So, I was attacked on a college campus a few years ago. It's been hard for me to finish college, but this fall I'm hoping to start again and finish my bachelor's degree (it'll take me 4 years).
However, my therapist said something that kind of stumped me. She said "Maybe college isn't the route for you. Not everyone goes to college. You can still be very successful without a college degree."
Well.. she's kinda right. My BF didn't go to college, and he's a computer programmer. But I feel with that field of work, they're just as open to self-taught people as they are people with degrees.
BUT other than that... what other occupations exist that don't include college??
I'm not really an auto-mechanic kind of girl, and I don't enjoy crafting, so I'm not the Etsy-type...
I just don't know why she suggested that to me, and had no suggestions.
So what kind of "successful" occupations exist, that do not require college educations?
Interesting! I'll be following this thread...even though I do have a degree.
I do IT work without a degree, as does my husband. We each earn over 6 figures.
other choices: electrician, makeup artist, flight attendant (I think you do need a degree for pilot but could be wrong), baker, project manager, wedding planner, caterer, realtor, home inspector/appraiser, really there are tons of long-term careers that don't require a degree. Some may require vocational training or apprenticeship but others, you just learn as you go along and work your way up.
your therapist is right. College isn't the only path for everyone. Our society just thinks it is!
military...some overnight lab tech work...UPS...court clerk...police dispatch
There are a lot of jobs that don't include a four year degree though many still require some kind of higher certification. But many of those are much faster and less involved than a traditional degree but allow a steady and good paying job. I would check out some local technical training school to see what they offer in terms of things you're interested in. Also if you don't want to be at a school there are a huge number of online degrees you can take.
Like fishbone said there are heaps! You just need to work out what you want to do first and go from there, I got my job by volunteering. Its not a high paid job but I love animals so I have a animal job! I started volunteering at an animal shelter while I worked part time at a supermarket. applied at a boarding kennel and cattery and they hired me with my volunteer work. Now I have a new job at another kennels with higher pay and more hours.
So whatever it is you want to do, start with work experience!
@AquaGrey8962: You don't have to give up on college, there are lots of bachelor's degrees (or AAs) you can do completely online!
Any clerical work is pretty much easy to get without a degree (I started working as an ER clerk right out of HS and am still working there while I go to college.) believe me, if I thought I could make 40k+/year without a degree, I'd be doing it. The good thing about the job I have now is, when I do graduate from college, I'll have a lot of work experience (computers, insurance, phones, operating systems, working with general public, etc.)
Daycare!! I dont know what your states requirements are but you could do in home daycare (just have to get licensed and certified!) you could even work in a daycare center as an AIDE.
A teller at a bank, my mom does it (no college) but she makes great money! :)
Working in a hospital just making up food trays (boring job but good money).
OH and dental assistants make great money and you DON'T need a degree for that!
Insurance sales agent.
lots of state jobs too that require just passing some tests :)
Most customer service jobs don't require a full college degree and there are lots of healthcare jobs you can do (unit clerk, IT, switchboard operator, 911 operator) without a degree.
I made more money before I received my degree lol. I was an HR Coordinator, Analyst and Business Project Manager all well before receiving my degree. I think its definitely about who you know, when you enter the field, etc.
ETA: My bff is a Personal Banker... absolutely no degree or cert.
I started as a teller straight out of college and got promoted to a personal banker...lots of potential to grow with my company and even though I have a degree, they only required a HS diploma or GED! :)
A lot of jobs that require state licenses like a PP mentioned (insurance). Also, many driving jobs. You may need a CDL but no degree. Also, working your way up at a bank. You can easily start without a degree and they will pay for you to obtain your licenses/certifications.
Maybe a real estate agent? Don't think there is a degree to get, just a license.
There are tons of jobs! We're always made to think a college degree is the only acceptable path and that if you get one, people will throw jobs at you. It doesn't quite work that way. Do you know about the occupational outlook handbook? Bls.gov/ooh. Good resource with lots of information about all kinds of careers, including education required, pay, growth rate, etc.
@AquaGrey8962: I believe a dental hygienest makes good money and doesn't need a degree. You can get that at a local community college!
X-ray technician is a growing industry, good pay, no degree but you'd go to ~8 months of vocational training and take an exam.
collections, personal trainer, realestate agent, etc... there are a lot of careers that require, at most, a license. you can make a living +some and not have a degree
Farming. It would depend what area you're in, but poultry farming pays pretty well!
Mum is an aged care nurse, she never went to college. Child care worker, A deisel mechanic, engineer, painter, chef, personal trainer, animal carer, police officer, IT, electrician, truck driver, massuese (human or animal, I don't think either requires a college degree).
There are tonnes of jobs you can do without a college degree. FI doesn't have one, I don't have one, but we're living in a brand new 5 bedroom house rent free, with a company car, company phone, land for our horses and no utility bills, plus over 50k in his pocket and then whatever I make on top of that (i get to choose when I work, i'm a casual worker so I just go to work when I like, or when i'm needed).
I know people who are in each of those fields and they are all well off financially. None ever went to college. A lot did apprenticeships, or extra schooling, but I agree that you can definitely make decent money without going to college.
I have a relative who really wanted to be in hospitality, and was actually told in her intro courses in college that it's actually much better to get a job at the nightdesk and work your way up then start out with a hospitality degree. I thought it was great that they were so upfront about it, it really helped her out in the long run.
