Choosing a viable career is easier than ever, thanks to all the information we have available at our fingertips. It’s no longer challenging to verify that you’re walking into a field that can support you for the next few decades, and we’ve also seen the rise of various new careers that require entirely new types of specialists. The global job market is in a great state right now, and if you’re currently at a stage in your life where you’re choosing your first career – or you want to leave your current one behind – you have lots of options available.
Some require a significant investment in terms of time or practice though, and you should align that with your current life situation. Changing your career can happen at most stages of your life, but not every career path is a viable choice for someone in their 50s.
1. Software Development
A field that saw a major boom a few decades ago, and is still going strong, is software development. There are no prospects that software development will become an obsolete profession anytime soon, not even with the rise of AI and automation technologies. In fact, many speculate that the new era of automation will bring about an even heavier requirement for software developers and other IT specialists, as all those systems will need someone to develop them further and maintain them. Entering the workforce from this angle is a very viable option right now.
2. Finance
Another field with strong future prospects, the world of finance has evolved a lot over the last couple of decades, mainly thanks to the various online advancements we’ve seen. Cryptocurrencies are just one example of this, and they’re not even the most interesting one right now. Fintech is a sector that’s been growing at a startling rate, and there are many reasons to believe that this growth will continue in the near future as well. The sector is also in constant need of experienced professionals who know how to navigate it properly, and those with a strong technological background can see particularly good results.
3. Medicine
The need for medical services is something else that will never go away as long as humans exist in the first place. And the field has evolved quite a bit recently, with many new paths branching out from the main ones. You can do various kinds of work in the medical sector that will always be in high demand, and the best part is, it’s relatively easy to jump from one subfield to another if you’ve got the qualifications. This is a field with significant growth potential, and there are many options for gaining the right knowledge and experience needed to progress as well. Look into a DNP program if you want something that doesn’t involve directly being a physician, but will still put you in a good position to help others.
4. Sales
Finance and sales have always been tightly related, and it should be no surprise to anyone that this sector is also going through a major period of growth. There’s a lot to be said about the explosion in interest in the sales sector in recent decades, and we’ve seen an interesting evolution in this field in terms of how sales professionals approach their potential customers, and how the typical interaction is handled. Sales specialists can now focus much better on viable leads thanks to advances in AI and other similar sectors that have made their work easier and more streamlined.
5. Engineering
Engineering is a pretty broad field, but there is no shortage of fields where it can be applied. From oil rigs, to computers and aerospace, there are many types of engineering degrees and positions that can be very lucrative in the long run and will give you a viable set of skills in your life in general. Of course, there is also the stereotype associated with engineering studies – they are not exactly simple and straightforward, and require a specific mindset to get the job done right. But if you’ve got a knack for mathematics and solving problems, this is a field you should definitely look into.
6. Marketing
Another sector that has been impacted heavily by the recent growth of AI and related technologies, marketing is a very rapidly evolving field right now, and there are many signs indicating that it will keep growing in popularity in the coming years too. Companies need more and more services of this type, and the complexity of the average marketing campaign has grown significantly. Targeting the right customers, reaching out to them properly, and engaging them over a longer period is becoming more and more important, but also more accessible, thanks to the many solutions that the market offers right now.
7. Pharmaceuticals
If you like the idea of working in medicine but don’t enjoy working with patients directly, then perhaps pharmaceuticals would be a better field for you. It offers a great range of opportunities for research and development, and is another field where those with a strong technological inclination can see good results and viable synergy opportunities. This is a field of study that can be quite stressful in terms of educational requirements, though. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself going through a similar workload as some people studying medicine – this is a job that comes with a lot of responsibility, after all.
8. Aviation
We already touched on this above in the engineering section, but it’s something that deserves its own mention. Aviation is a field that’s seeing a lot of growth right now, as many companies are trying to revolutionize the sector and come up with the next best thing. At the same time, regulations around safety and other similar points are tightening, requiring a growing number of competent specialists who can guide companies on the right track. It’s a field that can be difficult to get into, but the long-term development prospects are not to be underestimated.
