Locomotive Firers

• Operate locomotives or other rail vehicles.
• Monitor engine operation or functioning.
• Monitor equipment gauges or displays to ensure proper operation.
• Monitor surroundings to detect potential hazards.
• Monitor traffic signals.
• Inspect locomotives or other railroad equipment.
• Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments.
• Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
• Monitor availability of equipment or supplies.

• Having face-to-face discussions.
• Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
• Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
• Working in a closed vehicle or equipment.
• Sitting.
• Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Responsibility for others' health and safety.
• Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
• The importance of being accurate or exact.
• Working with a group or team.
• Meeting strict deadlines.
• Exposure to hazardous conditions.

• Ground Transportation

Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges, technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota, and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.

If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:

• Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
• Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
• Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
• Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.

Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.

• Visit Transferology to see if your courses will transfer.
• Search Articulation Agreements to find formal transfer agreements between schools.

• Operating Equipment—Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Monitoring Equipment—Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Troubleshooting—Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
• Controlling Quality—Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• 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.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Maintaining Equipment—Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
• Managing Time—Managing one's own time and the time of others.

• Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Transportation—Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Physics—Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.

• 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.
• 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.

• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
• Excavating and Loading Machine Operators
• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
• Locomotive Engineers
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
• Oil, Gas, and Mining Service Unit Operators
• Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators
• Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
• Subway and Streetcar Operators

• Rail Transportation

• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
• Excavating and Loading Machine Operators
• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
• Locomotive Engineers
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
• Oil, Gas, and Mining Service Unit Operators
• Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators
• Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
• Subway and Streetcar Operators