@AquaGrey8962: I work at a car dealership in the accounting office. I made 52k this year. My fi is a beginning service writer at the same dealer and he made 53k. He should be up to 60k this year, and I will probably be at 55k.
My first job out of college didn't require a degree and paid reasonably well, but it was a weird one. I was working for a company that catalogues data about advertisements in magazines.
If I could go back, I don't think I'd go to college, I'd probably get vocational training in something, I'd be an electrician or something. My friend is really successful as a movie makeup artist and just went to a vocational school for that.
I work for a fast casual restaurant chain as a general manager. I make 45k+ a year and I love what I do. It's by no means an easy job, but I can honestly say I have fun every day at work.
I have a friend who is a dental assistant and she doesn't have degree and I guess the average hourly wage is $18 around this area.
I'm an ultrasound tech, I have an associates but dropped out when I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. after a couple of years, I became interested in ultrasound after going to the dr with my then pregnant sister and signed up with a vocational school. While stressful and sometimes depressing, I love what I do. And I'm making around $75K with 4 yrs in The field.
I do not have a degree I have a one year post secondary education. I completed a certificate program. I have been a residential support worker, outreach worker, employment counsellor and aboriginal support worker. I supplement my education with workshops and in house training
@UltrasoundTech: I was thinking about becoming an ultrasound tech, but the program seemed really intimidating..
I have done Credit control,legal,sales ( online and print ) Customer service, marketing, Taxation, and owned my own successful business, plus had time to have 4 kids. BUT saying that I think things are very different now. My oldest daughter is in the final year of her degree, my son will enter the airforce and study engineering, and I will encourage my younger ones to get a degree. Mainly because jobs are becoming more competitive now, and I think it is more important.
I work in politics and don't have a degree (everyone else I know who does similar work has one though). I had a similar traumatic experience in college and finally had to leave a semester away from finishing. I know that sounds totally crazy and everyone says I should just go back but, like, I feel literally suicidal when I even think about it, and had to stop going because I was so scared out of my mind that I wanted to kill myself all the time. So, uh, working is better for me. I have gotten all of my jobs through networking, so the resume-weed-out never happened. And now I have probably had enough work experience so that it would be less of an issue, though I'm still getting work through networking. People just assume I've graduated anyway, since I went to school for the appropriate length of time, even though it distinctly does not show the degree earned on my resume, because there was none. Whatevs. I'd kind of like to finish but even thinking about it while writing this post is filling me with panic, so it's unlikely that it will happen. But I'm doing the exact career I wanted to do post-college, so that much seems to be working out.
To everyone saying there are bachelor's degrees you can get entirely online - where? I have had great difficulty finding nonprofit four-year institutions that offer entirely online bachelors. Lots of graduate degrees, but only like two bachelors.
PP"s have mentioned so many options. I do recommend looking into finishing online tho. There are so many things out there that require a degree period. without specifying. My position has nothing to do with my education, all they cared was that I had it.
@MASPA: That is why I encourage my children to get a degree. I don't want them limited for choice, and as you say often the degree doesn't even relate to the job.
It really depends on the degree.
There are bahelor degrees you can do online (i'm thinking about doing one that will allow me to work at a zoo or a fauna park), but a lot of them require work experience or short practicals. Considering I live in the middle of nowhere and don't have a license, and my FI, home and animals are here, online education is really the only way for me to further my education.
They all say online education, but read the fine print, because in some courses it is not ALL online, but you can find courses that are all theory and will give you a degree, be it a bachelor's, a diploma, a certificate ect.
Have you tried googling online courses in your area? As you've basically completed your degree anyway, you may be able to finish it online, I know there is nearly always recognition of prior learning in the online colleges i've seen.
I got a Bachelors of Science in Education and I am now $70k in debt and cannot find a job. No one wants to hire a teacher bc apparetly we dont have valuable transferable skills...although that is not true because we do. Make sure you know what you want to do before you waste time and money on a degree. I no longer want to teach and have no idea what to do and cannot find a decent job.
I know you're asking for jobs with NO college at all, but I'll share my experiences:
I'm an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and I completed an 18 month diploma program. Most LPN programs are shorter than that, but we had the summer off so it was a bit longer. I don't have any regrets. I make $24/hour.
I also previously worked as a Certified Dental Assistant, and made almost $20 an hour with monthly bonuses up to $500 every month. It was a great job, but not something I could see myself doing forever. Some offices will hire you as a dental assistant without any prior schooling or training, but you're going to making a lot less money than if you were certified.
My husband only went to college for one semester, and realized it wasn't for him. He has been working at a busy car dealership for over 8 years now - he started out as a car salesman, and was then promoted to the finance/business manager. He makes good money, although the hours can be really sucky.
@Scar_cats_tic: You do need a degree to be a dental hygienist - most of the time, people complete an associates degree in DH, but you can get a bachelors degree as well. I have a few friends who are dental hygienists, and the program is really intense and time consuming, just like nursing.
They do make very good money, though!
I'm 1 unit away from my BA. I've worked admin jobs for about 7 years without a degree. Boring, but pretty easy jobs! Definitely try to get a union job - they typically pay more than non-union jobs, and you typically get better benefits and better job security.
@Blondee: oh wow didn't know that! I always thought an associates and the license is all you need. That's good to know!
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