Today’s era is competitive. But, are our schools readying the students, who are the future of the nation, to deal with that competition? What are they told instead, to cram and vomit on exam sheet. The key skills which a person can acquire are not taught to students. Do they know, how to make the best use of their money? How to use it properly? Even in Accountancy and business studies, they just stuff it with definitions and facts rather than developing financial intelligence.
So, on your level, it is better if you continue with your school or college and learn what you want on your own. In this way, you’re neither risking your career, nor wasting your time.
Before turning eighteen, I didn’t know about various options to do. Around me were various narrow-minded people who jeered me. And they’re still present.
But I won’t let that happen to you.
Following are some skills which can help your career and age is none of the criteria. You can pursue these skills at any age and earn money at any age.
1. Interior Designing
This is what I’m pursuing these days. There’re many graduate and post graduate courses in this regard. But you can pursue various diplomas and certificate courses as well. They’ll give you a good knowledge of various softwares like Autocad, 3ds Max, Sketchup etc. You can do freelancing as well after doing them.
2. Graphic Designing
Many people and organisations are usually looking for artwork and graphics. But, it’s not possible for people to do all work by themselves. So, they outsource it. You can make the flow go for you. If you’ve even a basic knowledge of apps like adobe photoshop, illustratorand lightroom or others by corel, you can make huge money off it.
Please, don’t rely on your school’s computer science books, anyhow. When you’re aged ten, your brain is quite developed to move on and what they’d tell you is how to use paint and that CPU is the brain of the computer.
3. Content Writing
Do have a good hold over any language? Do you write good? Then you can make money from that as well. You can start a blog and earn through by means of a lot of ways. Otherwise, you can write content for other people as well. A stream of content writing is trending these days, i.e, copywriting.
It deals with writing persuasive content for people in order to drive more sales of goods and services.
4. Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing means using internet to market your goods and services. People get goose bumps after hearing this term. But let me assure you. It is not as technical as it sounds. Even if you don’t know a bit of coding, you can still learn digital marketing to an extent.
Due to its technical advantage, many coaching centres take undue advantage of Students as well as middle aged people which leads to a lot of loss of your hard earned money.
Let me tell you, you don’t need to spend even a single rupee on learning digital marketing. Refer to Youtube, watch as many videos as you can. Pursue free certificate courses of Adwords, Analytics Academy and Google Digital Unlocked.
5. Touch Typing
You waste a lot of in searching the keys when you’re typing traditionally. Instead, there’s another method through which you can type really fast as your time won’t be wasted in searching the keys and your mind as well as your finger muscles would be habitual of the keyboard pattern. Good typing speed can get you good jobs as well.
Search online for more information regarding it.
6. Ambidexterity
Ambidexterity means capacity to write with both of your hands. Studies show that working with both of your hands leads to the optimum utilisation of both left and right hemispheres of your brain.
7. Microsoft Excel
If you’re not well versed with computer science, even then, you can be a master of Microsoft Office. In that too, take other applications for granted. But be serious about Microsoft Excel. It is a magical tool if you learn it along with Microsoft Access. Still Excel is sufficient in itself.
I learnt Microsoft Excel and Access when I was in class twelfth. I wasn’t good in accounts then so I chose this book instead of financial analysis. And believe me, I got 95 in Accounts. My teacher also helped a lot.
Learning it has no age criteria. You’ll be a master of it in just a year.
8. Web Designing
You can make your and others’ websites if you learn Web designing. This involves various websites like HTML, MYSQL, PHP, Javascript, Jquery etc. You can earn a huge amount of money through freelancing activities.
9. New Language
Learning a new language has many benefits. Your brain develops for the better. You acquaint yourself with new words and ideas.
Alongside, it also provides you with an array of opportunities such as transcriptions, dubbing, subtitling, translating etc.
Please, choose your language wisely. If you choose any language which you’ll never find the speaking environment of, then it’s useless. French, German etc. are absolutely a wastage of money unless you’re living in any area where they’re spoken. You’ll never be able to make cent per cent use of them.
Instead, in India, you can learn Indian languages. E.g. If you learn Marathi or Nepali, then as a Hindi speaker, half of your efforts are saved as you won’t have to start from scratch since you’re familiar with the Devnagari script. I’m learning Sanskrit by the way and you can watch another blogpost to know more.
10. CFA Institute Investment Foundation Programme
This is basically a free online exam where age is no bar. This would increase your financial intelligence.
