Articles

Archivist vs. Librarian: Which Career Path Is for You?

August 11, 2020 

You’re finishing up your history degree and wondering what comes next. You enjoy reading about history, exploring vintage documents and photographs, organizing information, and facilitating others’ learning. You’re familiar with the roles of both archivists and librarians, but which one is the best fit for you? Before you set out to pursue your dream career, it’s important to explore the similarities and differences between archivists and librarians, including the educational requirements, day-to-day job description, and salary range. In broad terms, a librarian tends to help patrons find information and conduct research, while an archivist is in charge of processing, appraising, […]

Journalist vs. Reporter: What’s the Difference?

August 11, 2020 

A reporter broadcasts from the city.

Journalists and reporters are essential to the news cycle. They help people understand and come to terms with recent happenings. Current events shape the way individuals see the world, making news a vital vehicle for offering context. Newspeople don’t just cover current events, as news in a vacuum is not useful to anyone. Instead, journalists and reporters present it in the frame of reality so viewers can ascertain an event’s importance and impact on the world. Reporters and journalists present the news to people in different ways. Even though the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts these professions under the […]

International Studies vs. Political Science: Which Degree Is Right for You?

August 11, 2020 

The professional world is more connected than ever thanks to evolving technology and social media. Current events are now shared in real-time, creating both challenges and opportunities across increasingly linked societies. In today’s global economy, professionals with an interest in world culture can prove to be highly valuable to organizations in nearly every industry. There are several educational paths available to future professionals intrigued by current events and global culture, including international studies and political science. These two social sciences share many similarities, but the difference between international studies and political science lies in the specific expertise and skill sets. […]

Careers That Keep the Arts Alive: Docent vs Curator

August 11, 2020 

Docent educates child about artifacts.

An internationally recognized art museum in a major American city holds an exhibition of art, artifacts, and replicas of everyday items from ancient Rome. Each day, tens of thousands of visitors stream up the museum’s grand staircase, filing into a hall that holds hundreds of items from 600 BC — from pottery to tools to remnants of stone buildings. Museum guests marvel at the collection and its arrangement, slowly moving from piece to piece, pausing to read informational text on the wall. A group gathers around a tour guide who explains the history and story behind several standout items. Without […]

Data Science Degree vs. Statistics Degree: Analyzing the Difference

August 11, 2020 

Data rules the modern world. It’s collected everywhere and used in countless applications, from recommending products to online shoppers to suggesting the next binge-worthy Netflix series. Companies, governments, and organizations use data to drive critical decisions, and they depend on it to make informed decisions about future investments, product development, and improved systems and services. Data science and statistics both help make these decisions easier. Data Science Degree Overview Data science degrees focus on data analysis, machine learning, statistical theory, and advanced programming skills. These programs teach students how to create new forms of data modeling and data processes. Students […]

Curator vs. Museum Educator: What’s the Difference?

August 11, 2020 

Museums procure, study, and display art and other objects of lasting interest. For instance, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., showcases paintings of former American presidents, while the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History delves into Earth’s history, exhibiting ancient fossils and life-sized animal replicas. Museums offer engaging ways to learn about history, science, art, and more. An estimated 14 million Americans visit museums every year, many of them children. Children in particular can benefit from museum visits, which give them a chance to explore and connect with new subjects in person rather than through a screen. It’s clear […]

A Future in Sports: Pursuing a Business Degree vs. a Sports Management Degree

August 11, 2020 

Sports entertain millions of people every year, but the world of sports goes far beyond engaging fans. The industry represents an enormous business landscape, especially in the United States. Media and television rights, ticket sales, apparel sales, and sponsorships add up to an estimated domestic value of approximately $75 billion, according to Forbes. As sports have grown from pastimes to multibillion-dollar businesses, so has the need for business-minded employees in the front offices of leagues, brands, and franchises. Marketing, sales, public relations, management, information technology, and human resources are all disciplines applied to the world of sports. How does someone […]

Audiologist vs. Speech-Language Pathologist: Two Approaches to Communication Treatment

August 11, 2020 

The complexity of our communication is one major aspect that separates human beings from the animal kingdom. We’re not the only species to interact with one another using sounds, facial expressions, and gestures, but humans communicate with complexity, using thousands of spoken languages, each containing thousands of unique words and sounds. We even can communicate in sign languages that rely on hand motions and facial expressions. When people can’t communicate with each other, it can be a frustrating experience. Audiologists and speech-language pathologists focus on communication challenges — helping people manage and overcome disorders that affect how they interact with […]

Calculating Your Next Move: Mathematician vs. Physicist Careers

August 11, 2020 

For millennia, humanity’s brightest minds have contemplated the nature of the universe. Over time, the concept of scientific thought came into being, with societies all over the world making major contributions to the fields of biology, chemistry, economics, anatomy, astronomy, history, and beyond. Those major areas of study have multiplied into countless subfields, each with scientists dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and advancement of humankind. But none of it –– those scientific fields, the great thinkers, or history itself –– would exist without the fundamental laws of the universe, the physics that drive interactions between every molecule, quark, atom, […]

Motion Graphics vs. Graphic Design: What’s the Difference?

August 11, 2020 

In November 2013, parody musician “Weird Al” Yankovic reached out to visual artist Jarrett Heather to create a music video for an upcoming song. When Yankovic’s Mandatory Fun album dropped the following July, Heather’s 500 hours of design work went public, and his video for “Word Crimes,” featuring animated text, received more attention than the song itself. Heather’s work is one example of how visual design artists, such as those in the fields of motion graphics and graphic design, can make a product stand out. Motion graphics and graphic design artists use computers and technology to create purposeful visual art, […]