You need skills in order to profit nowadays. There has never been such a time as this where skills are that important. The beauty of it all is that with the right skill set, you can profit wholly online. Yesterday I was browsing a certain online remote jobs listing platform. I saw a particular technical writing job recently posted where the successful candidate will earn between US$100 000 and US$120 000 per year. Remarkably it is a fully remote job. Such opportunities are now widespread in this digital age. In order to position yourself rightly for such opportunities you have to know which skills are highly sought after. Here are some of the top skills to profit the most from in 2023:
Writing
I chose to say writing because there are different types of writing I am referring to here. There is copywriting which entails composing things such as headings, sub-headings, and body copy of advertisements, brochures, catalogues, press releases, email marketing copy, product literature, and so on. Copywriting is so broad that it can cover blog writing, content writing, and the like. There are other areas e.g. technical writing, creative writing, and academic writing.
Other associated areas here are editing and proofreading. There are infinite opportunities for a writer today. Some particular areas to make money from are blog writing, self-publishing books, script writing (especially for videos and podcasts), and writing social media content. There is also lots of money to be made from writing business documentation e.g. business plans, business proposals, partnership agreements, company profiles, strategic plans, and the like.
Digital Marketing
You have lots of options here. You can choose to study digital marketing as a whole. Alternatively, you can choose to pick one or more specialist areas under digital marketing. Examples of such areas are email marketing, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, affiliate marketing, Google Analytics, pay-per-click advertising, and brand management, amongst others. Digital marketing is now the holy grail of marketing in this digital era. That is why such skill sets are sought after by many businesses or startups. If you acquire those skillsets you can be sure to find employers or clients willing to pay for your services. The great thing is that there are many entities offering certified online courses for digital marketing skillsets.
Data Science And Data Analytics
I am a huge fan of data analytics and for good reasons. Data Science is the umbrella domain; Data Analytics is a constituent of Data Science. This means you can choose to study either or both of them. One of the many reputable online course providers is Coursera. Here is what they recently said about data analytics: “Each year, there is more demand for data analysts and scientists than there are people with the right skills to fill those roles”. That should get you excited about pursuing a career in these areas.
One of the reasons why skill sets such as Data Analytics are now sought after is because of the uptake of big data analytics by many companies. If you want to increase your chances of getting gigs as a Data Analyst or Data Scientist you should get certified in Python, SQL, R, Power BI, Tableau, and Microsoft Excel, amongst others. Some of the common designations are Data Analyst, Data Scientist, Data Modeller, Data Engineer, Data Architect, Software Developer, Data Security Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, and Business Analyst.
Coding
Coding is just me trying to use an umbrella. Otherwise, there is so much under-coding that one can specialize in. For instance, there is software development, app development, and web development. If you are familiar with coding you will know there are so many programming languages out there. If you are interested in this field you will have to do some homework on what sells in line with your interests.
At least you must know that some of the top programming languages are C, Python, Java, C++, and C#. You must also appreciate that it also helps to be familiar with low-code and no-code tools or platforms. You can actually make lots of money doing services for people by using such tools or platforms. Of course, they are limited which is why learning the aforementioned programming languages (or such like) is best.
Video Editing
The creator economy is growing and will continue to. Look at platforms like YouTube and think of the number of videos posted daily. Look also at other social media platforms. Think of video productions that are worked on e.g. music videos, short films, movies, skits, and so on. All this is happening because content creators have realized video content is the most engaging. Yet the majority of content creators do not have the skills to professionally edit videos. You would be amazed at how there are people right now making lots of money from offering their colour grading skills. There is money to be made from having video editing skills.
UI UX Design
In 2022 I spoke quite a bit about UI and UX design. Without getting into much detail I can tell you how in-demand UI and UX skills are right now. I often check out many freelancing or online job boards. I have noticed that there are always many vacancies for people with UI and UX skill sets. The amazing thing about UI and UX skills is that you can easily learn them online. You do not need lofty academic prerequisites to learn UI and UX. The other great thing about UI and UX design is that job offers or gigs are often remote.
These are some of the skills you need in 2023. If you manage to have at least one of these skill sets you will profit big time. All of these skill sets enable you to make money from anywhere online. With all these skillsets if you tap into global opportunities you can make an average of US$100 000 annually all online.
