Freelance professional Jennifer Davis is sort of a golden AI unicorn to organizations. If you look through her pages of client testimonials, you’ll find they all sound similar to this one:
“It’s rare when you come across someone like Davis who is very knowledgeable and experienced but also possesses a level of humbleness and kindness. She is a great team player who has always delivered amazing solutions.”
—Selene Sass, IT Manager RD Advanced Computing at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
As amazing as she is, she didn’t intend to pursue a career in AI. Not long ago, Davis was progressing successfully in her dream career as an academic in cancer research. She was bitten by the supercomputing bug during her postdoctoral research fellowship, which led to a fellowship in systems and computational biology. Then, after a long time in academia, she decided to broaden her experience.
Jennifer left full-time academia to apply her skills to practical business approaches in real business scenarios. She “dabbled” in consulting, as she put it. Soon, Accenture noticed her work and asked her to join their data science team. Her skills caught the attention of the IBM Watson team before long, and they convinced her to join their efforts.
The upside of working for large consultancies was that she worked on interesting projects. The downside was that she traveled 80% of the year and it was wearing her down. Eventually, she left the corporate track to become a full-time freelance professional.
“I get to work on so many different projects and work on diverse teams so I don’t get bored, and I don’t have to travel six days a week. I also like the ability to take on projects that are a good fit. I want to make sure that I have a unique skill set that will fit a client’s unique problem.”
The value Davis delivers can be sizable. One client was using a computer vision platform for tumor detection, which required a high volume of training data. The company implemented a distributed computing technique to reduce training time from weeks to hours. Although they set up the system for speed, it was still taking too long to train, so they brought Davis in to figure out the problem.
“They handed over a hundred files of Python code to me,” she said. “I discovered they were missing one line of code in one of their files, which exponentially increased the time to train the algorithms.” She showed the company how to correct the problem, saving them over $5 million a year.
Avoiding shiny AI traps
Her wide technical knowledge and business experience enable her to see when companies are chasing after shiny AI objects that won’t help them stay competitive with the rest of the market.
“I teach clients about categories of AI that might make sense to them. Like how to use AI to automate billing and HR processes and use elegant tutoring to make sure employees are regularly upskilling. AI touches a lot of different areas and I try to help them think through what’s actually going to be helpful and practical, and avoid the bad stuff like ChatGPT hallucinations.”
That was the case on a project for a major pharmaceutical company that used language models for computational chemistry to develop drugs. Davis made an assessment of the existing neural network and found that a large language model (LLM) wasn’t necessary. The lesson here: “Although LLMs are the most popular form of generative AI, they’re not actually the most effective in every scenario,” said Davis.
How AI makes companies vulnerable
After speaking with many organizations across industries from defense to finance, Davis observed that most companies rely too heavily on AI. They think that AI will solve all of their problems. And when a product’s really good, such as facial recognition, people think the product can run by itself without a human in the loop.
“But we’ll always need humans behind the AI. No product is 100%,” Davis cautioned. “That just doesn’t happen because it’s overtrained or overfit. And when a product is overtrained, it will perform very badly on new data. So, you always need humans to monitor the algorithm.
She said a perfect example of why humans should always monitor AI has occurred with companies that provide soft credit pulls. A soft pull is when someone is authorized to check your credit report. The check doesn’t affect your credit because it’s not tied to a specific application.
She explained, “What companies providing soft pulls are actually doing is they’re taking a variety of publicly available information and creating a credit scoring algorithm based on that.
“Let’s say you have only one class or category of person for your initial training data on this algorithm that’s going to score people’s credit. Soft pulls are really helpful because the more data you get in, the greater the diversity in that data. As more areas of the country are represented, the greater your gender, cultural, and ethnic representation. That’s when data drift occurs.
“What do I mean by data drift? Your algorithm no longer predicts correctly because your data has changed.
“So if you’re not monitoring your algorithm for data drift, which is part of what MLOps (machine learning operations) is about, you have not only started off with a skewed, somewhat unfair algorithm, but it also gets worse with time. And then whoever’s paying you for these soft pulls, like mortgage companies, will eventually figure out that your soft pull credit scoring algorithm is worthless.”
