The Career Project: Stories of Real People in Real-World Jobs

Nov. 6, 2010 - PRLog -- If you can't wait for the next illuminating profiles published in Science Careers, check out The Career Project, a venture that offers a peek into the working lives of real people. The Career Project is the creation of Alicia Schwartz, a former real estate salesperson in New York.

Schwartz got the idea from talking to clients seeking apartments, who told her about their jobs, which in most cases she never heard of.  Just by asking questions, like,"What do you do all day?," Schwartz learned details of of jobs from hundreds of people. This experience led her to establish The Career Project as a way to capture these details for students and others seeking to learn what people really did in their jobs.

Participants answer a detailed questionnaire about their jobs, the hours worked each week, salary and benefits, work environment, how they got their jobs, and how others should go about getting similar jobs. Also covered are work and education backgrounds, and plans for the future. A second part of the survey asks about a typical day, hour by hour. If registered visitors (annual fee, $4.99) want more details beyond what's on the form, they can post questions to the participants.

The Career Project groups the collected questionnaires into 26 categories, including one for Engineering/Science. This category, with an average salary of $59,790 (as of 12 February 2008), has more than 100 entries ranging from entry level and lab-assistant positions to senior researchers, engineers, and managers.  
Some of the advice given to visitors seeking these kinds of jobs is remarkably candid. For example, a geologist with an environmental consulting form advised job prospects in this field to "Ask a lot of questions because that's the only way to get information and to learn around here. The work mentality in our office is 'sink or swim'--they throw you into the water to see if you'll be able to sink or swim."
A 25 year-old scientist working in pharmaceuticals, when asked if her employer properly prepared her for the job, responded: "Yes, they actually exaggerated the duties a little bit so I was a bit more prepared than I needed to be."
But most participants seem to enjoy their work and give solid advice. A 44 year-old researcher describes the skills a person needs to do his kind of work this way: "You must be inquisitive, have excellent problem-solving skills, and have the ability to see the whole picture. One must be organized and have the desire for truth and be able to self analyze ones' actions and motivations."