EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK REPORT Authors, Elementary Educators, Statisticians, and Technical Writers

University of North Texas College of Arts and Sciences Academic Advisors

Authored by Isaac Bancroft, Ellen Biggerstaff, Jana Clark, Josh Farmer Current as of December 5th, 2016

Employment Outlook Report iii

Table of Contents Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iii

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... iv

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1

Methods ........................................................................................................................................................ 3

Primary Research ...................................................................................................................................... 3

Author ................................................................................................................................................... 3

Elementary Educator ............................................................................................................................ 4

Statistician ............................................................................................................................................. 5

Technical Writer .................................................................................................................................... 6

Secondary Research .................................................................................................................................. 7

Career Options ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Field Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 8

Job Growth ............................................................................................................................................ 9

Mean Salary .......................................................................................................................................... 9

Employment Distribution .................................................................................................................... 10

Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................. 11

Summary of Findings.................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Interpretation of Findings .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Recommendations ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

References .................................................................................................................................................. 12

Table of Charts and Figures Table 1 ........................................................................................................................................................... 7

Table 2 ........................................................................................................................................................... 8

Chart 1 ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

Chart 2 ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

Table 3 ......................................................................................................................................................... 10

iv Employment Outlook Report

Executive Summary Many students are unaware of the vast number of opportunities available when considering future careers.

This report goes into detail about four very different career options: Elementary Educator, Author,

Statistician, and Technical Writer.

Although all of these careers have a background in either Math or English, they all have significantly

different daily responsibilities and workplaces. College students with an interest in these fields have a

wide variety of career options, but should aim to target their education to a specific field in order to be

more employable.

Each of these four careers have different attractions. Some may offer flexible work hours while others

may have higher average salaries.

Students interested in these fields should consider:

Career Options and Field Growth

Average Salary and Regional Outlook

Required Skills and Education

Employment Outlook Report 1

Introduction The four employment fields considered in this report are Creative Writing, Elementary Education,

Statistics, and Technical Writing. Careers in these fields include Journalism, Advertising, Freelance

Writing, Teaching, Administrative Work, Mathematics, Forensic Statistics, Sports Statistics, Grant

writing and Manual Writing. However, this report discusses only four specific careers: Authors,

Elementary Educators, Statisticians, and Technical Writers.

While careers as an Author have significantly increased throughout the years, it can be an extremely

difficult thing to achieve. Jobs can be few and far between, and the majority of work done by a Freelance

Writer will be of one’s own desire and creativity. However, there is information that is considered

helpful in this report about job placement, salaries, requirements, and duties of an Author that can aide in

deciding on a career in Freelance Writing.

Elementary Education has always been a necessary and growing career around the world. Every place

and every school needs teachers to assist in the development of the human mind within each child so that

they can reach to achieve their biggest goals. While Elementary Educators can make more money in

certain places, there are always positions available because the job outlook is higher.

Statisticians have worked for years to bring cohesive data to companies and people that help make

mathematical/educated decisions. While a career in statistics may appear harder to find in this job

outlook report, the opportunities are vast, and statisticians have the ability to work in a variety of different

fields in a variety of different places. While the outlook for the job is high, the career can be harder to

achieve based on the requirements discussed in this report.

Technical writing is also a rapidly growing field with corporations, private businesses, and the

government who are in search of people to write manuals, directions, copyrights, and much more. With an

ever-growing job outlook as the digital world increases, Technical Writing can be a great career with

incredible opportunities.

This report will inform audiences of information for all four careers mentioned. The following report

discusses requirements, necessary skills, and duties for each field. Summaries from first-hand interviews

from professional in each of these four fields provide insight and valuable recommendations are also

included.

2 Employment Outlook Report

Employment Outlook Report 3

Methods Primary Research Primary research was done through individual interviews with professionals in the four fields discussed.

This new research was performed first-hand by students interested in pursuing a similar career as the

professional. These interviews provided insights into professional recommendations for entering the

fields, but also answer questions many young students are concerned with, such as the non-fiscal rewards

gained from such careers.

