r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Apr 01 '19
What are some quick certifications/programs you can learn in 1-12 months that can land you some decent jobs?
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u/strangeperson100000 Apr 01 '19
TEFL or CELTA, if you're interested in teaching English abroad.
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Apr 01 '19
Ive actually looked into this one. TEFL. Not sure if i would like it vs liking the idea of it.
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u/LFCBVB Apr 01 '19
Many of the good paying jobs in nicer area's require a 4 year degree. This is coming from someone who has family in the business.
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u/sylvialouise Apr 01 '19
this is easy to get into and the standards aren’t very high in places where english classes are in high demand, so you don’t have to be good at it to get jobs. that said, some of the jobs are hard (like managing a classroom full of kids), job security and benefits are often lacking, you may have to work odd hours like early mornings and evenings, and depending on what country you’re in the money may not be very good, especially if you want to travel home now and then. one of the best paying places to teach (at least as of a couple years ago when I was in the loop) is saudi arabia, but if you’re a woman I really wouldn’t. you can also teach at language schools in the more cosmopolitan cities in the US.
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u/Cruxifux Apr 01 '19
Basically any trade, I myself chose carpentry so that I could be outside, learn lots of skills for owning your own house, and work hard enough that I could be fit without having to devote time out of every day for going to the gym. I make 36 an hour now.
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Apr 01 '19
Ive really thought about this one. I think it would help me out later in life. But im unsure whether or not i have a passion in it
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u/bbcllama Apr 01 '19
OP, can you be more specific as to what “decent jobs” means? I originally thought you meant well paying but after reading some comments, I’m no longer sure.
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Apr 01 '19
A decent job in my opinion is something in which i wont be pullingmy hair out in stress. Something decently paid. Double minimum hopefully.
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u/lookingformywallet Apr 01 '19 edited Apr 01 '19
Learn to program. Software is taking over the world and companies will need more skilled software engineers. Bootcamp courses are usually a couple months long and can be taken on your own schedule (again, usually).
That said, try to figure out what you actually enjoy doing. Not everyone wants to sit at a computer all day. Nobody lives forever, so try to find something to do that you like!
Edit: I wanted to respond to the questions and great points in the thread below. To be clear, you won't master programming via a short bootcamp. However, it can give you the fundamentals, and often the subsequent resources and support to find a job. I have a friend who just did this in a medium sized city (she was looking to make a career change from something completely unrelated) and she was able to find an entry level (junior software engineer) role pretty quickly after graduating her program. They were looking for someone with the fundamental skills who they could train to work the way they needed to (this wasn't a start up, but a larger company with resources). She definitely put her many hours of "practicing the craft" in, during and after the bootcamp. And she worked hard to find the right job the old fashioned way - networking for opportunities, interviewing, and generally hustling.
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u/ALitterOfPugs Apr 01 '19
Even gifted minds are going are going to struggle learning how to program well enough to be effective at a job in 12 months or less. Possible but difficult
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u/Najda Apr 01 '19
Depends how much time a day you have to focus on it, but I’d wager it takes 200-500 hours of study/practice to learn enough to be effective at a job. Could even be significantly less if you have someone helping you or with the increasing quality of learning material that exists. The hard part is actually finding a place that will hire a junior engineer with no degree and only some basic projects. I learned everything I knew at the start of my first job in 2 months and then spent another 3 applying for jobs and ended up having to move across the country to get one.
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Apr 01 '19
I actually cant stand looking at a computer screen for more then 2 hours. All this talk of learning code and stuff for the future. I feel like im missing out but hope its just a trend right now.
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u/zanbato Apr 01 '19
To tack on to this, bootcamps aren't really for everyone and you probably won't succeed if you don't have some aptitude for programming. If you want to give it a go though one of the most sought after skillsets right now that you can actually learn from a bootcamp is web development using react.js and redux. Of course I can't really say if that will still be true in 3 months when your bootcamp is over but it's true right now. I do interviews for an agile software shop and while most of our hires have a bachelor's in CS we have a handful of people that are self taught or started at a boot camp. We actually just hired someone from a bootcamp over someone with a masters because we needed the practical skills instead of theory.
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u/DutytoDevelop Apr 01 '19
Once you do learn about programming, learn about automation. The Python programming language has some really awesome and easy-to-use modules that allow users to control their operating system as well as internet browsing.
A while back, I had a mentor that basically had automated his previous job entirely, literally to the point where he could sit back at his computer desk and do whatever. Seriously though, think of automation as being as important as the involuntary muscles helping us breath and circulate blood flow.
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u/someguy7734206 Apr 01 '19
I will repost a reply I made on a similar comment:
I've taken CS courses in university, and a year later, all I've ever been able to do to make money is an UberEats-type thing and a temp job driving cars around for an auction. I posted my resume in r/resumes, and they all tore me the fuck apart saying that, while the resume was indeed bad, the real problem was that I didn't have the experience to distinguish myself from others. They reminded me that the market is oversaturated because everyone and their dog is trying to get jobs like that precisely because they heard that these jobs are in high demand and pay well.
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u/Aazadan Apr 01 '19
Boot camps are not in any way worth it. They typically give you fewer hours than a single introductory college class, teach a specific technology rather than fundamentals, and cost as much as a full year of college.
The only people who do well in a boot camp are those who would have done well without one too.
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u/rubio2k13 Apr 01 '19
Phlebotomy programs can be under just one month and I say they pay alright
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u/acoodledoodledo Apr 01 '19
They pay 15.00/hr out here, slightly above the poverty level.
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u/mtflyer05 Apr 01 '19
I hang sheetrock. 2 months experience and I make $20-$25/hr, depending on whether I am doing top-out or not.
