basic business skills and knowledge related to economic fundamentals, management, communications, finance, human relations, career development, ethics and business etiquette. This pathway prepares students for careers in planning, organizing, directing and evaluating business functions essential to efficient and productive business operations.
The fields of law, public safety, corrections and security involve planning, managing, and providing legal, public safety, protective, and homeland security services and also include the professional and technical-support assistance of personnel within these fields. Careers in this field involve serving and/or protecting our citizens. Law, public safety, corrections and security workers are found in a variety of settings. This pathway prepares students for careers in such areas as criminology, legal studies, forensics and psychology.
The field of government and public administration provides ample opportunity to help one’s fellow citizens. These jobs are vital to ensure and enable governmental services reach the American people. Many of these positions facilitate assistance activities that are critical to the function of American society. Employees in government or public administration careers work to keep our society running and functioning in ways that are nearly invisible to most people. For instance, some of these tasks include safeguarding national borders and supporting diplomatic missions, as well as planning urban developments, administering public programs and analyzing tax policies. This pathway includes careers in governance; national security; foreign service; planning; revenue and taxation; regulation; and management and administration at the local, state, and federal levels.
Information, communication, technology and rapid change are leading forces in the 21st century. These fields combine artistic expression and individual style with in-depth understanding of today’s state-of-the-art technologies. Strong communication and presentation skills make these career choices rewarding and profitable. Flexibility and innovation are commodities of the times. In today’s creative economy, the arts provide training and service for a workforce driven by innovation and communication.
This career pathway focuses on courses of study that develop collaborative skills, creative thinking and an appreciation for diversity. The creative sector includes activities of nonprofit cultural organizations, commercial enterprises and professionals engaged in the applied arts. This career pathway covers art, communication and design avenues, including the performing arts, fine art, design industries, the film and movie industry, broadcast journalism, corporate communications, social media and public relations.
The human services field relates to family and human needs. The work environment could vary from public schools to private child-care centers to personal households. At times, people need assistance to live full and productive lives. People need assistance finding a job, locating safe and adequate housing or getting nutritious food for their families. Human Services help individuals and families become healthy and productive members of society. Assistance establishments provide services that include helping the homeless, counseling troubled individuals, training the unemployed and helping families obtain aid. Individuals in this industry work to improve the lives of the people they serve and to enrich communities. The services pro- vided vary greatly, depending on the local population and its needs. This pathway prepares students for careers in social service agencies, community and civic organizations, child care and charities.
Healthcare is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. Technological advances have made new procedures and methods of diagnosis and treatment possible. Clinical developments, like infection control, less invasive surgical techniques, advances in reproductive technology, and gene therapy for cancer treatment, increase longevity and improve the quality of life for many people. Advances in information technology improve patient care and worker efficiency. Information on vital signs and orders for tests are transferred electronically, eliminating the need for paper and reducing record keeping errors. Healthcare students prepare for careers promoting health and wellness and diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases. Some careers involve working with people, and others involve researching disease or collecting and formatting data and information. Settings include hospitals, medical offices, laboratories, communities, sports arenas or cruise ships.
Houses, apartments, factories, roads and bridges are some products of architecture and construction. This industry’s activities include designing and building structures, including site preparation, as well as adding and modifying existing ones. The industry includes landscaping, maintenance, repair and improvements of structures. To offset rising energy costs, some companies opt for new buildings or energy efficient renovations. “Green construction” is increasingly popular and involves making buildings as environmentally friendly as possible by using recyclable and earth-friendly products. Construction offers career opportunities for people with different talents and educational back-grounds. Career opportunities include managers, clerical workers, accountants, engineers, truck drivers, trades workers and construction helpers. This pathway prepares students for careers in designing, planning, managing, building and maintaining built environments. People employed in architecture and construction work on new structures, restorations, additions, alterations and repairs.
Transportation, distribution, and logistics (TDL) relates to how goods are moved from one placeto another. As far as goods and services are concerned, our world is flat. TDL takes care of how weget Mississippi farm-raised catfish to Europe and how the latest Paris styles arrive in the United States. TDL industries need motivated people with new ideas to ensure the U.S. transportation system continues to work efficiently. This pathway includes the planning, management, and movement of people, materials, and products by road, air, rail, and water. It also includes related professional and technical services, such as infrastructure planning and management, logistics, and maintenance of equipment and facilities.
Information technology (IT) careers are available in every sector of the economy. IT manages the information and applications that office workers rely on to do their jobs. Careers in IT involve the design, development, support and management of hardware, software, multimedia and systems-integration services. The IT industry is a dynamic and entrepreneurial field continuing to have a revolutionary impact on the U.S. and world economies. IT specialists create products and set up and maintain systems. IT professionals focus on improving the usability and efficiency of technological systems and processes. Students in this pathway gain the basic foundation, skills and knowledge for computer networking, applications and support, along with an introduction to programming. Students develop skills to prepare for certification exams and learn to develop, support and integrate computing systems, and acquire network planning and management skills and the ability to provide technical support.
Manufacturing is one of the oldest industries in the technological world. Manufacturing industries are the chief wealth-producing sectors of an economy. Manufacturing employs a huge share of the labor force and produces materials required by sectors of strategic importance, such as national infrastructure and defense. This pathway includes careers that manufacture products, maintain production facilities, and improve the production process.