How We Can Get Young Students Interested in STEM Careers

For many students, STEM careers may feel like they’re reserved for overachievers and math aficionados.

However, for those who have actually pursued careers in STEM, it quickly becomes clear that the field is broad and filled with a wide variety of jobs to pursue.

While there’s no doubt that there are countless exciting STEM careers out there, it can be tricky to get young students excited about them.

Thankfully, there are ways to combat this challenge and get students enthusiastic about pursuing a career in STEM.

Here is how we can get young students interested in STEM careers.

Highlighting the Lucrative Salaries in STEM

While it’s hard for some younger students to fully comprehend how much their salaries will affect their lives in the future, painting a vivid picture can help get them excited.

Whether they dream about having a gaming room with a large TV or the newest sports cars, there are many careers in STEM that can provide them with the resources to make these aspirations into a reality.

For most young students, paying for bills, mortgages, insurance, and other luxuries may still be an abstract concept.

To really pique their interest, it can be helpful to illustrate just how expensive it can be to live a normal life — without even having the extra money to spend on things like vacations.

To start, it can be helpful to ask young students about the lives they intend to live as working professionals.

Ask them what types of homes they want to live in, what kinds of cars they want to drive, what kinds of vacations they want to go on, and when they want to retire.

Before long, it’ll become wholly apparent to them that they’ll have to pursue a career that can support their ideal lifestyle and allow them to live a life that they see fit.

At this point, having a list of careers and the median incomes associated with them can really get students excited. Here’s a list of some of the highest-paying STEM careers:

●  Aerospace engineer: These professionals are tasked with the job of creating and maintaining crafts that leave the ground such as aircrafts and satellites. This is a perfect career for any student interested in flying, space, and groundbreaking technology. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for these professionals in 2021 was a whopping $122,270, making it an impressive career to pursue for any young student.

●  Physicist and astronomer: These professionals utilize their specialized knowledge of physics to study a wide variety of phenomena that center around matter and energy. According to the BLS, these professionals made a laudable median salary of $147,450 in 2021. To become a professional physicist or astronomer, one will need a doctorate in the field, highlighting that these career paths are perfect for students intent on immersing themselves in the study of physics or astronomy.

●  Information security analyst: These professionals work to craft and maintain security systems for the computer networks of various companies. To become an information security analyst, one needs only a bachelor’s degree along and possibly some additional certifications. The average median salary in 2021 was $102,600, far above the national average. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the job role is estimated to grow at an impressive rate of 35% over the next decade, making it a secure field to pursue an education in.

Highlighting Cool, Fun, and Interesting Careers In STEM

For many students, the term “STEM,” conjures images of technical math equations and science labs.

While there is no shortage of these types of careers in the STEM space, these are far from the only types of careers that STEM has to offer.

In fact, students interested in video games may be interested to know that video game engineers are actually in the STEM field.

In addition, computer engineers, such as those who create gaming systems, are also part of the broad and varying world of STEM.

For students interested in biology and the natural world, it can be helpful to point them in the direction of biostatistics careers, which would allow them to convert data into insights that can make a significant impact on the world.

By highlighting interesting careers that mirror young students’ interests, getting them excited about STEM careers becomes far easier and more approachable.

To start, it can be helpful to ask students about their interests and hobbies outside of school.

After, you can present them with career options that mirror their interests.

In addition, it can be helpful to highlight the growing focus on inclusivity in STEM, with resources such as coding scholarships for women becoming more and more common.

Many students will likely be surprised to discover that there are actually STEM careers out there that would allow them to pursue a career in a world that they find stimulating and enjoyable.

Once you spark this interest, it is more than likely that students will continue to do research on their own and explore their options in the STEM field.

Highlighting the Work/Life Balance That STEM Careers Can Offer

As opposed to previous generations, the youth of today place much more value on work/life balance.

This means that careers that offer them more free time and flexible work options will appeal to them more than traditional in-office 40-hour work weeks.

In the world of STEM, there are many careers that are conducive to both remote and freelance employment.

As such, it’s important to highlight these facts to young students so that they are aware that many careers in the STEM space will allow them to experience a greater degree of work/life balance and allow them to live a better life in many respects.

To really drive home the fact that good work/life balance can drastically improve one’s life, it can be helpful to have examples of professionals who are actually doing this themselves.

Whether these are local professionals or people one has networked with remotely, being able to show young students examples of people with work/life balance can compel them to explore STEM careers and seek that work/life balance out in their own professional careers.

Highlighting the Broad Nature of STEM

As has been noted, many young students have a skewed understanding of STEM and the types of careers in the field.

By exposing young students to the broad nature of STEM and the many various fields within it, you’ll be more likely to convince them that there may be a place for them in the space.

To really make a point, it can be helpful to have a list of successful public figures that have careers in the STEM space.

By highlighting celebrities that students are already aware of and look up to, it will be easier to inspire students to chart their own courses in STEM and search for a similar career that suits them.

The more disparate fields, careers, and specialties that you are able to expose young students to, the greater the chance that they’ll find one that excites them.

This being the case, having a thorough understanding of the wide world of STEM and notable figures who have found success in various STEM fields can help make it easier to excite students and convince them to pursue a career in STEM.

Every Student Can Find a Professional Path in STEM

Given the broad nature of STEM, almost anyone can find a role that they find interesting and fulfilling in the field.

While a STEM career may not be the first thing on most young students’ minds, highlighting key aspects of professional STEM careers can get them excited about pursuing a role in the field.

As the world and job preferences continue to evolve, there is no doubt that STEM careers will become more sought out by young students across the globe in the near future.