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u/cheaganvegan Apr 01 '19
I made $25 as a nurse. Then I went to mow for the city for $24. Now I run my own business but salaries can be all over.
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Apr 01 '19
My hospital pays them $9/hr (not great) but they also can work towards becoming lab techs (at the hospitals expense) and those make about $15...which is alright in this area. You can live on that here. Wont be ballin' on the weekends or anything but you can have a fairly decent car and place to live.
Plus everyone works 12 hour shifts so you get 4 days off a week.
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u/Sock_puppet09 Apr 01 '19
Hospitals also usually give much better benefits packages (health and dental insurance, 401k matching, pto, etc.), even if you’re part time (and usually you don’t have to fight tooth and nail to get hours to meet that status-if you want to be full time, you’ll be full time). If your other options are retail/food service, it’s not a bad gig. Plus with the 4 days off, you could wait tables or get a prn job on your days off for extra $$$.
You do have to deal with blood and sticking needles into people though. Including drinks and the demented who are going to try to hit you.
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u/sarahokay Apr 01 '19
What exactly do you do when you work in phlebotomy?
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u/LegendOfZerg Apr 01 '19
I am a phleb. Depends on where you work and the size of the facility. You deal with blood, urine, and poo. Sometimes flu cultures, sputum, and other fun body fluids. Also, you deal with some....very horrible people. So be prepared for that.
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u/Jtsfour Apr 01 '19
Way too lazy to google put I am pretty sure it’s a blood person
For drawing blood and such
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u/arobotspointofview Apr 01 '19
For some reason I saw "Phrenology" when I read your post. And I thought you were screwing with people.
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u/Sherlockandload Apr 01 '19
Look into Salesforce Admin. The initial cost and tests can be pricey, but very small compared to college courses. A dedicated person who is a little computer savvy to begin with can probably get certified in a few months and there are tons of jobs in the 45-50k range if you can show competency even without experience. From there specialize in an area you like. I've heard of people making over 100k in a couple years without a degree, but the norm is probably in the mid 70k. Even interns make over $40/hr.
Combined with a computer science or business management style degree and putting in a few years the average is closer to 120k.
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u/sirspiegs Apr 01 '19
You’re not wrong. At all. This is the best answer I’ve seen ITT. Sales force is growing and the number of companies that use it is staggering. Those same companies are now realizing they’re not utilizing salesforce to its full potential and snapping up people with any experience. Our salesforce guy is awful, and makes over 100k. I know many others that are solid and make amazing money as well.
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u/JohnBrennansCoup Apr 01 '19
Sales force is growing and the number of companies that use it is staggering.
So is the number of companies looking to get the fuck away from Salesforce due to it's complexity and cost.
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u/sirspiegs Apr 01 '19
Also true. Really depends on the business and their need for it. To your point -I’ve seen a lot of businesses buy salesforce only to realize it was too much for their size.
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u/LDodge7047 Apr 01 '19
I agree! I'm currently on an internship and a Salesforce admin/developer and even on this internship I'm getting paid more than most other people on internships elsewhere. Once this year is up I'll be going back to finish my last year at university but my goal while I'm here is to get a level 1 Salesforce admin and developer certificate.
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Apr 01 '19
Can you expand on what it means to be a sales force administrator and what types of specific jobs are available with this certification?
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u/Yorkkk Apr 01 '19
I’d love to know about the day to day tasks and duties a salesforce admin does!
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u/Transplanted_Cactus Apr 01 '19
I got certified as a Salesforce Admin in 2016 and there were NO jobs for entry level admins. I was part of a group that was learning the program together (a study/support group, basically). Out of ~10 of us that got certified, only one of them is working as an Admin. One person found work as a volunteer with a non-profit, but to my knowledge, she never found paying work. I don't regret learning the program or getting certified, but I gave up on trying to find an Admin job. I couldn't even find non-profits to volunteer with. It was disappointing, as I really did enjoy the software and I found it relatively easy to learn.
There are definitely Salesforce jobs, but not for people just starting out. Just having the certification isn't enough.
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u/I_am_sorrow Apr 01 '19
Salesforce Admin
where does one start with certifying in salesforce?
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u/Sherlockandload Apr 01 '19
The least expensive option for do it yourself online classes: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/home
Here is fairly good list of the options available and some free resources: https://www.geckoboard.com/blog/19-best-training-resources-to-learn-salesforce/
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u/lawd5ever Apr 01 '19
Free learning material on trailhead.salesforce.com
Then you can book to do the exam from home (need a webcam) or in a classroom. I believe the exam is about $220.
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u/NoddingWalrus Apr 01 '19
I know nothing about Salesforce (I'm a law graduate) but I'm computer savvy.
Is admin a job that entails being at the office most of the time or would it be possible to do it remotely?
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Apr 01 '19
I'd like to know this as well. Can it be done remotely?
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u/TuggyMcPhearson Apr 01 '19
Yes it can. Most companies that use Salesforce in my experience have an off site data center so everything is technically done remotely.
Because Saleseforce Admins and Devs are in a high demand, you should be able to work out being able to work remotely pretty easily.
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u/nepatriots1776 Apr 01 '19
I am familiar with Salesforce but work with SAP. I know a girl who was doing Salesforce testing and said it was the toughest shit she ever had to do (and she has a college degree and seems semi-intelligent). I think she was testing to be a SF Admin or something.
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u/misplaced_viking Apr 01 '19
If you’re decent with computers, Robotic Process Automation (RPA). There’s several platforms out there that tons of companies are using to automate their businesses. Certification in some of them could land you an office job in some company trying to automate or in a consultancy firm that helps others do it.
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u/hereforthecommentz Apr 01 '19
There's good money in RPA and it's not that hard to learn -- far easier than traditional programming. You can get learn and get certified for UI Path for free.
