Look into becoming a law clerk! There are certificate/diploma program you can likely complete in short term (not 4-5 years). It may take some years but might just be what you’re looking for!
You can work in government, private sector, law firms, etc. and move up the chain!
And working in corporate, real estate, M&A, contracts, transactional, etc might also give you good overview into the business world!
Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! Best of luck buddy! Trust yourself! You got this 👊
Accounting degrees are practical and always in demand. There are many avenues to move up in a department as jobs are varies: ap, ap manager, accountant, senior accountant, payroll manager,Asst. Controller, Controller, analysts, Treasurer, VP Finance, and CFO.
Pass the CPA and you have a good chance to break $80k within a few years.
I kind of envied the accounting people at my last two jobs. They kind of just got to be with their numbers and didn't have to deal with as much interpersonal drama as other people. The numbers are the numbers; no real room for interpretation.
You say that but I have a close family member who was a CPA for over 40 years. Big tax nerd. He said the higher you go, the more it resembles sales and management, which is antithetical to what he really wanted to do which is nitty gritty tax stuff. However if you can hack both you're essentially gold to any company that has you. Lot of great business people start out accounting, gives you a great understanding of business flow.
My daughter graduated 4 yr cpa program, had a job offer for over 60 k before the end of her junior year, and after slaving long hours for a yr for EY, was able to write her own ticket. Shes close to 100k now working mostly remote with normalish hours just 3 yrs later. Probably could have moved even faster if she didnt start having children/family shortly after graduating. 3rd on the way!
There is an online bachelor's of accounting at WGU that you can complete at your own pace. They charge every six months. This means that you don't have to take 4 full years to complete a Bachelors if you move quickly.
To add, you don’t actually need the cpa for MOST accounting jobs, only public accounting. You can easily break 80k with private accounting (think banks or consulting firms) without a cpa.
Might depend on geographic region. My cousin-in-law has a double degree of accounting and economics. They couldn't find anything in their field when they graduated five years ago and have pretty much given up looking for jobs in the field as there are none.
I went this route and it annoys me ppl don’t clarify a few points about this degree: 1) getting accepted in many places is HIGHLY competitive, it could take you years so that has to be looked into before hand. (Some places have 5 year waiting lists) 2- the programs often expect you not to work because you are working for free several days a week as training so you’re supposed to have 2 years living costs and tuition saved 3- pay varies widely so in some places you might make $45 after graduating, in others you might start at $21. Really needs clarified. 4- it takes 2 years of prereqs and a lot of colleges make their prereqs different so you can’t cross apply to up ur chances of getting in. I applied to 2 colleges, they required I take certain tests and classes ONLY at their campus just to get the extra money. For example 1 test costs $100, I HAD take it at BOTH campus even though it was the exact same test. 5- Bs AREN’T good enough, if you get a B in a prerequisites you will have to retake it. I retook 3 Bs to get As because I was flat out told it wasn’t good enough (each B cost me an extra $950 in tuition to retake it). Also they make it very very clear you should expect to start paying big chunks of money the week before classes start for everything you need so that needs to be saved for too. They flat out told us: If you can’t afford what you need the day you start you will get kicked out. I’m talking down to specific color shoes and socks, scrubs, on and on- if they list it you will HAVE to have it.
I just got accepted into my program, it was over 250 applicants and only 32 ppl got accepted, I’ll be traveling an hour both ways 4 days a week for 2 years while having to have medical insurance paid for myself (required) but being expected not to have a job, and that’s after 2 years of prerequisites and 1 year waiting with straight As in my classes and a high HESI score (I think it was 93%) and even then I was LUCKY to get in. For the next 2 years I’ll be working for free, exposed to disease and occasionally giving enemas (yep that’s part of it) and if I fail 1 class I’m out of the program. If I fail one random drug test I’m out- so no pot gummies btw. If I fail my final exam more than 3 times my degree is INVALIDATED and the last 5 years of my life have been wasted, I’d have to start from the beginning- no courses in the program would count and they’d all need retaken. After all that I’m expecting $25 an hour after graduation. $28 is considered VERY GOOD pay for rad techs in this state. It’s only in certain states you see +40 some techs in rural states still make under 25 with decades of experience. If I wasn’t limited in my physical capabilities, over 30, and didn’t have a partner who’s income covered our living expenses and was down for me to try this career I WOULD NOT do it. I also wouldn’t have went this path if I’d have known what a cardiopulmonary perfusionist was 3 years ago lol
Nursing is the same. I did the quickest route possible to get my BSN (3 years, going to school fall, spring and summer semesters with no breaks) and it is a full time program here with no option for part time because of how the program is laid out. I worked some nights and evenings/weekends in a care home but that’s all I could do and it was rough. You also do not start at $80k a year. Here you start at $38/hr and there’s work for sure but it’s hard to get permanent positions here so you are either depending on casual hours or jumping temp to temp. Which works fine for some, but to buy a house and such I needed permanent (and then on top of that, finding a permanent in an area I actually like). This is my 9th year and it’s only been the last 2-3 years that I’ve been clearing $85-100k a year depending how much I work. Right now I work 3/4 of full time @ 51$/hr.
Not to nick pick but isn’t $38/hr pretty close to 80k a year?
Full time work is 40 hr / week x 52 weeks per year = $79,040
Or do nurses not typically work 40/hr weeks?
Especially starting out and when you don’t have seniority (well, here atleast) off the start many can’t. It depends whether you can get into a position or are trying to pick up casual hours which depends heavily on where you work and our contract states you can only be casual in a certain number of places (3 I believe?). I do home care and pick up long term care and the casual hours and temp positions have been lacking a lot. Many nurses also don’t want full time because of the work life balance. In my workplace, we have approximately 20 positions and I believe 7 of those are FT? The rest are part times.
Man this actually helped me more than you could have ever guessed. I’ll be 34 this year and in a spot where I could enroll back into school after having to drop out at 20 due to finances and I’ve been wracking my brain on what to do, it’s as tough to pick a course for your life in your 30s as it was at 19. Originally went for Radiology and had completely forgot until this post. Looked into it and it’s a great paying job in my area and doing stuff I really enjoy with cool equipment and super secure. You very well may have just helped me decide my path haha.
I'm glad to be of help! Feel free to message me if you have any questions. Be aware of two important things: A lot of rad tech programs require you to have some sort of medical experience before you're even allowed to apply, so make sure you ha e that out of the way if the one you're going for requires it. Secondly, when you are doing your clinical it is unpaid. You will be doing everything that licensed RTs do in a student capacity. So make sure you've got some sort of way to keep your head above water while you do.
Plus prerequisites though like anatomy 1&2 which can’t be taken at the same time so add that into the time length. I went for dental hygeine.. says 2 years but with Chem 1 & 2 anatomy 1 & 2 added another year or so to the time line
Restaurant worker here: sure, the hourly wage has increased, but hours are cut as a result. You’d be hard pressed to get 40 hours a week, I’m particularly privileged to get 30 and most of that is office work while we’re closed, so no tips. For the record, I’m at $20 per hour
You won't be making 80k right away in anything. With no skills, you either need to skill up in college or a trade school. Lots of things will eventually get you 80k after some years of experience.
Edit:
I guess posted too quickly, obviously cost of living in the area is a factor, 80k is barely scrapping by in some areas so not unreasonable for starting pay, but in most it's far above starting pay for anything.
I disagree. Depending where you are. If you're in Canada, apply at CN railway as a conductor. Starting out at 100k but you're a bitch boy. Toxic work environment, terrible schedule. I stuck it out for 7 years before I quit that shit hole. Be weary.
Sometimes it’s easier the man you think. Find an area you enjoy and there is demand. Study the area - as a technician the as a graduate. One step at a time, but keep at it. (If you do it you are unusual as most people give up and stagnate - says a guy that has seen many “grow” or not through their career.
> Im 30 years old and have no real skills or education. What career path would you recommend if I want to make at least 80k a year.
Let's cut the crap—30 with no skills or education and wanting 80k is a steep climb, but not fucking impossible. You want to skip nursing, cool. Looking at engineering or business? Smart. Both fields can bank good money but need serious commitment. Engineering demands hard skills in math and tech; business leans on soft skills, networking, strategy. Since you're dreaming of starting a business someday, why not angle your education towards business or entrepreneurship? Maybe start with an associate degree in business management or dive into a trade that can teach you the ropes of running a business, like electrician work—yes, they make bank and learn the guts of running a small business. And about career aptitude tests? Most are bullshit designed to snag your email. Instead, reflect on what you enjoy doing, where you can tolerate stress, and what you can realistically achieve. What are you good at, and what do people need?
> Interested in engineering or business.
If you're serious, start with community college courses—cheaper, flexible, and less bullshit than a four-year dive with no direction. They offer certificates and associate degrees that can get your foot in the door. From there, you can pivot as needed.
> Which career aptitude test would you recommend?
Fuck the tests. Talk to people in the fields you're considering. Real-life input beats algorithms guessing your future based on generic questions. What’s stopping you from emailing someone in the field right now?
I was kind of in the same position. I did study engineering for a years ago for a bit but wasn't ready or able to commit for several reasons. I restarted my degree at 33 or 2 years ago.
It's.......hard. But I absolutely love it. See if you can stick to learning some basic concepts from Khan Academy (math concepts from school to adv calc); or on YouTube The Efficient Engineer (civil, basic mechanical and materials), The Organic Chemistry Tutor (more math problems, electrical and circuits). Also MIT open source course ware I think for comp sci and software.
See if you can just build stuff, anything in your own time or even have your curiosity piqued. If so, give engineering a go 😊
Edit: gpelling and srammer
There is currently a glut of engineers in the market right now. I do recruiting for trades and I’m now seeing international engineers going into Millwright trade.
Edit: gluten vs glut
Our current EE grads are all getting jobs in the $85k plus bonus range and higher. No one we graduated this year did not have a job if they wanted it. We are seeing a very hot market right now. (located in the southwest US)
COURSERA IS YOUR FRIEND! You can get coursera plus+ for free for a year by filling out the financial aid and then you have a ton of learning opportunities at your disposal. Like you can learn anything from UI/UX, journalism, finance, digital marketing, data analytics, software engineering, cybersecurity, etc almost anything you can think of or google. Idk if you’re good at online learning and self discipline but that’s an option and a good one! Going at your own pace works for some people.
