To wonder what's the most lucrative career for the least investment?

[Yogahoneybunny]

I joked with my friend about figuring out what is the optimal career for the least amount of study or capital investment...then I got to thinking I should think about it more seriously! I don't have a 'calling' and after years of trying to figure out what I love doing, I suspect I will never find it now. So, being a full time mum at the moment, I am thinking about what to do in a year or two once my dc are in school. I was always relatively academic and good at most subjects in school, but I went down a path of falling into jobs in financial services that bored me but paid well. I am hoping I have escaped and can now find a new career, especially since jobs in my old field have dried up. Any ideas?

A Criminal

Buy a football. Get quite good at kicking it. Get paid gazzilions.

Professional footballer

Investment banking ( need to get a good degree to get in but pays much better than other careers requiring same or more qualifications)

Thievery. Selling sex. Con artistry.

Ebay Fraud, dealing in fake goods, pick pocketing?

Legally (but questionable) any form of pushy Sales?

Probably sales I reckon, if you're good at it. You don't need any qualifications.

Haha! Ok maybe I should have said something legal and achievable ;) I am just tired of being told to find what I love doing and I will never 'work' again...

Contracting - IT in terms of developer or testing. Particularly in the City it doesn't require a great deal of brain power and practically no commitment or need to really prove yourself (as you're a contractor) but is very well paid, because it's a daily rate.

Downside, I would imagine it's deadly dull, not very secure and you're essentially a highly paid temp (therefor miss out on being part of the team, paid holidays, training etc).

Thanks. Yes contracting could be a good option. Working from home would be even better! Hmmm, wanting it all eh?!

It doesn't seem reasonable to me to refer to a new "career" If you aren't really invested in it.
If that is your focus it will only be a job - nothing more. Fine if that's what you want but it isn't a career in my view.

Invest in a famous or wealth parent. This will open doors for you that are closed for others. See especially;
Banking
Acting
Politics
Modelling
PR
Media

mobile beautician/ waxer / hairdresser? Cheapish and shortish training, can work around school run commitments, can charge actually very high rates with minimal overheads. (although don't know what insurance would cost, my mobile hairdresser charges £26 for a cut and blowdry, it takes her about 30 an hour to do my hair, with travel time as well, call that an hour, her overheads are her website, business cards, insurance, some shampoo and conditioner and sissors, hairdryer on that - once she's got her stuff, I can imagine the bulk of that is profit)

Real estate agent!!!

I have no idea how it works in the UK, but here in Australia I know several people who got their licences within the past 5 years, and have been making 6 figures for some time. And I'm talking upwards of 200 grand per year, in most cases. Yes, I know this for a fact.

At least 2 of these people are neither hard-working, particularly driven, or all that smart (by their own admission).

(You have to be good at bullshitting and schmoozing, though).

Nothing in a healthcare setting, hard slog for sod all.

Strippers make good money. But, I'll dare say dancing and pole dancing does take talent.

Dog walking. My dog walker charges £7.50 per day per dog. He walks around 20 dogs per day, over three, one hour sessions = £750 per week ! His costs included insurance, a cheap van to pick the dogs up, suitable clothing and shoes, oh and a pocketful of dog biscuits....

Not teacher. The hours you work will put you on about £2 an hour all told.

I want to be a dog walker! Or dog walker/day trader combo.

Escort work. Not illegal but you have to fuck men you wouldn't ordinarily touch with a barge pole, and other women will hate you for it. Not a great one for the CV either I suppose.

are you talking up-front investment in training? Or hard-work investment on the job? Or IQ investment? or what? I reckon it all depends what you've got to invest.

I think things like quantity surveyor pay quite well for fairly regular hours. Or accountant?

Balbasaur - I know someone who had a go at pole dancing to earn some extra cash at uni, she fell off - didn't go back (or sit comfortably in lectures for a week).

Sales jobs can pay very well if you are good at it

Threes money in babies, funerals and old people

Own your own nursery, and employ minimum wage 16yos
Own your own care home and employ minimum wage immigrants
Own you own funeral parlour, never a shortage of corpses to dispose of

Depends on what you have a knack for. You might well be a dab hand at commodities trading, for instance, and the training is within the realms o affordability - www.londonfs.com/programmes/Commodities-and-Commodity-Derivatives/Outline/ - and you can do it independently from home. But you have to have the knack. Women apparently make good traders, incidentally, because we are less likely to panic sell.

What else? Tech start-up? Interior designer (potentially)? Events management?

I think there are lots of careers that are "easy" if you have a natural knack for it and know the right people.