Exciting Career Paths You Don’t Need A College Degree For

Getting a college education is always helpful. Achieving a degree to put on your resumé will stand out to employers, no matter what field you go into. Going to college also gives you a range of useful career skills in things such as teamwork and communication. But it isn’t the best option for everybody.

Although going to college can be valuable, it’ll also cost you a lot of money. Tuition fees are hard enough to keep up with, but living costs can really grind you down. Many people question which will make for a better start to their career- a job or college? Some companies have opportunities for employees to go from entry-level to executive positions.

There are also many careers which you can build up yourself without a college degree. Many of these can be self-taught or learned with some affordable educational resources. Building up some useful skills and talents which employers will appreciate can often go further than a college degree. Here are some of the exciting careers which don’t require a college degree.

Web Developer

Web developing seems to grow as time goes on. Every company requires a website to market themselves and often sell their services online. Being able to create engaging and functional websites for people and businesses can make you a lot of money.

Although there are college courses for web developing, you may fare better by learning from other sources. HTML is relatively straightforward to learn from books or online. You should also learn other web coding languages like Javascript, PHP, and CSS to make high-quality websites. These can be harder to learn, so it’s worth taking things like Javascript training classes to get educated.

As long as you show you’re capable of making fantastic sites, your education won’t matter. If you build up a portfolio of stylish websites, you can market your services to many people. The more experienced you become, the more you can charge for your web developing services. It’s a fantastic career in which you can earn a lot of money.

Repairs And Maintenance

Learning a trade is always useful. Being able to provide repairs and maintenance for both homes and businesses can earn you a lot of money. It includes various careers. You can learn plumbing, electric, and home appliance maintenance through apprenticeships or trade schools.

One of the most interesting jobs in repairs and maintenance is becoming an elevator technician. Although it involves many years of becoming an apprentice, it’s a repair skill that can net you a ton of money. It’s not unusual for licensed elevator technicians to earn six figures a year!

It’s a career path worth considering for those who prefer hands-on work to academics. You can also go self-employed with these skills. Some people learn various repair and maintenance skills and become an all-around handyman. If you’re able to fix various things around a building, you can charge a lot for your services, and people always need maintenance work.

Photographer

Photography is another interesting career route which depends on your talents rather than your education. You can learn basic photography skills online and start working on taking high-quality images. If you want to become a professional photographer, you may need to invest in some expensive equipment- first and foremost a camera. But it’s one that can pay off.

There are many ways in which photographers can make money. If you take photos which can be used as stock images, you can sell these online. Photographers are also often hired on a freelance basis for weddings and events.

To make money as a photographer, you need to market yourself well. Social media sites like Instagram are fantastic for photographers. You can post your best images, and those who are interested in your photography can get in touch with you. You can set your own rates and take on all kinds of projects. It’s a career you can get creative with, and people pay a lot for experienced photographers.

Graphic Designer

Graphic design is a skill that is always in high-demand, as it’s a highly versatile skill. High-quality graphical interfaces are necessary for websites, computer software, and smartphone apps. Many people also pay to have enticing flyers, posters, and leaflets created for them.

Learning how to create compelling images in Adobe PhotoShop is the first step to becoming a graphics designer. You should also learn which graphic design skills are in high demand. Learning how to create brochures and magazine pages on software like Adobe InDesign makes you more valuable. If you’re able to pair graphic design skills with web coding or app developing, your skills can go even further.

Most colleges offer graphic design courses, but it’s your portfolio that really matters. You can often find freelance jobs creating all kinds of images for businesses and individuals. Using a site like Upwork can help you start to build a body of work. You could start offering your graphic design services to businesses as you get more experienced. Those with a range of skills in graphic design can find jobs at marketing firms or media departments.

Entrepreneur

Many people set their sights on becoming an entrepreneur. Although education helps, all it takes is a creative idea and a lot of ambition and drive. In fact, hundreds of entrepreneurs became successful without a college degree.

There are many online resources which can give you advice on creating a startup. Entrepreneurial blogs are often a useful source for learning. Other resources include eBooks, TED talks, and discussion sites.

Before you ever head into a business venture, you should do plenty of market research. You can often stumble upon a lucrative idea by looking into what customers want. For instance, you could identify what products are in high-demand and start selling them in an online shop.

You could also become an entrepreneur using your other skills and talents. For example, if you’re already a freelance web and graphic designer, you could create a marketing firm. Hire other talented individuals, so that you have a range of skills on board. You could start offering a variety of services to other businesses. It can be both personally and financially rewarding, so it’s a career path well worth considering.

I hope you enjoyed the post and learned a little something!

Thanks for reading, as always <3

Xoxo, Rae