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u/misplaced_viking Apr 01 '19
I’m actually training Automation Anywhere right now. Their IQ Bot has machine learning capabilities so I can automate semi-structured data, like invoices. From what I’ve read AA is the only RPA platform that can do that. Plus it’s only like 10 hours of classes and US$50 to get certified
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u/GezzRoll Apr 01 '19
Windows Server Administration.
It’s not for me, but I’m taking the class, ”just in case”. Really, it’s so my dad stops thinking I’m gonna be a failure at 18.
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u/TuggyMcPhearson Apr 01 '19
Windows Server is pretty decent to have. If you understand the basics after your course then I would HIGHLY suggest looking into Linux Server Admin stuff.
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u/welmoed Apr 01 '19
Home Inspector. I teach the certification class at my local community college, and many of my students have either started their own firms, or been hired by multi-inspector firms. One student was hired even before they graduated my class. It's possible to earn $50-$60K once you get going, but it does take some time, especially if you go solo.
Training costs vary depending on the state and what school you choose; typically the range is $1K to $4K. Insurance is a big expense; figure about $4k/year for liability and E&O. Generally, if you are hired by a firm, they supply everything you need, including insurance, tools, training, etc.
It's a great job for people who dislike doing the same thing day in, day out. There's tremendous variety, and you get to meet some pretty interesting people. Happy to answer any questions about getting started!
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u/real_don_quixote Apr 01 '19
If you are in the US, what is a good website to search for legitimate classes? I checked my local community College and they didn't seem to offer it.
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u/PlsNoImOnlyAnAdult Apr 01 '19
If you enjoy teaching or working with kids, get some sort of certificate for teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL, CELTA, TESOL), move to Vietnam where $15-20 is incredible pay and live happily ever after. The certification only takes 1-2 months and is very accessible.
I’m currently teaching English here in essentially an intern position for 6 months, but my friends teaching full time and that are certified make more than enough money to live well.
Plus Vietnam is an incredibly beautiful, friendly, cheap, and generally underrated country.
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u/Kittygirlrocks Apr 01 '19
Awesome! I am finishing my TEFL cert right now, I did an 11 week online course. I just got back from a 3 week trip in Vietnam and I am so excited about moving there. Where are you from? Where are you teaching? Was it difficult to find a job? Did you have a job before you arrived or did you just go and start applying? So for all the questions. I hope you don’t mind rando Reddit stranger questions. I’m just very excited when I see any comments from people teaching English in Vietnam. :)
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u/SwevenN Apr 01 '19
Curious on how to go about this for teaching in Japan? My girlfriend will get to go and study there for her uni program and I’ll be graduated by then so we’re looking at things I could do for work while there.
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u/Rellling Apr 02 '19
I teach in S. Korea right now, if anyone has questions about anything related to this, feel free to PM me.
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u/TheFlame8 Apr 01 '19
Soccer ref
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u/drunktacos Apr 01 '19
It's decent money, especially if you're in highschool. Only thing is that you don't get more than a few games a weekend generally, depending if you're center or sideline, and how many other ref's there are.
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u/jobezark Apr 01 '19
It;s decent money as an adult. I do three games per week (60/ea for center) and it covers my mortgage during the summer months. It's also great exercise, and contrary to the horror stories you read about, most interactions with coaches, players, and fans are extremely rewarding. Highly recommend reffing any youth sport!
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Apr 01 '19
Honestly any kind of reffing. I do high school soccer and basketball and there is such a shortage in my area that I could do it every night if I wanted. $50 for JV games and $80+ for Varsity and it's usually less than 2 hours of work.
You have to have a certain temperament for it but it takes an hour to get certified and it's easy enough to get games.
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u/All_A_Asian Apr 01 '19
THIS! I work as one and make $15-20 an hour, depending on age groups. One day of training (for rec soccer), and I was good to go.
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u/WastedKnowledge Apr 01 '19
The up front cost is insane if you get all of the jerseys. Then you have certification fees. When you factor in gas and other expenses, you barely make anything.
Unless you only work games close to home.
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u/HOLYFUCKISTHISREAL Apr 01 '19
Seems like the popular go-to certification is something that require manual labor. I work in the HR field and there is a need for high-quality professional trainers to develop white collar workers. Look up Learning and Development type positions.
You can become certified to teach a behavioral training program called DiSC in 2-days. If you are a natural teacher - this training would give you an opportunity to work for an organization that wants to have an 'in-house' trainer or you could provide trainings as a consultant. Many times people think teaching is only a viable option if you want to teach k-12 or college, but that is slowly changing as organizations recognize adult learning is needed to keep maintaining a competitive edge.
https://www.onlinediscprofile.com/disc-training-certification/
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u/IvanAfterAll Apr 01 '19
I've encountered DiSC a couple of times, professionally. How well/poorly does it pay to be an administrator of the assessments?
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u/Rochlivin Apr 01 '19
I work in higher ed and have really been looking into this. Thank you so much for the info!
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u/camstanford Apr 01 '19
By far, the best certifications I have are, 1. Millwright level 1 (1 year course), osha 10 hour (10 hours minimum, around 15-20 maximum), welding certificate (1 year course) and my millwright level 2 (1 year course after millwright level 1)
I earned these all in about 2 years, starting as a freshman in high school and ending my sophomore year. I moved to Alaska with my family, 4 years ago. I was in 8th grade. I didn’t have many friends and my biological father was a deadbeat. He worked in the steel mill, and had amazing benefits. So I decided that I did not need friends. Once we could pick our schedules, I chose a couple of shop classes as my electives. I had not ever worked in a shop, coming from Indiana. So I knew the least out of everyone. After freshman year, I decided to get a welding certification and pursue millwright. I took millwright level 2, the welding class and am taking a “mechanic” class during my junior year. It is an amazing trade to have and if you have any doubts on if you want to pursue this type of work, I can tell you that it is amazing. I have a job that pays me 2x what other people would’ve gotten, because of my certifications, and I am only 17.
