How to learn Skills for High Paying Jobs in 2024 - Top Online Courses and Platforms

Have you ever wondered how to learn skills for high-paying jobs in 2024? Top online courses and platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and edX offer in-demand technology, finance, and healthcare skills, paving the way for amazing career opportunities. Let's understand more!

Fresh graduates, job seekers, and experienced professionals aiming for career growth are always looking to develop skills that will fetch them high-paying jobs and align with their interests and areas of expertise. Thanks to the growth of technology and innovation, high-paying jobs are no longer limited to doctors, engineers, or lawyers.

Today, choices are numerous as a number of emerging professions are not only in demand but also in demand. Companies are ready to pay a good deal of salaries to those who have developed the skills needed to land high-paying jobs and can apply them in real-world industry scenarios. We have identified a few of these skills but with a different twist to the story.

After analyzing verified reviews on online courses and programs by working professionals, we have provided insights into top platforms, benefits, and the courses and programs that will help you develop these skills to land your next high-paying job.

Data Scientist

Average salary: ₹ 10.5 LPA*

Highest Salary: ₹ 26.0 LPA*

Must-have skills – Data Science fundamentals, Python, SQL, R, Statistics, AWS, Java, Data Visualization, TensorFlow, Big Data technologies, Machine learning

Data Science is one of the most promising skills you can invest in now! As per the latest Coursera’s Global Skills Report, India lags behind in Data Skills, even as the demand for data scientists outshines the supply of skilled talent. The applications of data science in the industry can be seen everywhere – from self-driven cars, online recommendations, voice assistants, face recognition, and so much more. The role of a Data scientist has emerged as one of the high paying jobs in India.

How to be a Data Scientist?

To be a Data Scientist, one needs to have a strong educational background. Most professionals graduate in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or engineering. A Master’s degree and Ph.D. follow; however, even that is not enough.

Data scientists must develop specific skills to opt for online training and courses.

There are some important steps you can take to build a Data science career –

• An in-depth understanding of Mathematics
• Knowledge of programming languages (Python, Java, R)
• SQL is a must-have on your list
• Work experience as a Data Analyst is a plus
• Online courses & boot camps in Data Science

Let’s explore a few insights about Data Science – Top online courses, platforms, and popular skills (as per verified learner reviews)

Popular Platforms

• Coursera and Udemy were the most popular platforms among learners who took online Data Science courses. Learners also considered NPTEL, Internshala, and UpGrad for Data Science Courses, though in smaller numbers.
• The average course ratings of Data Science courses on Coursera & Udemy are 4 and 4.3, respectively.

As per verified learner reviews, working professionals received the following benefits after taking Data Science courses from Coursera & Udemy –

Most Data Science courses on the two popular platforms have helped learners to upskill. When it comes to changing domains, increasing their salary, or getting a promotion, courses on both platforms performed equally. However, Coursera is ahead when it comes to helping professionals switch jobs.

Preferred Skills

When it comes to Data Science, below are the most preferred skills that working professionals are choosing to upskill in through online courses –

• Python for Data Science
• Machine Learning & Pattern Recognition
• Data Exploration
• Data Science for Business
• Deep Learning & Neural networks

Data Science Courses with the best ratings

Ready to learn Data Science skills to begin your search for high-paying jobs? Let’s take a look at  some of the most sought-after Data Science courses with the best ratings –

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate (Coursera)

Average rating – 4.5/5

IBM offers this course via Coursera and is well-suited for freshers willing to kickstart their careers in Data Science or experienced people looking for a domain switch. It has sub-modules covering every aspect of data science along with projects. A few features of the course, as per user reviews, are as follows-

• The course is more interactive because of the quizzes and assignments after each module. You must complete these to get certified.
• The course covers the basics of data science, analytics, data visualization, and Machine Learning.
• It lets you use the IBM platform for practical assignments, covers Python fundamentals, and provides an overview of popular open-source platforms like Jupyter Notebook.

Applied Data Science with Python Specialization (University of Michigan via Coursera)

Average rating – 4.2/5

If you’re a newcomer to data science and looking for the right course, this is the one to choose. The University of Michigan course offered via Coursera helps learners with the basics of Python, Data Cleaning, Data manipulation, Exploratory Data Analysis, and Predictive Analysis.

