Cutting Edge STEM Careers Reviews

Cutting Edge Careers in Engineering: ISBN 978-1-68282-867-0 / eBook: 978-1-68282-868-7
Cutting Edge Careers in Info Tech: ISBN 978-1-68282-869-4 / eBook: 978-1-68282-870-0
Cutting Edge Careers in Medicine: ISBN 978-1-68282-871-7 / eBook: 978-1-68282-872-4
Cutting Edge Careers in Robotics: ISBN 978-1-68282-873-1 / eBook: 978-1-68282-874-8
Cutting Edge Careers in Science: ISBN 978-1-68282-875-5 / eBook: 978-1-68282-876-2
WASHYARG, March 1, 2023

This typical Reference Point Press book focuses on career exploration. This series name truly reflects the focus of this series: Cutting Edge STEM Careers. The series has books on engineering, robotics, medicine, info tech and (just) science. Each book starts with an introduction about that STEM career, the recent innovations connected to it and why that field might be appealing. Then there are 8 different careers in that field profiled and given their own chapter. Each job chapter includes specifics about what each career entails, a typical workday, education and training requirements, skills and personality info, working conditions, employers and pay, the future outlook for that career and websites to find out more info. Each book concludes with source notes, an interview, a list of other jobs in this field, and an index. Also included are colorful photos and relevant sidebars with statistics and quotes about the different careers. The colorful layout and short chapters are appealing and will keep teens reading. While the price tag is expensive, these books will be a good resource for secondary students seeking out career information. Recommended Age: Middle School, Junior High, High School, Adult Sherri Ashlock, Nelsen Middle School

This series published by ReferencePoint Press, a well-known independent education publisher, is focused on helping STEM students find potential career paths. Focusing on a specific STEM field, each title follows a similar structure. Each job title is listed and followed with a page telling the student what the duties the job requires and an easy-to-understand question which seeks to provide answers for a newcomer to the profession. For example, “What does a User Interface designer do?” A sidebar titled “a few quick facts” lists additional information about each profession, including the number of such jobs that exist, the median pay of workers, what the educational requirements are, what personal qualities are expected, the typical workplace setting, and what the outlook of the career looks like for the future. The following chapters respond to a series of these questions. The content and layout is meant to help students find a job that is best suited to both their personality and their skills. Sample pages of each title are available on the publisher's website, and I recommend you check them out before purchasing. I believe students will find the content of this series interesting and recommend it as an addition to libraries serving grades 6-12. Table of Contents.
Suzanne Lay, Educational Reviewer, Houston County, Georgia, Houston County School System, Perry, Georgia
Recommended

Gr 8 Up—This comprehensive and timely series will appeal to students who hope to pursue STEM careers. What stands out about this series is the “Attributes That Matter to Employers” chart that is included at the beginning of each book, which indicates the percentage of employers who rank applicable skills (flexibility, communication, technological competence) by importance. This series highlights professions that require a broad spectrum of educational qualifications, ranging from associate’s degrees all the way up to postdoctoral research and beyond. The text-heavy books depict men and women in a variety of job roles. VERDICT An all-around great choice for middle and high school collections. Enjoyable for any kind of STEM-loving reader.

Cutting Edge STEM CareersReviews