She knows of situations where over-relying on AI resulted in heavy fines or led to a lawsuit. And she’s determined to help businesses prevent those risks.
Leveraging the galactic potential of AI—safely
To protect against the vulnerabilities that can result from using AI, Davis believes every business should have a healthy MLOps program. What scares her the most is that most organizations jump into AI without having an MLOps function in place because they either don’t know how to do MLOps well, or they don’t understand the importance of it.
Jumping into AI without the safeguard is dangerous because, in addition to maintaining the integrity of your data, MLOps keeps AI ethical.
Davis recounted an article where the authors showed how easily someone could break into a pathologist’s computer vision program that was used to score and grade tumors. And how a bad actor could use a machine learning algorithm to do the opposite of generative AI by removing a tumor from an X-ray, so it looked like there was no tumor. They could also do the opposite by putting a tumor on an X-ray when one didn’t exist.
The story is a sobering reminder that “there are a lot of bad actors out there. And what’s scary is they’re not just breaching systems, but they also have reverse engineering control,” emphasized Davis.
Stories like these fortify her belief that responsible AI is essential for its long-term success and positive impact on society. “I aim to use my work in AI to contribute to developing and implementing ethical, trustworthy, and explainable AI solutions.” To that end, she focuses on creating AI systems that are transparent, accountable, and aligned with human values.
Before that can happen, she needs to get key business stakeholders on board and help them strategize the next steps. In typical Davis fashion, she educates clients by conveying the information in a way that’s non-threatening and understandable for all audiences.
“Having soft skills is really important when you’re bringing up stressful or difficult topics. I try to understand the person I’m talking to by asking good questions, uncovering their motivations and their interests, and noticing who wants more technical details and who wants the business implications.”
What you should know before hiring an AI specialist
Davis suggests that before hiring an AI professional, make sure you’re familiar with your flavor of AI. “Generative AI has become a misnomer in a sense. For that reason, you need to be super careful about whom you’re hiring,” she advised.
“A lot of people think that ChatGPT and DALL-E are all there is to generative AI, but GenAI crosses a lot of types of machine learning. Some of it has to do with reinforcement learning. Some of it is sequence-to-sequence language models or adversarial networks.” Of course, if you’re not sure who you need for a project, you could schedule a consultation with Davis for guidance.
Depending on your internal resources, you may not need to contract an external AI specialist to do all of the work. Davis found that “many companies have excellent employees who are eager to learn. If you want to be more cost-effective on a project, it’s good to bring in an expert like myself to give someone a bit more junior some coaching and guidance on their project. It’s a win-win situation because they get to flourish in their careers as well.”
Inspired to solve the impossible
“I like solving problems because I believe there’s always a solution,” said Davis. Even more exciting is seeing her clients succeed. “I love getting through a really difficult project and having them say, ‘Wow, Jennifer, I didn’t think this would ever work, but it does!’ That’s the reward in itself.”
She’s also fueled by the potential AI opens up for human creativity and speed in solving urgent issues. “There are problems that we really can’t afford to wait decades to solve, like the drought problem in Austin, Texas, where I live. AI is helpful because it accelerates modeling so we can find solutions faster.”
Concentrating on the present to create a better future
Davis applies her problem-solving mindset to squeeze the most fulfillment from her personal life too. “Many of us get caught up in what we think we need and we just start accumulating stuff. But stuff doesn’t make me happy. What makes me happy is bringing a little happiness to someone else’s life. They could be little things like caring for the tree in my front yard because my neighbors say they get pleasure from staring at it.
“Believe it or not, I Airbnb the two extra bedrooms in my house. I was looking at them one day and thought, what am I going to do with them, rotate rooms every night? So it made sense to do something fun with them. I just love having guests. I get to meet all these different people, make new friends, learn about new cultures, make someone feel welcomed and loved in my home, and hear their stories.”
