Do you want to earn extra money or excel in your career? The best and most successful approach is to expand your skillset. Enriching your resume with a lucrative skill defines your growth mindset in this fast-paced industrial world. Moreover, the chances of promotion and developing a side hustle increase substantially if you possess a well-developed skill.
While the past generations had to go through a lot of effort and money to learn something new, we have been blessed with the convenience of the digital world. If you are passionate to learn a new skill, all you need to have is dedication, time, a PC or smartphone, and a stable internet connection. If you are willing to put some time and work into learning new things and are among the 298 million U.S. citizens who own a smart display device, you are almost set. About the internet, I will recommend Spectrum and Optimum Internet depending upon your location; both the service providers are highly affordable and offer year-round discounts, unlimited data allowance, and free access to thousands of wireless hotspots making your learning unstoppable.
The rundown in this post features the most lucrative and profitable skills that you should learn in 2021.
- Data Analytics
Data analytics is the newest, groundbreaking field that is used to discover new opportunities, business relationships, and as a tool to improve business performance. It is the exercise to examine, cleanse, transform, and model data sets to find new, useful information to draw conclusions and make better decisions.
Data analytics is in high demand and at this point, qualified professionals are a rare sight. If you want to climb up the ladder real fast and real soon, this might be the way. As per recent reports, the number of job listings in data analytics and science is expected to grow by 2,700,000 in the incoming years.
In order to become a data analyst, you need to be diligent and passionate about data. Your first step should be to learn Microsoft Excel to start decent in data analysis. The next steps can be learning data languages like Python, R, SAS, etc. While most data analysis and science courses online require you to pay money upfront, you can find some online courses as well.
- Digital marketing
If you have a knack for marketing and are hands-on with technology, digital marketing might be a good start for you. This type of marketing uses digital platforms and electronic devices to market services and products. You can almost earn up to six figures annually through the art of digital marketing.
Since it is a new field, it has a lot of potential and areas to explore. If you go down the path of digital marketing, you should know that it offers multiple specializations and disciplines to master. Some of the types of digital marketing are:
- SEM/Search Engine Marketing
- SEO/Search Engine Optimization
- Influencer Marketing
- Data-driven Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Campaign Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- E-Commerce Marketing
- Email Direct Marketing
- Pay Per Click Advertising
- Affiliate Marketing
Games and e-libraries have also become a common marketplace for digital enthusiasts. Offline digital mediums like SMS, on-hold mobile ringtones, callbacks features, etc. also use digital marketing and so you can choose an area of concentration that suits your interests the most.
The best thing about this elevated skill is that you do not require a background qualification and can learn everything about digital marketing through online courses. This highly profitable, full-time career skill allows you to make yourself into a brand as well.
- Copywriting
Are you passionate about writing and have an interest in advertising? If yes, copywriting is something you should think about seriously. Furthermore, wittiness and a subtle sense of humor, while frowned upon in other domains, are favorable traits in this field.
A common saying of the past, ‘writing does not pay bills,’ proves wrong when it comes to sales copywriting. It is a full-on money-making career and comes naturally to most people. If you want to make your name in copywriting, all you need is a PC, an internet connection, and the ability to think differently.
While copywriting can be used to land a high-profile job in an ad agency or a marketing department of a top-tier company, it can also be taken as a freelance opportunity. Brands are willing to invest a ton of money to get engaging, well-written content. This skill is also an add-on for digital marketing disciplines like SEO, content marketing, and editing.
- Sales
If there is a business, there is a sales team. Sales are one of the surest and most profitable skills. Most sales jobs have a good basic salary and even better commission brackets. You can become an ace salesperson with just a handful of skills and industry knowledge.
Sales are one of those skills that do not go out of season and almost all companies are in need of sales reps continuously. To be good in sales, you need to have a pleasant personality, an aptitude for sales, and some necessary business understanding.
- Technical Skills
Having technical skills is a sure way to have an extra income. Almost every industry is going online which is making great room for people possessing technical skills. Some of the most lucrative technical skills are:
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) – machine learning is the concept that is working to make machines learn and adapt via experience. However, AI is working to make machines smart enough to carry out tasks without prompts. Recent examples of machine learning and AI include Cortana, Alexa, and Siri.
IT Automation – also known as infrastructure automation, uses software to create loop processes and instructions. The aim of this technology is to minimize human interaction with IT systems.
Cloud Computing – the on-demand availability of resource systems for computers. This technology does not require the active participation of the user and ensures the availability of data centers to users on the internet.
Fintech – a combination of finance and technology. Fintech refers to businesses using technology to automate or enhance financial services, processes, and products.
Parallel Computing – is a means of computing that carries multiple calculations concurrently. It is most commonly used in video color correction, agriculture estimates, drug discovery, medical imaging, and financial risk management.
Final Thoughts
The skills covered in this post are certainly the most lucrative add-ons and you should find some time to learn the ones that suit you the most. Some other skills that have the tendency to excel in your career are graphic design, UI/UX, project management, video editing and filming, trading and investing, and learning a foreign language.