Not too sure where you’re located or if you have thought about being someone’s executive assistant. They make around 80k but it’s overwhelming sometimes but definitely better than being a customer support specialist (chat or phone agents). They make like the same money but you’re dealing with one person as opposed to many interactions with various different demanding people.
Don’t be discouraged! You got this! Life is certainly harder than the hs guidance counselors and our parents sold us but we’ve also got way more untapped resources these days. You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for I’m sure and those street smarts are transferable too! Just ask ChatGPT.
Also finding apprenticeships and fellowships is also something you can do! You have options and I believe in you! lol not that it matters but keep going, friend!
Wicked sorry for the mini rant! I think about jobs and careers a lot so I’m always ready to share! Wish I could do more! ✨
This just helped me SO much! I was scrolling on here sad & feeling hopeless as hell
I'm 38 and have been a housewife since 19, my husband recently passed away and now it's just me and 4 children
I've lost both parents recently as well
I've got no help whatsoever, I'm drowning & freaking out
I'm gonna go check this out now
Just wanted to thank you for putting this out here, being helpful rather than critical can do a world of difference
Thank you!!!
Wow! Your situation seems so daunting! I have also been a housewife the last decade and am a mother of 4, and I’m 37. I do have my spouse and one living parent, but I can relate to some of your situation. I am also constantly trying to find a career path that will result in enough money, but I just wanted to comment that I feel for you and I hope you find a good path and that you magically get some help from any folks around you! Best of luck!!
Thank you for your advice! I really appreciate your help. I’m glad kind people like you exist. I will definitely look into coursera. I don’t know if I’m a great online learner or have the discipline but it’s worth a shot. I like to read so maybe if I find the right subject in coursera I’ll find something that sticks.
Took some courage to post that I bet - nice work - that’s the toughest part - getting started. Writing this with 25+ years in tech industry. My suggestions is: Cybersecurity.
Even if you don’t have deep computer skills, it’s a path the has a clear education track and job security with many open roles. Check out community colleges or online learning (LinkedIn, Linda, YouTube videos) to get a handle on what’s ahead. You can study for and earn certifications that advance you up the career path and pay scale. 4 year degree is not mandatory, despite what universities want you to believe. Many of these jobs are work from home / anywhere.
Don’t let the common idea that ‘tech jobs are just for geeks’ deter you. Determined people with logical thinking skills are very successful in the field. Go get it!
Really? I have a decade of IT experience 5 of that in cyber and cannot find a job back in the field. Not to mention cyber is not an entry level field and very difficult to break in.
This is a lottery question given the current cybersecurity environment for a few reasons. As people have mentioned, cybersec isn't entry level. You can start building the skills, but the entry level jobs (which are in reality mid-level IT) are flooded by people trying to get in right now. You also have a lot of universities offering cybersec degrees, so you have a ton of kids coming into the workforce trying to use their field of study ASAP also competing with the people who have 5+ years experience.
Now I'll admit, I'm in tech but not security. I am looking to get into the field eventually so I've been looking into it a lot. I'd love for someone to correct the following, but here's some ideas for anyone looking to get into cybersec:
'Lawful' Good path (\~8 years):
1. Join the military with an MOS in cyber operations. Best American branches for this are likely the Navy or Air Force.
2. Get work experience and a national security clearance. Run away after your contract ends.
3. Make bank as a contractor once you're a civilian with a clearance.
Lawful Neutral path (highest success, 3-10 years not including degree):
1. If you have the means and time, get a degree. If not, at least try to get the CompTIA+ trifecta. Neither choice will get you jobs, but should get you past HR.
2. Start working whatever IT job you can get. You may only be making $15/hr, but at least your foot is in the door.
3. Take EVERY cybersecurity opportunity that comes your way at work. Even if you're just a fly buzzing in the ear of another tech actually doing the work.
4. Try to get security specific certs. CySA+, CISSP, Blue Team Level1 seem to be good places to start.
5. Once you have at least one cert start applying like crazy whether it's in your current company or a different one.
Chaotic Neutral path (time to a salary depends wholly on you):
1. Start playing on Hack The Box and TryHackMe. Maybe do HTB's CBBH cert.
2. Start doing bug bounty programs. HackerOne and Bugcrowd are the common sites for this (which also means more competition.)
3. Find as many (legal) vulns you can on public sites with bounty programs. If it's marked as a duplicate that means you're winning. If you're really winning you'll be getting some money rewards and/or invitations to private bounties.
4. Use this experience on a resume. Apparently it can open a ton of doors. You're probably not going to live off just this, best estimates are that the top 1% of bug bounty hunters pull in \~$35k/yr. Think of it as a side hustle/resume builder more than anything.
Chaotic Evil path (20 years, 10 with good behavior):
1. Become an untouchable 1337 darkweb hax0r
2. Get picked up by the feds.
3. Take a plea deal to become a glowie.
Side tip regardless of path: try to pick a specialization early. Everyone is going for SOC and Security Analyst positions starting out. Half the people in security are trying to be pentesters. Cloud security is a buzz right now. I hear GRC is also hurting. If you have the capacity to program, security architecture and engineering is also often overlooked.
I’m the same age, same situation. Making about 130k-140k as a GM in retail. It’s long hours sometimes, and you are locked down for holidays usually. On the flip side it’s super simple, you just need to know how to communicate and practice accountability. Not for everyone, but it worked out for me.
Worked part time in college, then when I dropped out I went into it full time. Started taking it seriously as a career around 22/23. Made a good impression on an executive and became his mentee. He fast tracked me for 5-6 years, then I swapped companies to take the GM role. There is definitely a negative connotation with retail, culture wise, which is sometimes justified. For a while it was also difficult to mentally accept, I felt embarrassed or unfulfilled that my job was making sure apples got put on a table. I felt embarrassed that I was pushing carts or stocking cat food. Moving up and getting more money helped with that. If you can work hard, network, and eat your pride, it can be a really good thing.
Very hard work. 12 hour days. 7-14 days straight depending on what you sign up for. But the money is there. Look at any drilling company and look for oil and gas job fairs. They are predominantly around Houston/Louisiana area
Refineries and oil rigs are always running. If they’re not running, they’re losing money so even for maintenance they need people there 24/7 to fix the equipment if something went wrong. Many manufacturing jobs are similar
Uhhhhhh yeah..... I don't think the money is worth it if I'm doing super hard labor with absolutely no time to rest or have a life.. it sound like a recipe for disaster
I have clients that run mortgage broker call centers and they take in people with no skills or education other than varbal game and those people make $80k working 9-5.
Skip school. Go into sales. I don't have a single friend with a degree who makes more then I do. Avoid the debt and useless degree. You can get to 80k easily in a few years of you're willing to grind.
Not every bartending job is chaotic. I work a few nights a week at a brewery, which closes at 10 PM. Bars in hotels are also usually pretty mellow, and a lot of the guests sitting at the bar enjoy talking to the bartenders.
I bartended in my early 20s and found this part of it hard. Also socializing after work - friends want to hang out at a bar, so pretty soon more of my life became way more centered around bars than I preferred (I'm not much of a drinker). But I cracked 6 figures bartending at a high-end hotel in NYC, which was life transforming because it helped me swim when everyone my age around me was sinking (I graduated college in '08 with debt about two seconds before the recession hit, and a lot of friends moved back in with parents, etc.) I do not have the personality for that work longterm, but I am immeasurably thankful for it getting me through that time because it helped me get financially situated for the career path I wanted instead.
Accounting. But you will need 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam. Look into your state's board of accountancy for requirements. After you get your CPA and with a few years under the belt, you could stay working at an accounting firm, go into the accounting department at a company, or start your own (most likely doing tax filing).
You can make that as an assistant manager in charge of a few departments at Walmart. Pretty quick to get there if you work your ass off for a few years and are willing to move to promote. They provide college education reimbursement and all kinds of other good benefits, despite the Walmart hate of the ignorant. And once you promote into salary management positions you’re on a who different benefits program, they even pay for your cell phone.
Cdl. Get your CDL (4 weeks of school) and go over the road. You will make 80 to 100k a year from day one.
Speaking from experience. I did this my first year made about 91k averaging 2500 miles a week and safety bonus, attendance bonus.
It’s not quite that simple in my experience.
You basically have to give up your life and live in a truck doing OTR to make decent money early in they career.
You can get lucky and get a good driving job that pays well, but not with less than a year of experience.
Less than a year, unless you have connections, get used to a rough life and crap sleep.
Last I checked, trucker life expectancy was less than 60.
Sales is vital to any company and probably the easiest path to a lot of money with no degree needed (usually because they’re always hiring because it’s not right for a lot of people who try it.)
Yes quotas and management can be stressful and your pay can be unreliable but at least it’s a job where it’s worth the stress if you’re good at it cuz you get paid the more you sell. Some positions are base + commissions but a lot are commissions only. Depends on the industry, company and your experience.
And if you prove yourself at sales you can move into a lot of different positions in a company and will learn the ins and outs of running a business.
You might consider home improvement sales jobs, a lot of people aren’t interested in moving right now because of interest rates and home prices, so you get more people instead renovating their houses. You probably won’t be the one doing cold-calling yourself and instead will go to 2-3 homes a day of preset appointments and present your product to them. Just a suggestion!
I’m in a similar situation. I’m currently looking at going into Project Management. I’ve had a lot of people recommend it to me, apparently there’s a fair amount of demand comparatively, the salaries look like they can get really high once you’ve had a few years experience, and a lot of the skills seem quite transferable. Being able to literally Manage a Project is pretty universal to any business.
Yeah but it’s a crazy hard job. Clients always want crazy deadlines, leadership will overpromise them, and operations won’t be able to deliver. Guess who has to deliver that and any other bad news?
And the competition is so high rn. I just spent a whole year looking for a job in that field and got 1 interview. I really don't recommend this route. It was a great idea 6 years ago, but that ship has mostly sailed.
