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Note: Information about these careers is based on national statistics,
so salaries and opportunities may be different in your town.
Other jobs for creators: sculptor, choreographer, designer,
photographer, director, singer, actor, dancer,
landscaper, interior designer, musician,
comedian, cartoonist, make-up artist, columnist, poet, marketing supervisor,
screen writer, police artist, floral designer, newscaster,
reporter, disc jockey, medical illustrator.
Composers create original music such as popular songs, operas and
symphonies, translating ideas into musical notation using harmony,
rhythm, melody and tonal structure. Original music is also used in
advertising, television and movies.
Education: Many community colleges, universities and music
conservatories grant associate's, bachelor's and higher degrees.
Salary: Earnings depend on a composer's professional reputation,
as well as whether the composition is for studio recording, live performance
or movie production.
Outlook: Good
Chefs are responsible for preparing meals that are tasty and attractively
presented. They work in restaurants, hospitals, ships, vacation retreats
and industrial cafeterias.
Education: Increasingly, chefs are obtaining their training
through culinary programs in community colleges
and universities. Chefs may also be trained in apprenticeship programs
offered by professional culinary institutes, industry associations
and trade unions.
Salary: Wages vary depending on the part of the country and
type of establishment. Wages generally are highest in elegant restaurants
and hotels where executive chefs earn about $40,000.
Outlook: Excellent
Writer/editors communicate through the written word. Writers develop
original fiction and nonfiction for books, magazines and trade journals,
newspapers, technical reports, company newsletters, radio and television
broadcasts, movies and advertisements. Editors select and prepare
material for publication or broadcasting and supervise writers.
Education: A bachelor's degree is generally required. Employers
look for a broad liberal arts background or, for example, degrees
in communications, journalism
or English. Technical writing requires a degree
in or some knowledge about a specialized fieldengineering, business
or one of the sciences.
Salary: Starting salaries for writers and editorial assistants
is around $20,000
Outlook: Good
Jewelry designers design or make their own jewelry. Following their
own designs, or those sketched by their customers, they shape and
carve wax to make a model for casting the metal. The individual parts
are then soldered together and gems are mounted, if desired.
Education: Colleges and art schools offer programs that lead
to a degree of fine arts in jewelry design.
Salary: Average pay is $28,000. Designers who sell their own
work are limited only by their pricing and the public's willingness
to pay.
Outlook: Good
Architects design buildings and other structures and are often involved
in all phases of development, from the initial discussion of general
ideas with the client through construction. Some architects specialize
in commercial building design, others in residential design, whereas
some turn their skills to historic preservation and restoration, or
designing with new products and methods for environmentally friendly
structures.
Education: There are several types of professional degrees;
the most common is the five-year bachelor of architecture.
Knowledge of computer-aided design and drafting
is essential.
Salary: Median salary for intern-architects is $25,000; partners
in some large practices earn six figures.
Outlook: Good
Cosmetologists and barbers primarily cut, trim, shampoo and style
hair. Many provide other services for the hair such as permanent waves,
straightening and coloring. Cosmetologists may also offer facials,
manicures, pedicures and similar services. They can have their own
business or work in a salon; work in the entertainment industry, advertising
photography and funeral homes; and demonstrate and sell hair care
products to salons or at trade shows.
Education: All states require licensing. High schools and community
colleges offer classes in barbering and cosmetology.
Salary: Entry-level positions vary from minimum wage to about
$15,000 annually, but a barber's or cosmetologist's ability to attract
and retain a regular client base is key.
Outlook: Good for barbers; great for cosmetologists
Graphics artists or graphic designers use a variety of print, electronic
and film media to create art that meets the needs of clients ranging
from corporate businesses to publishing houses. The Internet has created
a new specialty area in web page design, which requires a combination
of creative and organizational talents.
Education: Community colleges and universities offer degrees
in commercial art and graphic design; some
offer courses in web
page design. Most important to getting a job, though, is the evidence
of talent and skills displayed in a portfolio, a collection of samples
of your best work.
Salary: Starts between $21,000-$24,000 for graphic designers
employed in advertising or publishing; self-employed artists earn
whatever the market will bear.
Outlook: Competitive
Acknowledgement:
Our appreciation to Movin' On magazine,
A Guide to Life After High School, magazine (copyrights 1996, 1997,
Venture Publications, Inc., Friendswood, Texas), for allowing us
to reprint this information with permission. Original source for
much of this information is the U.S. Occupational Handbook.
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