I found the top 10 most desirable careers for young people. Yes, somebody out there actually did a study where they surveyed a bunch of young people and asked them what careers they wanted to get into in the future. Now, a lot of these careers are exactly what you would expect, but some of them are really surprising. And number one on the list is actually my career—well, sort of.
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1. Lawyer
Do you want to get paid to argue? Do you want to be able to wear a suit all the time? And do you want to make sure everybody else follows the rules while you don’t follow them yourself? Well, you might want to consider being number 10 on this list, which is one of the most popular careers that a lot of people want to get into, which is a lawyer at 6.4 percent. That’s right, 6.4 percent of young people want to be lawyers as their profession.
Now, I’m not surprised to see this one here. I mean, if you think about it, there’s lots of movies about lawyers. There’s lots of TV shows like “Suits.” And on top of that, this used to be considered a prestigious career, so parents tend to kind of push their kids into going into this type of career. But with that being said, I made an entire video about why being a lawyer is overrated. It’s extremely competitive, there’s not nearly as much opportunity as there was before, and it’s also saturated. On top of that, you are going to work ridiculously long hours for a very long time before you are even able to secure a decent job.
One great quote by Charles Dickens is, “If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.” But yeah, being a lawyer is kind of like being a quarterback for legal football. You get to make strategic moves to score a win for your clients while dodging any legal tackles.
2. Writer
The next one on this list is a career that’s extremely appealing to introverts. Now, a lot of us grow up reading our favorite books like “Harry Potter” or “Game of Thrones,” and some of us imagine that when we get older, we can become writers ourselves. The next one on this list appeals especially to people who are introverted and love writing, and that is, of course, becoming a writer. At 8.4 percent of people who want to do that when they grow up.
Now, traditionally, this wasn’t always one of the best careers. In fact, there’s a quote that goes, “The freelance writer is a man who is paid per piece or per word or perhaps.” And that’s because a lot of the time, writers are not paid very good money. But with that being said, in recent times, with the rise of the creator economy, this career has been making a massive comeback.
All good content, whether it’s a video, a podcast, or of course a blog, something that’s written originates from good writing. Almost all successful YouTubers script their content. Even if it’s a vlog that seems really spontaneous, usually they think about what they’re going to do beforehand, and the reason for that is because they’re trying to tell a good story. So although I would almost never recommend getting an English degree or a creative writing degree, I do think this career is making a comeback and there is a ton of opportunity.
And I know what you’re thinking. You’re probably thinking, “Oh, ChatGPT is going to take away all the writers’ jobs.” I completely disagree with that. I think ChatGPT is going to make writing even more valuable.
3. Athlete or Coach
The next one on the list is going to be for those people who can’t do anything other than either playing sports or dreaming about playing sports. A very, very small percentage of these people get to play sports professionally, but a much bigger percentage of people can make a living by teaching others how to play sports, aka athletes and coaches. About 11.9 percent of people dream of becoming either an athlete or a teacher.
This is another one where unless you’re in the top 99.99 percentile, you’re probably not going to be paid to be a professional athlete. But with that being said, if you really love baseball, for instance, there’s a good chance you could get a job that is baseball-related. Another thing you could do is start making content about baseball. There are a lot of opportunities out there for you to make money following your passion, doing what you love, but a lot of the time, you are going to have to think outside of the box.
Personally, I have a massive amount of respect for athletes. I’m also a huge fan of just about all sports out there. My two favorite sports are probably MMA and boxing, and I have a ridiculous amount of respect for anybody who does that stuff professionally. They’re basically like the modern-day gladiators. There’s a great quote: “An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.” You kind of have to be a little bit crazy, in my opinion, to do boxing or MMA professionally.
4. TV Presenter
The next one on the list is also very tough to get into, and if you are lucky enough to get into it, everyone is probably going to hate you and distrust you. That is going to be a TV presenter. I think there was a survey done that 80 percent of Americans do not trust the news, and probably for good reason. But with that being said, about 12.5 percent of kids want to be TV presenters.
If you want to do a job that’s very similar but has a much higher chance of success, I would consider becoming an independent journalist. You would be covering the news, but you would be doing it in video form on YouTube as well as your own blog. Journalism is kind of a lost art that used to be all about exposing corruption and making sure that people are playing by the rules. In recent times, journalism is more about actually covering up corruption. Because of this, there is a massive amount of demand for independent journalists who actually cover it.
A great example of this is Coffeezilla. Coffeezilla has absolutely blown up in recent years by covering different crypto scams.
5. Doctor or Nurse
The next one on the list is one that has probably about a hundred different TV shows and maybe a thousand different movies that were made about it. This is one that’s actually very realistic for you to get into if it’s something that you want to do. If you get into this, you’ll get to save lives, wear scrubs, and play with a bunch of cool medical gadgets. That is, of course, becoming a doctor or a nurse. About 13.5 percent of people want to get into this.
Especially the doctor part, I personally think, for most people, it’s pretty overrated. This is another one where parents are constantly trying to force their kids into it. There are lots of different TV shows, and it’s always glamorized in movies and the news. For that reason, I think a lot of people get into it for the wrong reasons, and that’s why medical doctors have some of the highest depression rates as well as some of the lowest job satisfaction scores.
