Astronomers need to be good at physics and math; that's what they do! Don't fall into the trap of thinking that astronomy is one of the "easier" sciences! Astronomers work a lot with computers so good computer and programming skills are helpful. Some astronomers build their own instruments, so they learn about electronics, materials fabrication,and machining, and other skills. Astronomers need good teaching skills as well, since they teach as much as they learn.

No. There is a severe shortage of jobs for astronomers and it's not expected to get better any time soon. There are only about 6000 professional astronomers in the U.S. and many are employed in tenured positions, resulting in very few "traditional" jobs for astronomers at colleges, universities, and research facilities. Each year there are fewer open positions than Ph.D.'s available to fill them, and the trend is expected to continue. Many new Ph.D.

It varies some, but a typical starting salary for an assistant professor of astronomy is $45,000 to $50,000 for 9 months. A person who took a direct route through graduate school and then two postdoctoral appointments would be employable at this level by age 33 or so, 16 years after graduating from high school. Post-doctoral positions typically pay in the mid $30's and graduate students can eke out a salary from $10K to $20K as a teaching or research assistant.

Most definitely yes, and it's a good thing considering there are so few traditional jobs for astronomers! Ph.D. astronomers can be employed in a variety of technical fields, since astronomy itself is so multi-disciplinary. Many astronomers in the 1970's found themselves employed by the defense and aerospace industries.

No, but all men have some skills. A men's shed should be a collective of many skills. Every member will be able to contribute in some way.

The manager or food safety supervisor looks at the skills and knowledge of the people working with food and measures that against the skills required to handle food safely and then decides which workers require what training for the job they are doing, and how best to have that carried out.

Students must be able to access the Internet, use a mouse and keyboard, save and print documents, use word-processing software to write papers, and be able to send email. Also students must be able to type a URL (uniform resource locator) into a browser to access Web pages and use search engines (such as Google and Yahoo). Click here to get more information about Technical requirements for your computer.

No. It would be useful to have some graphic design or desktop publishing (DTP) skills and experience, but you can consult the Web4Print documentation and the extensive online-help system to learn how to use Web4Print. You can also register for a free evaluation of Web4Print to get hands-on experience.

You will need to be proficient in word processing (preferably Microsoft Word), presentation software (preferably Microsoft Powerpoint), spreadsheets (preferably Microsoft Excel), Internet use (e.g.

That depends on the opportunity. Many don't require any particular skills, while others might make use of specific training, for example in accountancy.