Man is watching educational class online, studying and writing notes.
I talked to Don, a Baby Boomer who was wondering if it was too late for him to switch fields and kick off a new career. “I realize my job is gone for good because of Covid,” said. Don. “I am open to getting some new training but not years’ worth. I want to be careful that I elect to study something I find interesting, and also that will land me a decent paying job.”
Google is introducing a solution that Don found very appealing. They are offering career certificates that teach you the essential job skills to land a new career position. In addition to their IT Support certificate, in March, Google is launching three new certificate programs:
These programs take approximately six months to earn the certification. And most importantly, you need no prior experience or education in any of these roles.
Kent Walker, Google’s SVP of Global Affairs, says the certificates will hold the same weight as a four-year degree in a related field. “In our own hiring,” stated Walker, “we will now treat these new career certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles.”
From a career counseling standpoint, if you have any interest in one of these certificates, this training will help you launch a terrific new career earning a high paying salary. Also, the cost to get the education is very low. The courses will be online. It costs $49 per month to access the training and job search help that aids you once you complete the program, estimated to take about six months to finish.
Job Duties, Opportunities and Salary
DATA ANALYST
The average salary for a Data Analyst, according to Payscale.com is $61,111. Just look at the job opportunities for this role. I searched Indeed.com and found thousands of job openings. Keep in mind these positions can be done remotely, which is an advantage too.
According to DataScience.org, a data analyst takes data and uses it to help companies make better business decisions. A data analyst acquires information about specific topics and then interprets, analyzes, and presents comprehensive report findings. Many different types of businesses use data analysts to help collect and analyze data. As experts, data analysts are often called on to use their skills and tools to provide competitive analysis and identify industry trends. They often find themselves tackling specific business tasks using existing tools, systems, and data sets. They discover how to use the information to answer questions and solve problems for the benefit of their business/industry.
Data analysts translate numbers, trends, and trajectories into digestible and accessible information. Businesses collect data (i.e., sales figures, inventories, market research, profit margins, logistics, and transportation costs). A data analyst’s job is to take that data and use it to help companies make better business decisions. Often, a data analyst’s primary goal is to solve issues that cost the company money and help expand the business.
Data analysts are responsible for collecting, manipulating, and analyzing data. Data analysts use systematic techniques, standard formulas, and methods to analyze the relevant information. They then typically prepare reports detailing the results from their analysis for the leadership team.
PROJECT MANAGER
The average salary for a beginning project manager is $76,803, according to Salary.com and this position often brings a very nice bonus on top of the annual salary. One look on Indeed.com, and you’ll see that there are over 37,000 entry-level open positions across the US. Many of these roles are remote so where you live isn’t an obstacle to employment. Employers predict they will need 87.7 million individuals working in project management roles, so the job prospects are very positive.
Project managers are responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the completion of specific projects for an organization while ensuring these projects are on time, on budget, and within scope. A project manager’s exact duties will depend on their industry, organization, and the types of projects that a person is tasked with overseeing. Typically, they handle the “project life cycle,” which consists of five phases: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring, Controlling, and Closing. The project manager is accountable for the entire project scope, project team, resources, and project’s success or failure. The person does not have direct authority over anyone they work with; typically, you need to have excellent communication, buy-in, and persuasive skills to excel in this role.
UX DESIGNER – User Experience Designer
Payscale.com states the average salary for a UX Designer is $74,274 after one to two years of experience. (Starting salaries are about $63K). Again, this is a role in demand.
UX is short for user experience, and these roles typically apply to computer hardware or software areas. UX design focuses on the interaction between real human users (like you and me) and everyday products and services, such as websites, apps, and even coffee machines. It’s an incredibly varied discipline, combining psychology, business, market research, design, and technology. As a UX designer, you’re there to make products and technology usable, enjoyable, and accessible for humans. UX designers tend to work as part of a broader product team and will often find themselves bridging the gap between the user, the development team, and key business stakeholders. As a UX designer, you advocate for the end-user or customer. Whether you’re designing a brand new product, coming up with a new feature, or making changes to an existing product or service—the UX designer must consider what’s best for the user and the overall user experience. At the same time, you are also responsible for making sure that the product or service meets the business’s needs.
You work with developers, analysts, and other designers to determine changes and preferences in the market. UX designers may design and create wireframes for products and develop and test prototypes. Actual end-users are often involved in determining whether a product can be used as intended. After testing is complete, modifications are frequently introduced, and more testing will be carried out until the product reaches its best form. Much of this work is done on teams, though there are also individual responsibilities that include meeting time-constraints. After the product has been introduced to the market, it must then be evaluated for success and feedback from customers, and modifications may be made for future editions. In short, they do NOT usually deal with the VISUAL DESIGN of the product, but instead work:
Be sure you read more about these job roles to ensure you’d enjoy that type of work. If the answer is yes, these Google programs may be a great solution to get you launched into a new high-paying job.