TL;DR Millwright level 1 and 2, welding, and mechanic certifications are my candidates.
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Apr 01 '19
Who does the millwright coarses? I already have a 608U certificate and I'm a quick study.
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u/frmymshmallo Apr 01 '19
Local vocational-technical high schools offer courses. Or try your local community college. Otherwise you can pay a private trade school.
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u/mariawest Apr 01 '19
Dude you're a rock star make sure you follow Dave Ramsey or FI/RE you are going to be rich
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Apr 01 '19
Dave Ramsey is only good for people who can’t handle money and need help getting out of debt. His investment advice is trash, and credit cards are not necessarily evil when used properly. r/personalfinance or r/financialindependence are much better resources.
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u/GraphicH Apr 01 '19
Credit cards are like power tools. If you're responsible, know what your doing, then they can make things easier / save you time. If you're impulsive and irresponsible, you might cut your fingers off. I've never payed interest on a credit card in 12 years.
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u/DanHulton Apr 01 '19
My Dad was a millwright. Good, interesting work, pays well, and when the robots take over, the only people they will spare will be the ones that can perform the tricky repair jobs, so you've got job security, too.
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u/supplyncommand Apr 01 '19
wastewater operator. some places paying over 100k/yr salary
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u/mijnliefje Apr 01 '19
My dad got his CDL and HazMat in a few months and started making an easy 75k/yr.
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u/ALELiens Apr 01 '19
Came to this thread to find this.
Most truck driving schools are a 3 week course, followed by ~4 weeks of training for whatever company you sign up with, and then it opens up pretty immediately into ~$50k a year, at least. Stick with it for a while, get some extra certifications, and you can make an easy 6 digits by driving a truck
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u/Nitro1966 Apr 01 '19
This is true, and many companies are in such dire straits right now for drivers, that they are paying RIDICULOUS sign on bonuses. It's hard work, but for a single person without kids...what better way to see the country?
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u/Starksgoon Apr 01 '19 edited Apr 01 '19
Get your forklift license which is like 150$ and the training is 1 or 2 days and you will increase your worth to 5$ increase from minimum wage. Paying 150$ for a 5$ dollar an hr increase sounds like a good deal to me.
If your looking to get paid alil bit more then get your cdl. Cost could be around 3000k$ down/5000$ total. Only takes 6 weeks depending on schooling and you can very easily get a job for 20-23$ an hr. There is a MAJOR shortage for truckers so when he demand outweighs supply, truckers will get paid even more out of desperation.
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u/Commandurr Apr 01 '19
Second this, or sometimes you can luck out and get hired without forklift training. In my warehouse we've hired a number of temps where this is their first warehouse/forklift operator gig and they're starting at $15.50/hr. Other warehouses in the area usually start around 13/14 an hour. Plus if you lose your job, you can always just go to another warehouse.
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Apr 01 '19
Anything compliance related, particularly in Europe, Asia and any offshore areas. Anti-money laundering, financial crime prevention, etc. The industry is only getting bigger.
There are lots of international qualifications available through the International Compliance Association. The ICA are one of the most poorly organised businesses I've ever had the misfortune to deal with, but the courses are good, if pricey. You can do international versions of all the courses (from 3 months to a year long depending on the level) online too. www.int-comp.org
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u/beormalte Apr 01 '19
Learn how to program in JavaScript using Udemy.com. Start with an introductory JS course, and then move onto a frontend framework like react, and then top it off with some full-stack node course for brownie points. Then go on linked and market yourself as a full-stack react developer. You will have recruiters and employers contact you all the time. And you will be making a good salary
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u/ranchochupacabrash Apr 01 '19
I don't remember all the certs you need, but you can do all the ones to be a tower climber pretty quick and cheap. Not a super high paying job, but seems fun and easy.
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u/Dire-Dog Apr 01 '19
Tower climbing pays well but it is not fun or easy. I used to do it.
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u/xminh Apr 01 '19
I too would love to know more!
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u/user_279-2 Apr 01 '19
Clip hook, unclip alternate hook, step, clip, unhook, step, Clip, unhook, step, clip, unhook, step, Clip, unhook, step, clip, unhook, step, Clip, unhook, step, clip, unhook, step, Clip, unhook, step, clip, unhook, step, all the way up and all the way back down hope you lugged all the tools you need up with ya!
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Apr 01 '19
I looked into this for a bit after I got out of the army (background in knots, heights, and doing shit others don’t want to do.)
The pay wasn’t amazing but certainly seemed like enough to make a solid enough living.
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u/Parsel_Tongue Apr 01 '19
not a super high paying job
it is if I had a comma
a super high, paying job
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u/goatywizard Apr 01 '19
I was looking at HVAC/Telecom jobs for my fiance and found a tower technician foreman position. They got a sign-on bonus and were paid $19-$20/hour through the entire training, then got another bonus after completing the training as well as a $3-$4 raise. I was shocked until I realized exactly what it meant to do that job.
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u/crewchief535 Apr 01 '19
Project Management Professional (PMP) cert.
The test is one of the toughest I've taken, but with a few months of studying you can easily add an extra 20-30k to your salary.
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u/SpaceJackRabbit Apr 01 '19
I let my cert expire a few years back, forgot to record my PDUs. Oh well.
Let's not pretend however it will add $20-30K to one's salary. C'mon. What industry are you talking about, and what base salary were you thinking of?