As per learner feedback, the course is descriptive and easy to grasp. The learning experience is enriched by hands-on exercises after each topic, quizzes, coding questions for practice, projects and peer-graded assessments.

 Deep Learning Specialization (Coursera)

Average rating – 4.8/5

The course is taught by none other than Andrew Ng, a globally recognized leader in AI. This course is taught in Python, which assumes you have basic programming skills before taking the course. It’s a must-have for anyone looking to make a career in Deep Learning.

As per learners’ feedback, the self-paced nature of the course and Andrew Ng’s teaching style add a fun element while giving learners an opportunity to dive deep into the concepts. The specialization comprises five courses: Neural networks and Deep Learning, hyper-parameter tuning, Convolutional Neural networks, and Sequence Models.

AI for everyone (Coursera)

Average rating – 4.2/5

Yet another course by Andrew Ng, this one can also be taken by Managers and other non-tech professionals who want to be introduced to the world of Artificial Intelligence, its possible industry use cases, and how to build teams that can carry out AI projects.

Cloud Architect

Average salary: ₹ 19 LPA*

Highest Salary: ₹ 36 LPA*

Must-have skills – Programming language like Python or Java, cloud computing fundamentals, networking, Cloud technology (AWS/GCP/Azure) certifications, operating systems

One of the hottest jobs of 2021, a cloud architect develops strategies to build and deploy applications in the cloud. As the name suggests, cloud architects design the blueprint of the cloud infrastructure. You should be able to write code, know operating systems like Linux, understand networking, cloud technologies like AWS, GCP, and Azure, cloud storage, and security, and have good communication skills.

Let’s explore a few insights about Cloud Technologies – Top online courses, platforms, and popular skills (as per verified learner reviews)

Platforms

The most popular platforms that working professionals prefer for Cloud architect skills are as follows –

• Programming – Coursera & Udemy
• Cloud Technologies – Amazon Web Services (AWS), Udemy & Coursera
• Networking & Hardware – Cisco

The platforms with the highest ratings for Cloud related courses are as follows –

• Amazon Web services – 4.3
• Udemy – 4.5
• Linux Academy –5
• Coursera – 3.9

As per verified learner reviews, working professionals received the following benefits after taking cloud courses & certifications from various platforms –

All Udemy courses helped professionals to upskill themselves. AWS courses lead the way when it comes to helping professionals have a better salary, while courses on Coursera were ahead of the others in helping them get a promotion and change domains.

Which are the best courses & certifications that Cloud architects must take?

AWS Solutions Architect – Associate Certification & Training courses

This is one of the most sought-after cloud architect certifications in the world! A Solutions Architect has to be skilled in choosing the right AWS services for the organization, considering all other constraints – security, performance, resilience, cost & customer requirements. Being certified as an AWS Solutions Architect – Associate helps you validate those skills and those you’ll learn in your first year as an architect.

To prepare for the certification exam, professionals opt for training courses. According to learner reviews, the training course offered by Udemy is the most popular of them all, with an average rating of 4.6. The mentors have created an engaging course to help students better understand all the AWS services, EC2 instance, S3, Route53, etc. The Udemy course also covers all exam topics, informative slides & links to AWS Whitepapers.

You can also explore the AWS Solutions Architect certification and the training course offered by Simplilearn. Here’s a detailed video course review for the same which will help you understand the certification and the training course better.

Google Cloud Platform Professional Cloud Architect (Google)

With this certification, a professional can leverage Google Cloud technologies to design and & plan cloud solution architecture for the organization. One needs to have about 3 years of industry experience, including a year of working on GCP.

It’s a great way to learn about all the Cloud Services offered by GCP, manage the infrastructure, and keep security in consideration. The exam format is MCQ-based and can be taken remotely or onsite.

Investment Banking Analyst

Average salary: ₹ 8.6 LPA *

Highest Salary: ₹ 25.0 L *

Must-have skills – Financial modelling & valuation, accounting, corporate Finance, Microsoft Excel, investing & markets, research & analytical

Next up on the list of high-paying jobs in 2021 is that of an Investment Banking analyst. Even though many of us have heard the term Investment banking, few of us understand it. It has everything to do with helping client firms make sound investing decisions with the aim of growing their financial assets.

