Starting over: what should I do? Part I

Hola Unemployables, welcome back!

So, on Monday, I started talking about how I wouldn’t pick writing again. I slept on it a couple days and I still agree with myself.

Look, writing is crazy important, especially learning how to write SEO-optimized (I know that’s an oxymoron but it sounds weird otherwise) content. But man, the competition is crazy out there. Not to say that other skills aren’t cutthroat and saturated, but maybe it’s just that the entry threshold is a bit steeper.

If you learn programming languages, there are certain things that you simply must know and must prove that you know. These are concrete facts of the language, and there is no getting around these immutable rules.

Pick something

Okay, so the first thing that you need is a skill that pays the bills.

But here’s the catch: it really needs to be something you enjoy. You don’t have to be crazy about it; it does not have to be your passion (bonus points if it is, though). You do need to figure out what sort of thing you want to do and make sure it is something you can tolerate. I have tried to learn programming languages like ten times and truthfully, I hate it.

So, I stuck with writing and, over time, have been studying SEO. This is a fairly natural progression because the one benefits the other. Since then, I have focused on only adding things to my learning list that either make writing more effective, or make me more useful as a writer.

But before that, you have to start with just ONE skill. It has to be useful, it has to be valuable.

Upwork is always my go-to for the pulse on what is valuable and what is not. Look, you are going to invest at least a year of your life to get good at something, so you need to know that it will have some ROI.

Most years, Upwork releases a brief on the hottest skills on the platform, and since it is the premier freelancing platform in the world, you can rest assured it is valid. Whether you get work on Upwork or source it through other methods, whatever is hot, it will get you paid anywhere.

Now, I have been watching this list for about five or six years now religiously and have noticed that by and large the list is about the same now as it has been most years.

Step one is the easy part: go through the list, find something that looks something you can imagine yourself doing for a long time.

Step 1a is to get on Upwork and go to the search bar. Make sure it set for ‘jobs’ and start looking into the things that interest you. Then, select ‘client’ and start looking over the freelancers in that field. If you are in the U.S., make sure to select ‘U.S. Only.’

You want to know what you are realistically capable of earning money with your new skill. If you can’t make a living with it, then you might as well just spend your time learning a new hobby. Hell, lots of people have figured out a way to turn their hobbies into highly lucrative businesses.

Homework assignment

Just kidding. You aren’t children. You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to. But you should grab a notebook and start taking notes about what skills look promising.

Early next week, I’ll be sending out part II, which is a list of resources that I use to learn new skills and sharpen existing ones, so keep your eyes peeled!

-John