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 Being a firefighter is tough work. The alarm sounds. You put on your gear, and get to the emergency double fast. This is the part everyone knows. But there's a lot of activity behind the scenes. You'll be expected to make yourself aware of the risks and potential hazards to be found in the neighborhood around your station. And you'll need good people skills to deal with individuals in panic or distress. You'll also need to communicate information about fire safety and fire prevention.
Constant practice, drills, and exercise are all essential to keeping your skills sharp. Physical fitness is a vital requirement. You will need to have a responsible attitude, even when not on duty. Checking equipment including maintenance on fire engines, uniforms, protective clothing, pump ladders, communication systems and fire hydrants is essential .Most firefighters need to have a high school diploma and continuing education is almost mandatory. Most departments require a written and physical test before employment. Some departments have volunteers to help with firefighting chores.
 You may be surprised to learn that the botanist we interviewed works a lot with butterflies. Her experience with plants is essential to the Butterfly Museum. Because the field is so broad, there are many kinds of botanists and many different opportunities available. Botanists interested in ecology study interactions of plants with other organisms and the environment. Other field botanists search to find new species or do experiments to discover how plants grow under different conditions. Some botanists study the structure of plants.
Others use do research to study the most detailed fine structure of individual cells. Many botanists do experiments to determine how plants convert simple chemical compounds into more complex chemicals. They may even study how genetic information in DNA controls plant development. Botanists study processes that occur on a time scale ranging from fractions of a second in individual cells to those that unfold over eons of evolutionary time. To become a botanist you need a college education to receive at least a bachelors degree. Many research botanists have advanced degrees.
 The Marine Biologist we interviewed on 'So You Want To Be..?' works with sea turtles, others work with other form of Marine Life. Marine biology includes a vast field of knowledge. Only by getting started will you decide which direction your studies will take you as you work through high school and a university. It is a good idea to take all the science courses available in high school and in your first years at university.
These will include biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, fish biology, marine mammalogy and ecology. You will need to go to college and receive a degree in Marine Biology Some Marine Biologists receive advanced degrees. During your university years it is critical that you get experience working both in the lab and in the field. Summer and weekend jobs in biology will greatly aid you in getting a job following graduation. The work can be tough and you may need to live in hostile environments such as remote islands or other areas where marine life can be studied.
 If you like tinkering with things and building models then being an auto mechanic may be for you. Automotive mechanics (often called automotive service technicians) repair and service automobiles and, on occasion, light trucks (such as vans and pickups), with gasoline engines. Most automotive mechanics work a standard 40-hour week, but some self-employed mechanics work longer hours. Mechanics frequently work with dirty and greasy parts and in awkward positions. They often must lift heavy parts and tools.
Employers seek people who want to learn new service and repair procedures. Good reading ability, basic math skills and mechanical aptitude, and communication skills are important. Knowledge of how automobiles work is essential. A high school diploma or equivalency certificate is preferred. Automotive mechanic training programs are offered in high schools, community colleges, public and private vocational schools and technical schools. Also, apprenticeships are usually available in this occupation.
 Accountants provide financial reporting and consulting services for organizations and individuals. They work in business, industry, educational institutions, government and private accounting firms that offer accounting services to the public.
In general, accountants design and administer accounting and information systems that often include records of assets, liabilities and business transactions, prepare budgets, tax returns and financial statements, analyze financial information to assist in planning financial management policies, business strategies and the control and use of business assets, provide personal and corporate income tax and estate planning services, provide internal and external auditing services make recommendations regarding solutions to business and financial problems, provide support in litigation matters, and serve as bankruptcy trustees and business valuators.
 Paleontology is more than just dinosaurs! Paleontology is the study of the history of life on Earth, as reflected in the fossil record. Fossils are the remains or traces of organisms (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and other single-celled living things) that lived in the geological past and are preserved in the crust of the Earth.
There are many subdivisions of the field of paleontology, including vertebrate paleontology (the study of fossils of animals with backbones), invertebrate paleontology (the study of fossils of animals without backbones), micropaleontology (the study of fossils of single-celled organisms), paleobotany (the study of plant fossils), taphonomy (the study of how fossils form and are preserved), biostratigraphy (the study of the vertical distribution of fossils in rocks), and paleoecology (the study of ancient ecosystems and how they developed).
Paleontologists also frequently are involved in studies of evolutionary biology. The best starting point is a college preparatory program with as many science and math courses as possible.
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