Davis spreads her uplifting influence further by teaching a post-graduate course on deep learning and neural networks at Columbia University. “Teaching provides me with a unique opportunity to empower and inspire the next generation of AI practitioners. The most satisfying aspect for me is witnessing their transformation as they grasp complex concepts in deep learning, neural networks, and machine learning.”
In addition to software engineers, many of her students are C-level executives. She said, “Seeing them apply these principles to real-world scenarios is truly rewarding. I love knowing that they’re contributing meaningfully to the AI landscape and driving innovation positively.”
Her dream project
Davis wants to further the positive potential of AI by helping large organizations set up and run an innovation center for AI. “I love my startup clients, but working with a technical team and senior leadership on a large project like that would be a dream come true.”
She had a taste of that dream when helping a company’s data scientists level up their technical skills. “It was nice because my past experiences enabled me to translate problems back and forth between technical and business aspects. I had a mix of really doing the hands-on, technical, and coaching work in MLOps. Then I translated all of that information to senior leadership and answered their questions, listened to what they wanted to do, then translated it back to the data scientists.”
Until her dream project arrives, she wants to help more companies institute safe practices with their machine learning and AI. “Organizations must be very mindful of the ethical side of all of this because machines don’t have ethics; humans do. There should always be a human in the loop, no matter which AI you’re using.”
This article originally appeared on Upwork.com Resource Center (Upwork is a company that helps businesses find talent and people find work) and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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At different points in your career, you may decide that it’s time to make a change and switch industries or professions. Changing careers may mean taking a few steps back and focusing on learning new skills. You may consider taking online courses and earning certificates before you can start applying for jobs. While you have to put in this effort upfront, it pays off in the long run when you feel more fulfilled at your job and have better opportunities and career growth.
If you’re feeling unsatisfied in your current role and are thinking about changing careers, explore some growing industries and popular roles we’ve compiled for you to consider.
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Changing careers is a big decision that takes planning and research. At first, moving to a different industry or switching professions can feel like starting over. Soft skills like communication, organization, and leadership are transferable, but you may need to learn specific hard skills before you’re qualified for the types of positions you want.
As you start brainstorming your different options, you want to make sure changing career paths is the right move. Evaluate your current position and company to identify possible growth opportunities and other small changes that would impact your job satisfaction and happiness. You may decide to look for the same job title at a different company that fits your needs better.
Here are some factors to consider when deciding to change careers:
- What to change. Try to determine how big a change you need, whether you would be happy at a different company doing the same role or if you need to change positions or industries entirely.
- Values. Changing career paths is an opportunity for a fresh start. Think about what matters to you most in the workplace, whether it’s flexibility, culture, pay, or the type of work you do, so you can find companies and positions that match.
- Skills gaps. Evaluate what courses, certifications, and skills you need to learn before you can start applying for jobs.
- Market research. Pay attention to projected growth and trends so you can move into an industry that pays well and has job openings.
- Career goals. Use this time to set career goals and contemplate where you want to be in the next five years.
- Time commitment. Decide if now is the right time to make a change. Research the types of jobs you want and consider if you have the time in your schedule to commit to upskilling and preparing your resume.
- Burn out. Reflect and see if you’re suffering from burnout and need to learn how to create work-life balance by setting boundaries or take some time off completely to recover.
- Quitting. Decide if you can change careers while staying at your current job or if you want to quit, take time off, or go back to school.
- Career coaching. Get career advice from an expert coach if you need help creating an action plan and figuring out your next move.
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The industry you work in affects everything from job availability to workplace flexibility. Some industries are better suited for remote working, while others need in-person participation. Ideally, you want to choose an industry that’s growing and is in high demand; typically, that means a higher average salary and more secure job. The industry should align with your interests, whether that’s health care or sustainability, so you can enjoy what you do.
When evaluating job industries, analyze how experts predict they will change and evolve based on societal trends and technological developments in the next five to ten years. Consider whether advances in generative AI (artificial intelligence) could impact your day-to-day job activities or if the demand for your industry will grow or shrink.
