For young people who are finishing school, choosing a career is a major decision. Career choices can also be made later in life by people who have lost their jobs, or who have decided to pursue something more fulfilling. A career should be chosen based on your interest, abilities and financial needs.

Manufacturing

People who work in manufacturing industries provide society with all of its material needs. Many manufacturing jobs involve the primary processing of raw materials such as mining, logging, sawmills, steel mills, refineries and lumber mills. Many other people work in industries that transform materials into products like auto plants, furniture factories and electronics factories, for example. A manufacturing job in a unionized workplace can provide high wages and job security.

Education

Jobs in education range from teaching to the running of schools to advisory roles. Educators work with ages ranging from preschoolers through young adults in college. Some educators specialize in adult education and work with students of all ages beyond the traditional school years. Educational jobs are important for society because they teach the upcoming generation about everything from basic math skills to appropriate social behavior. Teachers who teach in public school need to have a bachelor's degree in education. Many teachers have master's degrees as well. Most university professors hold a doctorate degree in their field.

Management

Management jobs exist across the spectrum of most fields. Managers are responsible for running offices, workplaces and manufacturing plants. In a society that has become very stratified, with heavy use of technology and international transportation, more and more managers are required to keep the complex gears of commerce turning. Many people who pursue a career in management begin at a low level and work their way up through the ranks over the years. A few become CEOs or top-level managers and earn very good salaries.

Medicine

The field of medicine is vast and diverse, encompassing doctors, nurses, researchers, educators and emergency personnel. The medical field also employs thousands of people in supportive roles such as cooks, hospital cleaners and manufacturers of medical equipment. People who work as surgeons or specialists can earn very high salaries, but require many years of schooling before they are qualified to perform their jobs. Front-line careers in medicine deal directly with people who are sick or injured, while research and education careers work at curing diseases and at increasing public awareness of healthy lifestyles.