Author In an interview with Scott Frei, a high school English Teacher at Thorndale Independent School District

and unpublished author, Frei discusses some of the hardships and rewards that come with an English

Degree and a career in Creative Writing. Frei’s main source of income, like many other writers, is not

writing itself, but teaching.

When asked what his main source of income was, Frei replied teaching because he has to raise his family

before he can write. It is important to understand in any career, the main priority for most individuals is

the ability to survive and provide for whomever may be relying on them, and writing isn’t always meant

to do that. While it can be done, Frei says, “Not everyone who wants a creative writing career will make

it. Not everyone can be the next J.K. Rowling. Not everyone is meant to write”. Frei continues “In

contrast, there are a few dedicated writers, however, that will survive and that will make it.” To clarify,

when Frei says “make it”, he means to get published. Scott Frie has yet to be published.

Frei comments that for a true writer, a college degree may not always be extremely necessary, at least for

those who will settle with nothing less than a career in creative writing. He argues that life experience

may be the most important part of an education for a creative writer, but says that a degree may be helpful

to fall back on in case one can’t get published. He does say that there are necessary skills, however,

including, dedication, determination, imagination, and passion, and that those four things will make for a

fantastic creative writer no matter what, and one cannot lack a single one of those skills.

When asked why he isn’t published yet, Frei discusses the hardships of writing, and why none of his

works are finished yet saying that it can be difficult to write, and teach, and have a family. One of his best

pieces of advice is to relax and try to at least get one’s foot in the door of his/her career before settling

down and building a family, because after that, it may take a very long time to come back to personal

dreams.

In concluding the interview, Frei was asked what he would have done differently right out of college to

jumpstart his creative writing career. His response was simple. He said that he wished he would have

started writing short stories and maybe even a novel or an idea for a novel before he graduated because

after graduation “the pressure is on, and it can be difficult to stay true to oneself and one’s dream while

still trying to pay the bills and figure out life.” (S. Frei, personal communication, November 31st, 2016).

4 Employment Outlook Report

Elementary Educator Martha Farmer is an elementary school Physical Education teacher at Caldwood Elementary in

Beaumont, Texas. Although Martha is currently a P.E. teacher, her degree is in Special Education. Martha

has held jobs as a Social Studies teacher for kindergarten through 5th grade students, a substitute teacher

for both middle school and high school students, and as a Social Sciences teacher in prisons in the

Jefferson county area. Martha has also served as an aide to students with physical or mental disabilities.

As an Elementary Educator, Martha must use her skills of observation, creativity, and ability to relay

information. This allows her to engage students in entertaining but helpful activities that advance their

knowledge of materials. Martha stated,” One of the biggest skills person in my line of work can possess is

patience.” She explained that dealing with children of the ages five to ten years old can become difficult

because they have not yet matured and do not yet have the skills to discipline themselves, so she has the

responsibility to help them develop this as they grow. Martha recommends that anyone considering

entering the education field begin teaching at a higher age level because older children have better

understanding and can more firmly grasp information making possible to teach them more information in

shorter amounts of time.

Many administrators looking to hire educators require a basic degree in any form of education, but prefer

a degree in regular K-12 education. Martha recommends that prospective Elementary Educators should

complete their Bachelor’s degree and strive to begin their Master’s degree. Martha has her bachelor’s

degree in Special education, and is currently working to complete her Master’s. She has also earned

certifications in Physical Education, Basic Mathematics, Health and Wellness, and First Aide. Martha

believes that having multiple certifications sets her apart from everyone else in this field. She states,

“Everyone has the credentials to be here but those who go the extra mile are those who have the greatest

impact.” Martha stated that there was a point in her career where she stopped performing for her personal

benefit but for the benefit of the children.