AI, sustainability, and other trending areas have demands for talent that aren’t quite met yet by availability because the fields are newer. This supply and demand situation can mean higher starting salaries and opportunities for growth. You have a chance of establishing yourself as a leader in a new field.
Before suggesting specific roles, we’ll describe several different types of industries to consider switching to:
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During the Silicon Valley boom, tech jobs became known for paying well and having flexibility, along with other perks. Many employees became millionaires overnight by cashing out stock when the startups they worked at went public (IPO–initial public offering). Companies like Google and Apple built entire campuses for their employees, offering free chef-cooked meals, on-site gyms, wellness benefits, and even unlimited paid time off, depending on the role.
While the noise around Silicon Valley has quieted some, and tech companies have headquarters across the world rather than centralized in San Francisco, these types of jobs still offer competitive compensation and can often be remote. If you want to work in tech, positions in software development, data science, and digital marketing tend to pay well and have competitive starting salaries.
These positions often allow work-from-home flexibility, or you can spend part of the time in the office, depending on the company’s remote working policies. You can teach yourself hard skills like coding languages or earn certificates in product management or Google Analytics to make yourself a more competitive candidate. Online learning platforms offer free and paid courses to acquire specific skills.
Online learning platforms for tech skills:
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Private and public companies worldwide are shifting their focus toward being greener, creating a surge in demand for jobs. The green economy invests in social and environmental sustainability. Many companies are looking to minimize their impact and use of resources. This could involve developing an alternative energy source or reducing corporate waste by switching to more eco-friendly product packaging.
Startups are creating innovative solutions to everyday problems like reusing plastic waste or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Established companies are joining the net zero coalition to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible. Even if a company’s products or services aren’t directly related to sustainability, they may have a department or team dedicated to making the business more environmentally friendly.
In the green economy, you could work in corporate social responsibility, helping companies reduce their impact, or be in the field as a technician, farmer, or researcher. Sustainability has many different facets that you can focus on, whether you want to be on the business side or have more of a hands-on technical role.
Different areas of focus for green economy jobs:
- Biology
- Consulting
- Corporate social responsibility
- Urban planning
- Environmental science
- Conservation
- Non-profit positions
- Environmental engineer
- Government jobs
- Waste management
Where to find sustainable jobs:
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The large health care industry maintains a steady demand for roles and job security over time. When you think of health-centric professionals, doctors and nurses may be the first roles that come to mind. If you go beyond medicine and enter the health and wellness space, you can find a variety of other jobs that may fit your interests.
In addition, the wellness industry is growing and looks here to stay as people invest more time and money in their mental and physical well-being. Practices like mindfulness and self-care became even more critical during the pandemic. Wellness has become an everyday part of many people’s lives.
More people are curious about alternative medicine and supplements. Chinese medicine and other holistic Eastern practices like acupuncture, massage, and homeopathy are becoming incorporated into health and wellness plans, as are virtual visits. Instead of meeting with doctors and therapists in person, telemedicine allows patients to chat or video call with healthcare professionals from the comfort of their homes—which increases job flexibility for workers.
The idea of wellness even worked its way into the workplace as more employers offer these types of benefits and try to cultivate a company culture that prevents burnout. This focus on health typically pays off with increased productivity and fewer absences and workplace injuries in employees.
Examples of jobs in the wellness industry:
- Nutritionist
- Life coach
- Personal trainer
- Fitness instructor
- Chef
- Chiropractor
- Aesthetician
- Acupuncturist
- Massage therapist
Some of these jobs require schooling to become licensed, while others can be self-taught. Depending on the type of role, you may be able to work from home or need to be in-person with clients.
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E-commerce and online business
Instead of selling products only at brick-and-mortar stores, companies can reach customers globally with e-commerce. Online websites, marketplaces, and social media allow companies to connect with customers from all over the world. Some companies operate completely online and don’t need a storefront, providing services directly to customers through their website or app.
