STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. There has been an increasing demand for jobs related to these fields in the last ten years or so.
And why not!? There are manyexciting jobs and career opportunities available for STEM students.
It is a promising career, and one can expect a bright future ahead by taking up this opportunity.
There are also many free online courses available that helping increase one's knowledge in STEM.
Here are some career options that one can look at as a STEM student:
Science- The 'S' in STEM is formal and natural sciences. This mainly includes biology, chemistry, and environmental science; some focus on mathematics and statistics. One can become a biological technician who helps scientists in laboratory tests and experiments.
Technology- By choosing technology as a career field, many options can be considered, like-computer programming, cyber security, information technology, robotics, etc.
Engineering- Engineering is a vast field and has significant demand compared to the other STEM disciplines. It usually includes designing and building machines, roads, etc., using scientific principles. There are several job opportunities in engineering. Some of them are- chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, etc.
Mathematics- All the fields of STEM include mathematics to some extent. This includes arithmetic, geometry, algebra. Actuaries also use math and statistics in their daily job to assess the financial costs of various risks for businesses.
In short, there is a vast array of job opportunities to choose from in STEM. Astronomers, computer science, biomedical engineering, chemistry, industrial engineering, scientist, computer programming, etc. -- are just some of them.
There are many inspiring stories of girls who have achieved success in these fields.
Take the example of Divya Tulapurkar. She was an engineering student who decided to pursue Analytics. Analytics can be called a combination of mathematics and technology. Today, she is a director at Scotiabank in Canada!
Divya's story is a classic example of it is possible to combine knowledge of Science, Technology, Mathematics and engineering to create winning career opportunities!
You can read more about her story here: The ABC Secret of Success.
And Divya is not alone.
Many jobs today require expertise in more than one subject matter.
Ritu Thareja is Vice President of Software development at Finserv. Ritu combined her knowledge of coding and banking to rise in the business. It was not easy for Ritu. There were financial hardships. And girls are usually not encouraged to take up Maths, Technology or Science. Many are encouraged to take up safe options such as Arts or Teaching.
But Ritu did not give up. She decided to pursue her passion for technology and finance.
And her hard work paid off! You can read Ritu's success story here.
While some believe that girls are not as good at STEM as boys, this is far from reality. Take Navshri Thakur's example. A farmer's daughter, this 14-year-old girl is now a NIF award winner.
Using the knowledge of science and maths that she learnt in school, she created a new product that could help her mother reduce her household work. Her innovation won her an award from NIF!
And if anyone thought that girls might be only good at kitchen stuff and household work, they could not be more wrong!
Have you heard about Sanjal Gavande? She is a space engineer. She is also the girl who was a part of a team that designed a rocket. And they created this rocket for non-other than Jeff Bezos - the founder of Amazon.
And then there is Komal Mangtani. She is a Director at Uber. Her advice when it comes to technology is simple. She asks everyone to broaden the definition of technology. Match using technology with one's interest.
She gives an example of YouTube and Facebook. One may develop something like YouTube because she or she likes love watching videos. Or create the next Facebook because they want to socialize.
This advice applies to those who wish to pursue STEM too. It is all about broadening one's perspective and outlook.
Many remarkable young women like Ritu, Komaland Sanjal Gavande have created their own success stories by making a career in STEM. They are proving that STEM is indeed a great career option. If you wish to know more about STEM or any other career opportunity available for girls, we are happy to help you take a free online test for career planning and get guidance for your dream career!