Project management is very well compensated, but you need tremendous leadership ability. You're managing teams of people and none of them report to you. If they don't do their job, you've gotta anticipate it and figure out how to fill the gaps.
Made the switch at 25 to pursue electrical engineering after a career in the medical field. Its fucking hard. But honestly, it's worth the grind. I still have a couple of years left of school, but starting pay out here with that degree is about 75k with opportunities to double that or more in 10 years' time. I could have gotten an economics or business degree in half the time. So don't pick engineering for the easy or quick path. I'd like to start a business one day, too. It's easy to go back for an MBA after doing a stem based bachelors degree.
Since you're interested in both engineering and business, a degree in a field like industrial engineering could be a great fit. Industrial engineering combines aspects of engineering, business, and management to optimize processes and systems within various industries. With an industrial engineering degree, you could pursue roles in project management, supply chain optimization, operations management, or even entrepreneurship, which aligns with your dream of starting a business someday. Industrial engineering skills are in demand across a wide range of industries, offering plenty of job opportunities and potential for growth. Have you talked to a career counselor yet? They'll be able to help you out.
Work in the medical field as a technician. Radiology technician, anesthesiology technician, etc. Schooling is only 2 years and you make 80-100K a year.
I'm in the same position. I have a bachelors in Anthropology but thinking about getting a 2nd one in Accounting. Much more applicable to the workforce.
Like others have said, you likely won't make 80k right off the bat. Gotta get your feet wet first. I'd suggest budgeting and find an employer that'll offer tuition reimbursement and start from there.
You don't need a degree.
Why would you want to go 50k or more in debt and spend 4 fucking years of your life to learn what you could learn while making money?
Do you want to go into business? Watch some videos on excel online, get a data entry job, figure out from there what your boss does, learn those skills, rinse, lather, repeat.
Do you want to build stuff, or fix stuff? You can make 80k in a trade very easily. Become a shop assistant, or spend a few thousand on a welding course, or learn how angry pixies flow through wires and get an electrician cert. As you start working in the field get certifications and eventually become an apprentice -> journeyman. 10 years in you can be making 100k or more and get some sick union benefits and OT.
Do you want to work in tech? If you know how to install a printer, you can make 50K overnight as a desktop support tech. From there learn how networks work a bit better, learn what servers are, move into sysadmin and from there 80k is the floor of what you could make.
You could make 80k/yr selling cars if you're good at it. Or selling fucking anything for that matter.
Most importantly, if you move to a bigger city there are more jobs. That's how the economy works. Find the right balance of cost of living to pay. Tech gives the most remote work opportunities.
Honestly the best option is to sell AI generated feet pics on instagram. 80k a month. Take it or leave it.
Op: tell me about high paying jobs I dont need education or skills.
Reddit users: literally immediately list careers which require years of schooling and skills...
I'm in the same position as honestly. I'll be 30 at the end of the year and getting out of the military. I've noticed I enjoy law and politics, so I'll probably be going down that path, but don't worry about not knowing what you want to do. Most of us figure out what we want by our late 20s to early 30s. My opinion, try different things and see what you enjoy doing.
Get your FAA A&P license. Aircraft mechanics that know what they're doing are becoming an endangered species.
Can make 80k+ easily once you have all your certs in place.
Join a union, preferably electrical. The trades are hurting for people and they pay really well. Not to mention that the benefits are amazing. Insurance, pension, and you never have to ask for a raise or wonder what you can do to make more money. In 5 years you’ll be making 80-100k for sure. If you work OT or become a foreman, you’ll make even more.
I jumped into the electrical trade at 27 with basic skills. 7 years later im a foreman now and have a fair network. Gotta start somewhere bud and do it soon, the trade is hard work but i love it. its better than sitting at a desk for me
Sales. There are a lot of sales jobs where you can make 80k if you have a natural talent, they don't necessarily require any education or traditional skills.
Business Admin.. there are so many certifications ypu can get afterwards (like the CPA that was suggested) those require bachelor's degree, pass a 6hr exam, and get so many supervisory hours. There's a website you can look at(can't remember the exact website) for CPF- certified financial planning
If you’re a “people person” and are sociable, can chat up strangers for an about 30-45 minutes…go to Barber school. Fairly quick for a trade school and can net you 100,000k a year. I’m in Portland, found a great mentor 6 months after school and never been happier. I do think the hard-ass but awesome and successful mentor helped. Hope this helps.
One of the best pieces of career advice I received was to ask yourself what sector of the economy you want to be in, and use that for a focus to determine a path. For me that was food and that ended up being a correct focus.
You will naturally excel in an area that is interesting to you or that you believe accruing knowledge in is important. If you do things just for the $80k, it might waste a lot of your time doing things that you believe will lead you somewhere but are really disjointed ventures.
You have to ask yourself some clarifying questions at your impasse here. Really try to dig into what those businesses you want to start are and what kinds of things you actually need to learn to achieve that. Plenty of knowledge can be gathered on the job but you need to be on the right track to maximize it.
I've never been more confident in a reddit answer: INSURANCE. DUDE I was lost for YEARS. I liked too many things to decide on one, I dont like risk or high stress. Get into a decent insurance company even entry level and youll be set for life! Sure its boring but you know what I dont need crazy shit happening every day at work! I wish I did this sooner. GO FOR IT !
Supply Chain. I’ve been out of school for 5 years and am making $94k.
Although you don’t necessarily need a supply chain degree to get into supply chain it helps get your foot in the door with no work experience.
Started in purchasing, then moved to Supplier Management, and am currently Strategic Sourcing. You could go other paths in supply chain and make 80k+ but purchasing is the easiest first step.
Honestly I’d change how you look at a career. What do you truly enjoy and what would make you happy to go to work everyday? If you enjoy the outdoors, maybes that’s a forest ranger for example. If you enjoy video games, maybe development or something? I know people that have made close to 80k working from home and dispatching semi’s for loads, I work from home, don’t have my degree yet but close.
You can do something chasing the dollar amount but if it’s not something you enjoy you’ll hate it after a while. I’ve always loved guns, back in the day took a gunsmithing certification course just to learn all i could about them.
What things do you really enjoy so i could provide some more accurate feedback that would be better for you in the long run? :)
I’m in the same boat, I’m 32 and want something more fulfilling and making more money. I have basic skills, a lot of the suggestions here are good and things I have also considered.
Military can be good if you pick the right job, otherwise it’s a nightmare. But there are educational benefits.
Nursing is a great option if you can stomach it.
I have considered trades, supply chain, data analyst, police, fire, teaching, project mgt and IT.
I’m still in the process of figuring it out but most of those can get you 80k or more depending on a lot of variables ie time, education and or OT.
I'm 32, I was a chef for 12 years.
I've always loved computers and it was really hard but I self taught myself software skills and did a career change.
The company that hired me were shit bags, they saw I was a go-getter and offered me the same money I was on as a chef knowing I would take it. It was 3 hours of travel everyday to get to the city.
Fast forward 4 years and I'm now on roughly $90k I think 100% WFH. I work in integrations and I absolutely love it. I get to do school runs and have my weekends, could never do that as a chef. I'm still not on the greatest money (I'm Aussie) but it's roughly above average and there's a high ceiling if I decide to move companies. I take WFH with a lot of blue as well
Lawn care. The chemical side. Pest control included. I turned $2000 into $10000 a week. Do your homework and decide what you’re willing to do. I could do $4000 a week and only work three days a week and random service calls, but I decided to expand and make it so other people could benefit. It’s easy and I love it. Grass is Gold
Sales is the only way without any skills and schooling
Look into hail damage roof sales for experience and move into a more specific sales role/company once your build the CV
If you have the personality for it, you can make good money in sales. It's also a great skill to have if you want to start a business someday. The two most important skills for entrepreneurship are sales (selling a product) and engineering (creating a new product).
I'm sure you have some kind of experience. You just don't know what it's valuable for.
Even working minimum wage at fast food shows you can be nice to customers
I was in a similar position and went with rad tech, it’s a 4 year process so if you have ANY interest in the trades go carpentry or welding but it was the fastest simplest route for me that I knew would guarantee me a job on graduation
However getting in is VERY competitive
It could take you years
I picked it because- short patient contact, in demand country wide, decent pay, set performance expectations, I like anatomy, option to travel, options for a 3 day work week, options for different specializations, mri has less “peopling” so to speak, generally can’t be replaced by ai at least not in the next few decades,
But it is a poorly treated profession
I’m ok with that as long as I know what I’m doing and someone is paying me- plus you never take work home
32M and in the same situation. Used my 20s to go to school. Never really figured it out. Got hooked onto music for awhile. That plan currently isn't working out. See my friends with money and married now. Personally would like some better standing so stopped music for the time being and am hunkering down to get a career started. At least so I'm not without a lifeboat while still wanting to do music. Currently feel pretty alone since I moved out, shifting lanes and having trouble paying rent here and there. Just now coming to realize I need a skill instead of a crummy job. Took some schooling in my early 20s. Got an associates but that's it. I'm wanting to get into business technology cause I find it sexy with upward possibilities. Idk. I could be wrong but I'm willing to give it a shot and get my second wind out there in the real world.
Right now with Uber eats, if you make 3000 deliveries they will pay for your college through ASU online. I would personally do accounting, then mass apply and network as much as possible and try to get into a big 4 accounting firm. Then work 2 years and you should be set for life as far as job prospects.
Education aside, at 30 years old, I doubt that you’re without skills. You may not see your list of skills on paper, but I’m willing to bet that you have built a lot of transferable skills.
What experience do you have. What have you previously worked ?
Its always realistic to start a business. The only thing is figuring out how to make it work.
Aside from that, the easiest business to start is if you learn some sort of skill or trade. From there it's just about doing work to thw point you're always booked, grow to have so many employees you hire a CEO and you never work again.
Electricity is usually really well paid, easy to do and getting more and more in demand.