Shopify estimates that by 2024, over 21% of total retail sales will happen online, and the number continues to grow. Online marketplaces, like Amazon, make up the biggest share of e-commerce sales. You could offer your services as a consultant, helping companies set up and optimize their e-commerce channels or set up your own online business.
If you want to set up an online business, you don’t need to have your own product. As an affiliate marketer, you can earn a commission by promoting and selling other company’s products and services. You can do this by advertising them on your social media channels or blog. Every time someone purchases a product using your link or code, you make money.
Content creators with a large following may have brands reach out directly for affiliate programs and collaborations. If you’re not there yet, that’s OK. You can use sites like Shopify, Amazon Associates, Rakuten, and eBay partner network to find companies looking for affiliate partners. Ideally, you want to promote only products that are “on brand” with the type of content you make.
You can also create your own online store and fulfill orders by dropshipping. Instead of having to keep product inventory, you can work with suppliers that handle stock and shipping. Dropshipping suppliers ship products directly to your customers.
Let’s say you want to sell mugs on your website. The dropshipping supplier charges you $3.99 per mug, so you list them on your website for $12.99. When a customer purchases a mug from your site, the supplier handles the shipping. All you have to do is market the products, and you earn $9 for every sale.
Keep reading:
- How To Build an E-Commerce Site for Your Business in 2024
- How To Grow Your E-commerce Store Using 10 Effective Tactics
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Creators can use digital platforms to monetize their artistic skills. You can choose from a variety of different creative avenues and mediums, depending on what your talents are. Switching careers and moving into the creative space can mean starting from scratch to build your business and reputation. Think about what you’re naturally talented at and how you could make it profitable.
If you enjoy creating physical products, you could list them on Etsy. Digital creators can engage their audience on social media and make money by running ads and partnering with brands. As a freelancer, you can offer your services like graphic design or writing directly to your clients on an online platform.
When you do what you love, it sometimes doesn’t even feel like work. You may be able to start exploring creative avenues while working at your current job. Test the waters and see if there’s a demand for your goods and services.
Creative avenues to consider:
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Think about what your dream job looks like. Some people may want the flexibility of working from home, while others need to know that they’re making a difference. Everyone has different work values. Find companies that share these values and create the type of work environment that you do best in. Reflect on what fulfills you professionally and then start doing research on the types of jobs you think you’d enjoy.
If you’re considering changing careers, these are some of the top roles to investigate:
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Digital marketers help businesses reach their audiences using online channels like social media and websites. The goal of a digital marketer could be to generate leads and sales or grow brand awareness. Digital marketers know how to tell a brand’s story through content and make sure it reaches the target audiences.
Businesses of all sizes and stages need digital marketers to engage their customers. Digital marketers decide what content the brand needs, choose the channels to promote it on, and then analyze the data to optimize performance.
Digital marketing responsibilities can include:
- Content calendar planning and management
- Content creation
- Social media management
- Performance reporting
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Email marketing
- Blogging
- Website management
- Paid advertising
- Campaign stewardship
- Project management
- Content audits
Keep reading:
- Top Digital Marketing Courses to Build In-Demand Skills
- The Social Media Marketing (SMM) Freelancer Beginner’s Guide
Median hourly rate: $25 per hour
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Data scientists combine computer programming, machine learning, statistical analysis, and software engineering skills to dive deep into an organization’s data. They look for patterns and trends to help their clients and employers make better decisions.
A data scientist may use complex data to forecast and make predictions. They often work in programming languages like Python, R, and SQL. Part of a data scientist’s job may be to take their findings and communicate them to other stakeholders in a report or presentation.
Data science responsibilities may include:
- Doing A/B testing
- Creating frameworks
- Providing predictive modeling
- Developing algorithms and models
- Creating custom analytics tools
- Cleaning and mining data
- Completing statistical analyses
Keep reading:
Median hourly rate: $35 per hour
Find data science jobs
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Machine learning engineers help machines like robots learn how to function and increase output through repetition and patterns. The goal is for these machines to be able to perform these tasks independently. Machine learning engineers create autonomous machines.
