text: what degree/certificate would be wise to pursue for a 34 year old with a useless degree reinventing himself? my task is to figure out a path to a moderately well paying career in anything (other than teaching - i prefer technology) in a reasonably short amount of time. i have a bachelor's of music which is pretty much useless and i am 34. what fields are hot and relatively easy to step into? i am willing and eager to go back to school but feel at a loss as to what path to follow. i love science and technology but know little as to what fields are in demand and seeking out mid-career-life changers??? i have a small education award but i don't want to go back to school for yet another four years! any leads? you say you love science and technology.  three possible choices occur to me without any further data than that:  1.  pharmacists are in huge demand.  there is a major talent shortage in that field.  2.  nursing (at the rn level) is a field constantly in demand.  furthermore, pay and benefits are, generally, very good.  3.  computer repair, which requires less university level training, is another field with a continuing shortage of talent.  perhaps it would be helpful for you to browse through some of the employment sites online.  you would certainly get a good overview of which fields have job openings that may interest you.  you could start with yahoo's hot jobs, msn jobs site, monster.com, wall street journal's careerbuilder, www.craigslist.org  and so on.  best of luck with whatever new endeavor you choose!