It's the end of the second decade of the 21st century. A lot has changed since the internet became popular since the early 2000s. A person in 2020 cannot think of life without the internet. From kids to adults, a huge chunk of our daily lives depends on the internet, from work to entertainment, and everything in between.
The traditional careers and jobs are relying heavily on technology, virtual work-spaces and networks to function more efficiently than it did 20 years back. And with it, comes the requirement for modern skills. This is where the whole traditional education system falls short. We are studying the same books that were relevant two decades ago, with updated names of Presidents and Prime Ministers. Where does this leave us? In a carefully controlled, limited, outdated and narrow path of learning. Your 9 GPA degree is suddenly very ordinary in your company, while your co-worker who sits at home and brings a lot of business to the company, is earning thrice as much as you.
In November 2019, UNICEF released a statement warning that by 2030, 50% of Indians will not have jobs because of lack of modern and relevant skills. While that is a scary prospect, it is actually quite easy to develop certain skills and chose better careers that would hold value in the coming future. Alternate careers, that is what I call them, are the new and emerging career options that are in many ways replacing traditional careers. Most of these also allow you to be self employed, and increase your earning potential tenfold, while being immensely fulfilling and enjoyable.
These are 10 of the most lucrative careers in the world currently that you can start right now from the comfort of your home, and of course, your laptop!
1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Chances of you having heard of the term SEO are thin, unless you are kind of an internet worm. Search Engine Optimisation is in fact one of the fastest growing tech skills in terms of demand. But what does an SEO guy do? He makes sure your web-page appears on top of the search results page when people search for something. Let me explain.
Let's say you went online and searched How to make Samosas. You then see a page with results for your query, and the first result is titled The Best Way To Make Samosas This Weekend. You are instantly drawn to the title and click on it, and find some really helpful content. It seems simple, right? Well it's definitely far more complicated than it looks.
Search engines like Google and Bing are known to employ very complicated methods to index web-pages and how they appear on search results, and how effective they are for a particular user query. The problem is, everyone wants their website to show up on the first couple of results when a search is made. Why? Because 90% of all users are more likely to click on the first few results during a web search. This is crucial for website owners as more traffic into their website means more business, more customers!
As an SEO, your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to make sure that the web-page you are entrusted with, appears among the topmost results on a search engine results page. Optimisers use different techniques to make the web-pages more likeable for search engines. Since this means more profit for businesses, the demand for SEO is skyrocketing as we speak, and is not likely to slow down soon as more and more businesses are becoming internet-centric.
Moz is a very popular portal for beginners and professionals alike and has a huge amount of resources to get you started on your SEO journey. Beginners should start from here.
An SEO with 3 years of experience may earn around $67,750 to $91,000 per year.
2. Graphic Designing
This one is definitely not new to anybody, but the demand for modern graphic designers is absolutely huge right now. In a world where everyone is turning into an entrepreneur, and 90% of the business comes through the internet, it is very important to be seen as a prominent player in the business. And how do graphic designers help with that? Jo dikhta hai wohi bikta hai!
As a graphic designer, you are entitled with the task to make a brand look cool and uber, while also sending out a message that this is what everyone should be buying, or getting into. So sharpen your skills and make the world see you as an asset, and you would be making a living out of it in no time.
Here are some excellent free certified Graphic Designing courses on Udemy that would help you get right on the track.
The average earnings of a Graphic Designer are around $57,000 per year.
3. Internet of Things (IoT)
In layman's terms, Internet of Things is the system of billions of inter-connected devices around the world that work without active human interaction. A few examples you might have seen in your daily life are Smart Assistants like the one you see in the picture above, Smart bulbs that you can control through your smartphone and cars that can drive themselves without a human driver.
There are several roles within IoT, most prominently an IoT developer, whose primary job is to develop software that allows products to connect and function with other devices in tandem.
While being a technically demanding career, it is also immensely rewarding as you would be contributing to technological advancements and making people's lives easier. The demand for skills in IoT is hot right now, and you should definitely try it if you're into coding and development.
Here is a blog article that covers every aspect of IoT and shows you the best places to develop your skills. Also, be sure to check out this certified course on Introduction to IoT from Alison.
The IoT industry has a lot of different roles and one can earn anywhere between $12,000 and 150,000 per year.
4. Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing is, simply put, running the world. People spend up to 80% of their daily time on the phone, laptop, and basically the internet. So it's no surprise that you can see ads for literally anything that can be sold under the sun. Why? Because digitally marketing their products get brands a lot more exposure than, say, billboards and hoardings.
Digital marketing is more than just ads. It's a combination of strategies related to ad placement, targeting, content creation, and market analytics. Brands are always on the lookout of good digital marketers to better promote their products. And since almost all of the marketing is done online these days, the demand for digital marketers is always high. If this falls under your area of interest, waste no time and get on the bandwagon to an exciting career.
Here is an amazing free course on Digital Marketing by Google. Finish the course and take the exam to get certified from Google itself, and you can show it off on your CV!
A Digital Marketer earns an average of $35,000 to $67,000 per year.
5. Content Writing
Everything you see on the internet is content. Content writing refers to all the text based parts in that content. If you need an example, you're looking at it right now. Content writing is huge in today's world. With millions of websites looking for quality content everyday, there is no dearth of work available to a good content writer.
