Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators

• Inspect locomotives or other railroad equipment.
• Climb ladders or vehicles to perform duties.
• Monitor equipment gauges or displays to ensure proper operation.
• Record operational or production data.
• Record service or repair activities.
• Connect hoses to equipment or machinery.
• Install parts, assemblies, or attachments in transportation or material handling equipment.
• Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments.
• Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
• Measure the level or depth of water or other liquids.

• Working outdoors exposed to weather.
• Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
• Exposure to hazardous equipment.
• Serious consequences if mistakes are made.
• Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
• Having face-to-face discussions.
• Working with a group or team.
• Meeting strict deadlines.
• Responsibility for others' health and safety.
• Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• The importance of being accurate or exact.

• 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.

• Monitoring Equipment—Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Operating Equipment—Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Managing Time—Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.
• Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• 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.
• Mechanical—Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• 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.
• Law and Government—Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 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.
• Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

• 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
• Paving Equipment Operators
• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
• Locomotive Engineers
• Locomotive Firers
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
• Oil, Gas, and Mining Service Unit Operators
• Extraction Worker Helpers
• Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

• Rail Transportation

• Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
• Paving Equipment Operators
• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
• Locomotive Engineers
• Locomotive Firers
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
• Oil, Gas, and Mining Service Unit Operators
• Extraction Worker Helpers
• Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters