Doris Zimmerman, head nurse at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, narrates film sequences of her typical daily work. In addition to her technical skills, she stresses that interest in and care of the patient is most important. Zimmerman also performs accurate recordkeeping duties, teaches and supervises auxiliary hospital workers, and interacts with adjunct professionals such as dietitians, social workers, and occupational therapists. In all cases, teamwork provides quality care. The work of pediatric, orthopedic, public health, and general staff nurses is discussed, emphasizing their close patient contact. Zimmerman notes that medical advances challenge nurses to keep up to date and to advance their education. She holds a B.S. in nursing, but points out that there are other ways to enter the field and recommends that high school students seek advice from their guidance counselors. The pay scale for nurses "compares favorably with that of other professions open to women," and nursing is a flexible occupation with full-time or part-time work available nearly everywhere.

James Braddock, an actuary and second vice president with New York Life Insurance Co., notes that there are only 900 fully qualified actuaries in the United States. He then explains how insurance is based on the mathematics of probability, the ratio of favorable ways over total ways, and demonstrates this concept with dice and poker hands. This applies to the actuary's responsibility of underwriting life insurance for people with hazardous jobs or high health risks. Such a career is a planning and administrative job requiring knowledge and judgment. Dr. Kelso Morrill, an associate professor of math at Johns Hopkins University, describes pure mathematics as the ability to think logically in abstract terms, but one also needs patience, enthusiasm, and creativity to teach it. He explains and compares the decimal and binary systems of counting. The binary system was introduced by the German mathematician Leibniz and is now the basis for computer calculations.Dr. Lewis Fulton, an applied mathematician, discusses the IBM high-speed computer's mathematical functions and decision logic. Even with the programming language FORTRAN (formula translation), a computer must still receive instructions or a program from a live mathematician in order to process information. A film shows a computer receiving binary-coded information from typed punch cards and storing it on magnetic tape, as for the Social Security Administration's records. Lynn Poole concludes the program by reiterating the opportunities in all areas of math.

Lynn Poole explains the cycle of investment and shows a film clip on American mass production and the role of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Guest S. Bonsal White, Jr. is an investment banker with Baltimore's Alexander Brown and Sons, the oldest investment house in the United States. He explains that brokers match sellers with buyers and therefore need to know the financial outlook of companies in order to advise their clients. He describes the differences between stocks, bonds, and debentures, all forms of securities. In a mock client interaction, Mr. White welcomes the prospective client regardless of investment amount (showing a chart of typical American shareholders' investments), offers facts about companies on the NYSE, assures confidentiality, and explains commission fees. A brief film shows Wall Street activity and reiterates the investment process of the NYSE.

Our legal system is based on statute law passed by legislative bodies and common law based on precedents set by judges. Some lawyers are general practitioners while others specialize in areas such as tax law. It is recommended that students who wish to become lawyers get a well-rounded 4-year degree in a wide variety of subjects before going to law school.

The program opens with an historical look at the Delsarte method of elocution and silhouetted examples of mannerisms and gestures that were taught to be coordinated with the voice. Short dramatizations show several scenes in which effective or ineffective speech affects peoples' careers. Lynn Poole listens to his own tape recorded voice. Elton Mears, speech instructor at John Hopkins University, discusses examples of successes in public speaking. He says that inexperienced speakers make three speeches: the one they planned to make, the one they make, and the one they wish they'd made. He points out that attitude, poise, preparation, knowledge, and organization of the subject all play important roles in speech making, as do eye contact and body language. He recommends only conveying what is worthy of communicating: stand up, speak out, shut up, sit down. Joseph H. Purdy, Director of Public Relations for a Baltimore utilities company, comments briefly on differences between the written and spoken word.

Lynn Poole points out that retailing is the second largest industry in the United States. Albert Hutzler, Jr., president of Hutzler Brothers Co., considers his department store "careers unlimited" because of the great opportunities at all levels. He introduces his merchandise manager, Robert Wittington, who discusses various departments, focusing on the fashion buyer and rug buyer. They explain their jobs, which include planning months ahead and anticipating style trends and customers' wants. Mr. Poole talks with a saleswoman who has worked in the linen department for 28 years. The superintendent of advertising, Adelaide Dillehunt, discusses the process of creating a newspaper ad and introduces the department's artist and copywriter, adding that direct mail, radio, magazine, and TV ads are also necessary. The company's display manager explains "visual merchandise presentation," noting the various workshop occupations required to create window and interior displays.