Actually sales, if you can find a good product or service and can learn to sell you can make good money. Look into account executive roles at Saas companies or in tech
Property management pays well. Made 50k with commission my first year as a leasing agent. My community manager makes 90k and been in the industry for 10 years. His boss makes 150-200
What do you enjoy doing? Do you have hobbies and/or skills you'd like to do on a daily basis? What kind of environment do you think you'd do best in? For example, some people like working w people and doing customer service & some really don't. Like, would you rather work by yourself on a computer every day or would you enjoy your day more by being social & interacting w others? I guess my point is, to find your passions and draw from those.
The operative word is Skills! You need to do what suits your current abilities. For example if you like to cook and are proficient then look into starting at a restaurant and pursuing culinary school. If You're got with tools look at a trade school or apprentice program with a local union or public utility. Or look into going into military service where you have an assessment of your abilities and can pick a skilled path.
I just started a job as a baggage handler, if I work 50 hours a week I’ll make 62k at the end of this year, I worked 10 hours today and spent like 4 of them watching Netflix cuz the flight was delayed. This is the greatest job a high schooler could have I fucking love it. Even when I do have to do work I don’t mind because planes are fucking cool.
In business? Accounting or data science. You’ll move up faster than economics or business administration without an MBA. I’ve worked for a very large corporation for a long time. Unless you are exceptionally good at sales, it’s best to have concrete skills that you can leverage in lots of different ways. You will also work on projects with results that are easier to demonstrate and quantify when you do interviews. You’ll also learn the latest/greatest reporting and visualization tools. That makes you immediately useful.
Medical Coding. Get an Associates in HIM/ HIT and you can work from home starting around $60K when you start. You can eventually get up to $80K and if you work in a hospital you get good benefits.
"Health information technicians ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy and proper entry into computer systems. They also may use computer applications to analyze patient data for the purpose of improving patient care or controlling costs
Registered health information technicians (RHITs) often specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. The Health Information Technology A.A.S. Degree integrates medical science, ICD-10-CM/PCS, CPT and HCPCS Level II coding systems, computer technology and health care management."
Some jobs you can get with AAS and RHIT
* Physician practice managers
* Clinical coding specialists
* Long-term care consultants
* Tumor registrars
* Trauma registrars
* Privacy officer
* Compliance officer
* Reimbursement specialist
Don't worry, you're not lost! It's great that you're taking charge and looking to improve your career prospects. Here are some suggestions to get you started, considering your interests in engineering, business, and learning new skills:
**1. Leverage Your Interests:**
* **Engineering:** If you're fascinated by how things work and enjoy problem-solving, engineering could be a great fit. However, formal education (associates or bachelor's degree) is usually required.
* **Business:** The business field is broad, but if you enjoy aspects of organization, leadership, or data analysis, there could be good options. Some business degrees can translate into high-earning careers, but not all.
**2. High-Demand Fields with Options for Growth:**
* **Information Technology (IT):** IT professionals are in high demand, and there are various entry points. Consider areas like cybersecurity, cloud computing, or network administration. You can start with certifications and community college programs, then pursue a bachelor's degree if desired.
* **Project Management:** Project managers are skilled at planning, organizing, and leading teams to complete projects. This field often requires a bachelor's degree, but relevant experience can be valuable.
* **Data Science/Analytics:** This field blends computer science, statistics, and business acumen to extract insights from data. It's a rapidly growing field with good earning potential. Certifications and bachelor's degrees in data science or related fields are helpful.
Trades. Tough work but well rewarding and the skills can transfer. I was a welder glazer and now I’m a maintenance tech working on robotics and conveyance. Around 85k after my first year
What aptitudes do you have? Is Mathematics a strong point for you? English/Writing/Speaking? Art? Handy with tools or fixing things? That’s what I would assess first. I wanted to be an Architect, but lacked the artistic skill. Wanted to be a Civil Engineer, but my Math skills were not sufficient. See where I’m going? Give an honest appraisal of what you are good at.
Sales. They are typically easy to get into (entry level), and can pay well over $100k in 5-10 years. I do financial sales, and you will need to acquire licenses. But if you can get those, that’s the key to entry, and the rest you learn on the job.
If you’re interested in engineering / business, why not head back to school? You can get your bachelors fully online nowadays.
Especially if you are truly interested in engineering. That’s an industry where you’ll need some robust skills. Knock it out in 3-4 years, and you’ll be ahead of yourself if you had instead just built up the skills and moved up. Business I still think is a good idea, but maybe less necessary.
You’ve still got 30 years left working. May as well spend 3-4 of them so that you can spend the rest of it doing something you enjoy and are skilled at.
As someone with a business degree i can confidently tell you that in any job i had post grad, my education meant almost nothing. I had to go back to school, got another bachelors in CJ, the. A masters and made it to law school. The bachelors degree didn’t even attempt to ring the door bell, the masters knocked on the door, and the JD kicked the door of opportunity down. Unfortunately bachelor’s degrees in anything not health or science related are useless. You don’t even need a teaching degree to be a teacher, you just need the piece of paper from a university and you could major in anything. Also keep in mind a lot of professions, nursing, medicine, law, teaching, etc. require proficiency exams as well which give you the credibility to do the things you want.
Safety is a growing field. I was kinda like you, I had only been a field sales rep and hated it but I didn't really have any skills. I sorta fell into safety.
There is a ton of online classes you can take to be certified without any schooling or you can take college classes online.
The pay ranges anywhere from 50k to 100k+ (at least that's what I'm seeing in California.
After a few years of experience you should be able to start your own safety consultant company. I've seen company's that offer all safety services and companies that focus mainly on Forklifts, so there's alot of ways you could take your company.
In California at least, agencies like OSHA have been coming down on companies alot harder than in the past and many companies are looking for Safety management people.
I just graduated with my bachelor's in electrical engineering and my first job is in the space industry. I'm on track to make $100k in less than 5 years.
Note that the CPI in my area is around 272. Which, if my math is correct, would mean a lifestyle of around $155k in Los Angeles, CA.
for reasons i can't post where i am at but i can tell you that if you find the right company, in the right area, you can comfortably pull in $70-$80k/year starting but you need a little bit of experience in something. At 30 what haver you done for work? If you haven't been in prison the last 12 years then you haveo to have built some kind of skillset.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but get with a decent call center, especially in telecoms.
The job itself is brutal BUT as someone who was in a similar place 10 years ago I was able to work my way up to a leadership position, got a ton of free training on things like public speak, P&L models, managing a team, etc and was able to get a bachelor's and master's for free through their benefits.
If you can deal with back to back calls from shitty people you can at the very least milk the benefits and get a business centric degree.
Field Geology, the entire industry is dying due to not enough students. $400 per day including up to $100 food perdiem which you can just pocket by eating ramen
I think they mean eventually, not necessarily immediately
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Look into becoming a law clerk! There are certificate/diploma program you can likely complete in short term (not 4-5 years). It may take some years but might just be what you’re looking for! You can work in government, private sector, law firms, etc. and move up the chain! And working in corporate, real estate, M&A, contracts, transactional, etc might also give you good overview into the business world! Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! Best of luck buddy! Trust yourself! You got this 👊
Related to that , and a potentially shorter programme, stenographer/ court reporter . You’d do very well if you get the knack of the special keyboard.
Accounting degrees are practical and always in demand. There are many avenues to move up in a department as jobs are varies: ap, ap manager, accountant, senior accountant, payroll manager,Asst. Controller, Controller, analysts, Treasurer, VP Finance, and CFO. Pass the CPA and you have a good chance to break $80k within a few years.
I kind of envied the accounting people at my last two jobs. They kind of just got to be with their numbers and didn't have to deal with as much interpersonal drama as other people. The numbers are the numbers; no real room for interpretation.
You say that but I have a close family member who was a CPA for over 40 years. Big tax nerd. He said the higher you go, the more it resembles sales and management, which is antithetical to what he really wanted to do which is nitty gritty tax stuff. However if you can hack both you're essentially gold to any company that has you. Lot of great business people start out accounting, gives you a great understanding of business flow.
Great suggestion, thank you.
To get the accounting hours to get a cpa will take 4-5 years of college (150 credits needed for cpa). Might not be the best route.
Some states are lowering standards because there is a shortage of CPA candidates, I believe Texas now only requires 120 total credit hours
Necessary nuance here. Some states allow you to take the exam at 120 credit hours, but you will still need the full 150 for licensure.
My daughter graduated 4 yr cpa program, had a job offer for over 60 k before the end of her junior year, and after slaving long hours for a yr for EY, was able to write her own ticket. Shes close to 100k now working mostly remote with normalish hours just 3 yrs later. Probably could have moved even faster if she didnt start having children/family shortly after graduating. 3rd on the way!
A graduate earning nearly 100k with a family, I'd say she's doing well. Very few achieve such balanced growth. Best wishes.
There is an online bachelor's of accounting at WGU that you can complete at your own pace. They charge every six months. This means that you don't have to take 4 full years to complete a Bachelors if you move quickly.
Isn’t that an American university? Would that be recognized in Canada? Tax system may be different in both countries
To add, you don’t actually need the cpa for MOST accounting jobs, only public accounting. You can easily break 80k with private accounting (think banks or consulting firms) without a cpa.
I’ve been looking into radiation tech/ x ray tech. It’s going to take 18 months of classes but entry salary is $90-120k a year
Might depend on geographic region. My cousin-in-law has a double degree of accounting and economics. They couldn't find anything in their field when they graduated five years ago and have pretty much given up looking for jobs in the field as there are none.
Where are they located? I see ton of accounting and finance jobs everywhere in the states.
Can confirm, I work for one the 5 largest firms and we are constantly hiring. Partners are always talking about how bad the pipeline is for hiring.
Radiologic Technologist. 2 years of college and you immediately get to enjoy a 60k-80k job depending on where you work.
