“The higher the barrier to entry, the more job security there is, the less replaceable, and naturally the higher pay for the job”. Love that quote! It’s exactly what I’m getting at in this post. The more you can differentiate yourself from the field with valuable skills, the more income you can earn and often the more flexibility you can have in your job because you’re such a valuable asset. Glad you enjoyed this post and thanks for the feedback 🙂

Agreed – learning skills that are actually in demand is key. And the more in demand it is, often the more you can earn!

Thanks for the kind words, Steve! It’s awesome to hear that chemical engineering worked out for you so well.

I know many people who also altered their college courseload/major to avoid stats classes as well! It seems pretty common haha. Thanks for the kind words, Lin! Always appreciate your feedback 🙂

I’ve never found it easy to learn programming via YouTube videos. I like a more hands-on approach where I can actually type code and simply use Google when I get stuck. That’s not to say that other people may learn better with videos and guided instruction, though.

I remember my office’s “secret weapon” (aka a programmer hired specifically in-office/in-house) to create IT solutions for operational efficiency. He was hired for a v. special/niche department whereby the apps/programs he created could be implemented at the office level without having to go thru the numerous, bureaucratic, national IT levels for approvals.

His bargaining power is so strong, he once quit because he disagreed with how smthn should be done, and the company begged him to come back. Pretty unheard of right?

Oh yea, he also automated his first job that was primarily data processing.

Like my “secret weapon” colleague told me over lunch once, “the higher the barrier to entry, the more job security there is, the less replaceable, and naturally the higher pay for the job”.

One of the challenges for technical ppl my VP mentions tho is their lack of people management skills. As you move up in pay grades, you’ll eventually reach management pay grade. No co will keep paying you manager pay grade for just taking on senior staff’s responsibilities.

Many technical employees find a lot of challenge coaching, mentoring, deploying human capital resources most efficiently, and handling with politics (all in a manager’s day work).

Many technical ppl (data scientists, programmers, engineers, actuaries, accountants) HATE the ppl management side of things. They’re great at understanding difficult concepts few ppl comprehend, but lack patience in translating difficult, technical concepts into easily understandable language for everyone else.

If you can grasp this skill set early on, which I absolutely think u can based on your work on this site, your career is pretty unstoppable (think C-suite) my young, bright friend. You’re going far friend!

Thank you for your fantastic posts!