Content writers can freelance, or get a job and work exclusively for a brand, but their role remains the same - creating content that connects users to something. That maybe a brand, a service, or a product. This puts a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, but it remains one of the most fulfilling jobs ever, and you get paid well! If you have a knack for writing, and possess impeccable grammar and punctuation skills, this is definitely a career you should consider.
Just being good at writing isn't gonna make it, you need to polish yourself with relevant skills to make it as a content writer. Here is a very good introduction to content writing from Udemy. Also, be sure to check up the related certified courses on the site to light up your CV, and get the skills that will help you get hired in no time!
The average salary of a Content Writer is around $49,000 per year.
6. Photography
Photography as a career has been around for more than a century, and it has proved itself to invincible to the changing demands of the professional world. Newspapers, brands, blogs and literally every business in the world requires high quality images, and this is where you come in. Photography remains one of the most stable and lucrative careers you can take up.
Making it as a photographer is not easy, but quality and creativity always shine above everything. If you are really passionate about photography, you may want to start building a portfolio with your best work to attract potential clients. Photography is something that requires more practice and expertise than certificates. That being said, it's never too late to let your imagination fly. So you can be 15, or 40, and still build a very successful career in photography.
Here is an extensive guide for photographers who are starting out. Here are some amazing photography courses available on Alison from beginner to advanced levels. Click away!
Photography has a very wide scope and earnings of photographers vary drastically between countries. A simple google search will tell you what to expect!
7. Coding
Highly technical. Highly Rewarding. Coders develop software, mobile phone apps, games and everything related to electronic devices. The browser you are using to view this article is also made by a coder, so you can imagine how important this role is. Coders will always be relevant as we are getting increasingly dependent on technology for everything. This is a high-paying career because of it's central importance in the field of technology.
Coding requires a lot of practice and has a steep learning curve, especially for newbies. However, it is very much attainable if you are willing to put in the hours and dedication into it. There is a huge amount of resources on the internet that would get you started in no time.
Deciding on what programming language to learn is a task in itself. Luckily, here is an article that would help you with it. Once you have made your choice, you can start learning!
Codecademy is an amazing platform for people that want to learn coding. The intuitive interface and friendly exercises make coding easier than it really is. Try it out!
A Coder can start earning well quite early in their career, with an average of $60,000 per year.
8. Web Designing
Web designing is related to coding as it involves programming, but is not limited to that. Apart from coding, one has to actually design the website with graphical elements and layouts. Often, a designer is also involved in maintenance and updating of an existing website.
The demand for web designers is on the rise as more and more people are building online presence for their brands, services, blogs, etc. and need unique and efficient websites for the cause. While a lot of this has technical aspects, it is not unattainable and one can build a career in web designing with a bit of determination and persistence.
If you are ready to try it out, take this free certified course from Alison and begin your journey now!
A Web Designer earns an average salary of $56,000 per year.
9. Dropshipping
Dropshipping is so new that i could not even find a good relevant image, but you do get the picture! Pun intended.
So basically, you create a website and sell things online, without buying any stock or keeping inventory. As ridiculous as it sounds, people are actually earning a crapload by turning this into a profitable business.
I'm sure you have a lot of questions in your mind right now, so I'll explain it the easy way. Let's say, someone ordered a product from your website. He makes an online payment and enters his delivery address, and then receives a confirmation message for the order. The order goes straight to the supplier of the product, and he completes the delivery. Your profit is the difference between the price of the product shown on your website and what the supplier originally charges. And yes, you chose all your suppliers yourself!
Dropshipping is a vast concept and would need all your determination to become a viable income source. If you wanna get started, Shopify is considered the holy grail for dropshipping, and it will guide you from the basics to making an online store and start selling! The Ultimate Guide to Dropshipping is your best friend. Use it wisely. Good luck!
P.S. Dropshipping is more of a business endeavour than a career choice. I included it as it is much less demanding than a startup or a traditional business.
The earning of a Dropshipper largely depends on demand and marketing, and can go from a few thousand dollars to millions.
10. Blogging
I saved the best for the last! No. Seriously.
Blogging is like having a baby. It starts as a part of you and grows into something you want to be proud of. Something that reflects you. You can blog about literally anything you can think of, like mine is mostly focused around career and lifestyle, and probably something else in the future. Who knows?
You start by choosing a niche that matters to you, and preferably something that other people would want to read about. The next step is to create a blog, which is essentially a website that is geared towards blogging. The final and the most important step is to start writing. Write unique and informative articles, put your own style into it. Stand out from the pack.
And how would do you turn this into a career? Going into details would take a whole new article. But essentially, you can put ads on your site, or review and promote products on your articles, represent brands as an influencer, and most importantly, you can build a solid portfolio to showcase your writing, which would make it a tad easier to get content writing jobs.
Here is an free blogging tutorial on Udemy that will get you started right away.
Here is another article that shows different ways to make money from blogging.
Bloggers have a very wide scope and thus the earnings are related to their quality of content and methods of monetisation.
That's it. I hope you gained something from this article and considered some of these options for your career. As always, I'm available if you have any questions or advice regarding the content on this blog. Send me a message at -
Email - rishabh.bucket@gmail.com
Facebook - Click here
I am in no way affiliated to the websites I have mentioned in the article and I do not get any commission if you click on any link or subscribe to a course. These are my personal recommendations from my own experience and I genuinely support each of the resources I'm posting links to.