These types of engineers use data to create algorithms that simulate how humans learn for machines and robots to replicate. Over time, the machine “learns” to become more efficient. Real-life examples of machine learning are image and speech recognition, video surveillance, predictive analytics, targeted advertisements, and self-driving cars.
Machine learning engineer responsibilities may include:
- Conducting experiments
- Designing machine learning systems
- Performing statistical analyses
- Creating and training models
- Implementing algorithms
If you wanted to create a machine that mimics human intelligence, that would be AI. This is a growing field as companies across industries are beginning to expand the use of AI and generative AI. Examples of AI are digital virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri, fully autonomous vehicles, chatbots, and Canva Image Generator.
Machine learning and AI engineers work in programming languages like Python, R, Java, JavaScript, C++, Julia, LISP, and Haskell. These types of engineers are needed in many different industries.
Keep reading:
- What Is Machine Learning? A 2024 Guide to ML Basics
- Top 5 Machine Learning Frameworks for AI and Deep Learning
Median hourly rate: $35 per hour
Find machine learning engineer jobs.
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UX designers think about how the user interacts with a product and find ways to improve it. UX designers consider factors like usability, accessibility, and overall satisfaction when evaluating a product or service. They may work with a digital service like a mobile app or website, or a physical product. UX designers take the user journey and make sure that it’s a seamless experience from start to finish.
A UX designer decides how to display information in a way that’s easy to use and visually appealing. They may create wireframes for the developers and engineers to build. The job of a UX designer is to understand what the product or service needs to do and then make it as enjoyable as possible for the end user. They typically work in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator) and programs like Figma and Sketch.
UX designer responsibilities may include:
- Run A/B tests
- Define end-user needs through focus groups and interviews
- Create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes
- Develop storyboards and user-flows
- Gather feedback on designs from users
- Design interfaces and visual elements
- Provide graphic design
Keep reading:
Median hourly rate: $27 per hour
Find UX designer jobs.
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Environmental consultants use their expert knowledge of sustainability to advise businesses, non-profits, and government organizations. These consultants help create policies, systems, and processes to minimize an organization’s impact on the earth. Environmental consultants can work in the public or private sector and help develop sustainable practices.
An environmental consultant may audit how the organization is currently performing and then offer recommendations for improvements that adhere to environmental laws and regulations. They help improve and protect the environment by advising companies and organizations to be more sustainable in their business operations.
Environmental consultant responsibilities may include:
- Advising regulatory compliance
- Remediating environmental concerns
- Practicing conservation
- Designing environmental management systems
- Doing data analysis and reporting
- Visiting worksites
- Conducting tests
Average hourly rate: $36 per hour
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As more people install solar panels on their homes and businesses, the demand for solar technicians increases. Solar panels convert energy from sunlight to electrical energy. Companies and individuals use solar panels as an alternative energy source. Solar technicians typically install these panels on the tops or sides of buildings or in an empty field where they can absorb the most sunlight possible.
What’s great about becoming a solar technician is that you typically don’t need a bachelor’s degree. It’s a trade that you can generally learn on the job. Employers often teach technicians safety protocols, as the job involves working with electrical systems and installation techniques. Some technical schools or community colleges may offer courses and training for solar technicians to make it easier to find a job.
Solar technician responsibilities may include:
- Performing maintenance repairs
- Doing installations
- Making sure panels adhere to local regulations and codes
- Building solar farms
- Consulting with clients
- Troubleshooting electrical systems
Average hourly rate: $31 per hour
Find solar energy jobs.
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Yoga is an ancient practice that today has become a wellness exercise that combines stretching, meditation, and strength. Instructors lead their classes through different poses and types of yoga, from power yoga in a heated room to a gentler, slow-paced yin. Yoga instructors must attend a registered yoga school and complete a certification program, which is typically between 200 and 500 hours.
As a yoga instructor, you can teach small classes at a yoga studio, gym, or other facility or even corporate or private classes. Many companies offer yoga classes to their employees as part of their wellness benefits. Virtual yoga has become more popular, allowing you to teach students from the comfort of your home.
