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For the first 30 years of my life, I struggled while jumping from one dead-end job to the next. I graduated high school and started in the workforce, and for a long time, I honestly didn’t know there were so many potential paths one could take.

So I drifted aimlessly and ended up working a variety of unfulfilling jobs with no real plan for the future. I think many young adults go through this and before they know it, time flies by and they get stuck in a job that they can’t stand.

There Is Hope

We all wish to find a way to make a comfortable living while doing what it is we love the most. Many people play with the idea of starting their own business, blog, online store, etc, but never make the effort to move forward with the idea. We become complacent in our lives and take the path of least resistance.

I believe the problem is a matter of perspective and also our society’s infatuation with instant gratification. A lot of us have an issue with planning for the long term and fail to take the steps necessary to accomplish small goals that eventually lead to dominating our long term goals. I, for most of my life, was no exception.

It’s About Perspective

It took me far too long to realize what held me back for so long. What kept me applying for the most tedious, mindless jobs without doing anything to get out of the cycle and start working towards something better in my life. What we fail to realize is that as long as our skillset is the same as everyone else around us, you will only attract those jobs that require minimal skills, and of course, that comes with minimal pay.

The secret is that you have to separate yourself from the pack if you want to have a fulfilling career and a job you love. You need a skill set that is in demand and something not just anyone can do. The moment you acquire these skills you will create an area were companies and clients in need will actually seek you out for your services.

College Isn’t The Only Option

Many people dwell on the fact that they aren’t college-educated and downplay their potential. There are many amazing careers that you can jump into with no college degree, such a web development, and similar tech fields.

Many industries are switching their perspective on how they view potential employees. Instead of focusing on your education level, they just need to know you have the necessary skills for the job. These are skill-based industries, and in this digital age, more companies will use this perspective when hiring new talent.

Set Yourself Apart

We live in the age of the Internet and never before have there been so many possibilities when it comes to learning, businesses and career paths. Websites like Udemy, Pluralsight, Coursera, and TeamTreehouse are perfect for finding something you are interested in and learning a new skill.

This is where putting the work in on your downtime comes in to play. Use these online resources and master something that people need as a service. You can find your niche quickly.

I highly recommend Udemy, as most of the courses I completed to become a web developer were from this resource. They have flash sales very regularly and you can get courses as low as $10 per course, such as the one below. 10-15 dollars is a great deal for comprehensive courses that can give you the skills to change your career and your life.

I used many of these resources to learn web development, and it completely changed my life. I set out a goal to become a self-taught web developer and then learned the skills I needed to accomplish it. I built a portfolio along the way and after only a few years I landed my first job early in 2019. You can read my story here:

From Homeless To Self-Taught Web Developer – My Story

Freelance As You Learn

The internet also has great platforms to find work and do business using these skills you learn. Websites like Upwork, freelancer, and fiver allow people and companies to post jobs and tasks they need to be completed. This is a great place for someone who wants to work for themselves, make some part-time cash, and find future clients. You bid on the jobs and when selected you get paid for your work.

While you are doing these freelance projects, you can also use them to build up a portfolio of your work. This will be a strong addition to your resume and show proof of your skills when you apply for those jobs in the future.

In my journey to become a web developer, I used some of these platforms, mostly Upwork, and made a good amount of side income while building my portfolio. I still use Upwork to this day to find side projects and to make extra income.

These are just a few of the thousands of resources one could use to jumpstart a new career or a passion. Do your research and find a way to do what you love and get paid for it. The possibilities are endless. I am proof that it is possible.

Don’t Settle For Being Just An Employee

Even once you land that job you love, you should always be looking for the next thing to take you up another level. Don’t ever settle for just being an employee, set long term goals to eventually own your own businesses, blogs, vlogs. Never stop leveling up your skills, and find ways to utilize them all.

Passive income isn’t a myth, there are millions of people making a living with making money online. There are also many courses about passive income that are designed to just get your money, so be mindful and watch for scams. Be careful with what resources you choose when it comes to learning about making passive income.

With that being said, there are many people making full-time salaries from e-commerce websites, blogs, youtube, niche websites and more. Find your lane and start building from the ground up. It’s completely legit and not hard to get the ball rolling.

What About Passion?

It is essential to be passionate about the things we will spend most of our life doing. Not everyone has figured out what their passion is yet. Don’t get hung up on not knowing what your passion is if you don’t know yet.

Sometimes it comes to you in the process of trying out and learning new things. Take courses and learn about different subjects that you find interesting, you will know rather quickly if its something you will want to pursue further.

A lot of the online courses are affordable, so just try a little of everything until you find something you actually look forward to learning about. At that point make it your obsession and master every aspect of it until your skills are undeniable. At this point, you can start making an income with your new skill set with whatever path you want to take.

Use this plan to take back control of your life, build something you can be proud of, and be a specialist in your chosen field. Life is what you make it, so be persistent and always level up your skills constantly. You can change your life drastically within a single year, so get started today.

My Journey

I have written many blog posts about my journey on this website. You can read about my experiences from being homeless to finding my self through learning web development. I also have many educational blogs, tutorials and course reviews about learning web development.

Learn Web Development

I believe web development, in particular, is something that most people can learn. Even if it doesn’t seem appealing to you at the moment, look into it and give it a shot. You may be surprised at how interesting it is, and how many paths and different careers you can pursue within it.

If you don’t like one aspect of it, you could try another avenue such as web design or digital marketing. It can change your life just like it has mine.

These skill-based industries arent going anywhere anytime soon, in fact, the tech field is growing at a faster rate than ever before. Now is the time to get your foot in the door.

I also created a youtube video detailing my journey, you can see that here:

Conclusion

Even if web development doesn’t interest you, find your passion and use this formula to learn a new skill, and then start a new, fulfilling career. Take your future into your own hands. If you enjoy this content please share and subscribe to my email newsletter for updates on new content. Thanks for reading.

Do you have a similar story about learning a skill and creating a career around it? I would love to hear your story, let me know in the comment section below.

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