The other day I was consulting my cousin. She wants to come to United States for higher studies. I did some research for her. This post is an output of that research.
There are careers, high paying ones, that don’t require you to have college degree. On the other side there are careers 
which do need appropriate college degree. Here’s 100 of ‘em from CNN Money. For me, I am from a orthodox family which always have advocated for education. Even knowing that career can be had without a degree. Even when my father didn’t have enough money to send me to college, he encouraged me to do so. Luckily the college I was admitted to had govt. subsidized education system.
As for my cousin, she’s been an excellent student all throughout her school. I am sure she’ll get scholarships as well. What about you? Or your son/daughter? How are you envisioning the career search? Will you go for your desire? Or, you’ll go for career with a high potential for earning.
I always wanted to be a software professional, and, I had become one eventually. I was lucky that software sector is a booming sector even now, and the payout is not bad either.
Education, in many ways, similar to business investment. You put money with an aim of eventually make more money out of it. So, like every other investment decision, you need to put your step forward very carefully.
To me, the main point of consideration are as follows:
Do the one thing you love
My mother would always tell me, “If you love your work, it stops becoming a job.” Even before we moved here in the United States, I already had deep curiosity in computers and technology. I love knowing how they work. Moreover, when software development came around, I discovered I can be not only an observer but also a creator.
This should take priority in your list. No matter how high paying career you chose, if your heart is not with it, you can’t enjoy the work and you can’t excel at it. Worse, you may lose all interest and may lose your job.
Ask for help
If you’re confused, seek help. Confusion often leads to irrational decisions. It is a waste of time and money to be stuck in a course you can’t complete because it’s not something you really want to get into, in the first place.
Approach your career counselor, if you have access to. He/she can definitely tell you a thing or two about the most popular courses in the world, as well as how to make thorough and right decisions for you. If you don’t have a career counselor, you can find one online. Just make sure it’s a person you can trust. Of course, you can ask for recommendations from your friends, parents, and even from experts and those who are already working like me.
When my uncle approached me for his daughter’s career counselling, I reached out to many people here. Including academics, being in India, they don’t have access to a suitable counselor. But now since they sought help from me, they have details on fee structure, scholarships, best colleges in respective fields (medicine, engineering, law, etc).
Think long-term
Just because X job is in demand these days, it’s the best employment for you. In the end, you want to think about long-term and sustainability. Will it still be around in the next 10 to 20 years? If it has the chances of fizzling out within the next 5 years or less, it may not be the one for you. Otherwise, it may be quite difficult to apply for the same job in other companies or worse you’ll be out of work.
Find a good school
I have nothing against hundreds of colleges and universities. In fact, I don’t find anything wrong with online courses. However, I will tell you to be very comprehensive in choosing your school and its program. Whether you like it or not, there are still some companies that will judge you on where you come from. Also, check out the programs and the course modules. Do they seem to address the current and possible future needs of businesses? If they are still “old school,” then don’t pursue it and look for more. You shouldn’t be stuck in old knowledge, especially if such learning isn’t timeless.
Check out Forbes
There are a lot of websites that often release the top X jobs next year or even in the next decade. These include Forbes. You may want to browse through their website or subscribe to their magazine so you can keep yourself up-to-date. You can then use the top-paying career list as one of your guides in choosing the right college or course in the future.
Make sure you’re taught how to use the different technologies
Technologies are needed today, and they will remain relevant for a very long, long time. Businesses are going to need some people who know how to use them, if not easily adapt to new technologies. Even the police force are teaching themselves how to use online databases and SaaS.
Besides principles and theories, it’s so important for the program you are trying to get in to teach you how to be resilient, adaptive, or flexible to a variety of technologies. It doesn’t just get you a job; it makes you invaluable to companies.
Ensure you’re taught how to be dedicated
Let me share a very good secret of getting a high-paying career: dedication. You should already display perseverance the moment you decide you want to find work. Trust me, getting a job isn’t that easy, even if you’re so knowledgeable or skilled. There are others who want to take your spot. The kind of traits you can get from school such as commitment and dedication can help you dream on and pursue your ambition with a lot of will.
Know what those employers want
Would you like to work in Google or NASA? Find out what they need and what qualifications would help you get such position. You can browse through their Career Opportunities section. You can also check out message boards, company profiles, and list of jobs found in websites such as Monster.com, dice.com and Indeed.com.
Whether it’s a high-paying job or not, the road isn’t going to be smooth. Prepare yourself as early as possible by getting the right college education, even if there are jobs to be had without it.
Are you looking at appropriate career for your self or some one you know? Do you have any other advice/experience to share?