A good career is equal to a happy life. When you’re working at a job that covers your medical bills and insurance, you’re likely to be satisfied. There was a time when all you needed was a college degree and jobs would be lined up for you. Basic construction skills in the U.S. could get you a job that guaranteed basic amenities. But times have changed.
People are losing jobs to machines and toxic office culture is snatching off the will to work in an office. But people still work for money. Does it guarantee a happy life? Most employees deny it.
How can people build a career with skills?
It is estimated that more than half of employees in America are unhappy with their jobs. The credit goes to unfair salary, income inequality, and dead-end jobs. These employees are hardworking individuals, who wake up every day to work 9-5 at a job they don’t love. It’s not the same case scenario for everyone. Millennials are among people who are happy at their jobs. These were people who studied medicine because they were passionate about it. Their jobs required studying and they did it.
Now, things have changed. It’s not all about studying anymore. Of course, there will always be the need for doctors, engineers, and lawyers but demand for other skills has risen substantially. Skills that can be acquired if a person is willing to work for it. For Gen Z, the playing field is different. People who have skills can build a lucrative career or business and earn more than those with high degrees.
Take this scenario for example: If you like cooking, there’s no point studying literature or anything for that matter. Cooking is a skill that can be polished with practice. Going through expensive colleges and then spending years paying the student loan is not worth it. Today, you can start your YouTube channel or make cooking reels. Your cooking skills, combined with someone else’s video-making skill is enough to make you both a good income. This kind of independence was not available to your parents.
Expanding your skill from a stable income to a business
Do you think you need an MBA degree to start a business? If your answer is yes, you really need some eye-opening. Let’s go back to the same example. If you like cooking and feeding people, you can open a restaurant. It’s the obvious choice, isn’t it? It will require you to:
- Find a great spot in the city
- Find staff and hire cooks
- Pay rent and salaries
- Market the restaurant
This will cost you a lot of money. So, let’s start from the beginning.
If you want to go into cooking, you must understand what people like to eat, what sells quickly, and what doesn’t require most spending. This is called market research. When you’ll research, you’ll find that healthy and organic foods and juices are in trend.
Everyone wants to be healthy and as a cook, it’s your job to make it tasty. To tap into this market, you can start a food truck that sells healthy food, made from all organic ingredients or, start a juice shop.
People who’re interested in fitness can add a healthy diet into their curriculum. They can take up a franchise of smoothie shops and set it up alongside their fitness class. The best thing about business is, there’s an opportunity for everyone. This is how you expand your skill into a business.
Top in-demand skills in the market
Now you know that you can build a career or business out of a single skill, it’s good to know what skills are in demand. See if you’re interested in any of these.
- Social Media Marketing: Creating content and Ads to market a product on social media.
- Coding and Software Enhancement: Creating software, apps, and websites.
- Fitness Coaching: Guiding people towards a better physique and fit body.
- Content Writing: Writing engaging and informative content.
- Video editing: Editing videos to make them more interesting.
- Animation: Creating animated videos.
- Networking Development: Building a network of people who can contribute to a project’s efficiency.
- UI Designer: Enhancing user interface.
- Digital Marketing and SEO: Bringing more audience towards a campaign online.
- Copywriting: Writing content that aims for sale.
- Photography: Capturing beautiful moments.
- Data Analysis: Analyzing data to predict customer behavior and trends around a product.
Skills can always be acquired. The secret to creating a successful business is that it’s not a one-man’s job. You have to engage and network with other skillful people and build a team that caters to your best interest. You can choose to go freelance or work for a company. Once you learn any of these in-demand skills, there’s no telling how much you can earn.
