Choosing is one of the most important undertakings in your life. Getting the right career means understanding yourself, your goals, and the larger work context. Your choice of career determines the type, of course, you’ll undertake at university or college. Many people choose careers based on the wrong motives, such as high salaries. So, what career field is right for you?
1. Veterinarian
Wondering what career field is better in medicine? Veterinary medicine is better for you because you’ll help relieve animals suffering from chronic illnesses or traumatic injuries. Being a veterinarian is rewarding because you will treat your pets without seeking expensive professional services from outside.
A veterinary degree will also give you a wide range of job opportunities. You can work in any animal hospital, government, organization, university, research vet, biomedical research firm, and other areas that require strong scientific knowledge. The veterinary field allows you to specialize in more than 20 fields. These fields include cardiology, dentistry, pathology, anaesthesiology, etc.
You can choose which species to focus on once you decide to follow a veterinary career. There is also a food animal veterinarian career. Mainly, you’ll focus on large animals like horses, goats, pigs, cows, and other animals that give meat in this career. The role is to ensure they are healthy to produce high-quality meat and safeguard people’s health by preventing diseases.
Vets also specialize in exotic animals like amphibians and reptiles. These are normally the wild animals that governments and organizations protect. Your role may be treating, vaccinating, performing surgeries, and offering emergency care. Another good thing about the vet career is that you can work independently.
According to STILT’s report, you can earn a starting salary of $75,000 as a large animal vet. If you choose an equine vet field, you can earn a salary of around $50000. And for a mixed practice vet, you can earn around $85000. Note that the starting salary can be lower and differs from one vet to another.
2. Elder Care Provider
To become an elder care provider, you must have the passion to help the elderly. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and above have Alzheimer’s in 2023. As people age, they also become weak, giving their family members a burden to care for them.
Becoming an elder care provider entails serving the community because you will care for the seniors as they wait for their death. However, you must have strong empathy because they are more demanding than healthy young people. If you’re wondering what career field to take in this area, senior care requires a mix of careers and skills.
You can specialize in giving seniors medical care as a nurse or a doctor. On the other hand, you may provide daily assistance like cleaning, preparing meals, washing their clothes, and helping them walk around. Many senior living communities also have roles of visiting seniors and their families at their homes, which you can participate in.
In the assisted living field, responsibilities vary depending on the company, level of certification, and other aspects. However, you must be prepared to serve the seniors in any area. The average hourly pay in this field is around $17.16 per hour.
3. HVAC Contractor
Nearly every home or business has an HVAC system. As such, they require HVAC contractors to perform regular maintenance or install new units. Luckily, you can get a job with an HVAC supplier to perform regular maintenance and installation services for their clients. Many companies offer these services to their clients who have warranties.
If you wonder what career field will give you job security, an HVAC professional is your perfect fit. In 2020, 90% of US households used their air conditioners. And there are 221,620 HVAC technicians currently employed in the US, according to Zippia. Considering the number of technicians, you’ll always have yearly clients to serve if you offer professional services.
HVAC installation involves inspecting the home to determine the size of the unit to purchase. Homeowners will rely on your advice to purchase the HVAC unit. Secondly, you’ll have to advise the client on the best brands. So, if you sell HVAC units, you’ll profit from the sales and installation service.
During installation, you need to find the best location for the outdoor and indoor units. This will enhance efficiency and save the client from higher energy bills. On the other hand, air conditioner repair or maintenance entails cleaning the ducts and installing new filters. Performing HVAC services will require good customer support to retain clients.
4. Lawyer
If you are wondering what career field to choose in law-related fields, a lawyer profession will be right. A lawyer is a licensed professional who represents or advises others on legal matters. By becoming a lawyer, you will take the responsibility and appropriate means to protect and advance your clients’ legitimate claims, rights, and objectives.
As a lawyer, you can work with the local, state, or federal government. The advantage of working for the government as a lawyer is the opportunity to serve every government agency you want. You may also be required constitutionally to assist with legal research to pass laws or create policies.
Moreover, you can specialize in any field and work independently. For instance, you can become an injury lawyer to help many accident victims claim their rights. Many people get injured in construction sites and roads due to other people’s negligence. Working as an accident lawyer will benefit society because you’ll help many families claim their rights.
One of the key determinants of success in this profession is the possession of a legal mind. If you are an inquisitive individual, investigative, and likes to do research and find out why some things happened and how, being a lawyer might be the right fit for you. Like any other career or profession, it’s important that you find your suitability before putting your investments on that path.