Investment banking covers a lot of activities under its umbrella –

• Raising capital for client firms by investing in stock or securities
• Mergers & acquisitions
• Helping companies with Initial Public Offerings
• Financial advisory in capital markets

…and much more.

How to become an investment banker?

To enter the Investment banking domain, one does not need any particular course or stream in graduation. Skills matter more for high-paying jobs in this career, and someone with a good understanding of financial assets and investing can consider taking it up as a career choice. College graduates with a B.com (H), B.A. in Finance/Economics, BBA, and CFA are the best contenders for the entry-level position of an Investment Banking Analyst.

Once you gain 2-3 years of experience, a Postgraduate degree, preferably an MBA in Finance, will help your career growth. You can advance your career ladder as an Associate or a Senior Analyst. Some of the top companies hiring investment bankers are JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Accenture, HSBC, and Bank of America.

Let’s explore a few online courses working professionals have taken to learn finance and investment banking skills.

Financial Markets (Yale University via Coursera)

Average rating – 4.2/5

This Yale University course explains the functioning of financial markets, the concept of CAPM, insurance regulations, behavioral finance, forecasting, risk management, and more. It covers stocks, bonds, shares, dividends, market caps, recessions and bubbles, and many more concepts that impact the economy and finance.

However, per our learner feedback, the course focuses more on the American markets and less on Indian financial markets and regulations.

Certified Investment Banking Operations Professional (Imarticus)

Average rating – 4/5

The CIBOP program by Imarticus Learning gives professionals a kick-start into a career in Investment Banking and is best suited for learners under 3 years of work experience. As per reviews by professionals who have taken the course, the course helps you learn different aspects of investment banks like Financial Services, derivatives instruments, trade life cycles, asset management, AML/KYC and more into the functions of investment banking operations.

Product Manager

Average salary: ₹15.3 LPA *

Highest Salary: ₹ 35.0 LPA *

Must-have skills – Product roadmap & strategy, data analysis, basic understanding of programming & web development, User experience design, market research

Product management is one of the most coveted careers today and can fetch you one of the most high-paying jobs in 2021. Being a Product Manager is like having a 360-degree view of your product – you must focus on all aspects! Collaborating with the design, engineering, marketing, sales or support teams to ensure your product success forms a huge part of your life as a product manager. But at the centre of it all is the empathy or the EQ to understand your customers closely and understand what will resonate with them.

If you love solving difficult problems, developing creative strategies and working with people from diverse backgrounds, this career might be for you! You will not just launch great products, you will also look at maintenance, tracking performance, product updates & new versions. As one of the high-paying jobs of 2021, let’s dive deeper into which online courses working professionals opt for, as per verified reviews.

Top Product Management courses (as per verified learner reviews)

Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Master

Average rating – 4.2/5

 The Scrum master certification equips a product manager to lead teams using Agile Scrum methodology. The course is aimed at product owners, development teams and management professionals like the Product Manager, engineering manager, quality manager, and basically, anyone who wants to apply Scrum methodology to complex development projects & lead Scrum teams to perform at their highest efficiency levels.

The certification is also quite eye-opening for those already using Scrum for their projects. It provides a more in-depth understanding and helps bust a few myths associated with Scrum.

Professional Scrum Master I (Scrum.org)

 Average rating – 4.4/5

A global, industry-recognized certification that validates one’s depth of knowledge of the Scrum framework and its application. This assessment exam has a passing score of 85% and can be taken by anyone with a high level of knowledge as a Scrum master, understands the Scrum Guide and knows how to apply Scrum values to teams.

The course covers all the core Scrum concepts—the Scrum process, theory, values, scrum ceremonies, and responsibilities within a Scrum team.

Executive Program in Data-Driven Product Management (IIM Lucknow & Wiley via Miles Education)

Average rating – 5/5

Product managers, product heads, product marketing managers, tech professionals who aspire for product management roles and entrepreneurs should take this course if they want to gain an industry-recognized certification by none other than IIM Lucknow.

As per learner feedback, the program has a good mix of award-winning mentors and industry experts. Lectures are delivered through live learning, and the program emphasizes using cutting-edge tools to solve real-life problems. The program is well-structured, with intensive case studies after each topic, and is perfect for anyone looking to transition into a Product management role.

*Source – Ambition Box