But I can definitely see why getting into the medical field in general is so attractive. That’s why I myself went into the medical field. I actually ended up getting a doctorate and became a pharmacist. If you look at medical careers, they do have some of the highest meaning scores. Meaning is basically a long-term indicator of your overall happiness in the career. However, the medical doctor actually has some of the lowest scores out of all the different health careers.
This is definitely one where you want to do your research before you go into it. Do not go into this one just because your family wants you to or because there are a bunch of cool shows that you watch about it or because you hear about it all the time on the news and think it’s going to get you a lot of clout.
6. Filmmaker
The next one on the list is one of my absolute favorite subjects. There was a short period in my life where this is what I wanted to do as well. This is also one that until recently, it was incredibly difficult to get into, and that is becoming a filmmaker. About 13.5 percent of young people want to get into this.
Hollywood is notorious for being incredibly difficult to break into. One of the main reasons for that is because there are a bunch of gatekeepers. A lot of these gatekeepers were people like Harvey Weinstein. There are countless examples of extremely talented writers, directors, etc., that never made it in Hollywood.
Recently, because of the rise of the creator economy and the internet, there’s been a lot more opportunity in filmmaking. Many talented people have found success in indie films or on Netflix or by just starting to create videos and then putting them up on YouTube. A great example of this is Jordan Peele, who started his career out by making comedy sketches and then uploading them to YouTube on his channel Key & Peele. He then leveraged that to become a Hollywood director and made some great films like “Us,” “Get Out,” and “Nope.”
It’s definitely getting better, but there’s still a ton of gatekeeping. I think I speak for most normal human beings out there when I say that we’re really tired of all the woke propaganda and virtue signaling that we’re constantly seeing in Hollywood. But with that being said, the Hollywood monopoly is breaking, and there are a lot of great alternatives that are popping up. I think the smartest way to get into this would be by starting to create content online and building a personal brand.
7. Actor
The next one on the list is in the same industry, and a lot of the same things go for it. But you’re going to be the star of the show, right? You’re
going to be in front of the camera instead of behind the camera. About 15.7 percent of people want to be actors. They want to be the next Tom Cruise or the next Scarlett Johansson. And again, this is one where traditionally, it was extremely difficult to break into it.
Hollywood is notorious for being extremely exclusive, and the people who are gatekeeping are people like Harvey Weinstein. But again, this is something where the rise of the creator economy and the internet has made this a lot easier. There are all kinds of talented people who have broken through by building their own brand and then becoming actors. A great example of this is Bo Burnham. He was originally known as a comedy guy on YouTube, and then he leveraged that to become a Hollywood actor and director.
Being an actor is one of those careers where you should probably expect to spend a lot of time waiting tables or working another job while you’re trying to get your big break. However, the internet has definitely made it easier to get your foot in the door and start building a personal brand that can lead to acting opportunities.
8. Teacher
The next one on the list is actually one of the most important jobs, in my opinion. The reason for that is because teachers have a huge influence on the next generation. They basically hold the future in their hands. And about 16 percent of people want to become teachers when they grow up.
This is a job that is not going to make you rich. You are going to get a lot of fulfillment from it, but you’re also going to have to deal with a lot of frustration, especially with parents and school administration. But there are a lot of opportunities out there for people who want to become teachers.
I have a ridiculous amount of respect for teachers, especially the ones who are really passionate about what they do and care about their students. Teachers can make a huge difference in a student’s life. A great teacher can inspire you and make you want to learn more, and they can also help you develop important skills that will serve you well in the future.
9. Musician
The next one on the list is probably the most difficult career to break into. It’s probably one of the most competitive ones as well. But with that being said, about 18.5 percent of people want to become musicians when they grow up.
Now, I have a ridiculous amount of respect for musicians, and I have a lot of musician friends. But the sad truth is that unless you’re in the top 0.001 percent of musicians, you’re probably not going to make a lot of money. You’re going to have to work really hard and probably have a side job to make ends meet. But if you’re really passionate about music and you can’t imagine doing anything else, then I think it’s worth pursuing.
One great thing about being a musician is that you have a lot of creative freedom. You get to create something that is uniquely yours and share it with the world. And with the rise of the internet and social media, there are more opportunities than ever for musicians to get their music out there and build a following.
10. YouTuber
The last one on this list is a relatively new career that has exploded in popularity in recent years. And that is becoming a YouTuber. About 19.1 percent of people want to become YouTubers when they grow up.
Now, this is one where I have a lot of personal experience, and I can tell you that it’s not as easy as it looks. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and creativity to be successful on YouTube. But with that being said, there are a lot of opportunities out there for people who are willing to put in the work.
One great thing about being a YouTuber is that you have complete creative control over your content. You get to decide what you want to make videos about, how you want to present it, and when you want to upload it. And if you build a large enough following, you can make a decent amount of money from ad revenue, sponsorships, and merchandise sales.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Being a YouTuber can be incredibly stressful, especially when you’re trying to keep up with the constant demand for new content. And there’s always the risk that your channel could get demonetized or taken down for violating YouTube’s guidelines. But if you’re passionate about creating content and you’re willing to put in the work, then being a YouTuber can be a very rewarding career.
Conclusion
So there you have it, the top 10 most desirable careers for young people. Some of them are exactly what you would expect, and some of them are a little surprising. But regardless of what career you choose to pursue, the most important thing is to find something that you’re passionate about and that makes you happy. Because at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.
