Digital skills have become a requirement for every youth in Ghana hoping to make money as a side hustle. But knowing the actual skills that will help you make money is a secret to many youths these days. Someone may ask, how can a youth like me make money without being a burden to my family and also society? Well, this article guides you on everything you need to know to acquire digital skills as a student and also equips you with the knowledge to aid you to make money online while still in school.
Currently, in Ghana, the rate of graduate unemployment is very high, every day people complain that there’s no job in the country. Yet, every day people are posting jobs that require digital skills expertise on Telegram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, etc.
So the question is why are these people not getting a job? The easy answer, is they don’t have the needed digital skill to apply for these jobs. First-class is very important but first combined with skill makes you fit and the right man for the job.
Unlike some other countries, Ghanaian employers do not focus more on entry-level jobs. They want you to possess like 3-4 years prior experience. So as a graduate, where are you going to get that 4-5 experience?
That is the main reason why I am sharing this piece with you. To increase your chances of getting a job or contract after or while in school. You have to acquire skills while you are still a student. This will enrich your CV and also give you the chance to make money from these skills even as a student.
According to research, the following are some of the on-demand Tech skills that will cash out big soon or are already cashing out big.
- Content Writing / Content Marketing
- Digital Marketing / Search Engine Marketing
- Web development
- Programming
- Graphic designing
- Video and photo editing
- Data Analytics
- Project Management
- Social Selling
- UX/UI Design
There are several others but these are the basic ones. Interestingly, most of these skills when acquired will qualify you for remote jobs even as a student. This means that you can be in Ghana and work for foreign companies paying huge sums of money.
I am going to show you how to get started on these highly on-demand tech skills you can acquire as a student to help you make money online.
Content Writing / Content Marketing
Among these high demand tech skills, content writing and marketing is the easiest to get started with as a student and also make money online. If you have ever written an essay in school before then you can write. But unlike an essay, content writing and marketing varies slightly. There are several niches (categories) available for you to choose from. You can access yourself and choose the one you want. All you need to get started is to look for a blog that will be willing to train you. If you need one, you can contact me and I will hook you up with a blog where you can write and all the articles will be in your name. In case you want to get into content marketing you can go to HubSpot Academy and take the free Content Marketing course. I also have some resources available. DM me if you are interested.
Digital Marketing / Search Engine Marketing
Digital Marketers are one of the “block holders” in the world currently. Almost every company in the world needs digital marketers. To get started and improve your digital skills, you can take the HubSpot Academy Digital Marketing Certificate course or the Digital Marketing Institute has a free 9 hours 30 minutes course on YouTube. DM for the link if you are interested.
Web Development
Every time you open a website, it is because of a web developer that you see what is there. Web development involves a bit of time and practice but once you get the basics you are good to go. You can start as a front-end developer and later proceed to a back-end developer. After you become both a front-end and back-end developer, you can now apply for either front-end, back-end, or full-stack developer jobs/gigs.
The are several YouTube videos available, watch them, practice, build a portfolio and you are good to go.
Programming
I can say on authority that no one can program correctly and be unemployed. Unless you don’t know where to be looking for a job. In the US, the minimum annual salary for programmers is around $50,000. There are several languages available, research on the paying ones and learn them. You can DM me for the top paying languages in 2021. Also, you can DM for a link to some of the sites where you can learn programming for free including YouTube. Learn and build a portfolio and you will thank me later.
Graphic Design
We have all been seeing those “save the date” fliers around but do you know who designed them? Graphic design is a very lucrative skill to acquire. Once you land your first job or contract referrals will keep coming if your designs are good. YouTube is a good place to begin. Watch the complete training videos, create some designs which you will use as a portfolio and you are good to go.
Video/ Photo Editing
In this industry, once you get started you are good to go. You can start by taking photos of your friends and editing them because they say practice makes perfect or whatever. With the video editing once you grasp the basics you can start some small YouTube channel and put content there. There are several YouTube tutorials available, watch them and practice.
Data Analytics
Data Analytics is a growing industry in the world. Every company needs a data analytics professional to make sense of what they are doing right or wrong in all sectors of the business. Google has a free Data Analytics course you can start, here you get the basics and upon completion, you will be issued a certificate. You can also watch YouTube tutorials to gain more understanding.
Project Management
So becoming a project manager means leading a team with different skill sets to complete a project. This is not known by many in Ghana, but employers lookout for people with such backgrounds. Google has a professional project management certification course on Coursera. This is not free but there is a scholarship available and everyone is eligible. Once you complete the Google course you get 100 hours towards obtaining the PMP (Professional Project Manager) certification. For starters, you can take the CAPM (Certified Associate Project Manager) exam which costs $300. (If you want to support me you can MoMo me
). Even without the exam, once you complete Google’s course you can get entry-level project manager jobs.
Social Selling
Almost everyone is selling on social media nowadays. Yes, this is what we call social selling. It is a very important skill you can acquire. Even without capital, you can partner with other companies as an affiliate and through that, you can also build your stock of products. This is easy to start but you have to be determined to see it through.
UX/UI Design
User Experience (UX) or User Interface (UI) designers are the people who design interface for companies. They make sure the interface is suitable for the customer and not otherwise. There are several online courses and YouTube you can use to get started. This is also usually a remote job – you can be wherever you want and still work for your boss or client.
Final Words
These are not “get rich quick methods”, learning these skills take time and determination. If you have these two(2) you can go a long way. Please this doesn’t mean going to school is not important, please. School plus these skills will make you irreplaceable at the workplace or wherever you find yourself.
Wrapping up, I hope this was useful and it made sense. If it did I’m glad and if it didn’t then I am sorry for wasting your time.
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