If you've been reading about the economy, education, and job creation in recent years, you've probably seen numerous references in news articles and opinion pieces to fields related to the study of STEM, or "science, technology, engineering, and mathematics." Usually referenced in contrast to college majors in the Humanities such as English literature, philosophy, or history, fields related to science and technology are seen by many as a set of subjects that have a number of practical uses and reliable career trajectories. Indeed, numerous public intellectuals such as the astronomer Neil Degrasse Tyson have long campaigned for schools to better prepare their students for rewarding careers in science-based occupations. 

How Science and Technology Occupations Better Society
Because the study of science and technology tends to provide students with high-paying jobs and prominent roles in Fortune 500 companies, a solid education in a STEM field is often seen as a path to job security and prestige that is rivaled only by careers in medicine, law, and business management. Moreover, the well-known success stories of tech CEOs such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg have created a public fascination and respect for technology-related work. 

Since science and tech workers help individuals to live better and more fulfilling lives, jobs in tech fields are increasingly seen as being useful to society at its most basic levels. Whether it's through the development of new, lifesaving medical treatments or the creation of civil engineering technology that makes life safer for others, tech graduates and self-starters without degrees (Gates, Jobs, and Zuckerberg among them) are in many ways given the opportunity to effect societal change through their work that they may not have found possible in different occupations. 

While the potential is there for science and tech professionals to effect change, and while tech gurus are increasingly celebrated in the press and the public, the path into science and tech careers can also seem daunting to many students who view work in math and science as prohibitively difficult to study, however. Unfortunately, experts say, interest in science and tech jobs is slowly declining among potential workers, with studies suggesting that few high school students show an interest in working in tech-based fields. 

What causes this lack of interest on the part of the current student population is anyone's guess, but many prominent tech workers have put forth the notion that problems in US educational standards related to math and science course requirements may be a negative factor in determining who goes on to study STEM-based subjects. Undoubtedly, those who provide the admirable service of mentoring potential science and tech students will have their work cut out for them in coming years. 

Closing the STEM Gender Gap 
As though the recent lack of general interest among students in pursuing educational programs and jobs related to science and technology was not enough of a potential blow to an economy increasingly dependent on science and innovation, it also appears that interest in tech-based jobs is particularly low among women, who make up less than 30% of the workforce in tech and science jobs across the world. Whether this low number is due to factors such as a public perception of tech fields as a kind of "boy's club" where women are excluded from executive decision-making or a culture in which young women are subtly discouraged from studying science and mathematics, the answer is not clear, but it is very worrying to those who know the potential rewards women might experience in these occupational roles or in a program that might prepare them for a successful career in technology. 

One positive sign that future conditions can change for the better with regard to gender equality in tech and science companies and organizations, however, is that many influential people are attempting to close the gap in technology-based fields and to show society how much women are truly needed in science-related industries and professions. As more and more women in professional science and tech roles strive to provide mentorship to young female students, it appears that the gender gap in technology-based education programs and employment may have a chance of being closed in the generation to come. In fact, organizations such as Million Women Mentors have succeeded in mentoring over one million young women and have pledged to mentor far more, a sure sign that with the right efforts, equality in tech-based fields can be achieved in the future.

So how do you know if a job or educational program in a science or technology is right for you? The question is a complex one, but fortunately there are a multitude of different roles and work environments available to those who undertake the journey towards a tech career. While an interest in mathematics is surely helpful in many science-based jobs, a lack of passion for math problems is not a deal breaker in the establishment a successful career path in a STEM-based occupation. According to a recent article in The Atlantic Monthly, for example, many computer programmers do not require a knowledge of mathematics above a fourth grade level. 

And if you enjoy working with computers or feel that coding or software architecture are activities that you might excel in, it's important to also know that jobs in computer programming are becoming increasingly necessary as more and more companies, hospitals, schools, and other organizations heighten their use of computer technology to complete their their most important day-to-day tasks. With average salaries for programmers topping $70,000 per year, many computer scientists are also finding that their work is not only helpful to society but also provides them with a solid income. 

In addition to jobs based around computer programming, there is also a high demand for talented engineers in today's tech-based economy. If you've ever been interested in the way that machines or systems function, you may find that a job in engineering can provide you with both interesting problem-solving challenges and rewarding daily work for clients such as computer businesses, medical technology firms, and even the aerospace industry. With high median annual wages and projected steady job growth for the foreseeable future, engineers are likely to make a huge impact on society in coming years as cutting-edge companies fund new technology to help society become safer, healthier, and more efficient. 

For these reasons, the pursuit of a job in a STEM-based field can be a truly life-changing experience in a dynamic and ever-changing area of the economy. If you enjoy analytical work or have an interest in mathematics, the sciences, or technology, or if you simply love to work out solutions to problems that others might find intimidating to work on, it may be that a career in a STEM-based occupation is right for you. While entry into a science and tech workforce may feel like an intimidating prospect at first, you may discover that your ability to inspire the next generation of science and tech experts to break down new barriers is worth the initial challenge. And that is a career at its best!