Transportation Planners

Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects. Gather, compile, and analyze data. Study the use and operation of transportation systems. Develop transportation models or simulations.

On the job, you would:

Define regional or local transportation planning problems or priorities.
Participate in public meetings or hearings to explain planning proposals, to gather feedback from those affected by projects, or to achieve consensus on project designs.
Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		90%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		85%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		84%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		80%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		79%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		79%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		73%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		70%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		69%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		65%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
		64%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		64%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		63%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
		60%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		60%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
		55%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		89%	Investigative - Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		67%	Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
		61%	Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
		58%	Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
		56%	Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
		56%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		75%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
		75%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		75%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		75%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
		75%	Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
		75%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		75%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
		72%	Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
		72%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
		69%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		69%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		66%	Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
		66%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		63%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
		56%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
		53%	Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
		53%	Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
		53%	Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Skills \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		61%	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
		61%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
		59%	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
		59%	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
		59%	Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
		59%	Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
		59%	Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
		59%	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
		59%	Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
		59%	Active 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.
		57%	Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
		54%	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.

Direct scientific activities.

Develop theories or models of physical phenomena.

Prepare information or documentation related to legal or regulatory matters.

Evaluate civic projects or public policies.

Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.

Prepare research or technical reports on environmental issues.

Communicate with the public on environmental issues.

Develop theories or models of physical phenomena.

Develop methods of social or economic research.

Collaborate with technical specialists to resolve design or development problems.

Advise others on matters of public policy.

Appraise environmental impact of regulations or policies.

Collaborate with technical specialists to resolve design or development problems.

Interpret research or operational data.

Design civil structures or systems.

Analyze costs and benefits of proposed designs or projects.

Prepare documentation for permits or licenses.

Evaluate civic projects or public policies.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		100%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		95%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		94%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		89%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
		88%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		86%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		74%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
		71%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
		71%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		70%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		69%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		66%	Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos?
		65%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		62%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
		61%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		53%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		63%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		94%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		90%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
		86%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		84%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
		84%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		84%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
		83%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		81%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		81%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		79%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
		76%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		76%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
		74%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		74%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		71%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
		70%	Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
		69%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
		68%	Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
		68%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
		66%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
		65%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
		63%	Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
		63%	Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
		60%	Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
		57%	Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
		57%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
		57%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		56%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
		55%	Staffing Organizational Units - Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
		55%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
		54%	Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
		53%	Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Getting Started

Education:

55%

Bachelor's Degree

45%

Master's Degree

Transportation Planners

What they do:

On the job, you would:

Personality

Characteristics of this Career

Strengths

Values of the Work Environment

Aptitude

Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Skills | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Job Details

Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent

Tasks & Values

Getting Started