George Schwartz, a science teacher at Forest Hills High School in Long Island, NY, discusses the teacher shortage and the complexity of the profession. Teaching is more than just being well informed because it involves personal relationships. Mr. Schwartz shows how a teacher must be a showman to demonstrate scientific principles in ways students won't anticipate, such as pulling paper from beneath a full beaker of water to prove the rule of inertia. To prove that a teacher's influence affects eternity, Lynn Poole interviews four of Mr. Schwartz's former students: Dr. Richard Lewontin, an assistant professor of genetics at North Carolina State College; a high school senior and budding herpetologist; a third year medical student at Harvard Medical School; and a freshman majoring in biology at Queens College. All praise their former teacher and explain how he had influenced them. Mr. Schwartz lists the requirements of a good teacher: subject knowledge, love of young people, boundless energy, and self-criticism.

Archaeology is the recovery and study of the material objects of past civilizations for the purpose of reconstructing these civilizations to study them more fully. Archaeologists put these objects in their proper period and use them to explain the ways of ancient life. Modern archaeology began with Heinrich Schliemann and his discovery of Troy. Dr. Young shows a reconstruction of a farm in ancient Greece and the ruins of a temple at Sounion. At Dura-Europos in Syria, remains of three religions were found, a Christian chapel, a Jewish synagogue, and a temple of the cult of Mithras. Students of archaeology must study the languages and history of the civilizations they are studying along with the technical aspects of archaeology.

After a brief photographic and cartoon history of crop cultivation problems, Lynn Poole touts the variety of jobs and opportunities in chemistry. Dr. Iler, research manager of the Grasselli Chemical Dept. at E. I. duPont de Nemours and Co., defines chemistry and chemical reactions and lists everyday products created from chemical reactions. In agriculture, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and feed supplements for livestock and poultry are all chemical creations. The process to develop a new product involves organic chemists; physical chemists; analytical chemists; biologists; chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineers; and often soil chemists and biochemists. A film shows how research results applied to farm production result in greater output with less labor. The goal of agricultural research chemists is to create new knowledge, processes, and products, and improve present ones, for plants and animals. Dr. Iler notes that 90% of all chemicals tested are inadequate. He then explains the steps required to test a new fungicide chemical, beginning with making the chemicals easily mixable with water for spraying on plants and ending with analysis of the resulting fruit with a colorimeter to test for chemical absorption. He also briefly comments on chemicals in cattle dips and sprays to control insects and parasites on livestock. Dr. Iler says that curiosity, a background in math and sciences, and a college degree are necessities to become a chemist or chemical engineer. Mr. Poole makes available the booklet "Chemistry and the Farmer" for a postcard.

An opening film explores electricity's timeline: sparks created from rubbed amber, William Gilbert's study of magnetism, Benjamin Franklin's demonstration of lightening as electricity in 1752, Alessandro Volta's first electric battery, and Thomas Edison's 1879 incandescent electric light. Willis Gore, Johns Hopkins University assistant professor of electrical engineering, points out that an engineer both creates or invents and operates what he has produced. He uses a servosystem to demonstrate two branches of electric engineering: communications (electronics) and power (generation and utilization of power). Thomas Trice, superintendent of electrical operations of Baltimore Gas and Electric, says that electrical engineering has emerged as a leading profession as electrical demand has increased dramatically since 1910. A film of the electrical planning process stresses reliability of service, safety, and cost of a design. An electrical power analyzer is shown and explained as are meters and relays designed for accuracy and dependability at the Herbert A. Wagner electric generating station in Baltimore. Another film follows the generation of electricity from the coal pile through an electrical power plant and over wires to various customers. George Bisset, senior vice president of Potomac Electric Power Co. in Washington, DC, discusses the shortage of electrical engineers, noting that atomic energy will not replace electrical energy, and that use will at least double every ten years. He recommends that interested students take physics and math courses and consult a vocational counselor, college, or local electric company for additional advice. The profession offers prestige, satisfaction, and good compensation and working conditions.