The best career paths for young creatives

Young people care. They care about things such as affecting social change, obtaining a work-life balance, and that pesky thing called self-fulfillment. They want to love the work they do, impact their community and make the world a better place.

There is also a want for a sense of recognition from colleagues, and a desire to feel that they are valued and highly regarded by peers. Though earning more money and having benefits is important, many things need to be taken into consideration when choosing a career.

Thinking outside the box and learnability is a must. Gone are the days of the life-long job model. With new skills emerging as fast as old ones become extinct, the desire and ability to adapt skills to remain employable redefine career security for millennials.

Here are some of the most lucrative careers for young creatives.

1.Local SEO strategist

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a valuable and unique skill to have today, and astute millennials are picking up on the high demand for it. As a career, you can specialise in local SEO and consult for local magazines, strategise for individual brands on what they can do to improve their Google rankings, and charge according to services you offer depending on the services you offer.

2. Social media manager

Social media has exploded over the last 10 years, and millennials are quickly filling up job openings in companies that are tuning in to the importance of having a strong social presence. If you can’t get away from your smartphone, you may be able to turn it into a full-time career.

If this is your passion, there are a few ways to do this for a living. You can consult, or start your own agency after learning the tricks of the trade with your own channels, and apply the skills to bigger companies, charging for the implementation, time spent and results obtained. We foresee this career becoming more popular than ever, and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. Not too bad for a 25-year old with no job experience.

3. Software developers and programmers

With emerging technology, jobs in the programming industry are skyrocketing. The more specific your field and the more skilled you become, the more desirable you are to a company looking to fill a position.

4. Public relations specialist

In fast-growing cities, there is always a need for Pr professionals. Millennials who want to leverage their social standing and networking skills and align it with a career path that interests them have an opportunity to get into a field that will always experience demand and growth, and even change the face of the Pr industry using a millennial-driven approach to reach other millennials.

5. Start-up fundraising managers

Successful start-ups are on the rise, and if you don’t feel like taking on the challenge of a start-up yourself, consider becoming a fundraising manager. If your interests are math and numbers, this can be a great career choice.

6. Physician’s assistant

Although this is not a creative or innovative career choice, millennials appreciate the stability and predictability of this job. With an expected 38% in growth by 2022, studies show millennials make up 45% of the market currently, making it a highly desirable career path for our generation.

7. Social justice lawyer or advocate

If talking about career paths makes you feel weary and unmotivated, it is likely that you need a cause to be passionate about. Millennials care deeply about social justice, and taking on a passion project and turning it into a full-time investment may be perfect for you. Many job openings are popping up for social advocacy within large companies that want to get more involved, allowing young adults to do something fulfilling while earning a living.

8. Social media marketing specialist

When you think of all the companies who are joining the social media marketing trend, it is evident that there is potential in this field. As advertisers incorporate more organic, social sharing into their advertising campaigns there is a huge opportunity to specialise in this field and manage the social media marketing aspect of a company. Look for jobs inside large websites, blogs and online magazines, or go directly to the client and work to place their product on the right platforms.