Anthropologists

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Research, evaluate, and establish public policy concerning the origins of humans; their physical, social, linguistic, and cultural development; and their behavior, as well as the cultures, organizations, and institutions they have created.

tasks jobzones knowledge skills abilities work_activities work_context interests work_styles work_values

Tasks

  • Observe and measure bodily variations and physical attributes of different human groups.

  • Build geographic information systems (GIS) to record, analyze, and cartographically represent the distribution of languages, cultural and natural resources, land use, and settlement patterns of specific populations.

  • Observe the production, distribution, and consumption of food to identify and mitigate threats to food security.

  • Analyze and characterize user experiences and institutional settings to assist consumer product developers, technology developers, and software engineers with the design of innovative products and services.

  • Apply traditional ecological knowledge and assessments of culturally distinctive land and resource management institutions to assist in the resolution of conflicts over habitat protection and resource enhancement.

  • Participate in forensic activities such as tooth and bone structure identification, in conjunction with police departments and pathologists.

  • Examine museum collections of hominid fossils to classify anatomical and physiological variations, and to determine how they fit into evolutionary theory.

  • Organize public exhibits and displays to promote public awareness of diverse and distinctive cultural traditions.

  • Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains in order to increase knowledge of ancient cultures.

  • Apply systematic sampling techniques to ensure the accuracy, completeness, precision, and representativeness of individuals selected for sample surveys.

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Job Zone

  • Name: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

  • Experience: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

  • Education: A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

  • Job training: Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

  • Examples: These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, physicists, school psychologists, and surgeons.

  • Svp range: (8.0 and above)

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Knowledge

Browse Knowledge
  • Sociology and Anthropology
    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • English Language
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • Education and Training
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • History and Archeology
    Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

  • Geography
    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

  • Philosophy and Theology
    Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

  • Foreign Language
    Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • Psychology
    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

  • Communications and Media
    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

  • Mathematics
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

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Skills

Browse Skills
  • Reading Comprehension
    Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

  • Writing
    Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

  • Active Listening
    Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

  • Critical Thinking
    Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

  • Social Perceptiveness
    Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

  • Active Learning
    Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

  • Complex Problem Solving
    Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

  • Speaking
    Talking to others to convey information effectively.

  • Learning Strategies
    Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

  • Coordination
    Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

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Abilities

Browse Abilities
  • Oral Comprehension
    The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

  • Written Comprehension
    The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

  • Oral Expression
    The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

  • Written Expression
    The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

  • Deductive Reasoning
    The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

  • Inductive Reasoning
    The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

  • Category Flexibility
    The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

  • Near Vision
    The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

  • Speech Clarity
    The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • Fluency of Ideas
    The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

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Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Electronic Mail
    How often do you use electronic mail in this job?

  • Freedom to Make Decisions
    How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

  • Telephone
    How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

  • Face-to-Face Discussions
    How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

  • Structured versus Unstructured Work
    To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?

  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
    How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
    How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

  • Contact With Others
    How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

  • Letters and Memos
    How often does the job require written letters and memos?

  • Spend Time Sitting
    How much does this job require sitting?

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Interests

Browse Interests
  • Investigative
    Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

  • Social
    Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

  • Artistic
    Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

  • Conventional
    Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

  • Realistic
    Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

  • Enterprising
    Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

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Work Styles

  • Analytical Thinking
    Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

  • Integrity
    Job requires being honest and ethical.

  • Independence
    Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

  • Initiative
    Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

  • Adaptability/Flexibility
    Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

  • Dependability
    Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

  • Persistence
    Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

  • Achievement/Effort
    Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

  • Self Control
    Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

  • Attention to Detail
    Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

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Work Values

Browse Work Values
  • Autonomy
    Workers on this job plan their work with little supervision.

  • Ability Utilization
    Workers on this job make use of their individual abilities.

  • Independence-Mean Extent
    Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

  • Achievement-Mean Extent
    Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

  • Creativity
    Workers on this job try out their own ideas.

  • Responsibility
    Workers on this job make decisions on their own.

  • Achievement
    Workers on this job get a feeling of accomplishment.

  • Moral Values
    Workers on this job are never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • Variety
    Workers on this job have something different to do every day.

  • Social Status
    Workers on this job are looked up to by others in their company and their community.

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