Yoga teacher responsibilities may include:
- Lead the class through yoga poses
- Provide adjustments
- Correct posture and alignment
- Check in students at the front desk
- Clean exercise space between classes
Average hourly rate: $26 per hour
Find online yoga jobs.
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Nutritionists help clients achieve their health and wellness goals through diet and exercise. They create specialized meal plans based on their client’s individual needs and check in to monitor progress. Nutritionists focus on the wellness side of food and diet, compared to registered dieticians who work alongside medical professionals as part of a treatment plan.
Depending on where you live (you can check U.S. state laws here), you may need to earn a related degree, take courses, and become a certified and licensed dietician before working as a nutritionist. Some states and countries allow nutritionists to work with clients in a non-medical capacity without needing a license.
Nutritionist responsibilities may include:
- Create meal and exercise plans
- Address dietary restrictions
- Assess sleep, exercise, and food habits
- Educate clients on healthy eating habits
- Set goals for clients
- Provide ongoing support, coaching, and check-ins
- Monitor progress
Average hourly rate: $33 per hour.
Find nutrition jobs.
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Shopify developers build e-commerce sites using Shopify. They build everything from the visual storefront to the back-end checkout process. Depending on how complex the website is, Shopify developers may create custom APIs and frameworks. Shopify developers work on both the front and back ends, keeping user experience and functionality in mind.
As a Shopify developer, you may build custom themes or work within existing templates. Shopify uses its own language, Liquid, to create themes, but Shopify developers may also need to know HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JSON for integrations and APIs.
Shopify developer responsibilities may include:
- Manage Shopify integrations
- Create custom APIs
- Improve user experience
- Debug and test websites
- Design and edit themes
- Provide technical support
Median hourly rate: $20 per hour.
Find Shopify developer jobs.
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Content creators make graphics, audio, video, or copy for their own channels or their clients’. Some content creators have successful social media channels, blogs, or podcasts that they can monetize through brand partnerships or advertising–these are influencers. Other content creators freelance or work in-house for a client, creating content for the brand’s channels.
Content creators stay on top of trends and know how to create content that engages a target audience. As a content creator, you may choose to specialize in a particular type of medium, like video. Depending on the type of content you want to create, you may need to know the Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, or video editing software.
Content creator responsibilities may include:
- Negotiating contracts
- Creating audio, graphic, video, or written content
- Managing editorial calendars
- Partnering with brands
- Promoting products
- Responding to comments and messages
- Doing affiliate marketing
Average hourly rate: $20 per hour.
Find content creator jobs.
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Many people in their careers decide to transition into a new industry or position, and that’s OK. Changing careers may seem like a big hurdle at first, but it can present more opportunities down the road. Some jobs are needed across all industries, while others are industry-specific. You may need to go back to school or learn new skills. Changing your industry or current career can feel like starting over, but it pays off if you can find jobs that you’re interested in or that have higher pay and better benefits.
Research and reskilling
Changing careers sometimes means that you need to learn new skills and focus on professional development. Research the industry and specific positions you want to apply to and start closing the skills gaps. You can start taking online courses and earning certificates to make yourself a more competitive candidate.
Make sure to research the industry and positions you’re applying to so you feel prepared. The interview process may be different than what you’re used to. Interview styles can be more technical or behavioral based on the industry and the types of roles.
Building a network in the new field
Another important aspect of changing industries is networking. Becoming involved in the industry by attending networking events can help you make connections. You may find a mentor who can provide coaching and guidance as you look for a new job and establish yourself in the industry. They may even be able to refer you to a job at their company.
Marketing yourself
Before you start applying for jobs, make sure you update your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and portfolio with your latest experience and tailor them to the type of job you want. If you need more help, you can hire a freelance resume writer.
Think about what transferable skills you have and put them on your resume. While your past work experience may be different than what you want to do—many of the skills you learned are likely still useful. Organization and communication skills, for example, are needed in every industry.
This article originally appeared on Upwork..com Resource Center (Upwork is a company that helps businesses find talent and people find work) and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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