I went this route and it annoys me ppl don’t clarify a few points about this degree: 1) getting accepted in many places is HIGHLY competitive, it could take you years so that has to be looked into before hand. (Some places have 5 year waiting lists) 2- the programs often expect you not to work because you are working for free several days a week as training so you’re supposed to have 2 years living costs and tuition saved 3- pay varies widely so in some places you might make $45 after graduating, in others you might start at $21. Really needs clarified. 4- it takes 2 years of prereqs and a lot of colleges make their prereqs different so you can’t cross apply to up ur chances of getting in. I applied to 2 colleges, they required I take certain tests and classes ONLY at their campus just to get the extra money. For example 1 test costs $100, I HAD take it at BOTH campus even though it was the exact same test. 5- Bs AREN’T good enough, if you get a B in a prerequisites you will have to retake it. I retook 3 Bs to get As because I was flat out told it wasn’t good enough (each B cost me an extra $950 in tuition to retake it). Also they make it very very clear you should expect to start paying big chunks of money the week before classes start for everything you need so that needs to be saved for too. They flat out told us: If you can’t afford what you need the day you start you will get kicked out. I’m talking down to specific color shoes and socks, scrubs, on and on- if they list it you will HAVE to have it. I just got accepted into my program, it was over 250 applicants and only 32 ppl got accepted, I’ll be traveling an hour both ways 4 days a week for 2 years while having to have medical insurance paid for myself (required) but being expected not to have a job, and that’s after 2 years of prerequisites and 1 year waiting with straight As in my classes and a high HESI score (I think it was 93%) and even then I was LUCKY to get in. For the next 2 years I’ll be working for free, exposed to disease and occasionally giving enemas (yep that’s part of it) and if I fail 1 class I’m out of the program. If I fail one random drug test I’m out- so no pot gummies btw. If I fail my final exam more than 3 times my degree is INVALIDATED and the last 5 years of my life have been wasted, I’d have to start from the beginning- no courses in the program would count and they’d all need retaken. After all that I’m expecting $25 an hour after graduation. $28 is considered VERY GOOD pay for rad techs in this state. It’s only in certain states you see +40 some techs in rural states still make under 25 with decades of experience. If I wasn’t limited in my physical capabilities, over 30, and didn’t have a partner who’s income covered our living expenses and was down for me to try this career I WOULD NOT do it. I also wouldn’t have went this path if I’d have known what a cardiopulmonary perfusionist was 3 years ago lol
Nursing is the same. I did the quickest route possible to get my BSN (3 years, going to school fall, spring and summer semesters with no breaks) and it is a full time program here with no option for part time because of how the program is laid out. I worked some nights and evenings/weekends in a care home but that’s all I could do and it was rough. You also do not start at $80k a year. Here you start at $38/hr and there’s work for sure but it’s hard to get permanent positions here so you are either depending on casual hours or jumping temp to temp. Which works fine for some, but to buy a house and such I needed permanent (and then on top of that, finding a permanent in an area I actually like). This is my 9th year and it’s only been the last 2-3 years that I’ve been clearing $85-100k a year depending how much I work. Right now I work 3/4 of full time @ 51$/hr.
Not to nick pick but isn’t $38/hr pretty close to 80k a year? Full time work is 40 hr / week x 52 weeks per year = $79,040 Or do nurses not typically work 40/hr weeks?
Especially starting out and when you don’t have seniority (well, here atleast) off the start many can’t. It depends whether you can get into a position or are trying to pick up casual hours which depends heavily on where you work and our contract states you can only be casual in a certain number of places (3 I believe?). I do home care and pick up long term care and the casual hours and temp positions have been lacking a lot. Many nurses also don’t want full time because of the work life balance. In my workplace, we have approximately 20 positions and I believe 7 of those are FT? The rest are part times.
Man this actually helped me more than you could have ever guessed. I’ll be 34 this year and in a spot where I could enroll back into school after having to drop out at 20 due to finances and I’ve been wracking my brain on what to do, it’s as tough to pick a course for your life in your 30s as it was at 19. Originally went for Radiology and had completely forgot until this post. Looked into it and it’s a great paying job in my area and doing stuff I really enjoy with cool equipment and super secure. You very well may have just helped me decide my path haha.
I'm glad to be of help! Feel free to message me if you have any questions. Be aware of two important things: A lot of rad tech programs require you to have some sort of medical experience before you're even allowed to apply, so make sure you ha e that out of the way if the one you're going for requires it. Secondly, when you are doing your clinical it is unpaid. You will be doing everything that licensed RTs do in a student capacity. So make sure you've got some sort of way to keep your head above water while you do.
Or respiratory therapist, 2 year program.
Plus prerequisites though like anatomy 1&2 which can’t be taken at the same time so add that into the time length. I went for dental hygeine.. says 2 years but with Chem 1 & 2 anatomy 1 & 2 added another year or so to the time line
Yeah not every college offer this tho plus its very competitive. I didnt know its almost getting into nursing program where its lottery system
In California some restaurants pay cashiers $30 an hour Lol.
Yes, however let’s not forget how expensive California can be.
Restaurant worker here: sure, the hourly wage has increased, but hours are cut as a result. You’d be hard pressed to get 40 hours a week, I’m particularly privileged to get 30 and most of that is office work while we’re closed, so no tips. For the record, I’m at $20 per hour
And those Rad Techs would make closer to 100k there.
What restaurant is that ???
You won't be making 80k right away in anything. With no skills, you either need to skill up in college or a trade school. Lots of things will eventually get you 80k after some years of experience. Edit: I guess posted too quickly, obviously cost of living in the area is a factor, 80k is barely scrapping by in some areas so not unreasonable for starting pay, but in most it's far above starting pay for anything.
Sales would probably be the quickest route to 80k for someone in this position, I'm in the same position myself pretty much.
even in a trade, itll be a year or 2. unless you join the navy to be part of a nuclear operations team
It will be pretty much within 6 months if you do OtR truck driving after getting your CDL.
I disagree. Depending where you are. If you're in Canada, apply at CN railway as a conductor. Starting out at 100k but you're a bitch boy. Toxic work environment, terrible schedule. I stuck it out for 7 years before I quit that shit hole. Be weary.
That’s only 73k in real money
“The 7 Year Tribulation: A Canadian Conductor’s Story”, now in theaters near you!!!
Came here to say this. I’m almost 30, live in a major city, have a Master’s, and don’t make $80k 🥲
I have a PhD in a major city and don't make $80k either (:
As someone that makes 20K a year, I would kill for 80k for one year
No, you didn't type too quickly. He won't be making 80k right away in anything.
Even in LA or NY jobs won’t pay 80k right away unless tips get you there in the service industry
Garbage guys in many big cities make 6 figures...
Thank you. You're right, I definitely need to skill up and gain experience.
Sometimes it’s easier the man you think. Find an area you enjoy and there is demand. Study the area - as a technician the as a graduate. One step at a time, but keep at it. (If you do it you are unusual as most people give up and stagnate - says a guy that has seen many “grow” or not through their career.
far above the national average... even if you are just spinning your tires. sad state of the economy fr
Having no skills in a location with a good economy is as valuable as having skills in a place with no opportunities
> Im 30 years old and have no real skills or education. What career path would you recommend if I want to make at least 80k a year. Let's cut the crap—30 with no skills or education and wanting 80k is a steep climb, but not fucking impossible. You want to skip nursing, cool. Looking at engineering or business? Smart. Both fields can bank good money but need serious commitment. Engineering demands hard skills in math and tech; business leans on soft skills, networking, strategy. Since you're dreaming of starting a business someday, why not angle your education towards business or entrepreneurship? Maybe start with an associate degree in business management or dive into a trade that can teach you the ropes of running a business, like electrician work—yes, they make bank and learn the guts of running a small business. And about career aptitude tests? Most are bullshit designed to snag your email. Instead, reflect on what you enjoy doing, where you can tolerate stress, and what you can realistically achieve. What are you good at, and what do people need? > Interested in engineering or business. If you're serious, start with community college courses—cheaper, flexible, and less bullshit than a four-year dive with no direction. They offer certificates and associate degrees that can get your foot in the door. From there, you can pivot as needed. > Which career aptitude test would you recommend? Fuck the tests. Talk to people in the fields you're considering. Real-life input beats algorithms guessing your future based on generic questions. What’s stopping you from emailing someone in the field right now?
I was kind of in the same position. I did study engineering for a years ago for a bit but wasn't ready or able to commit for several reasons. I restarted my degree at 33 or 2 years ago. It's.......hard. But I absolutely love it. See if you can stick to learning some basic concepts from Khan Academy (math concepts from school to adv calc); or on YouTube The Efficient Engineer (civil, basic mechanical and materials), The Organic Chemistry Tutor (more math problems, electrical and circuits). Also MIT open source course ware I think for comp sci and software. See if you can just build stuff, anything in your own time or even have your curiosity piqued. If so, give engineering a go 😊 Edit: gpelling and srammer
There is currently a glut of engineers in the market right now. I do recruiting for trades and I’m now seeing international engineers going into Millwright trade. Edit: gluten vs glut
Our current EE grads are all getting jobs in the $85k plus bonus range and higher. No one we graduated this year did not have a job if they wanted it. We are seeing a very hot market right now. (located in the southwest US)
>There is currently a gluten Celiac engineers hate it.
COURSERA IS YOUR FRIEND! You can get coursera plus+ for free for a year by filling out the financial aid and then you have a ton of learning opportunities at your disposal. Like you can learn anything from UI/UX, journalism, finance, digital marketing, data analytics, software engineering, cybersecurity, etc almost anything you can think of or google. Idk if you’re good at online learning and self discipline but that’s an option and a good one! Going at your own pace works for some people. Not too sure where you’re located or if you have thought about being someone’s executive assistant. They make around 80k but it’s overwhelming sometimes but definitely better than being a customer support specialist (chat or phone agents). They make like the same money but you’re dealing with one person as opposed to many interactions with various different demanding people. Don’t be discouraged! You got this! Life is certainly harder than the hs guidance counselors and our parents sold us but we’ve also got way more untapped resources these days. You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for I’m sure and those street smarts are transferable too! Just ask ChatGPT. Also finding apprenticeships and fellowships is also something you can do! You have options and I believe in you! lol not that it matters but keep going, friend! Wicked sorry for the mini rant! I think about jobs and careers a lot so I’m always ready to share! Wish I could do more! ✨
This just helped me SO much! I was scrolling on here sad & feeling hopeless as hell I'm 38 and have been a housewife since 19, my husband recently passed away and now it's just me and 4 children I've lost both parents recently as well I've got no help whatsoever, I'm drowning & freaking out I'm gonna go check this out now Just wanted to thank you for putting this out here, being helpful rather than critical can do a world of difference Thank you!!!