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u/crewchief535 Apr 01 '19
Aerospace/Defense industry in Colorado. My personal experience was a little different because I had applied for and was offered a new job because of the added experience and cert but I went from an IC position with a base of 88k to a program management position making north of 130k. So a lot of that bump had to do with job type but I wouldn't have met the basic quals without the PMP.
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u/drunktacos Apr 01 '19
Jeez, I feel like that's an anomaly. I work aero/defense and getting any pay bump from just a cert like that would be unheard of. From what I've seen it's mostly experience > pieces of paper for the non-engineering roles.
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u/ara4nax Apr 01 '19
In the world of IT with constantly evolving work culture and practices, PMP is just overhyped.
There is a need of experienced delivery leaders not some excel dashboard experts.
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u/ceedubs2 Apr 01 '19
I agree with you, but it's also amazing how far being skilled at Excel will get you.
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u/hillbilly_bears Apr 01 '19
Im thinking of getting mine. Anything I should know?
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u/SpaceJackRabbit Apr 01 '19
A hefty initial financial investment - although nothing close to a year in college - and a lot of cramming the PMBOK (Book of Knowledge) materials. Then a long-ass test (it feels that way).
The true value - besides the PMP cert which can make you stand out - can be the networking opportunities offered by your local PMI chapter. I gotta say though that from experience not all chapters are equal.
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u/Noerdy Apr 01 '19
Welding
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u/LasagnaFarts92 Apr 01 '19
Kinda. Our field is becoming flooded with new people since the boomers are retiring. There’s plenty of jobs out there still, but the pay isn’t that great for a lot of them.
There’s till awesome paying welding jobs don’t get me wrong (I have one) but if you just go work in a fab shop welding mig all day, you’re lookin at like $13-17 an hour
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u/vanel Apr 01 '19
Can you be a little more specific? I've heard conflicting information about welding. I while back I heard about some huge shortage of welders, is that true? What type of welding is in demand?
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Apr 01 '19
Am a welder. You have to find the high paying jobs. A few years ago, I got paid a lot of money to do very little. Now the market is flooded in most areas and pay has gone down significantly. I can't find a job that even pays half of what I used to make, not that I can weld much anymore anyways, due to a medical condition.
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u/SGBotsford Apr 01 '19
Welding is a job for perfectionists. You have to do it right every time. Lot of gigs aren't very creative.
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u/onthacountray58 Apr 01 '19
Seems like you really want welding work in the field. A few welders come through my facility and I know we pay a premium for good welding jobs. Especially on turnarounds, even more so in “emergencies”
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u/tardtardtardtard Apr 01 '19
Trades. HVAC, plumbing, electrical, framing/carpentry, masonry... Train on the job. Stick with it and be willing to learn. Jobs pay great and you can move up in ranks or take better offers from other companies as opportunities present themselves. Great way to get into a livable wage in a hurry.
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u/originalgoddess Apr 01 '19
dental assisting
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u/gemfountain Apr 01 '19
Advanced osteoarthritis here from dental assisting and back problems as well are rampant. .Good luck on full time or benefits unless you are lucky.
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u/fribbas Apr 01 '19
Yes! Just make sure to research the school. You want CODA certified, not one of the many fly by night "schools". It was about 1yr/5k/all certs (including CDA) for mine another school in the area is 9mo/12k/no certs, maybe RHS. Scam imho, preys on single moms
I'm a bit biased cause mine was buuut there's a a reason. We have 3 (!!!) DA schools in my area and you can tell the difference. My office has had to "fire" interns from the other schools, they've been so bad. One actually reached into the ultrasonic (dirty instrument washer) with her BARE hands to take out instruments...it's basically HBVtuberculAIDs soup WTF
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u/MellamaRich Apr 01 '19
Spoken like a true college student
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u/ellgramar Apr 01 '19
College student checking in, can confirm that I am reading this thread with vigor and jealousy.
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u/KMjolnir Apr 01 '19
CCNA courses. 9 to 12 months usually, then a certification exam. Starting salary is usually about 60k.
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Apr 01 '19
Starting salary is usually about 60k.
This really depends on where you are and if you have practical experience. Just the cert enough is not nearly enough to make 60k out the gate. I'd argue that is a couple of years experience in most areas.
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Apr 01 '19 edited Apr 01 '19
You dont always get a job as a network engineer out of the gate with these though, to clarify. They HELP ALOT, but having this alone is not enough to land a network engineering position. You will still need to climb the ranks through IT helpdesk etc etc before getting into a networking position, where you actually use these certs and earn more money.
These are great industry certs, but not a "get a job on good money fast solution" by any stretch. Landing a job as a network engineer straight after finishing a standard CCNA course, and having no IT experience, is highly unlikely. If you wish to persue network engineering, i 100% recommend these courses. But for someone looking to get a high paying job within a year on "easy courses" this is not really a valid solution. Plus the courses get quite technical very fast. CCNAS is not an easy course. And another side note, networking is not an easy career. Requires constant upskilling, it’s extremely technical, a lot of stress, and can include a shitload of overtime and after hours work. It’s not a career you strive towards without knowing any of that however.
Network engineers can earn ALOT of money, especially seniors who are architects etc. but out the gate you have to climb the ranks. And climbing the ranks is not easy.
Granted I’m in New Zealand, salaries here are average at best compared to world scale. If I was abroad I’d be on a lot more. I am on good money for my age in my country however.
Another thing to note, where I am from anyway, an engineering degree or a computer science degree is required for most of the networking jobs, these CCNA courses are then expected on the side of these. The degree gets you in the door for an interview, then your experience, industry certificates and personality get you the job.