5. Roofer
According to Statista, there were over 131 million households in the US in 2022. On the other hand, Construction Physics analysis revealed there were over 111 million commercial, industrial, and military buildings in the US. And there are 79,379 roofing contractor businesses in the US as of 2023. Considering the above information, being a roofing contractor will give you job security.
Every house’s roof must be changed in 20 to 50 years. Factors like weather and the roofing material affect the roof’s lifespan. As such, homeowners and commercial building owners need roofers to keep their buildings in good condition.
Apart from roof installation, you can offer other services like roof inspection and solar installation. Homeowners need professional roof inspection services to identify leaks and retain their home’s value through quality insulation. Roof inspection services are now performed using modern technologies like drones. Ensure you have modern skills and knowledge to give your clients the best.
The roofers’ earnings depend on the region and the type of roofing service offered. You can work for your clients on contracts, hourly, or per square foot. However, many homeowners prefer contract jobs for their roofing projects. Insurance coverage like general liability and workers’ compensation are necessary for these projects.
6. Translator
What career field can you take as a linguistic lover? Being a translator is a professional career you’ll enjoy in your life. As a professional translator, you will help many people by converting information from one language to another. In this field, you can also choose the interpreter job, mainly focusing on verbal language.
However, as a translator, you’ll mostly convert written documents and texts. You can decode language in movies, books, health care, conferences, schools, legal documents, and journals. As a translator, you must be highly skilled and knowledgeable in rendering the original language’s tone, style, meaning, and intention. Language translators specialize in different translation types and modes like:
- Simultaneous translation – it involves converting a spoken or signed message into other languages while the speaker is conveying the message
- Consecutive translation – it involves taking notes during conversation and converting the information to different languages after the speaker stops speaking
- Sight translation or interpretation – it involves converting language from a written document into verbal translation in another language
To become a language translator, you must have excellent communication skills. Additionally, the ability to compile information and be fluent in at least two languages. To become a professional, you will undergo four-year training and get a degree or certification from programs that have helped you advance your requisite skills.
7. Mover
A professional mover is another excellent career if you’re stuck in what career field suits you. According to Shyft’s moving statistics, 3 million people in the US move interstate every year. Traditionally, people have hired trucks to carry out the moving processes. But things have drastically changed in the modern world.
Through the moving processes, many household items get damaged. For this reason, many homeowners have opted for a professional moving service to protect their properties. Professional movers help pack the items, transport them, and organize the new home afterward.
You don’t need a degree to become a mover but may require special training to offer a professional moving service. For instance, you must learn to pack various items in boxes to avoid damage. You must also learn about insurance coverage to protect your client’s items.
On the other hand, have a driver’s license to drive the truck. As a professional mover, hire labor-only workers to help load bulky items. Professional moving has options because you can offer short-distance moving services and later transition to an interstate mover.
Moving services can be challenging at times because people don’t always move all the year’s seasons. According to Shyft, 60% of people move during summer (between May and August). So, you’d want to specialize in offering other transport services. You can partner with several stores to offer deliveries as you want for the peak period.
8. Landscaper
The global landscaping services market totaled $130 billion in 2022, as reported by Statista. Landscaping is ideal if you are wondering what career field to take without formal education requirements. But an associate degree in landscaping, horticulture, and other related fields may give a competitive advantage.
Most landscaping companies hire different professionals. Hire professionals to do jobs like hardscaping. You also need arborists, agronomists, and other professionals to help you handle landscaping contracts. Further, learn record keeping, especially on finances. This will help you in filing taxes and setting your rates.
9. Animal Trainer
Animal training is a rising career you can choose if you’re having difficulty deciding what career field to take. You’ll mostly learn to work with dogs and horses as an animal trainer. Else, you can advance your skills and train marine mammals like dolphins.
As a dog obedience school trainer, you can help train dogs to behave properly from a younger age. Additionally, you can train dogs to guide disabled people or to cooperate with veterinarians. On the other hand, you can train other animals, like horses, for competitions or shows.
10. Exterminator
An exterminator helps homeowners and business people eliminate pests and live healthy lives. If you’re interested in this role, you must have a high school diploma or a General Education Development credential. As a pest control technician, you’ll use your knowledge on planning and apply necessary treatments.
An extermination service involves using pesticides, traps, repellents, and other techniques to deter or capture insects or animals. In general, you must apply knowledge and observational skills in animal biology and pest control. Gauge if you have strong communication skills to understand customer needs and work closely with them.
Understanding yourself, your career goals, and the work context are the first steps to determining what career field to venture into. Follow your passion and purpose to offer services at your best. Otherwise, you may have a miserable career if you follow high salaries without passion—-All the best as you choose your career.