This research provides an overview of career-related resources for military communications specialists. The research will explain methods used to identify sources of information relevant to technical and career development and then discuss which resources investigated appear to most usefully address employment issues in the postmodern business environment.
Determining optimum sources of career information for military communications experts began with a Barnes & Noble bookstore survey of popular and scholarly publications known to deal with careers. What became obvious about popular magazines like Forbes and Fortune was that they do not much deal with highly technical careers; Forbes has a limited and nontechnical "careers" section, and Fortune has none. However, what is implied is as important as what is expressed. In the issue of Fortune consulted for this research, an article dealt with innovative communications technology in combating terrorism. Brown uses the term "infotech frontier" (2002, p. 102) in that regard. An article in Forbes, where the focus is usually on investment and not careers, an article projects development of integrated-circuit "cubes" rather than silicon chips to accommodate advanced data-processing needs. Mention of relevant companies (Toshiba, Texas Instruments, Masuoka, etc.) implies a need for high-tech expertise, hence career opportunity (Fulford, 2002).
Monographs published on the subject of physics tend to fall into four categories: memoirs of famous physicists; erudite cosmologies (e.g., Hawking, 1998, Zukav, 1979); elementary "introductions" to physics targeted to children or nontechnical adults; test-review manuals for aspiring physics students. The last-named category is represented by Leduc's (2002) Cracking the AP Physics B and C and similar books that explain techniques for taking standardized advanced-placement tests, the implication being that competitive testing leads to successful technic...