"Careers For Young People"

Melody Fogarty

If I have said it once, I have said it a million times....focus on careers/work that cannot easily be replicated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) or become the puppet master of AI. Either you are going to use your brain (which pays more and lasts longer) or use your hands (which pays well but takes a toll on your body.) Which way are you going?

The solution is best decided by how much time, money, and quality of life you have, how much of each you are willing to sacrifice, and how much of each you want in the end. My recommendations with keep in mind, those careers that have the least opportunity for replication by AI for the next 10 to 30 years.

Let's start with the question of time. Having a trade or college education will save you money and time; not initially, however in the long term you will be able to navigate the six-degrees of separation faster. The true purpose of higher education is networking/connections and access to opportunities and people that you would not have had without sitting in the classes and engaging with your peers and professors. That said, not everyone has the time or inclination to endure any training or higher education. If that is your challenge, the most lucrative occupations for you are sales (high dollar products/services), the military, inventor, franchise owner, farmer, athlete, or artist. The risk is high and lucky breaks are key in these professions. 

For those willing to spend 12-24 months of their time in a certification program, with or without pay, then the risk and needed luck becomes significantly less compared to the aforementioned occupations; and opportunities for long-term consistent financial success increase. For less than 24 months of your life, the available occupations include licensed practical nurse; carpenter, plumber, electrician, HVAC contractor; drafter; construction manager; cosmetologist; barber, occupational therapy assistant; physical assistant; aircraft mechanic; MRI technologist; nuclear medicine technologist; and radiation therapist. 

The more time spent in the university setting, the more connections. The more degrees, in relevant subjects, the more options, lower financial risk and the less luck you will need to maintain a steady income. This is especially true if you are pursuing a career in the medical, technology, and energy fields.

The second component to consider is money. How much money do you want to spend on your education and/or certification? Do you want to spend no money, some money, or a lot of money. The amount of money spent does not ensure a better knowledge transfer, it does suggest more influential connections. It comes down to the difference between a State College or an Ivy League institution. (Note: many well-heeled families send their children to community college before shipping them off to the Ivy League.)  Further the amount of money spent does not have to come directly from your pocket. There are a number of grants, scholarships, forgivable loans and gifts to cover the cost especially for women and underrepresented groups of people including monies based on religious affiliations.

Last, the most important question is what do you want your quality of life to be at the end of spending X time and Y money? If you want wealth and fun, then expect to spend a lot of time and money upfront to arrive at this destination. In this case, set your sights on being a stockbroker, analyst, hedge fund manager, or real estate broker/investor. On the other hand, it you like abundant leisure time and wealth is not important, then you will not have to spend as much or any time on your career. Finally, if you want to arrive at a high wealth/high leisure time position is the shortest amount of time, then your quality of life will be horrible during the time that you are building your dream. If you are okay with it, then pursue entrepreneurship and own one of the following key businesses: online content development, E-commerce, fashion business, house flipping, car dealership, restaurant, software development and/or construction agency. FYI, artificial intelligence will be key to your profitability.

In the end your career choice is simple, it is about solving the question of time versus money versus quality. You cannot have all three simultaneously!