Aeronautical Engineer

Aeronautical engineers develop, design and test aircraft, missiles, satellites and other systems.

What am I going to do in this occupation?

Man has always been fascinated by the idea of flying and the Wright brothers can be considered as the first successful aeronautical engineers in the history of mankind. Aeronautical engineers working in South Africa may find themselves in one of three main fields: general aeronautical research, as done at the Council for Sience and Industrial Research (CSIR), aeronautical development, production and maintenance for military and or civil aircraft application in the Dene! group, or maintenance of aircraft as in the SA National Air Force or the SA Airways and other private organisations. Due to the current economic situation, the development of new aircraft for civilian use is much more expensive than importing aircraft.

Aeronautical engineers can specialise in one of the following fields:

Structural analysis

This field entails the analysis of static and dynamic loads acting on an aircraft or flight vehicle, the design of a structure capable of withstanding these loads, the choice of construction materials and production methods and the performance of the completed airframe with regard to strength, fatigue and flutter testing before it is released for flight. Complex computer simulations are often used to perform these functions.

Aerodynamics

This is the study of airflow over an aircraft or flight vehicle to determine its configuration, stability, control, and performance and power requirements. This is often done with the aid of scale models, which are tested in a wind tunnel.

Propulsion

This field involves computational fluid dynamics (CFD), thermodynamics, gas dynamics and the strength of materials. It entails the choice of appropriate vehicle engines. Engineers in this field of study occupy themselves with the design, development, production, assembly and testing of aircraft engines that must meet certain power and performance requirements .

Systems

This field involves definition, stimulation, integration and evaluation of all subsystems of an aircraft/missile to ensure that it meets all requirements and functions well.

System engineers or project managers are responsible for integrating all these fields.

Manufacture and production

Engineers in this field must ensure a product of high quality. Rigid standards and stringent quality control requirements are maintained throughout the production process.

Avionics

This field involves aspects such as flight instrumentation, radar, computers, navigation equipment, communication systems and censors (for height and airspeed). Mechanics and electronics are involved in this field of specialisation.

Servo- and power systems

Advanced lightweight and compact servo-control and power systems are required for the stability and control of modem aircraft and missiles. Both hydraulic and electric systems are used.

Certification

Systematic flight tests are done on all newly built flight vehicles to establish their handling and performance characteristics. Engineers in this field have to prove that aircraft are airworthy before they are certified as such.

Requirements

What kind of personality do I need? Because this occupation sets high requirements aeronautical engineers must pay exceptional attention to perfectionism in their work. They must be able to maintain the high standards set during training. These characteristics are very important because mistakes are often fatal.

Where can I work?

Aeronautical engineers can work at one of the following institutes: CSIR (AEROTEK), Denel Aviation, Kentron, Houwteq, the Department of Transport, Airways and the Air force. They can also apply for lecturing.

There are a limited number of private firms, either performing maintenance or aeronautical development on aircraft and which therefore make use of the services of aeronautical engineers.

Can I work for myself in this occupation?

Qualified aeronautical engineers with the necessary experience in this field can work as consultants for one or more of the abovementioned companies.

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Advocate

The main function of advocates is to act in the best interests of the party who employs them. Advocates act for the plaintiff or the defendant in civil cases or for the State in criminal cases.

Other duties include rendering of legal advice or opinions, drafting of contracts and other legal documents.

What am I going to do in this occupation?

Civil matters or cases
As legal representatives of either the plaintiff or defendant in a civil matter, in other words, where two people or two corporate bodies are involved in a dispute which involve legal rights, advocates will attempt to have the dispute settled in favour of their clients. Examples of such disputes are claims for damages, breaches of contracts, divorce cases, etc.

An attorney will refer a person or a corporate body to an advocate if the dispute is of such a nature that it requires the specific expertise of that advocate or when only the High Court has the jurisdiction to resolve the dispute. Advocates will investigate all the facts pertaining to the dispute and advise their clients as to what to do and what their chances of success are.

The advocate will first try to settle the dispute out of court, in other words to come to an agreement with the opposing party without going to court. Sometimes such agreements are also made orders of the court. If the dispute cannot be resolved out of court, it will be placed before a magistrate or judge who will listen to the testimony of both parties and their witnesses, the arguments of the advocates and then give judgement.

Advocates playa very important role by ensuring that all the evidence in their party's favour is placed before the magistrate or judge and by testing the version of the opposing party through cross-examination.

Criminal cases
If a person is accused of having committed a crime, an advocate can defend him/her in court. Even if the accused admits to committing the crime, the advocate will still assist the person in getting a fair sentence.