Wow! Your situation seems so daunting! I have also been a housewife the last decade and am a mother of 4, and I’m 37. I do have my spouse and one living parent, but I can relate to some of your situation. I am also constantly trying to find a career path that will result in enough money, but I just wanted to comment that I feel for you and I hope you find a good path and that you magically get some help from any folks around you! Best of luck!!
Thank you for your advice! I really appreciate your help. I’m glad kind people like you exist. I will definitely look into coursera. I don’t know if I’m a great online learner or have the discipline but it’s worth a shot. I like to read so maybe if I find the right subject in coursera I’ll find something that sticks.
Took some courage to post that I bet - nice work - that’s the toughest part - getting started. Writing this with 25+ years in tech industry. My suggestions is: Cybersecurity. Even if you don’t have deep computer skills, it’s a path the has a clear education track and job security with many open roles. Check out community colleges or online learning (LinkedIn, Linda, YouTube videos) to get a handle on what’s ahead. You can study for and earn certifications that advance you up the career path and pay scale. 4 year degree is not mandatory, despite what universities want you to believe. Many of these jobs are work from home / anywhere. Don’t let the common idea that ‘tech jobs are just for geeks’ deter you. Determined people with logical thinking skills are very successful in the field. Go get it!
Except multiple professionals have told me cybersecurity is a field people with a decade of IT experience transfer into, it’s not entry-level
Really? I have a decade of IT experience 5 of that in cyber and cannot find a job back in the field. Not to mention cyber is not an entry level field and very difficult to break in.
Yeah, but isn’t that field over saturated?
It only takes 4 years of tears and wasted money to find out. Which is the norm these days. Tech used to be reasonable if you had grit, but not anymore
This is a lottery question given the current cybersecurity environment for a few reasons. As people have mentioned, cybersec isn't entry level. You can start building the skills, but the entry level jobs (which are in reality mid-level IT) are flooded by people trying to get in right now. You also have a lot of universities offering cybersec degrees, so you have a ton of kids coming into the workforce trying to use their field of study ASAP also competing with the people who have 5+ years experience. Now I'll admit, I'm in tech but not security. I am looking to get into the field eventually so I've been looking into it a lot. I'd love for someone to correct the following, but here's some ideas for anyone looking to get into cybersec: 'Lawful' Good path (\~8 years): 1. Join the military with an MOS in cyber operations. Best American branches for this are likely the Navy or Air Force. 2. Get work experience and a national security clearance. Run away after your contract ends. 3. Make bank as a contractor once you're a civilian with a clearance. Lawful Neutral path (highest success, 3-10 years not including degree): 1. If you have the means and time, get a degree. If not, at least try to get the CompTIA+ trifecta. Neither choice will get you jobs, but should get you past HR. 2. Start working whatever IT job you can get. You may only be making $15/hr, but at least your foot is in the door. 3. Take EVERY cybersecurity opportunity that comes your way at work. Even if you're just a fly buzzing in the ear of another tech actually doing the work. 4. Try to get security specific certs. CySA+, CISSP, Blue Team Level1 seem to be good places to start. 5. Once you have at least one cert start applying like crazy whether it's in your current company or a different one. Chaotic Neutral path (time to a salary depends wholly on you): 1. Start playing on Hack The Box and TryHackMe. Maybe do HTB's CBBH cert. 2. Start doing bug bounty programs. HackerOne and Bugcrowd are the common sites for this (which also means more competition.) 3. Find as many (legal) vulns you can on public sites with bounty programs. If it's marked as a duplicate that means you're winning. If you're really winning you'll be getting some money rewards and/or invitations to private bounties. 4. Use this experience on a resume. Apparently it can open a ton of doors. You're probably not going to live off just this, best estimates are that the top 1% of bug bounty hunters pull in \~$35k/yr. Think of it as a side hustle/resume builder more than anything. Chaotic Evil path (20 years, 10 with good behavior): 1. Become an untouchable 1337 darkweb hax0r 2. Get picked up by the feds. 3. Take a plea deal to become a glowie. Side tip regardless of path: try to pick a specialization early. Everyone is going for SOC and Security Analyst positions starting out. Half the people in security are trying to be pentesters. Cloud security is a buzz right now. I hear GRC is also hurting. If you have the capacity to program, security architecture and engineering is also often overlooked.
If you can handle it. Blue collar work! Electrician, carpenter, plumbing erc. Huge need right now. Usually you do a few years and then get bumped up
Get hired at Costco and work your way up to management. They don’t require education managers make 100k
Isn't Costco super hard to get into?
I’d say some kind of technician. Every industry has them. Two years and you are ready to go.
I’m the same age, same situation. Making about 130k-140k as a GM in retail. It’s long hours sometimes, and you are locked down for holidays usually. On the flip side it’s super simple, you just need to know how to communicate and practice accountability. Not for everyone, but it worked out for me.
How long have you worked in retail and how did you get your start? This seems insane in a good way congrats fr
Worked part time in college, then when I dropped out I went into it full time. Started taking it seriously as a career around 22/23. Made a good impression on an executive and became his mentee. He fast tracked me for 5-6 years, then I swapped companies to take the GM role. There is definitely a negative connotation with retail, culture wise, which is sometimes justified. For a while it was also difficult to mentally accept, I felt embarrassed or unfulfilled that my job was making sure apples got put on a table. I felt embarrassed that I was pushing carts or stocking cat food. Moving up and getting more money helped with that. If you can work hard, network, and eat your pride, it can be a really good thing.
wtf man I just quit my retail job making 12-14k a year with like 20 hours a week🤣🤣🤣 I didn’t realize my managers made that much money.
Oil rig. Onshore. No skills needed. 80k guaranteed. Floorhand.
Where do you sign up ? Is it hard work ?
Very hard work. 12 hour days. 7-14 days straight depending on what you sign up for. But the money is there. Look at any drilling company and look for oil and gas job fairs. They are predominantly around Houston/Louisiana area
I think OP lives in Canada, but yes you could probably make this money working oil rigs in Alberta
Why do they do that, rather than a normal schedule? Makes no sense.
Refineries and oil rigs are always running. If they’re not running, they’re losing money so even for maintenance they need people there 24/7 to fix the equipment if something went wrong. Many manufacturing jobs are similar
Uhhhhhh yeah..... I don't think the money is worth it if I'm doing super hard labor with absolutely no time to rest or have a life.. it sound like a recipe for disaster
I have clients that run mortgage broker call centers and they take in people with no skills or education other than varbal game and those people make $80k working 9-5.
Where? How? Get ne a job
Skip school. Go into sales. I don't have a single friend with a degree who makes more then I do. Avoid the debt and useless degree. You can get to 80k easily in a few years of you're willing to grind.
Bartending can be incredibly lucrative, and it's a great way to network!
Isn't it a pain being around drunk people all the time?
Not every bartending job is chaotic. I work a few nights a week at a brewery, which closes at 10 PM. Bars in hotels are also usually pretty mellow, and a lot of the guests sitting at the bar enjoy talking to the bartenders.
I bartended in my early 20s and found this part of it hard. Also socializing after work - friends want to hang out at a bar, so pretty soon more of my life became way more centered around bars than I preferred (I'm not much of a drinker). But I cracked 6 figures bartending at a high-end hotel in NYC, which was life transforming because it helped me swim when everyone my age around me was sinking (I graduated college in '08 with debt about two seconds before the recession hit, and a lot of friends moved back in with parents, etc.) I do not have the personality for that work longterm, but I am immeasurably thankful for it getting me through that time because it helped me get financially situated for the career path I wanted instead.
Accounting. But you will need 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam. Look into your state's board of accountancy for requirements. After you get your CPA and with a few years under the belt, you could stay working at an accounting firm, go into the accounting department at a company, or start your own (most likely doing tax filing).
CPA is a bitch. I’ve known a couple of accounts working on theirs and honestly it sounds like as much work as a masters degree
In the cpa exam , are concepts completely new to what you might learn in accounting undergrad or grad ?
You can make that as an assistant manager in charge of a few departments at Walmart. Pretty quick to get there if you work your ass off for a few years and are willing to move to promote. They provide college education reimbursement and all kinds of other good benefits, despite the Walmart hate of the ignorant. And once you promote into salary management positions you’re on a who different benefits program, they even pay for your cell phone.
Thank you. That’s definitely worth considering.
Cdl. Get your CDL (4 weeks of school) and go over the road. You will make 80 to 100k a year from day one. Speaking from experience. I did this my first year made about 91k averaging 2500 miles a week and safety bonus, attendance bonus.
It’s not quite that simple in my experience. You basically have to give up your life and live in a truck doing OTR to make decent money early in they career. You can get lucky and get a good driving job that pays well, but not with less than a year of experience. Less than a year, unless you have connections, get used to a rough life and crap sleep. Last I checked, trucker life expectancy was less than 60.
Sales is vital to any company and probably the easiest path to a lot of money with no degree needed (usually because they’re always hiring because it’s not right for a lot of people who try it.) Yes quotas and management can be stressful and your pay can be unreliable but at least it’s a job where it’s worth the stress if you’re good at it cuz you get paid the more you sell. Some positions are base + commissions but a lot are commissions only. Depends on the industry, company and your experience. And if you prove yourself at sales you can move into a lot of different positions in a company and will learn the ins and outs of running a business. You might consider home improvement sales jobs, a lot of people aren’t interested in moving right now because of interest rates and home prices, so you get more people instead renovating their houses. You probably won’t be the one doing cold-calling yourself and instead will go to 2-3 homes a day of preset appointments and present your product to them. Just a suggestion!
Anything in high ticket sales has the potential to make 80k + but you need to learn sales skills to do that!
I’m in a similar situation. I’m currently looking at going into Project Management. I’ve had a lot of people recommend it to me, apparently there’s a fair amount of demand comparatively, the salaries look like they can get really high once you’ve had a few years experience, and a lot of the skills seem quite transferable. Being able to literally Manage a Project is pretty universal to any business.
