Now that I'm through ranting and raving about Cora's investment assignment last week ("Mom, just chill?"), we can get back to relationships and investments, or "how to learn about the world and its possibilities through others." This is not, as some might believe, a way to milk information about stocks without regard to the other person's well-being. This is a way to get involved, to learn more about other people, and open doors of opportunity for all concerned. It's also polite. Here's how it works:

"Enough about me. What do you do for a living?"

See how easy that was? Interestingly, many people find it difficult to ask this question. Many people don't think about asking the question at all. Teens don't think about it simply because they're too busy thinking about more important things, like what year they'll be able to drive the car or leave home. However, I've taught Cora to ask this question, because it's not only polite and respectful, it's also a form of networking and it's a good way to investigate possible career choices. It's also an interesting way to learn about what's available in the stock market. First, we'll look at how we learned more about one occupation and then we'll go to the Internet to learn more about job skills and investment opportunities.

Cora and I chose my brother's occupation for an example, because it's unusual. He's a hydrologist and, according to the dictionary, this means he's involved in the scientific study of the properties, distribution, and effects of water on the earth's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere. He would say he "looks for water." He also deals with water rights and works with attorneys, so he works in offices and outdoors. Since he owns this small business, his company isn't "public," which means he can't be a part of our portfolio. But, there are other ways we can find possibilities, and this is where we became inquisitive...

My brother supervises teams that work on properties, and these workers use heavy machinery. Ah-ha. What machinery? Is there a specific brand? If there is a prominent brand, why do these workers use it? Is the company familiar, or do we need to do more research to discover if the machine company is an investment opportunity? My brother also works with computers and software. What computer company does he use, and are they reliable? What software? Which company produces the software, and is it widely used or specific to the industry? What does he wear out in the field, and do other workers also wear the same merchandise? Are there any industry-specific codes for this clothing, or is it arbitrary?

We discovered that my brother uses about sixteen different brands in his daily work, and these brands cover everything from heavy machinery to clothing to the food he eats on the road. The latter information was interesting, because some of the food was region-specific, and many of the workers in the field also ate the same food (and drank the same beverages). They also hunted, fished, and did other activities together. What brands did they use in these activities? That last question was very interesting because it took us into another realm (or, another sector) of the stock market. By the time we were through with asking all our questions, we had over twenty-five companies to research, and all of them were businesses that were new to our repertoire.

Of course, we don't need to always ask such nosy questions, and if the person is a stranger they might walk away. We can be observant and frame our questions in a way that doesn't appear too curious?like "Wow, are those shoes blah blah blah? I've heard a lot about that brand. Are they comfortable?" Maybe they'll open up and talk about what they like or don't like about their shoes, and we might have some new information about a company or product and their service.

On the other hand, we can look into new occupations and discover more about the requirements and different capabilities online. We found that college career sites aren't as forthcoming with information as employment sites or sites where a person can post a resume. For instance, we traveled to MSN Careers (just one of many examples), and searched Engineering Jobs. From this link, we can research this sector either through different states or through a city within that state.

At this link we found one job that needed a hydrologist, and this job was situated across the country from my brother. It was interesting to see what this job required, because they utilized different software and equipment than what my brother uses. Other companies in this region also used different software and equipment, which gave us a clue that there seems to be a wide range of competitors in the software and equipment side of this industry.

Another thing we noticed in these employment ads was the experience required for a specific job. If we compare these requirements to classes offered in colleges for this industry, would we find the same information? This is great research for the teen who is researching colleges for a specific career. If your teen hasn't a clue about what they want to study in college, that's another story. However, they might become interested in the varied industries offered for inspection by online resume sites.

Don't blame me, though, if your teen wants to be an accipitrary* in Albuquerque or a blacksmith in Biloxi. After all, these jobs still exist, and many folks actually enjoy their careers more than they enjoy making money. And, that's part of what makes the question about what a person does for a living so interesting?

Until Next Week,
Linda Goin

* An old term for a falconer. I used it because it sounded good with Albuguerque.