Getting Started!

Before you get started on the hands-on STEM activities, check out these resources to help you learn more about STEM and career options you may not have considered!

What is a STEM Professional?

A STEM professional is used to describe anyone whose job encompasses science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics. These include jobs you may have never considered before! Watch this video and check out some awesome careers in STEM!

Why STEM?

Why is learning about Science and Math important? How are Technology and Engineering used in the real world? The new digital era and the acceleration of technological advances have made STEM professionals to be the most sought-after by companies.

STEM jobs pay very well. The median earning for all non-STEM jobs in the country is $19.30/hour. The average median hourly wage for STEM jobs? $38.85. Some quick math says STEM jobs pay $19.55, or about 99% more than all others.

STEM jobs are also abundant and growing. The thing about STEM is that it never sleeps. It won’t reach a point and just stop being important. It won’t stop evolving.

Explore STEM Careers

Before you experience some of those careers in person at the STEM Expo, let’s take a look at what types of careers might be a good fit for you. Click the link below for the STEM Study's personality quiz to find out which jobs fit you best. Record your results!

Click here for the personality quiz!

What does a person with that career do?

Dive into learn more about each of the three jobs from the personality quiz. Research the following about each:

Description of the job/ What do they do?
How much money do they make?
What sorts of training, certifications or degrees do they need?

(Don’t like the jobs you got from the personality quiz? Feel free to browse other STEM job options in the links to personalize which jobs you are researching.)

O-Net List of STEM Jobs

Minnesota State STEM Careers List

Careers in STEM List

Learn from local professionals!

The Back to School STEM Expo is designed so that students can meet real STEM Professionals from our community and experiencing what their job is like. While you may not see these professionals in real life this year, a number of them have created videos to introduce themselves and share a bit about their jobs with you. Look through these videos and pick a few you're interested in learning more about.

Do you know any STEM professionals? Here are some questions you can listen for the answers for in the videos below or ask real professionals you know! Feel free to add more questions that you or your class comes up with.