How to catapult your career in 2024 📈

Dealing with *all* the salary situations

December 26, 2023

Hey hey! It’s Dead Week, AKA the days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve where “nothing counts and when nothing is quite real” (so true). But we’d argue this period of time isn't as bizarre as what we covered last week: Prophetic. 

In the last edition, we mentioned a wild startup called Prophetic. They’re creating a headband to help control lucid dreams, meaning it’ll be technically possible to be “productive” while asleep…and when we asked what you thought of it, here’s what some of you said: 

  • “Leave our dreams alone.” 

  • “What a god-awful idea.” 

  • “What in the dystopian landscape.” 

RT. Prophetic’s headband is (fortunately) still a thing of our dreams (nightmares?). But here at STS, we have tangible, practical resources that’ll boost your professional potential (without hijacking your precious REM sleep).

So this Dead Week, we decided to share some of our favorite career resources.

Let’s dive in! 💚


5 Resources to Accelerate Your Career Trajectory in 2024

If your New Year’s resolution is to finally get paid what you’re worth, you’re in the right place. These five resources make up the perfect toolkit to use in the stickiest salary situations.

 1   When you’re…ready for your paycheck to match your potential 💰

Whether you’re negotiating your salary in your current role or interviewing for a new position, our expert-approved scripts have you covered. You’ll learn exactly what to say to convey your worth, skirting past the awkward money-talk to land your highest pay yet.

 2   When you’re…unsure how much you’re really worth 🤨

If you’re in the middle of the “Am I getting paid enough?” guessing game, you’ll need to do a little something called ✨ market research. ✨ Our guide will teach you what it is and how to do it, arming you with the know-how to demand your value and dodge low-ball offers with ease.

 3   When you…want to conduct laser-sharp market research 💥

Most salary databases only show you the aggregate of their data. That’s no good if you’re trying to figure out your precise market rate. Enter: Our free, crowd-sourced database of 5,000 salaries from real people. The result? Personalized market research directly related to your experience, education, and location.

 4   When you…have a sneaking suspicion you’re not getting paid enough 🧐

So, you can’t exactly stroll through the office quizzing your colleagues (and especially not your boss) about their paychecks to gauge if yours is up to par. But you can take our quiz to figure out if you’re getting fairly compensated…or due for a raise.

 5   When you…want to know your rights when discussing pay ✊

32 states in the US have some form of pay transparency law. Is yours one of them? Our interactive chart will tell you which laws exist in each state, so you know your rights (and can detect if a company’s pay practices are breaking the law).

Sponsored by Indeed

These Are the Most Secure Jobs on the Market  

New year, new job market, same question: “Is my job safe?” As we head into 2024, job security is top of mind. Luckily, there are industries that are relatively “future-proof”: They have a high growth rate, low unemployment rate, and major potential for career advancement. 

Our friends at Indeed curated a list of 20 jobs with the most job security in 2024. Here’s what you need to know about three of these recession-resistant roles (and their average salaries, of course 😉).

1) Nurse Practitioner 

AI can’t exactly draw blood, administer an IV, or do X-rays (at least, not yet…). That means nursing is a safe career to have. Next year, you can expect 29,200 job openings for nurse practitioners, specializing in a wide range of medical fields from psychiatry to pediatrics. 

  • We interviewed a dozen nurses to get the 411 on how much they’re earning. Meet the nurse practitioner earning $200K, the ICU nurse netting $42 an hour, and tons more! You’ll also learn how to become a nurse and if it’s the right path for you. 

  • Looking for opportunities to become an NP? Check out some openings here.

2) Data Scientist 

Once dubbed the “Sexiest Job of the 21st Century” (yes, really), this field shows no signs of slowing down: It’s projected to grow 35% from 2022 to 2032, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

  • In this article, find out exactly what data scientists do and what it takes to become one.

  • And yes, they do really make six figures. Check out our video compilation for the inside scoop from real data scientists. 💰

  • Looking for a job as a data scientist? Indeed’s job board is just what you need.

3) Software Developer 

A national average salary of $117,849 per year? Sign us up. Welcome to the world of software development, where you create programs and operating systems for computers and consoles.

  • With a 2.1% unemployment rate, it’s safe to say that this field isn’t going anywhere (and is currently packed with available jobs!). 

Plus, we interviewed software developers in DC to learn exactly what they’re making in one of the most expensive cities in the nation. 

Thanks for being here! If you need us, we’ll be enjoying this weird little stretch of unmarked time (AKA forgetting what day of the week it is and that Slack ever existed).  

See you next year! 💚

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