Upskilling: 6 High-Income Skills 2024

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"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." - Alvin Toffler

Today's post is inspired by my personal continuous learning journey. Though some of my interests have changed over time, one thing remains constant: my hunger for knowledge.

In a previous post, I highlighted ways to figure out your next steps for professional development. 

(You can read it here.)

However, today's post is for those of us who want a list of relevant skills to start acquiring right away.

Thankfully, in most instances, once you have a bachelor's degree, you can pursue certifications or self-paced courses to strengthen your resume.

Setting aside at least 15 minutes a day to learn something new is equivalent to over 90 hours of learning in a year!

As James Clear said in his book Atomic Habits:

"The effects of small habits compound over time. If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done."


"Okay, Toni, enough chatter. What are the skills I should start developing in 2024?"

 Well, I am glad you asked! Here's a list of skills along with resources to get started:


Data Analysis - Median Annual Salary: $83,640 USD

Demand: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 33.8% growth in data analyst jobs from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations [BLS data analyst].

Key Certifications: Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, Microsoft Certified Data Analyst Associate

Books: "Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data" by Charles Wheelan, "Think Stats" by Allen B. Downey

Prompt Engineering: Emerging Skill, High Potential

Demand: Prompt engineering is a rapidly growing field, with demand expected to surge as AI language models become more widely used. 

Key Certifications: Hugging Face Certification (coming soon!), IBM Applied AI Professional Certificate

Books: "Language Models are Few-Shot Learners" by Tom B. Brown et al., "The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values" by Brian Christian

UX Design: Median Annual Salary: $97,010 USD

Demand: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 13% growth in UX designer jobs from 2022 to 2032, faster than average

Key Certifications: Certified User Experience (UX) Designer (CXUD), Professional Certificate in User Experience (UX) Design from Georgia Tech

Books: "Don't Make Me Think: A Field Guide to User Interface Design" by Steve Krug, "The Design of Everyday Things" by Donald Norman

Project Management: Median Annual Salary: $109,980 USD

Demand: Project management is a perennially in-demand skill across various industries.

Key Certifications: Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

Books: "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen, "Agile Project Management with Scrum: Implementing Scrum for Software Development" by Ken Schwaber

Content Creation: Entry Level - $20-$30 USD Per Hour

Demand: The demand for content creators is strong and constantly evolving with new platforms and content formats.

Key Certifications: HubSpot Content Marketing Certification, Google Digital Marketing Certification

Books: "Everybody Writes: An Approach to Contemporary Prose" by Ann Handley, "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Search Engine Optimization: Median Annual Salary: $59,300 USD 

Demand: SEO skills are essential for any online business or marketer who wants their content to be seen.

Key Certifications: Moz SEO Essentials Certification, SEMrush SEO Toolkit Certification

Books: "The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization" by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Jessie Stricchiola, "SEO for Beginners: The Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization" by Rand Fishkin


All of these skills offer promising career paths, however, the best skill for you depends on your interests and career goals.


Resources


 

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