What’s better than learning a new skill? Learning one that also earns you a fat stack of cash! Not every hobby will turn into a moneymaker, but some certainly will. Some skills can help secure a raise or a promotion, while others may help you take your career in an entirely new direction. It’s all about what you want to do with what you learn. If this sounds great to you, let’s talk about money-making skills you can learn in a year or less.
1. Typing
It may come as a surprise that most employers don’t care how many words you can text in a minute. However, how many words you can type in a minute might impress the proverbial socks off a recruiter in a customer service, office, or data entry position.
Pecking at the keyboard like a farmyard chicken won’t impress anyone. Brush up on your typing skills by taking a course online or at a continuing education facility near you. Make sure they also teach you how to properly use the 10-key number pad. This will make data entry jobs a breeze, and it can even help in retail positions. Typing may feel like a lost art, but it’s still widely used in many fields.
2. Yoga
Do you love taking yoga classes? Consider training to become an instructor. It can take between 200-500 hours to get certified, and the cost can range from $500-$5,000, depending on the course you choose. It takes less than a year, and then you’ll be all set to teach yoga at a yoga studio or fitness center. You could even offer private lessons in your community.
3. Photography
A passion for photography could actually translate into a cool new career or fun side hustle. You can take online classes to learn this skill. There are several ways to make money from photography. You can sell your work as art, look into commercial photography, or even consider a career in photojournalism. It only takes a few months to learn, and you can even take classes online.
4. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
A passion for helping others could have you looking at EMT certification. It can take up to three months to learn, and the cost isn’t prohibitive — coming in under $1,000 for most programs. An EMT certification could help you secure a job in the medical field. If you keep a cool head in a crisis, this could be a path to consider.
5. Massage Therapy
Your passion for healing and relaxation could have you eyeing massage therapy programs. These take less than a year to complete. It can cost up to $10,000, which may seem expensive until you compare it to other educational programs. As a certified massage therapist, you could work in spas, doctor’s offices, wellness centers, hotels, and even cruise ships.
6. Phlebotomy Technician
Do needles make you squeamish? If the answer is yes, skip this skill set. If the answer is no, consider becoming a phlebotomy tech. It can take less than 15 weeks to learn to draw blood from a patient, and then you can work at a doctor’s office, healthcare facility, or even at a plasma donation clinic.
7. Virtual Reality Programming
A love of virtual reality programs and related technology could lead to a career in software design. You can take three six-week courses online for Virtual Reality App Development, where you’ll learn how to develop and code virtual reality programs. This could give you entry-level experience for a software design company. This fascinating skill could lead to a whole new career in a cutting-edge market.
8. Cooking
Your mad skills in the kitchen could earn you cash. Earning an online certificate in a cooking program could help you start a catering business or help you find a job in the culinary industry. Some courses take three months or less to complete, and it could give you a perfect side hustle or a whole new career direction.
9. English Teacher
You could take an ESL certification to teach English as a second language. The program is 140 hours and usually costs under $2,200. You could use this skill to teach English online or even abroad. It could also enhance your marketability, allowing you to communicate with other people who don’t speak English as their first language.
10. Personal Trainer
If fitness is your passion (and I don’t mean fitness pizza in your mouth), consider a career as a personal trainer. In three months or less, you could earn a personal training certification. Expect to pay between $500-$1,400 for this skill. Use it to work in a gym or wellness center. You could also teach it online or in individual sessions.
These are just a few of the money-making skills you could earn in less than a year. There are so many more! It’s just a matter of deciding what you want to do and how much money you’d like to make. Start with a list of skills you’d love to learn, and then use your favorite Internet search engine to find out what it would take to learn each skill. Write down the cost and time investment, and you may discover that your passion could lead to an exciting new opportunity.