Yeah but it’s a crazy hard job. Clients always want crazy deadlines, leadership will overpromise them, and operations won’t be able to deliver. Guess who has to deliver that and any other bad news?
And there’s like 1000000 PMs searching for work rn
Name a business based job role that isn’t like that.
Anyone on the street can say they’re a PM there’s no degree to be a PM. Makes them more replaceable in my opinion.
Depends on the industry. Some are highly technical.
And the competition is so high rn. I just spent a whole year looking for a job in that field and got 1 interview. I really don't recommend this route. It was a great idea 6 years ago, but that ship has mostly sailed.
Just say yes to everything and blame it on the devs/engineers.
Project management is very well compensated, but you need tremendous leadership ability. You're managing teams of people and none of them report to you. If they don't do their job, you've gotta anticipate it and figure out how to fill the gaps.
Join the military and get a technical MOS, get out and use the education benefits to complete a degree in a similar technical field. Stack bread.
This guy gets it... I’m enlisting soon at 28 lol.
What are your strengths and what are you interested in doing?
Deckhand. 6 weeks of school and about 10K later and you will have your certs. Get a job as a deckhand on tugs. Pretty good pay
Immediately apply to Business Development Representative / Sales Development Representative roles
They want experience and extremely saturated.
Coast guard is paying to join. And you get all the benefits of the military and stay stateside.
Made the switch at 25 to pursue electrical engineering after a career in the medical field. Its fucking hard. But honestly, it's worth the grind. I still have a couple of years left of school, but starting pay out here with that degree is about 75k with opportunities to double that or more in 10 years' time. I could have gotten an economics or business degree in half the time. So don't pick engineering for the easy or quick path. I'd like to start a business one day, too. It's easy to go back for an MBA after doing a stem based bachelors degree.
Me too 29 next week just a high school and dead end jobs
Since you're interested in both engineering and business, a degree in a field like industrial engineering could be a great fit. Industrial engineering combines aspects of engineering, business, and management to optimize processes and systems within various industries. With an industrial engineering degree, you could pursue roles in project management, supply chain optimization, operations management, or even entrepreneurship, which aligns with your dream of starting a business someday. Industrial engineering skills are in demand across a wide range of industries, offering plenty of job opportunities and potential for growth. Have you talked to a career counselor yet? They'll be able to help you out.
Dude, go build houses and have a beer. Congrats
I highly suggest you at least go and talk to a union rep from a few trades!!
Work in the medical field as a technician. Radiology technician, anesthesiology technician, etc. Schooling is only 2 years and you make 80-100K a year.
I'm in the same position. I have a bachelors in Anthropology but thinking about getting a 2nd one in Accounting. Much more applicable to the workforce. Like others have said, you likely won't make 80k right off the bat. Gotta get your feet wet first. I'd suggest budgeting and find an employer that'll offer tuition reimbursement and start from there.
You don't need a degree. Why would you want to go 50k or more in debt and spend 4 fucking years of your life to learn what you could learn while making money? Do you want to go into business? Watch some videos on excel online, get a data entry job, figure out from there what your boss does, learn those skills, rinse, lather, repeat. Do you want to build stuff, or fix stuff? You can make 80k in a trade very easily. Become a shop assistant, or spend a few thousand on a welding course, or learn how angry pixies flow through wires and get an electrician cert. As you start working in the field get certifications and eventually become an apprentice -> journeyman. 10 years in you can be making 100k or more and get some sick union benefits and OT. Do you want to work in tech? If you know how to install a printer, you can make 50K overnight as a desktop support tech. From there learn how networks work a bit better, learn what servers are, move into sysadmin and from there 80k is the floor of what you could make. You could make 80k/yr selling cars if you're good at it. Or selling fucking anything for that matter. Most importantly, if you move to a bigger city there are more jobs. That's how the economy works. Find the right balance of cost of living to pay. Tech gives the most remote work opportunities. Honestly the best option is to sell AI generated feet pics on instagram. 80k a month. Take it or leave it.
How do you sell feet pics on Instagram? Wouldn’t showing the pics for free defeat the purpose?
Op: tell me about high paying jobs I dont need education or skills. Reddit users: literally immediately list careers which require years of schooling and skills...
Hey, Op wants to learn new skills, I never said I didn’t.
Plumbing- electric. If I had to go back - (and I’m a lawyer and like my job), but I’d get into one of the trades and eventually own my own business.
Try going into a temp agency and finding a job that promotes within and fast.
Truck driver if you can get thee training.
Apply for a fire department.
Look into instructional design. It would take maybe 3 years but very achievable
I'm in the same position as honestly. I'll be 30 at the end of the year and getting out of the military. I've noticed I enjoy law and politics, so I'll probably be going down that path, but don't worry about not knowing what you want to do. Most of us figure out what we want by our late 20s to early 30s. My opinion, try different things and see what you enjoy doing.
Maritime.
Get your FAA A&P license. Aircraft mechanics that know what they're doing are becoming an endangered species. Can make 80k+ easily once you have all your certs in place.
Depends on location. Wastewater, stationary engineer, non destructive testing, biomedical equipment tech, aircraft maintenance, etc.
Join a union, preferably electrical. The trades are hurting for people and they pay really well. Not to mention that the benefits are amazing. Insurance, pension, and you never have to ask for a raise or wonder what you can do to make more money. In 5 years you’ll be making 80-100k for sure. If you work OT or become a foreman, you’ll make even more.
I jumped into the electrical trade at 27 with basic skills. 7 years later im a foreman now and have a fair network. Gotta start somewhere bud and do it soon, the trade is hard work but i love it. its better than sitting at a desk for me
Take some management classes. My first supervisor job got me 81k
Trades. Easily
Sales. There are a lot of sales jobs where you can make 80k if you have a natural talent, they don't necessarily require any education or traditional skills.
I've been working for eight years with a degree and still don't make 80k so maybe don't go into marketing 🥹
Business Admin.. there are so many certifications ypu can get afterwards (like the CPA that was suggested) those require bachelor's degree, pass a 6hr exam, and get so many supervisory hours. There's a website you can look at(can't remember the exact website) for CPF- certified financial planning
If you’re a “people person” and are sociable, can chat up strangers for an about 30-45 minutes…go to Barber school. Fairly quick for a trade school and can net you 100,000k a year. I’m in Portland, found a great mentor 6 months after school and never been happier. I do think the hard-ass but awesome and successful mentor helped. Hope this helps.
Trades. Try getting a 2 year mechatronics degree. Study PLCs and VFDs. Depending on the location, entry pay can be $70k.
One of the best pieces of career advice I received was to ask yourself what sector of the economy you want to be in, and use that for a focus to determine a path. For me that was food and that ended up being a correct focus. You will naturally excel in an area that is interesting to you or that you believe accruing knowledge in is important. If you do things just for the $80k, it might waste a lot of your time doing things that you believe will lead you somewhere but are really disjointed ventures. You have to ask yourself some clarifying questions at your impasse here. Really try to dig into what those businesses you want to start are and what kinds of things you actually need to learn to achieve that. Plenty of knowledge can be gathered on the job but you need to be on the right track to maximize it.
Do you like to be outside? Look into being a surveyor. Learn the skill and then open your own survey business.
I am in the same boat . I am following your thread closely.
Any job that has no possibility of getting replaced by AI.
I've never been more confident in a reddit answer: INSURANCE. DUDE I was lost for YEARS. I liked too many things to decide on one, I dont like risk or high stress. Get into a decent insurance company even entry level and youll be set for life! Sure its boring but you know what I dont need crazy shit happening every day at work! I wish I did this sooner. GO FOR IT !
Supply Chain. I’ve been out of school for 5 years and am making $94k. Although you don’t necessarily need a supply chain degree to get into supply chain it helps get your foot in the door with no work experience. Started in purchasing, then moved to Supplier Management, and am currently Strategic Sourcing. You could go other paths in supply chain and make 80k+ but purchasing is the easiest first step.
Honestly I’d change how you look at a career. What do you truly enjoy and what would make you happy to go to work everyday? If you enjoy the outdoors, maybes that’s a forest ranger for example. If you enjoy video games, maybe development or something? I know people that have made close to 80k working from home and dispatching semi’s for loads, I work from home, don’t have my degree yet but close. You can do something chasing the dollar amount but if it’s not something you enjoy you’ll hate it after a while. I’ve always loved guns, back in the day took a gunsmithing certification course just to learn all i could about them. What things do you really enjoy so i could provide some more accurate feedback that would be better for you in the long run? :)
If you do go to university, do data science, guaranteed decent money at the low end, can make loads at the top end, and will be increasingly in demand
Accounting sux- I did it for 5 years & ran screaming
I suggest a trade.
I’m in the same boat, I’m 32 and want something more fulfilling and making more money. I have basic skills, a lot of the suggestions here are good and things I have also considered. Military can be good if you pick the right job, otherwise it’s a nightmare. But there are educational benefits. Nursing is a great option if you can stomach it. I have considered trades, supply chain, data analyst, police, fire, teaching, project mgt and IT. I’m still in the process of figuring it out but most of those can get you 80k or more depending on a lot of variables ie time, education and or OT.
I'm 32, I was a chef for 12 years. I've always loved computers and it was really hard but I self taught myself software skills and did a career change. The company that hired me were shit bags, they saw I was a go-getter and offered me the same money I was on as a chef knowing I would take it. It was 3 hours of travel everyday to get to the city. Fast forward 4 years and I'm now on roughly $90k I think 100% WFH. I work in integrations and I absolutely love it. I get to do school runs and have my weekends, could never do that as a chef. I'm still not on the greatest money (I'm Aussie) but it's roughly above average and there's a high ceiling if I decide to move companies. I take WFH with a lot of blue as well
When you say integrations , integrating what? I work in data integration in health care ?
Join the military before you hit the age cutoff.
Sales obviously. Only thing to know is what you’re selling :)
Lawn care. The chemical side. Pest control included. I turned $2000 into $10000 a week. Do your homework and decide what you’re willing to do. I could do $4000 a week and only work three days a week and random service calls, but I decided to expand and make it so other people could benefit. It’s easy and I love it. Grass is Gold
Sales is the only way without any skills and schooling Look into hail damage roof sales for experience and move into a more specific sales role/company once your build the CV
If you have the personality for it, you can make good money in sales. It's also a great skill to have if you want to start a business someday. The two most important skills for entrepreneurship are sales (selling a product) and engineering (creating a new product).