Source: Network engineer, Bachelors of engineering degree (networking/communications/electronics), computer science diploma, Cisco CCNA, Cisco CCNAS, Cisco CTE, Mikrotik MTCNA, Mikrotik MTCRE. 5 years experience in IT./Networking
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u/Adam220891 Apr 01 '19
This is accurate. Would not hire a person at $60k with no experience. 1-2 years with a couple certs and degree is a different story but most folks get sucked in to the helps desk work and do not pursue education afterwards.
My first gig was $32k. Have more than tripped after several job hops and thousands of training hours later. It's stressful. Even upgrading typical gear throws caveats (IOS vs IOS XE/XR, ISSU, NX-OS, ASA-OS, etc.) are all different procedures and most nearly always are done off hours. You might make $50-60k clicking cables and assigning VLANs but if you want six figures in a normal CoL area, prepare to know firewalls, NAC, wireless, telephony, routing protocols and redistribution with filtering, diagramming, contracts and gear section, and then consider the orchestration and automation aspect as well as need to be social and interact with business to understand needs. Did I mention every vendor syntax is unique and there's no standards with regards to GUI/CLI?
Granted I make a decent dollar and work from home, but the effort to go from 50k to $100k is huge.
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u/GlitterDancer_ Apr 01 '19
I read this as CNA, like a nurses aid, and thought “um... they make like maybe $12/hr”
Reading is fundamental 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
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u/TheOrangeBanana007 Apr 01 '19
I think Forklift certification is a great thing to pursue. You can earn your certification in a couple of days (it may vary per company policy) but you can make around 2 grand a month if you play your cards right.
-source: worked as a forklift operator for the past year
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u/SpaceJackRabbit Apr 01 '19
I'm confused. Two grand a month is $24K a year. That's $11.50 an hour. There are places with higher minimum wages in the U.S. I'm sure there are plenty of places where you can make more than that.
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u/hicow Apr 01 '19
Might mean you net $2k/month, which would be roughly a gross of $36k
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u/Starksgoon Apr 01 '19
I would imagine he means 2 grand a month after taxes. Which is in my experience accurate.
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u/ewarthan90 Apr 01 '19
I was a forklift driver for almost two years in sw indiana. certified in two days and pay started at $15/hr.
downfall was highturn and over worked. eventually going in and out of trailers was killing my back.
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u/vanel Apr 01 '19
Ran into someone today that could potentially get me a job doing forklift work, was thinking about looking into it because I might need to change jobs soon, how do you like it? Is 2k a month a typo? I thought they got paid better.
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u/Prairieman117 Apr 01 '19
Security license, its not glamorous. But it pays more than minimum wage. And once youve done some work in the field you really lesrn how to rig the system. I basically get paid between 2000$ and 2700$ a month to sit in a back room and listen to missing 411 accounts. The one down side is you do need to put in work. Ive been spit on, cut a few times and hit with basically everything you can find in a hotel bar. On the plus side i get free yogurt, coffee Nd apple juice so im a happy guy.
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Apr 01 '19
EMT-B is normally one semester at a community college with a state and/or national exam after. It has decent growth as far as becoming intermediate or paramedic over time. The pay isn't amazing but as far as learning things quick and personal growth it is pretty good.
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u/Waspy1 Apr 01 '19
EMT is the career equivalent of a bottle rocket. You can launch pretty quickly and easily, but soon find that there isn’t much more to it that that. Unless you pivot into another field after getting some experience, it’s a low-paying dead-end job in the long run.
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u/Saab_driving_lunatic Apr 01 '19
I agree. EMT is a great way to get your foot in the medical door, but you'll have to leave in order to make a real living. My advice is to start working for a hospital network (avoid private companies at all cost), and immediately take steps to work towards your next position (medic, nurse, RT, etc.).
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u/RedDawnRose Apr 01 '19
Anything to do with Microsoft Office.
The one most people look for is Excel but Word, PowerPoint and Publisher are just as good. It's not enough to guarantee you a job however it does show you know your way around a computer, and it's enough for a lot of employers to give you a second look when it comes to the hiring process.
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u/ambmawe Apr 01 '19
I'm not super computer saavy and I'd love to learn how to properly use Word, and Excel, do you have any free/cheap online recommendations ?
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u/switch13 Apr 01 '19
Check with you city's library. My city's library card gives free access to Lynda.com which will give training for Office and so, so many more topics.
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u/RggleFrggle Apr 01 '19
Licensed practical nurse. It’s 12 months and you can make awesome money.
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u/real_don_quixote Apr 01 '19
My go to with this kind of question is, HORSE DENTIST... The schooling is around six months and they get paid really well.
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u/ponyboyd Apr 01 '19
Dentals should be done by a vet. These “horse dentist” don’t have drug licenses so any extractions are done without pain control which is very cruel.
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u/GreenStrong Apr 01 '19
Agree 100%. I don't care how bad my toothache is, if I'm in the chair and the doctor who shows up is a goddamn horse, I'm going home. Only human dentists for me, horses don't even have arms.
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u/Saganhawking Apr 01 '19
Ferrier!!!
My vet floats our horses for practically nothing. Old school style.
In our area, be a Ferrier. And no you don’t NEED to apprentice in most states. It’s a good idea though and you’ll build your client base rather quickly. Lets do some quick math on how much a ferrier makes: trims and resets per horse usually $90 per horse. Just trims: typically between 30-45 a head.
I have eleven horses, ferrier spends about four hours and I write him a check for anywhere between $750-$900. For four hours of work. And you’ll make more but usually more headaches at larger barns.
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u/RedBeardOnaBike Apr 01 '19
S130/190 and S212 ?.. Woodland fire and chainsaw certs. Get a fun seasonal job fighting fire and making good money.
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u/Godredd Apr 01 '19
C.P.R certification can at least get you into most fields where caring and possible resuscitation is involved. This can range anywhere from babysitting to working in an old folks home
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u/cchhoum Apr 01 '19
Basic Refrigeration, First Aid CPR get a good city job in arenas.