If advocates work for the state, they will prosecute the persons accused of committing a crime. The state advocates will call witnesses who will testify that the persons accused committed the crime and will test the version of the accused persons and their witnesses through cross-examination.

Requirements

What kind of personality do I need? The legal professions are based on justice and therefore advocates must be honest at all times and of unquestionable integrity. A sound knowledge of general business practices coupled with a good measure of selfconfidence is also important. The ability to think analytically and to assess situations quickly are further attributes of a good prospective advocate. Public speaking forms part of the daily activities of an advocate and the ability to speak clearly and authoritatively is also an advantage.

Where can I work?

Advocates can work as state advocates in the Attorney-General's office. Here the advocates prosecute serious cases such as murder, fraud and high treason. In this case there is no need to undergo the four months training or pass the Bar Examination.

Advocates can also work as legal advisors for big companies or as law advisors for the State.

Can I work for myself in this occupation?

An advocate can go into private practice or work as a law adviser.

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Advertising

The purpose of advertising is to communicate the benefits of a product or service, that is, to make it known to the general public, or to a specific section of the public. In this way people are made aware of choices available to them as consumers.

If you are not one for dull routine work, you will not find a more stimulating and rewarding career than advertising. In this fastchanging world, advertising opens up several dynamic career path opportunities, in which no two days are ever the same.

What am I going to do in this occupation?

There are three parties concerned in advertising, namely, the production industry or commercial firm (the client), who wishes to advertise its product or service, the advertising agency which launches the advertising campaign on behalf of its client, and thirdly the media (the press, radio, television, cinema), in which the advertisements appear. In an advertising agency the personnel who attend to the "advertising account" of the client, are as follows:


Client service
The client service team forms the link between the agency and the client. Depending on the size of the agency and the size of the account, this could be done by one person or by many people. The contact person is usually called an accounts executive. It is his important duty to present or "sell" the agency's advertising campaign to the client, to explain in detail to the client the advantages of a proposed campaign, and make any necessary changes, because the agency must execute the wishes of the client. The accounts executive must be familiar with the client's products, selling techniques, markets, competitors and advertising policies.

Media management
The media manager, media planners and media buyers have to cover a wide field. They must be conversant with all the possible ways in which to advertise, namely, through the daily and periodical press, television, radio, bus and bus shelter advertising, pamphlets and many more. The advertisements must be exposed to the correct target market/ audience at the most economical cost, while providing the best possible coverage and reach.

Copy-writing
The copy-writers create the words in the advertisements. While a basic ability to write is a fundamental requirement, copy-writing ability is not always inborn. Hard work and good training by skilled copy-writers produce a good copy-writer.

Art direction and graphic design
Art directors have to be people with many exciting ideas. They are responsible for the visual execution. They design the illustrations and lettering of advertisements and must therefore constantly have new original ideas and ingenuity. When the brief is received, art directors and copy-writers work jointly on the basic concept or idea. Most art directors at advertising agencies have been trained in commercial art and have learnt how to combine elements of an advertisement for easy reading, to get the attention of and to appeal to the reader.

Graphic designers in advertising agencies are usually responsible for designing logos, corporate identities, packaging and label design, editorial or magazine design and layout. Computer knowledge is essential. Both art directors and graphic designers should possess some knowledge of the various production processes.

Marketing research
Marketing research allows for the understanding of consumers attitudes, perceptions and behaviour. Research departments differ form agency to agency. In some instances the department actually conducts surveys through its own field force, but more frequently the department's activities are:

» To arrange for the testing of concepts and advertisements that the agency is producing;
» to consult on research requirements;
» to brief research institutions on research products and then implement, oversee and report on the final study;
» to analyse and interpret research data and reports, and
» to conduct desk research from existing sources in the development of advertising plans.

Production
There are two general production areas within an agency, print and electronic production. Print production caters for all forms of advertising in the print media, i.e. newspapers and magazines, as well as in brochures, posters and promotional material. This area is technically orientated and involves reproducing concepts produced by the creative team. Electronic production relates closely to broadcast media, i.e. television and radio.

Requirements

What kind of personality do I need? To be successful in the advertising business you have to be a special kind of person. You will need creativity, intelligence, self-discipline, be hard working, have the ability to cope under stress and have enthusiasm and drive.

Where can I work?

You can work at any advertising agency, inhouse marketing department, production company, design studio, research company or a media owner.

Can I work for myself in this occupation?

If you have the necessary knowledge and experience, you can start your own advertising agency.

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Actuary Career Description

The career of the actuary is one of the most popular for those with outstanding mathematical abilities and an active interest in the business world. Actuaries are experts in risk management, statistics and specifically in life assurance, investments, general insurance, health care and pension funds.

What am I going to do in this occupation?