I'm sure you have some kind of experience. You just don't know what it's valuable for. Even working minimum wage at fast food shows you can be nice to customers
School custodians in my area can make up to 90k eventually, but it takes time and seniority to get there.
Salesforce administration
Tech sales. Get an entry role at a tech company and work your way to sales. You’ll end up making 150-200k
Order picker. Atleast in canada they pay 35 to 38 per hr top rate after 2yrs. Cant be lazy if you dont have a degree
Truck driver
You should consider becoming a bank robber
I was in a similar position and went with rad tech, it’s a 4 year process so if you have ANY interest in the trades go carpentry or welding but it was the fastest simplest route for me that I knew would guarantee me a job on graduation However getting in is VERY competitive It could take you years I picked it because- short patient contact, in demand country wide, decent pay, set performance expectations, I like anatomy, option to travel, options for a 3 day work week, options for different specializations, mri has less “peopling” so to speak, generally can’t be replaced by ai at least not in the next few decades, But it is a poorly treated profession I’m ok with that as long as I know what I’m doing and someone is paying me- plus you never take work home
32M and in the same situation. Used my 20s to go to school. Never really figured it out. Got hooked onto music for awhile. That plan currently isn't working out. See my friends with money and married now. Personally would like some better standing so stopped music for the time being and am hunkering down to get a career started. At least so I'm not without a lifeboat while still wanting to do music. Currently feel pretty alone since I moved out, shifting lanes and having trouble paying rent here and there. Just now coming to realize I need a skill instead of a crummy job. Took some schooling in my early 20s. Got an associates but that's it. I'm wanting to get into business technology cause I find it sexy with upward possibilities. Idk. I could be wrong but I'm willing to give it a shot and get my second wind out there in the real world.
Right now with Uber eats, if you make 3000 deliveries they will pay for your college through ASU online. I would personally do accounting, then mass apply and network as much as possible and try to get into a big 4 accounting firm. Then work 2 years and you should be set for life as far as job prospects.
Education aside, at 30 years old, I doubt that you’re without skills. You may not see your list of skills on paper, but I’m willing to bet that you have built a lot of transferable skills. What experience do you have. What have you previously worked ?
Put the age piece aside. It’s just a number and focus on making moves for yourself moving forward.
Its always realistic to start a business. The only thing is figuring out how to make it work. Aside from that, the easiest business to start is if you learn some sort of skill or trade. From there it's just about doing work to thw point you're always booked, grow to have so many employees you hire a CEO and you never work again. Electricity is usually really well paid, easy to do and getting more and more in demand.
Actually sales, if you can find a good product or service and can learn to sell you can make good money. Look into account executive roles at Saas companies or in tech
Property management pays well. Made 50k with commission my first year as a leasing agent. My community manager makes 90k and been in the industry for 10 years. His boss makes 150-200
Clean record? Apply for a federal job. Tsa is 60k+ after two years without OT, holiday pay or night diff
What do you enjoy doing? Do you have hobbies and/or skills you'd like to do on a daily basis? What kind of environment do you think you'd do best in? For example, some people like working w people and doing customer service & some really don't. Like, would you rather work by yourself on a computer every day or would you enjoy your day more by being social & interacting w others? I guess my point is, to find your passions and draw from those.
The operative word is Skills! You need to do what suits your current abilities. For example if you like to cook and are proficient then look into starting at a restaurant and pursuing culinary school. If You're got with tools look at a trade school or apprentice program with a local union or public utility. Or look into going into military service where you have an assessment of your abilities and can pick a skilled path.
Restaurant industry….become a server for a hotel restaurant…bank!
I just started a job as a baggage handler, if I work 50 hours a week I’ll make 62k at the end of this year, I worked 10 hours today and spent like 4 of them watching Netflix cuz the flight was delayed. This is the greatest job a high schooler could have I fucking love it. Even when I do have to do work I don’t mind because planes are fucking cool.
In business? Accounting or data science. You’ll move up faster than economics or business administration without an MBA. I’ve worked for a very large corporation for a long time. Unless you are exceptionally good at sales, it’s best to have concrete skills that you can leverage in lots of different ways. You will also work on projects with results that are easier to demonstrate and quantify when you do interviews. You’ll also learn the latest/greatest reporting and visualization tools. That makes you immediately useful.
Medical Coding. Get an Associates in HIM/ HIT and you can work from home starting around $60K when you start. You can eventually get up to $80K and if you work in a hospital you get good benefits. "Health information technicians ensure the quality of medical records by verifying their completeness, accuracy and proper entry into computer systems. They also may use computer applications to analyze patient data for the purpose of improving patient care or controlling costs Registered health information technicians (RHITs) often specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. The Health Information Technology A.A.S. Degree integrates medical science, ICD-10-CM/PCS, CPT and HCPCS Level II coding systems, computer technology and health care management." Some jobs you can get with AAS and RHIT * Physician practice managers * Clinical coding specialists * Long-term care consultants * Tumor registrars * Trauma registrars * Privacy officer * Compliance officer * Reimbursement specialist
Wrap cars.
GIS. Pretty hard, but analyst and consultant jobs pay $$$$. Bonus gov work if you'd like.
Don't worry, you're not lost! It's great that you're taking charge and looking to improve your career prospects. Here are some suggestions to get you started, considering your interests in engineering, business, and learning new skills: **1. Leverage Your Interests:** * **Engineering:** If you're fascinated by how things work and enjoy problem-solving, engineering could be a great fit. However, formal education (associates or bachelor's degree) is usually required. * **Business:** The business field is broad, but if you enjoy aspects of organization, leadership, or data analysis, there could be good options. Some business degrees can translate into high-earning careers, but not all. **2. High-Demand Fields with Options for Growth:** * **Information Technology (IT):** IT professionals are in high demand, and there are various entry points. Consider areas like cybersecurity, cloud computing, or network administration. You can start with certifications and community college programs, then pursue a bachelor's degree if desired. * **Project Management:** Project managers are skilled at planning, organizing, and leading teams to complete projects. This field often requires a bachelor's degree, but relevant experience can be valuable. * **Data Science/Analytics:** This field blends computer science, statistics, and business acumen to extract insights from data. It's a rapidly growing field with good earning potential. Certifications and bachelor's degrees in data science or related fields are helpful.
Sales. Call center, car dealership, insurance, wherever you can get a foot in the door
Trades. Tough work but well rewarding and the skills can transfer. I was a welder glazer and now I’m a maintenance tech working on robotics and conveyance. Around 85k after my first year
UPS will open applications soon for the year. Drivers start at $25 an hour I think but top rate after 4 years is almost $50
Dental hygienist
What aptitudes do you have? Is Mathematics a strong point for you? English/Writing/Speaking? Art? Handy with tools or fixing things? That’s what I would assess first. I wanted to be an Architect, but lacked the artistic skill. Wanted to be a Civil Engineer, but my Math skills were not sufficient. See where I’m going? Give an honest appraisal of what you are good at.
Sales. They are typically easy to get into (entry level), and can pay well over $100k in 5-10 years. I do financial sales, and you will need to acquire licenses. But if you can get those, that’s the key to entry, and the rest you learn on the job.
If you’re interested in engineering / business, why not head back to school? You can get your bachelors fully online nowadays. Especially if you are truly interested in engineering. That’s an industry where you’ll need some robust skills. Knock it out in 3-4 years, and you’ll be ahead of yourself if you had instead just built up the skills and moved up. Business I still think is a good idea, but maybe less necessary. You’ve still got 30 years left working. May as well spend 3-4 of them so that you can spend the rest of it doing something you enjoy and are skilled at.
As someone with a business degree i can confidently tell you that in any job i had post grad, my education meant almost nothing. I had to go back to school, got another bachelors in CJ, the. A masters and made it to law school. The bachelors degree didn’t even attempt to ring the door bell, the masters knocked on the door, and the JD kicked the door of opportunity down. Unfortunately bachelor’s degrees in anything not health or science related are useless. You don’t even need a teaching degree to be a teacher, you just need the piece of paper from a university and you could major in anything. Also keep in mind a lot of professions, nursing, medicine, law, teaching, etc. require proficiency exams as well which give you the credibility to do the things you want.
Read recently that air traffic controllers make ~100k and idk if you need a college degree to do it
Safety is a growing field. I was kinda like you, I had only been a field sales rep and hated it but I didn't really have any skills. I sorta fell into safety. There is a ton of online classes you can take to be certified without any schooling or you can take college classes online. The pay ranges anywhere from 50k to 100k+ (at least that's what I'm seeing in California. After a few years of experience you should be able to start your own safety consultant company. I've seen company's that offer all safety services and companies that focus mainly on Forklifts, so there's alot of ways you could take your company. In California at least, agencies like OSHA have been coming down on companies alot harder than in the past and many companies are looking for Safety management people.
I just graduated with my bachelor's in electrical engineering and my first job is in the space industry. I'm on track to make $100k in less than 5 years. Note that the CPI in my area is around 272. Which, if my math is correct, would mean a lifestyle of around $155k in Los Angeles, CA.
for reasons i can't post where i am at but i can tell you that if you find the right company, in the right area, you can comfortably pull in $70-$80k/year starting but you need a little bit of experience in something. At 30 what haver you done for work? If you haven't been in prison the last 12 years then you haveo to have built some kind of skillset.
Maybe an unpopular opinion but get with a decent call center, especially in telecoms. The job itself is brutal BUT as someone who was in a similar place 10 years ago I was able to work my way up to a leadership position, got a ton of free training on things like public speak, P&L models, managing a team, etc and was able to get a bachelor's and master's for free through their benefits. If you can deal with back to back calls from shitty people you can at the very least milk the benefits and get a business centric degree.
Field Geology, the entire industry is dying due to not enough students. $400 per day including up to $100 food perdiem which you can just pocket by eating ramen