High-earning careers for risk averse people?

[Anonymous]

What do you/DS consider a good salary? I would suggest public policy/public administration, with a focus on skills that eventually get him to the executive level. Government is never going out of business. There is often opportunity to move around agencies (or even different levels of government) if you have knowledge generally on how government works and get a reputation for getting things done. And it is very stable. And if he decides he doesn’t like government at some point, he can go into consulting for governments. It doesn’t pay the same as private sector but it also isn’t as crazy demanding. You can definitely make a good income if you put in the work. Plus government leaders get to work in a lot of timely and interesting topics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone expand on the pathway to becoming a quant? Major in CS, do you also need financial/economics/math minor? Are there exams? Grad degree? Series of exams?

How do you see this profession being impacted by AI? Thank you!

My son received a job offer from a commodities trading firm. He and the kids also invited for an in-office interview weren't CS majors -- they were either physics or math majors from a variety of schools. Most were also athletes. He had to get through a series of timed tests, then a day of in person interviews where they also played games. He won some weird game and received a job offer (but turned it down for something completely unrelated.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son graduated from UVA in CS seven years ago and worked for Lockheed while attending law school specialized in Intellectual Property.  After graduating from law school, he worked at a startup and the company was sold to a bigger player and he got his share of 10M.  He is now a high school teacher.  CS -> IP law will be here for the next 50 years with very high salary.

Your son sounds awesome! What a nice way to give back as a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in IT consulting by way of a BS in engineering and I consider myself low-risk. I chose what was at the time the highest paid 4 year degree and I chose to work for a large, well respected company straight out of undergrad. What majors and industries are “hot” changes each decade, but working for a large company where your career path is a bit cookie-cutter, albeit well paying, the first 3-5 years is pretty safe and stable.

A lot of people are saying Accounting, but my company is constantly using automation and AI to reduce the number of “in house” and administrative employees we need - especially Accounting, Finance, and HR.

It comes with med school debt, but the best salary to work hours/lifestyle ratio of anyone I know is my friend who is an anesthesiologist at a free standing surgery center in a low cost of living area of the Midwest.

Is accounting one of the professions most threatened by AI? What about actuarial jobs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in IT consulting by way of a BS in engineering and I consider myself low-risk. I chose what was at the time the highest paid 4 year degree and I chose to work for a large, well respected company straight out of undergrad. What majors and industries are “hot” changes each decade, but working for a large company where your career path is a bit cookie-cutter, albeit well paying, the first 3-5 years is pretty safe and stable.

A lot of people are saying Accounting, but my company is constantly using automation and AI to reduce the number of “in house” and administrative employees we need - especially Accounting, Finance, and HR.

It comes with med school debt, but the best salary to work hours/lifestyle ratio of anyone I know is my friend who is an anesthesiologist at a free standing surgery center in a low cost of living area of the Midwest.

Is accounting one of the professions most threatened by AI? What about actuarial jobs?

If you are bright and capable enough to be in the top 10% of workers, AI is not a real threat. You'll just oversee the AI functions while signing off the deliverables. AI is going to hit the pink collar jobs, not so much the VPs and senior manager levels.

[Anonymous]

Ai is there as a tool, but people still need the human touch.
There’s a lot I can do with AI as an independent contractor. It doesn’t not help me go faster. It helps me improve stuff. I still have to write it, and fix it after it’s gone through AI. It’s a touch better due to the AI.

I write short, short, short form. It can be mind numbing. I run it through AI for easy improvement, but as I said.. it’s not a time saver or the finished product.

[Anonymous]

Civil engineering.

[Anonymous]

Accounting is no more threatened by AI than law or medicine, and arguably less. Every career path has uncertainty, but if you are likeable, flexible, strategic, and have a good attitude then I think you are very likely to flourish.

[Anonymous]

Government contracts. This is a specialized area and every company is fighting over people who have a government contracts background. Add a security clearance and you will be making even more money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he’s genuinely interested in medicine join he military and have them pay for med school. “Retire” after 20 years with a pension and go into private practice.

This advice seems crazy to anyone between the ages of 20 and 40, and the light bulb goes on.

[Anonymous]

Greta question, OP.

Gosh why are people so dumb, that almost no one takes these "safe" vareer paths to the 'upper middle class"?

Why is everyone throwing their lives away on silly gambles?

Are you really that clueless?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Greta question, OP.

Gosh why are people so dumb, that almost no one takes these "safe" vareer paths to the 'upper middle class"?

Why is everyone throwing their lives away on silly gambles?

Are you really that clueless?

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. But one of the curiosities of life is how two equally intelligent and capable people can end up in very different financial places simply by picking different career tracks.

I do think there is an element of "oh, insurance/accounting, it's so BORING" sentiment when you're 21 and trying to figure out what to do with your life and the concept of the 45hr corporate workweek and being shackled to the desk is oppressive when you're footloose and fancy-free in college. So you decide on a creative/interesting/cool master's track (with debt) to end up an urban planner or social worker. Because working in cities is cool. Helping people is cool.

Then one day you wake up and realize the the dull and risk averse kids are taking home comfortable six figure incomes and buying comfortable houses in good school districts, all without too much stress while you languish at 75k in a job that is actually more demanding and delivers less rewards and still can't afford the city you live in.

People are fascinating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Data science, computer science, tax.

Accounting, tax lawyer, UX researcher, developer

[Anonymous]

Commercial real estate underwriting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Greta question, OP.

Gosh why are people so dumb, that almost no one takes these "safe" vareer paths to the 'upper middle class"?

Why is everyone throwing their lives away on silly gambles?

Are you really that clueless?

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. But one of the curiosities of life is how two equally intelligent and capable people can end up in very different financial places simply by picking different career tracks.

I do think there is an element of "oh, insurance/accounting, it's so BORING" sentiment when you're 21 and trying to figure out what to do with your life and the concept of the 45hr corporate workweek and being shackled to the desk is oppressive when you're footloose and fancy-free in college. So you decide on a creative/interesting/cool master's track (with debt) to end up an urban planner or social worker. Because working in cities is cool. Helping people is cool.

Then one day you wake up and realize the the dull and risk averse kids are taking home comfortable six figure incomes and buying comfortable houses in good school districts, all without too much stress while you languish at 75k in a job that is actually more demanding and delivers less rewards and still can't afford the city you live in.

People are fascinating.

This is so true! I can personally relate. I was the kid who never would have considered something like accounting in college but as a middle aged adult wish I would have had the foresight to make different career decisions. But then again my work has always been interesting so who knows.