Elementary Educators make around 56,000 on average per year. Martha stated that for such a demanding

job, the pay is not the highlight. Instead, Martha stated that her reward comes in different forms. For

example, one of her wheelchair-bound special education students achieved one of his goals by becoming

a security guard. Martha was overwhelmed with joy and explained,” This information gave me a better

feeling as a person than a paycheck ever could.” Martha shared that last year she was asked to coach her

school's basketball team without pay. She reluctantly accepted because her son was a member of the

team, although she had no experience coaching the sport previously. Martha gave the job her all no matter

the degree of stress she underwent she states, “The smiles on my children’s faces and the look of

enjoyment in their eyes helped push me to become a better coach as they became a better team.”

Although the job may feel like more than she can handle and less rewarding than she would hope

sometimes, Martha excels greatly at it. Her rare caring spirit pushes her to look past herself and advance

the education of her students at max potential. (November 25th, 2016).

Employment Outlook Report 5

Statistician Dr. Michael Gates works as a Lead Principal Data Scientist for Verizon Wireless, and has previously

worked as a Data Scientist for AT&T and Research Statistician at the Department of Health and Human

Services. Data Scientists primarily mine databases for information which is then run through thorough

statistical analysis to answer questions of why we observe correlations, or, more commonly with the rapid

growth of data collection methods, how we can use observed correlations to create actionable business

intelligence. Dr. Gates insight into Data Science helps shape our view of professional statistics by giving

us a direct view into how statistics are applied by businesses today.

As a Lead Principal Data Scientist, Dr. Gates’ day to day involves wearing many hats. He is a ‘lead,’ so

he runs the operations of a team of data scientists. The ‘principal’ portion of his title simply speaks to his

experience and efficacy as a data scientist. To Dr. Gates however, the most important part of his title is

‘scientist’. Being a scientist means designing and running tests to show relationships in the data to

produce actionable information. Dr. Gates stated, “the ability to define a question, that is the key to the

scientist part.” In the business world, raw ability to crunch the numbers and produce output values may

get you hired, but the key competency for any job relating to statistical analysis is being able to translate

those numbers for people with important decisions to make.

For nearly all positions within Data Science or Statistics, a Master’s Degree is required, and many

individuals, like Dr. Gates, have gone on to complete a PhD. While Dr. Gates was employed at AT&T he

assisted in the hiring process for a large number data scientists as the department expanded drastically.

Applicants had varying expertise, but the most qualified all had extensive experience with statistics as

well as some specialization in supplementary fields. For Dr. Gates that is Psychology. He completed his

PhD at University of North Texas, and has made clear that his background in the human sciences has

helped him tremendously in line of work. He highly recommends that all prospective job seekers

supplement their quantitative skills with a field they are interested in working alongside.

Above all else, Dr. Gates wanted to speak to the future of data science and statistics. He spoke at length

about the scope of projects available and impressed that the field is currently in a golden age, due to the

rapid growth in the amount of data and the advance of technologies to help process it. Demand for

statistical analysis is higher than ever and it does not appear to be slowing down. In Dr. Gates own

words, “There is no better time to get into data science and statistical analysis.” (M. Gates, personal

communication, November 21st, 2016).

6 Employment Outlook Report

Technical Writer Brenda Atherton is a professional Grant Writer based in San Antonio, TX. Before becoming a Grant

Writer, she worked for United Services Automobile Association (USAA) in the Claims Department,

where she held various management positions requiring presentation, writing, and persuasion skills. Grant

Writing interested her because it utilized many of these same skills but provided more flexibility and a

higher salary than USAA.

Brenda currently works as a freelance Grant Writer for various non-profit organizations in the San

Antonio area. Her typical workday includes meeting with clients to gather information, and then working

from home to research opportunities and preparing grants letters for submission. Brenda recommends new

grant writers to begin working with a specific organization with provide new Grant Writers the

opportunity to work with mentors experienced in this field, increase networking and build a portfolio.

Additionally, working in an office setting often provides beginning Grant Writers with more structure,

which is oftentimes helpful for young or inexperienced employees.

Most employers require Grant Writers to have a Bachelor’s Degree in a related field, but possession of

strong writing skills is crucial. Grant Writers must have a strong understanding of grammar and

punctuation, as well as the ability to follow directions, stay organizes, and be persuasive. Due to this, she

recommends taking advanced writing classes when possible.

