Career Advice

These High-Income Skills will Earn you 6 Figures or 7

On some days, you daydream about living in that big house and driving that fancy car. Let’s not forget about that vacation in the Maldives where you eat exotic dishes and spend the day surrounded by luxury. All these will merely be daydreams if you do not have the required funds to achieve them. Also, If your salary can’t cater to these needs, you’ll end up being frustrated. 

All these can change when you learn high-Income skills. These skills will open doors of financial possibilities when you master any of these skills. The beautiful thing about this is, you can learn these high-income skills without a formal education. If you dread classes and the conventional schooling system, don’t worry; learning these skills wouldn’t be as burdensome. 

High-income skills vs Degrees 

There has been a lifelong debate on the importance of formal education and skills in the workplace.  According to the institute of the future, 85% of today’s students will work in jobs yet to exist. So, how do you train to work at a job that does not exist? That means that a good number of students will have to learn skills on the job. By acquiring some of these high-income skills, you position yourself correctly as they will always be in demand. 

This fact does not negate the importance of formal education when it comes to certain professions. People who find themselves in the medical fields would most likely benefit from the four walls of a class than a youtube video. And we know doctors get paid handsomely. So, depending on what career path you wish to pursue, your certificate might or might not be so relevant. 

High-demand Skills You Should Learn to Earn More 

Software Development:

Do you know how to code? If your answer is yes, then congratulations, you just won yourself a lifetime of earning good money.  If you don’t, it’s not too late. Software developers are in demand in every field you can think of, ranging from education to STEM. 

Some of the coding skills you need to develop include: 

  • Javascript (90% of the websites make use of it).
  • Python (Most social media platforms make use of python)
  • C++ ( This language is popular with creating computer games, android applications, and software).

How to become a software developer?

Usually, it takes a degree in computer science or any related field to learn about software development. But the introduction of online courses would give you a good foundation. You can take courses from code academy.

Digital Marketing 

The world is going digital now, and every business does not want to be late for this opportunity. If Covid taught us anything, it is that everyone needs to have a digital presence. Also, digital marketing provides businesses with tools for analytics. Furthermore, digital marketing allows companies to connect with their customers.

What are the skills required to be a good digital marketer? 

  • Campaign marketing
  • Data-driven marketing, 
  • e-commerce marketing, 
  • Social media marketing
  • Social media optimization
  • Search engine optimization 

How to become a digital marketer 

To have a career in digital marketing, it takes a degree in marketing or communication. You would then specialize in digital marketing. Also, you can take digital marketing courses on Udemy. 

Copywriting 

Have you ever come across a marketing material that makes you patronize a brand. Well, you fell under the hypnotizing power of a copywriter. Copywriting is simply selling through words on different media platforms. It can be through emails, billboards, social media, and other publications. 

What will you be responsible for as a copywriter?

  • Writing advertising copy for social media, web pages, billboards, and publications.
  • Creating sales emails
  • Writing marketing video scripts

How to become a copywriter

Unlike the other skills on this list, you will not need a degree for this. Most copywriters learn on the job or through pieces of training. You can learn copywriting from blogs or industry experts. 

Web Design 

One of the prerequisites to moving your business online is to have a website. With the migration of people to the internet, most people need a website to display their services. Web design involves you building functional and beautiful websites for businesses and individuals. The interesting thing about web design is its endless earning potentials.

What will you be responsible for as a web designer? 

  • creating website designs
  • producing sample sites
  • meeting with clients to discuss requirements and/or project progress
  • demonstrating and receiving feedback about draft sites
  • keeping up to date with recent technological and software developments

How to become a web designer 

To have a career in web design,  you can likely find free courses through outlets like YouTube—just make sure they’re produced by a credible source.

Produce Management 

Product managers are everyone’s guy. They make sure everyone is working on their project judiciously. Also, project managers work hand in hand with every department to make sure the product gets to the market. 

What will you be responsible for as a product manager?

  • conducting customer interviews and user testing
  • running design sprints
  • feature prioritization and road map planning
  • the art of resource allocation (it is not a science!)
  • performing market assessments
  • translating business-to-technical requirements, and vice versa
  • pricing and revenue modeling
  • defining and tracking success metrics

How to become a product manager 

Product managers come from different academic backgrounds. But one thing they have in common is that they have mastered some hard skills. These skills include but are not limited to customer research, the ability to identify market opportunities, and product modeling and road mapping. You can learn product management by taking credible courses from product management bodies. 

How to perfect your high-demand skills 

Practice:

As the cliche saying goes, “ practice makes perfect.”  To hone these skills, you have to dedicate time to practice them repeatedly. You do not get better by wishing but by practicing. Also, you can set a practice schedule. 

Get a Mentor:

You will not be the first to practice any of these skills, so get a mentor. A mentor will serve as a guide on what to learn periodically and how to go about it. Reach out to veterans you admire and ask if they are willing to be your mentor. 

Don’t be afraid:

The only way to grow is to embrace new challenges. Do not be afraid to take up new tasks that would test your skills. Also, by embarrassing challenges, you can develop a new skill faster. 

Read:

To stand out in your quest for a new skill, you have to discipline yourself to learn more. You will be surprised at the gems you find hidden in the pages of books. 

Find a community: 

Surround yourself with people who are on the same journey as you. This community will help you stay abreast with industry trends. Also, they introduce you to study materials and help solve your problems faster. 

Conclusion: 

Learning a new skill comes with its ups and downs, but staying the course will be profitable in the end. So, on days when you feel like giving up, remember why you started. Also, remember that house, car, and vacation we talked about in the beginning? Yh, let that motivate you.