The choice of whether or not to go to college is one that each person must make for themselves. While college can open up many doors to you, there are also ways to get around having a degree. This article will discuss what jobs you can get without needing a college degree and how you might be able to land such employment.
You don’t have to go to college to get a good job. In fact, in many cases, the skills you learn while pursuing a degree program will actually hurt your chances of landing a job. Here’s what you should do instead:
- Do some research on the job market in your area and figure out what kind of jobs are available.
- Take some time off before going back to school or starting a new career.
- Consider taking classes at local community colleges or online programs that focus on learning the skills you need for those jobs instead of getting a bachelor’s degree in something unrelated (like English).
- If you’re over 30 years old and have been out of school for more than five years, consider going back to school part-time while working full-time at your current job (this is called “concurrent enrollment”).
What jobs can you get if you don’t go to college
Introduction
If you’re not planning on going to college, you might be worried about your career prospects. But we’ve got good news for you: there are plenty of jobs out there that don’t require a four-year degree. You can choose from careers in fields like health care, real estate, and the culinary arts—all without incurring thousands of dollars in student loan debt. In fact, most people spend around $30,000 on their bachelor’s degrees: the average cost of a private university is $34,740 per year and the average public university costs $9,970 per year (in-state) or $25,620 per year (out-of-state). That’s a lot to pay for something you might not ever use! So if you’re considering skipping college but still want to find a great job and make great money, consider these options with proven earning potential.
1. Paralegal
A paralegal is a legal assistant who assists lawyers and other members of the legal profession in providing legal services to clients. Legal assistants perform a variety of tasks, such as conducting research and drafting documents for attorneys. They also conduct interviews, collect evidence, organize files, and perform other administrative functions.
To become a paralegal, you will need to complete an associate degree or certificate program at a community college or vocational school that offers legal assistant courses. You can begin by taking classes in English composition and basic math; courses on the U.S Constitution or legal procedures may be helpful as well. You’ll then focus on specialized areas like business law (including contracts), real estate law (including deeds), criminal law (including torts), family law (including divorce) or estate planning (will drafting). The American Bar Association also offers certifications in various specialties; they’re not required but many employers prefer candidates with them because they show proven expertise in specific areas of law .
2. Funeral Director
If you’re interested in the funeral industry, becoming a funeral director is an excellent career choice. You will need to get a license, which requires a funeral director certificate and license. Once you have those two things, you can begin working as a [funeral director].
3. Dental Assistant
Dental assistant is a job that you can get without a college degree. The dental assistant helps the dentist do his/her job.
If you are interested in science and helping people, this may be a good career for you to think about.
4. Real Estate Agent
If you’ve ever watched the show “House Hunters,” you know what a real estate agent does. They help people find homes, negotiate with sellers and buyers, and manage transactions. You can get into this line of work by going through a state-approved training program or by being licensed as an independent salesperson with some experience under your belt. Real estate agents make between $40,000 and $65,000 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The downside? The BLS reports that only 32% of real estate agents have full-time jobs. Their median salary is less than $39k annually—and that’s after expenses like gas money for driving clients around town (and paying for their own home). If you’re interested in getting into real estate but don’t necessarily want to go through any formal training programs or pay thousands of dollars up front for licensing fees (which many states require), then another option might be flipping houses—buying low-priced homes and renovating them before reselling them at a profit!
5. Massage Therapist
If you love working with people and helping them feel better, massage therapy might be the job for you. A massage therapist uses techniques like Swedish massage, deep tissue massage and hot stone massage to promote relaxation and ease pain in areas of the body. You’ll work with clients of all ages and needs, from athletes recovering from injuries to elderly people who have chronic aches and pains.