Since many non-profits are moving toward hiring a contract Grant Writer instead one in-house, Grant

Writers interested in having an office job with a specific organization may need to take on additional

duties and responsibilities. These will often take place in the Development or Fundraising Department of

mid-size non-profits. As such, she also recommends obtaining a background in non-profits through

extensive volunteering or classes. Many universities offer Certifications, Majors, Minors, and Master’s

Degrees in Non-Profit Studies or Management.

Networking is especially crucial to Grant Writers interested in working as a Freelance or Contract

Worker. Brenda states that you need to know other Grant Writers so that “if you get a call from a

prospective client and are not able to handle the work at that time, you can refer them to someone who

you feel is competent,” and in turn receive more opportunities and clients from others in the same

situation. Networking also includes attending events hosted or attended by Non-Profit Organization in

order to get “your name and reputation out into the community” and further bring in business. Grant

Writers may also look into becoming a member of the Grant Professionals Association for networking

opportunities across the nation.

Although Brenda originally became interested in Grant Writing due to the flexible nature of the job – she

says “As long as deadlines are met, you have the flexibility of working any hours during the day you want

to work-or that make sense for your own situation” – she feels the biggest reward of being a Grant Writer

stems from clients. In Brenda Atherton’s own words, “The biggest reward is winning a grant for one of

your clients--the excitement on the part of the client is contagious and it is always a "day-maker' when

that wonderful letter or email arrives!” (B. Atherton, personal communication, November 27th, 2016).

Employment Outlook Report 7

Secondary Research Secondary research was primarily done online through the Bureau of Labor and US Census. We also used

information provided by professional societies such as the American Statistical Association and the

Society for Technical Communication. The following charts and figures contain information aggregated

from these resources.

Career Options

Employment Type Career Options

Elementary Education Teaches kindergarten – 4th grade (ages 5-9)

Education Administration

Academic Counseling

Author/Writer Copywriters

Biographers

Bloggers

Novelists

Journalists

Statistician Research/Academic Statistics

Biostatistics

Mathematical Statistics

Environmental Statistics

Statistic Financial Analytics

Technical Writer Indexers

Instructional Designers and Illustrators

Web Designers & Developers

Teachers & Researchers of Technical Communication

Trainers and E-Learning Developers

Table 1

Because the previously mentioned job fields are so broad, it is important to note the many specific careers

available to professionals in the field. Elementary Education can include kindergarten through fourth

grade teaching, education administration, and academic counseling. Copywriters, biographers, bloggers,

and novelist are some jobs that create the job field of Authors. Research Analysts, Biostatistics,

Mathematical statistics, and Environmental Statistics mold the field of Statisticians. Technical Writers

may be offered the career choices of Indexers, Illustrators, Web Designers, and Technical Editors. It

should be noted that these are only some of the careers offered in each of the job fields. More options may

be available.

8 Employment Outlook Report

Field Overview

Employment Type Education Qualities and Skills Important Duties

Elementary Educator

BS in Education or

Concentration

Teaching

Certification

Care for students

Communication

Patience

Teaching skills

Teach and relay

information to

elementary

students

Listen and

understand

problems of

elementary

students

Author/Writer

BA in English

BA in Journalism

BA in

Communication

Creativity

Critical thinking

Determination

Social

Perceptiveness

Writing Skills

Communicate

messages through

various stories

Advertising for

various outlets

Use research to

provide valid

detail

Statistician

MS in Statistics

MS in Mathematics

PhD recommended

Communication

Analytic

Quantitative

Reasoning

Experiment

Design

Data Collection

Statistical

Analysis

Presentation of

Findings

Technical Writer

BA in English

BA in Journalism

BA in

Communication

Communication

Detail Oriented

Teamwork

Technical Skills

Writing Skills

Technical

Reports and

Abstracts

Instructions and

User Manuals

Product

Packaging

Contracts

Table 2

The most important thing to note in the table above is required education. While a degree or certification

is required for Elementary Education, Statistics, and Technical writing, a degree is only recommended for

Authors. This is because many argue that life experience is more important than education for this

particular field. Other differing things between careers are skills and duties. While elementary educators

and authors need to be more creative and able to communicate, statisticians and technical writers need to

be more analytic and detail oriented. It may be helpful for a statistician to be creative, and it may be

helpful for a technical writer to have social perceptiveness. Therefore, the important thing to note is that

the skills on the table above are also only recommended. While an author’s main duty is to write, it is

necessary for an Elementary Educator to teach, a statistician’s main duty is to perform statistical analysis,

and a technical writer’s duty is to communicate technical information efficiently.