Actuaries are concerned with matters such as compiling assurance policies, retirement funds and medical aid schemes, determining the basis on which premium rates for policies are to be calculated, determining the amounts to be paid to policy holders and investigating the financial position of assurance companies. These tasks demand complicated and extensive mathematical and statistical calculations, as well as expert knowledge on management and investment.

In order to compile estimations for the future, actuaries investigate trends in interest and mortality rates as well as the expenses of their employer or consultant company. They should also investigate any changes in legislation affecting life assurance and pension schemes. It is expected of actuaries to make decisions or recommendations involving considerable sums of money, for example bonus declarations.

Actuaries also help to invest funds for insurance companies by evaluating and making comparisons of investments with the aim to choose the investment which offers the best benefits. They are also responsible for the administration of investments. They should be well informed regarding international financial and economical trends. Actuaries are sometimes expected to compile special schemes of assurance to suit special public and private requirements such as unemployment insurance and accident insurance funds.

In an actuarial department, a considerable amount of time is devoted to the evaluation of a company's liabilities in respect of all policies. The calculations required are extensive and intricate and the results are analysed in great detail.

Their qualifications are recognised internationally.

Requirements

What kind of personality do I need? Prospective actuaries should be of above average intelligence with a flair for Mathematics and the handling of statistics. A disciplined and methodical approach to their work is important and they should be neat and accurate workers. Actuaries should be responsible and reliable and are expected to display the highest standards of professional ethics and technical competence.

Actuaries should have the ability to negotiate with people and express themselves in different languages. Self-discipline and determination are needed to cope with inservice training coupled with years of parttime studies.

Where can I work?

Actuaries are employed by life assurance companies, actuarial consultants and other financial institutions.

Actuaries internationally recognised qualifications offer them greater security in terms of employment possibilities.

Can I work for myself in this occupation?

Actuaries can act as private consultants.

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Actor Career Description

Actors communicate an author's script to others by acting in a creative and convincing fashion. They entertain people through media such as theatre, film, radio and television. Their skills can also be used in industrial theatre and education to convey important information to the audience in an effective way.

What am I going to do in this occupation?

Actors, like singers, musicians and dancers are performing artists and specialists in the field of entertainment. Actors may act on stage or become involved in film, television or radio productions. Since singing, dancing and the playing of instruments form part of many productions, it is to their advantage to have some knowledge of, or talent for the other performing arts.

Acting is a form of communication and the actors are the media through which writers' thoughts are communicated to audiences. Actors therefore read, analyse and interpret scripts thoroughly before they learn their parts

A great deal of actors' time is taken up by rehearsals. Rehearsals take place under the guidance of directors who have knowledge and experience of acting, design and stage management. Actors therefore follow the directions and advice of directors. Movements and gestures, vocal and speech skills, pauses, facial expressions and many other acting techniques, are practised and repeated, until a polished performance is obtained.

During their careers, many performers choose to specialise in a specific field of acting. Some actors find live theatre demanding and rewarding, while others prefer acting in front of a camera. Depending on the media used, different skills are required of actors. Actors involved in live theatre make greater use of exaggerated movements and voice-projection than persons acting in front of a camera do. Film actors employ more subtle body movements and facial expressions as their audiences often view them from the close-up angle of the camera. Someone involved in radio production primarily makes use of voicemodulation and intonation in order to create the desired expression. The acting techniques may also depend on the type of role actors play. Some actors may have the appearance and personality which enhance their skill as comedians, while others may have the assets and skills required for the interpretation of serious dramatic roles. Versatility in all areas of dramatic performance creates more employment opportunities for the actor.

This profession is far from an easy one. It demands hard work and serious vocal, physical and mental training. It necessitates long hours of study and intense concentration as well as discipline.

Requirements

What kind of personality do I need? Personal characteristics like intelligence, sensitivity, keen perception, good memory and a sense of self-discipline are required by anyone wanting to enter the acting profession. Acting demands self-confidence, dedication, the will to succeed, the ability to adapt to different situations and the ability to deal maturely with criticism.

Good health is essential, since actors cannot afford to become ill during rehearsals or performance times. They should be able to project personality and emotions. The ability to think creatively and a talent for language are additional qualities that complement actors.

Where can I work?

Career opportunities exist at various theatres, in the film industry and at the (Television and Radio) where actors are employed for specific productions on a contract basis, via agencies.

Most actors work on a free-lance basis where they consider and take any work that is temporarily available - many organisations and private companies appoint people only temporarily, for the duration of the production.

Can I work for myself in this occupation?

Actors can work through agents on a contract basis or give drama classes to school children, students and adults. They can also get involved in industrial theatre or street theatre.

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