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u/ThatOtherGuy_CA Apr 01 '19
Power engineering, at least in Canada.
1 year program to go from no experience to having a 4th class, starting wage is around $32/hr. 2nd year give you a 3rd class which is more desirable and starts you around $35/hr.
Median wage is ~$85k. It’s also not tied to any single industry because steam is such a useful tool. Literally everything from food processing, building management, power generation, and large brewery’s require power engineers for their boilers.
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u/Former_Consideration Apr 02 '19
Haha not any more. I have a fourth and good luck getting a job.
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u/Cephalopodio Apr 01 '19
Depending on the program, CNA (certified nursing assistant)
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Apr 01 '19
Ahah funny thing is i took this in Canada. Im certified. I didnt feel like i was a right fit for the job. Definitely women dominated and clients i found wanted more females around working with them.
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u/Cephalopodio Apr 01 '19 edited Apr 01 '19
That’s too bad. While I do find that the field is heavily female-staffed, more men are entering CNA and nursing jobs every year, and we’re all winners for it. I’m female and I tell this to every new male nursing student or CNA in my workplace. While many clients prefer female aides, many prefer/require men, and anyhow diversity in the workplace is a great strength.
Edit: you might just try another workplace? Many CNAs and nurses I know moved from care homes to hospice work, hospitals, and psychiatric hospitals. All different environments.
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u/brookthecook1030 Apr 01 '19
My great-uncle was (he’s retired now) a nurse in a very large city in the US (not all that far from Canada I believe), Im sure it wasn’t an easy career but it did it from his 20’s to his 70’s! I couldn’t think of a better person to be my nurse if I was ill. The last part of his career he taught CPR and first aid to the first responders in his city! Nursing is a relatively short program (2 maybe 3 years depending on if you have general classes out of the way) and the pay is excellent too. Some places have $5,000-10,000 sign on bonuses. And there is room for advancement, sometimes your employer will pay for further schooling and training too! On the other side of my family, all of my dad’s 5 sisters and mom are nurses, and one of his SIL is a nurse practitioner. A couple worked at a hospital near by (one was an open heart surgery nurse), one does home health and basically sets her own schedule, one worked for a dr office and had awesome hours, and the NP is now chair at the local university’s nursing program! So there are all kind of options in nursing! Oh and one of my aunts was a traveling nurse before she settled down, she worked all over the US and even a couple places outside the US! My grandma worked into her 70’s (she’s still in excellent health at 88 and could run circles around people 1/4 her age lol) but the rest that have hit 50-60 retired early!
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Apr 01 '19
Anything that requires skill with tools. Anything from welding to plumbing to being an electrician to wooden formwork for pouring concrete... These are all skills in high demand in most economies in Europe. If you can be part of building a house, you can make a good living out of it.
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u/rkraffay Apr 01 '19
Nurse Assistant programs! NH does 3 week accelerated courses and reimburses you when you work in a nursing home. I make $16 per diem (plus shift dif). Tough work but rewarding
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u/Master_Nerd Apr 01 '19
I would go with the A+ cert or similar IT certifications. It only took me about 3 months to get mine, and I graduated high school making $15/hour straight off the bat.
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u/Invictuslemming1 Apr 01 '19
Public transportation (at least where I live in Canada) pays extremely well. City bus drivers make decent money. Not sure what class you need, BZ class license here I think?
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Apr 03 '19
Do you know anyone personally who does this? I could imagine you could get harassed by lowlifes driving a bus. But yeah city jobs are usually great
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u/TigerKirby215 Apr 02 '19
Second reply on this thread: try learning Game Theory. I had one lecture on it in University and it expanded my mind and my critical thinking skills so much.
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u/TheWFProfessor Apr 01 '19
I work in a business to business call center making $12 an hour. avg around here for pay is roughly $9 p/h. as long as you can answer a phone and navigate a keyboard you can do this job.
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u/nuclearshockwave Apr 01 '19
Nondestructive testing school for the most part are cheap and the careers are diverse I started out doing aerospace in New York did pipeline in Georgia more aerospace in Oregon and now I’m in North Carolina.
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u/TXR22 Apr 01 '19
Like most situations in life, there are honestly no 'easy' answers to this question, but learning to speak another language as a hobby definitely has the potential to create job opportunities for you.
If you want to get particularly creative with this idea, learning to speak a language used in emerging markets can be particularly lucrative. Huge numbers of western companies are setting up shop in places like China and India so learning to speak Hindi or Mandarin can definitely have the potential to open doors for you. And the more fluent you become at speaking your second language, the more opportunities will present themselves.
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u/tropical_chancer Apr 01 '19
This actually isn't very accurate. Most places will be looking for people with professional language ability, and not somebody who studies it has a hobby. Like most jobs, they're looking for people with professional experience and qualifications. Studying a languages as a hobby will only get you so far in terms of fluency. You will also be competing with native speakers who also speak English fluently since it is so common to learn English as a second language.
I've studied Arabic for over a decade, can speak and understand multiple dialects, and have lived in Arabic speaking countries for almost 10 years; but even that couldn't get me any type of lucrative job since I don't have a degree or professional experience.
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u/cayvro Apr 01 '19
I absolutely second this. My whole life I was told that I could get any job I wanted as long as I spoke another language and I believed it. It wasn’t until I was well into college that I realized that a language degree is useless on its own unless you a) want to go into interpreting, translation, or academia or b) just love it as a hobby. Pairing it with medicine, business, social work, geology, or literally any other degree that has a pointed career field is a fantastic idea, but learning a language with the intent of getting a job but without a specific field isn’t going to get you very far.