If you’re interested in becoming a licensed massage therapist (LMT), there are several steps involved:
- You must earn an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree from an accredited school of massage therapy
- You must pass exams offered by state boards of licensing
- You need about 1,500 hours — or nearly 1 year — of supervised practice before completing the required number of required hours needed to take your state licensing exam
6. Blogger
- Blogger
If you love to write and have something to say, blogging can be a great way to share your experiences with others. It’s also a good way to make money! If you want to just write for fun, that’s fine too; as long as you enjoy what you’re doing and are passionate about it, people will read your blog and follow along with whatever journey it takes them on. There are even opportunities for making money if blogging is something more than just a hobby for you. For example:
There are many different ways that bloggers can make money from their blogs—and all of them require putting in some time and effort on the front end before any profits come rolling in:
- Advertisements (ads) on the site itself
- Affiliate links within articles that lead readers off-site (for example, clicking an Amazon link takes readers away from the original site)
7. Translator
Translator
If you’re fluent in more than one language, there are several industries that hire translators. The translation services industry is growing and will continue to grow rapidly over the next 10 years, according to a 2017 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many companies need translators who can speak multiple languages fluently and accurately translate documents into English or other desired languages.
You may work as an independent contractor or through an agency; either way, you’ll need to be able to translate documents quickly and accurately while maintaining confidentiality when necessary (for example, if your employer requires it). You may also be asked to assist with editing or proofreading translations before they’re sent out for review by clients—another skill set that requires specialized knowledge of both languages involved in any given exchange.
8. Chef or Baker
The Food Service industry is a big one, and it has many different sub-sectors. If you have an appreciation for food and a desire to serve others, then this may be the career path for you.
If your heart is set on working in restaurants or bakeries, there are plenty of options for you out there! You could work at a restaurant as an executive chef, line cook (prep), server or hostess. Or even better—you could open your own restaurant! The possibilities are endless when it comes to owning your own business!
If hotel management is more up your alley, there are also countless opportunities available for aspiring hotel managers. There are many different types of hotels: resorts with pools and spas; urban hotels with lots of rooms; or even b&bs (bed & breakfasts) which typically offer breakfast service along with other amenities such as WiFi access while staying at their property
9. Writer or Author
If you’re the kind of person who likes to stay home and write, then this could be a great alternative career for you. As an author, you can set your own hours and work from anywhere in the world (as long as there’s WiFi).
You can write fiction or non-fiction books and stories; short stories, novels or poetry; articles for magazines or newspapers; blog posts about your experience traveling through Europe on a Vespa; whatever your imagination can conjure up!
The best part about writing is that it doesn’t involve any formal education requirements—you just need to learn how to do it well. This means that people without college degrees can still make good money doing what they love most: writing!
10. Court Reporter
Court reporting is a job that requires a lot of training, but it’s one you can do without a college degree. Most court reporters have at least a high school diploma or equivalent, and many have bachelor’s degrees in English or speech.
Court reporting involves recording and transcribing proceedings such as trials, depositions and meetings in real time. This can be done on paper or through computer software, which allows the court reporter to type while they are listening and speaking into their microphone headset at the same time. The accuracy and speed of this work is crucial because any errors that occur during transcription will result in inaccurate transcripts being given to attorneys and judges involved with the case at hand.
Some courts require court reporters who work within their jurisdiction to be certified by National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). To become certified, applicants must pass an exam consisting of three parts: dictation (writing down testimony), proofreading (listening for mistakes) and transcription (listening for mistakes).
You can still have a great career without going to college!
You can still get a great job without going to college!
Think about it: Not everyone needs to go to college. In fact, there are many successful people who didn’t pursue higher education and still have great careers.
As a matter of fact, many companies hire people directly out of high school or after they’ve finished their military service. And while these types of jobs don’t require the same level of training that college courses do, they do require skills like hard work and dedication—which you’ll learn while working them!
Conclusion
So it turns out that there are plenty of jobs you can get without a college degree. We’ve listed ten of them here, but there are many more! So if you want to start your career now and not wait four years or so until you finish your degree, check out these jobs. You’ll be able to make great money while building your skills in fields that interest you—and who knows? Maybe one day down the line you’ll go back to college for an advanced degree.