2010 is almost over. At the beginning of the year I was excited about the fact that this would be my last year in college. I was looking forward to starting my work in the corporate world. A few insightful books later, along with many thought-provoking discussions over the course of the year, and now it’s completely unknown what my future holds. I’m sure that I’m not the only one thinking this way these days.
Whether you graduated from college, got fired (and decided to become a full-blown entrepreneur), or got fed up with your job, below are the top three dream jobs of 2010:
1. MMA/UFC Fighter.
The UFC became the PPV king in 2010, with well promoted events that would do anywhere from 500,000 to 1 million buys on PPV. That’s $49.99 for standard and $59.99 for HD. Not cheap by any means. What does this mean? That Mixed Martial Arts (well really UFC) is now huge. Try finding a seat in a bar for a UFC show on a Saturday night. With the rise in popularity of the sport of course comes a rise in the amount of willing participants. Young 20-somethings all over North America are filling up MMA gyms in hopes of mastering the craft. Some see it as a physically taxing hobby (myself), while others see it as a dream career where the profits can hit millions. No matter what your thoughts are on this sport, you can’t argue its massive increase in exposure in 2010.
2. Pro Blogger.
This is not a new career path, but it’s one that has become extremely popular over the last year. With the increase in methods of how one can monetize a blog has come an increase in those blogging for a living. Blogging went from being associated with Perez Hilton and his celebrity gossip to being viewed as a reputable source of information. Bloggers can now be heard on radio, seen on television, and read about in traditional print media. In 2010 alone a small blogger like myself was featured on television (Willis Report) and in the local paper (Toronto Star). More popular bloggers have been featured in USA Today and the NY Times.
Bloggers also no longer earn their livelihood from Google Adsense alone. Many innovative bloggers have been able to successfully monetize their blogs with:
- Paid products.
- Subscription services.
- Consulting.
- Speaking gigs.
It’s unknown what the future holds for bloggers but it’s clear that this is a rising career path that won’t be going away any time soon.
3. World Traveler.
With the rise of Tim Ferriss (4-Hour Workweek) and Chris Guillebeau (Art of Non Conformity), traveling the world while still making lots of money has become a dream job for thousands of people (including myself). The idea of a “week away from reality” has turned into “lifestyle design” and becoming location independent.
Tying it all in…
I must confess that I’ve taken a shot at all 3 of these careers. The MMA fighter path won’t work out because I realized that I only enjoy kickboxing. Oh and I don’t like getting punched or kicked in the face. The pro blogger career is still a possibility, as is the world traveler dream. What were/are are your dream jobs? Did any new career paths spark your interest?
Btw, this was not meant to be a scientific post with empirical data. I just wanted to take a look at some of the most popular new jobs on the rise from my perspective. Please feel free to comment on these jobs or to share others.
(photo credit: half blood-prince, richard winchell, active steve)
I'm a 24 year old dude that studied finance in school and now wants to make it fun. Over the past three years I've been helping readers like YOU make more money and keep more cash in your pocket. I've appeared live on Fox Business News and I've been mentioned in the NY Times. You can also learn more about
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Not really interested in any of those as a career, and only blogging as even a hobby. (I do actually know a person whose career ambition has actually been to be a travel writer which makes traveling an actual job as opposed to the 4HWW method).
My requirements are actually pretty loose. I want a job where I can be outside, move around a lot, but still need to use my brain and also protecting the environment. I almost got my dream job 2 months ago, actually. Was the #2 pick for Deputy Water Commissioner for a local water district.
Neither of those goals are all that difficult or far fetched (although saving for the B&B while doing mission work may be tough). I have a third cousin who does missionary work in the Ukraine; her and her husband support themselves by dairy farming. And my aunt is working on opening her B&B in northern Minnesota after moving there a few years ago from Florida!
Have you realized a common thread in all three? The commonality is that none of the three requires you to go to college. As a result, you should have skipped college and just started in High School and gone straight if you really want to pursue those paths, or anybody else for that matter.
Neat huh?
Sam
I have a friend that dropped out of high school to start off a business that would end up high profitable. The only problem is that these stories are the exception, not the rule. My only issue about not attending college is: what are you going to do with all of your free time? An 18 year old does not need all of that free time. Starting a business or getting started in your career are both solid options in my opinion.
I was referring to my friend who graduated high school, but didn’t go to college. I still think that’s a valid route for many professions.
I don’t see college as talking up that much of your free time at all. If someone doesn’t go to college, they are going to have to work, which will take up as much time if not more than coursework.
I don’t like fighting and only like vacation travel for a week or so at a time, but I am all about #2. I’m shooting for blogging full time by 2012 and absolutely no later than 2014. Unlike Financial Samurai, I only need it to replace my $35,000 a year income to be happy.
If I could replace 100% of my income blogging, trust me, I’d do it as well!
What if you find yourself making 35K from both? Would you consider hustling for a few years to save up some serious coin?