Employment Outlook Report 9

Job Growth

Chart 1

An important idea to consider when searching for a career is job growth. It is necessary to understand the

projected amount of new jobs created when beginning a career in that field. The numbers in the bar graph

show that Statisticians have the highest projected job growth, meaning that more jobs are open for that

specific career. In contrast, it is more difficult to obtain a career as an author or elementary educator,

which both have less than 10% projected job growth. Technical writing also has less of a projected job

growth than statisticians have, but still can provide for a career with a 10% job growth. While the

projected job growth for statisticians and Technical writers is higher than the national average, the

projected job growth for elementary educators and Authors is less than the national average.

Mean Salary

Chart 2

The national average salary for working citizens in 2014 in the United States is $36,200. While Statistics

is a higher paid career than Elementary Education, Creative writing, and Technical Writing, all four

careers make between $50,000 and $80,000, which is higher than the national average at $36,200.

10 Employment Outlook Report

Employment Distribution

Table 3

The maps above display the location quotients for the researched fields, and are sourced from the Bureau

of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS defines the location quotient as follows: “the ratio of the area

concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient

greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location

quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.” In essence, the

darker a state is colored the higher the relative frequency of a given job is in that state, and therefore

present themselves as exceptional places to search for employment.

The above graphs show that Elementary Educators are employed almost uniformly throughout the

country, or that the demand is even. Authors will find higher employment density along the west coast,

while statisticians and Technical Writers are frequently employed in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Employment Outlook Report 11

Conclusions Summary of Findings As shown throughout the report, Elementary Education requires skills such as communication, teaching,

patience, creativity, and care for students. Qualifications for this field include a Bachelor’s Degree in

Education or a core subject and a Teaching Certification. While there always appears to be job openings

for elementary educators, there is only a 6% projected job growth in the next ten years.

The skills of an Author can include, but are not limited to, adaptability, creativity, critical thinking skills,

and determination. Because there is only a 2% projected job growth for authors, it a degree in

Journalism, Communications, or English is recommended in order to have a more steady income with a

possible second job.

Communication, analytic thinking, and quantitative reasoning are important skills possessed by

Statisticians. While most statisticians reach the PhD level, there are employment opportunities with an

MS. However, even with the immense requirements for this career path, there is still a 34% projected job

growth for statisticians.

Technical writers must be able to communicate easily, work well in teams, and be detail-orientated. On

top of these skills, a Bachelor’s Degree in English or Communications is also important in order to obtain

a strong understanding of writing and grammar. While the number of jobs for Technical Writers may

currently appear to be low, there is a 10% projected job growth in the next ten years due to an increase in

graphic and website related positions.

Interpretation of Findings The job outlook and necessary skills and requirements for each career (Creative Writing, Elementary

Education, Statisticians, and Technical Writing) are all very different. While careers are opening in

Statistics, Technical Writing, and Elementary Education, it appears that it will become even more difficult

to find a career in Creative Writing, unless full-time freelance work is an option. Students interested in

pursuing one of these career paths should focus on building skills necessary for that specific job.

Recommendations Students considering a career in any of these fields should be prepared to conduct background research in

order to fully compare possible jobs.

Make connections with employees in your job field. Networking is a proven method to increase

employment opportunities

Look at the projected job growth to make sure a steady career is achievable.

Consider regional outlooks in addition to the national average. Some fields may have more

positions in urban areas than rural or may change drastically across state lines.

12 Employment Outlook Report

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