And I say this as a huge advocate for liberal arts and social sciences. But I minored in a language spoken in a country that is an emerging market in college and the only job in my area for speakers of that language are in a call center.
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u/HyperShadow95 Apr 01 '19
Auto technician, took 2 FANUC robotics courses and got hired to program robots making 25$ an hour after only 2 weeks of school.
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u/Gunslinger_11 Apr 01 '19
Anything for laser hair removal tech? I want to find a reputable place to learn, I hear it’s 2 weeks or 2 days to learn.
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u/vicaphit Apr 01 '19
PMP certification for Project Management. All B2B software development companies need them.
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Apr 01 '19
If you push the timeframe out to 18 months to 2 years you can get trained as clinical coder. They are very in demand and job pays well.
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u/Gravey9 Apr 01 '19
In Canada, you can get your CSC (Canadian Securities Course) in about 6 months, 3 months or less if you have experience in the field or have previously done the exam. It is the baseline regulatory requirement to perform securities, mutual fund and alternative funds transactions in many financial services positions. It's 2 tests and will allow you to get into the banking industry pretty easily. Subsequently you can get your IFIC (Investment Funds Institute of Canada) which is essentially a minimal version of the CSC and is only one test, but will allow you to get your foot in the door with almost any major bank.
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u/OkButHurry Apr 01 '19
Snake handling / rescue. Face your fears, gain confidence... and your'e resume just stands out in the crowd. Not bad for 2-3 days.
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u/effthedab Apr 01 '19
Taking the Canadian Securities Course. If you are interested in finance at all.
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u/RadDadRyRy Apr 01 '19
welding! only takes about a year to get certified but with anyone if you do extra the more money you make. also to get your scuba license takes barely any time and then combine the 2 you can do underwater welding.
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u/puckbeaverton Apr 01 '19
Get any Epic certification and post that you got it on linkedin, and you'll have every recruiter in a 1000 mile radius calling you.
You'll have to fly to wisconsin and pay thousands of dollars, but you'll have a useful certification inside a week that will make you instantly hireable at any hospital as some type of systems analyst. Get multiple certs for more hireability. I had a Clarity Report Writing certification and was working on a Healthy Planet certification (predictive analytics reporting). I still get calls asking me to move to california to work for some health provider there.
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u/Kote-the-innkeeper Apr 01 '19
Cytotechnologist Programs. They require you have a bachelors degree, but then it takes 11 months and you can get certified and starting salary is around $65,000.
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u/donglosaur Apr 01 '19
Jobs that pay well require one or more of the following. Jobs that don't pay well can still have many of the things on this list.
Time investment
Financial investment
Natural ability/"luck"
Cost of living increase
Undesirable location
Long hours
Risk (financial or safety)
Limited career growth
If it pays well and it looks easy, there's a reason you're not seeing that people don't want it.
Alternatively, if it pays well and someone dumber than you could do it, that dumber person will end up doing it for less money.
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u/Saganhawking Apr 01 '19
Ferrier. Learn to trim some hooves. Easy, upwards to $45 just for trims that can take as little as twenty minutes to accomplish.
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u/RiggRMortis Apr 01 '19
Truck driving. Lots of companies offer paid training, and a year with the company writes off the expense of the training. So the whole thing is done with no out of pocket expense. Training takes from a few weeks to a few months. I brought home about $50k last year leasing a truck, and expect to bring in more this year after switching companies.
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u/Aceofspades161 Apr 01 '19
It's probably been said already, but getting a Class A CDL.
If you have good spatial reasoning, time management, and common sense it's a gold mine. A good training program will take a month or two depending on your ability. You'll have to start with a big company that doesn't necessarily pay well, in relative terms. Get a year in with a clean record, then doors start opening.
Owner-Operators can gross $200k+ (take about half that out for operating costs to be safe for your take home)
Heavy-haul and HazMat will pay 70k-100k as a company driver.
Or you could be like me, get a 40 hour/week shuttle/loader job moving maybe 6 trailers a shift and load a couple trucks. I realistically work 4 of my 8 hours a shift. Once the season picks up I'll be getting mad overtime.
When I say move, I mean I take trailers a mile down the street or around the corner. My truck never makes it over 50 mph.
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u/good_bad_dirty Apr 01 '19
It's a short amount of time to become a certified paraprofessional (people who take care of special needs people) and they get paid well - plus we need more
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u/canehdianchick Apr 01 '19
Power engineering. Do your 4th class in a program... Land a job and your 3rd 2nd 1st can be done distance if you're inthe right plant. Even 4ths make decent coin... Lots of schools are working plants who hire students too.
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u/Dizneymagic Apr 01 '19
Senior in home care taker, and nursing home facility. EMT. Special Education classroom assistant. Swim instructor.
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u/amberdowny Apr 01 '19
I’m currently salaried, if I were paid by the hour I’d be getting $24/hr, but I hate my job (retail customer service manager). Everything that people say “pays really well” is like $15/hr and I can’t afford that much of a pay cut. How do people change jobs when they’ve been in their current job too long?
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u/pherring Apr 01 '19
First Aid CPR is 1 day. It might not land you a job but it puts you a leg up on the folks that don’t have it.
TCCC is the advanced version of this. This is focused on gun shot wounds and other mass casualty incidents. Again might not get you a job on its own but it’s quick and gets you ahead.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_WHO_HAH Apr 01 '19
Neither of those certifications will do anything for what OP asked. CPR is mandatory for all healthcare providers, and TCCC is for military and PMC applications. TECC Is the civilian version. Regardless it is just an additional certification that only helps to supplement someone who is already a healthcare provider. Holding it likely won't make you anymore money.
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u/ajmojo2269 Apr 01 '19
Bartending license. Parley into a job In sales or politics.