9. Event Planning
Do you have a knack for logistics? Then event planning might be right up your alley, especially if you live in a more populated area with lots of potential customers. This is a surprisingly difficult job to do right, and there’s a reason many people prefer to leave it in the hands of professionals who know what they are doing instead of attempting it themselves. Proper event planning requires significant coordination skills, and you must also be a communicative person with the ability to resolve conflicts as quickly and professionally as possible. Last but not least, this job can also come with a great deal of stress attached, which you should not underestimate.
10. Penetration Testing
Have you ever dreamed of being a hacker? What if we told you that it’s possible to work as one and get paid for it – and it’s all legal too? The job of a penetration tester is to probe the security of a company and check if there are any obvious holes left open. It’s a difficult job that involves some significant technical challenges, and requires an expert understanding of various types of technologies, security protocols, and operating systems. It also requires a charming smile in many cases – penetration testing is as much about social engineering as it is about overcoming technological barriers.
11. Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy remains a controversial topic in many parts of the world, with some major governments announcing their intention to ramp down their reactors over the next couple of decades, and phase them out completely. And yet, it remains a popular source of energy in many places, and many countries continue to invest significant resources into developing this field further. It’s exciting, challenging, and highly lucrative for those who know what they are doing. And it will very likely be at the forefront of some major developments in the near future.
12. Statistics
It might be strange to see statistics mentioned as a viable field for building a career in these days, with the heavy use of machine learning in many sectors. But that’s exactly the point – just because we’ve figured out how to automate statistical analysis to a great extent doesn’t mean that there is no longer a need for human specialists with a deep understanding of the field anymore. Quite on the contrary, the rise of AI and machine learning has created many new opportunities for people with a knack for statistics, and this is a field that can allow you to earn a lot of money if you find a job at the right company.
It’s also another field that works very well when combined with technology, especially programming skills. Learning how to work on your own ML models can be very beneficial in statistical analysis, even if you’re capable of doing some of that work yourself already.
13. Mathematics
On a related note, mathematics is hotter than ever, and there is a heavy demand for qualified specialists in the market right now. However, this is a highly divided field. Those with great skills tend to have a very easy time finding permanent employment, and are in high demand. But just a little below that level, we have the average specialists, who are often struggling to find work at all, let alone maintain a position.
The thing about mathematics is that it’s a highly competitive field, and companies are pretty much universally looking for the cream of the crop. There’s very little room in the market for anyone beneath that level, which can be problematic for those who discover that their abilities are not top notch too late in their education. Plan ahead if you want to go down this path, but also remember that it can be highly lucrative for a person with the right mindset.
14. Real Estate
Real estate is another field that will always be in demand, and there is no reason to believe that this will change anytime soon. People will always need a place to live, and the way this market works in most parts of the world means that there will always be a place for those who know how to buy and sell, and close deals smoothly. Real estate agents are in high demand in some parts of the world right now, and that demand will likely not go down anytime soon. In fact, as some areas are developed more heavily, we’re likely going to see a rise in attention towards the job of the real estate agent, with more and more people needing their services. Make sure you’re on the right side of the fence when that happens, if you believe that you have viable skills for that.
15. Agriculture
Agriculture is going through major developments right now, as we’re starting to wake up to the need for a more scientific approach to the field. There is still a lot of work to be done here, though, so don’t think that there is no room for newcomers. This is a field that combines the expertise of people from multiple different areas – farming, computers, navigation, automotive, and more. You never know when you might have the right set of skills needed to push the field forward, and you should not underestimate the potential of agriculture as a viable long-term career path. Of course, this also depends on where you live. Some countries definitely don’t offer any attractive development opportunities to agricultural specialists operating in them.
Stability is the main concern of many people looking for a job these days. And it’s not hard to see why – the market has shifted significantly in some areas in this regard, and we’re starting to see many professionals with long-running experience losing their jobs because they are suddenly obsolete in the new era. It’s important to pay attention to these trends, and know which fields are least likely to be subject to this in the future. Thankfully, the writing is already on the wall for most lines of work available today.
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