4 Careers You Don’t Need a Degree For

I went to college, and I am glad I did; I am bale to earn far more now at a much younger age doing something that I enjoy, than I would have if I hadn’t gone. My field requires post secondary training, and while I am sure I would have been able to get a rewarding job without a degree, it wasn’t something that I considered a possibility when I was in high school.

The truth is, I probably could have spared myself upward of $20,000 in tuition, and a huge headache, if I had found something that didn’t require a degree.

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Almost all of the careers I’d be interested in require some sort of post-secondary education, but there are a few good options for people who aren’t interested in going to school for a long period of time and want to start their careers as soon as possible.

Small Business Owner

Of course this is quite idealistic, however one really good way to avoid having to get a degree to make money is by using one of your hobbies or talents to open a small business.

While many people will advise you to get some sort of education in entrepreneurship, you wouldn’t need formal education for this. You could take MOOC courses or learn the way you choose to.

There are also a lot of great mentorship programs out there for entrepreneurs, which is also a great learning ground.

Phone/Internet/Cable Technicians

You would think that a technician for a communications company would need some type of formal education, but that’s not the case (here in Canada, anyway). I have a friend that works for a giant communications company in Canada who got his job through a friend. He makes far over $80,000 per year and has a whole bunch of perks to his job.

There are rigorous training programs and of course safety training as well, before you can go out on your own in the field as a technician, but the earning opportunity can be quite lucrative as they often offer living-out-allowance if you want to work in a remote area (which is non-taxable, to boot).

Truck Driver

I couldn’t personally imagine being a truck driving (mainly because I hate driving in general) but I know a few people who are and who love the trade.

There are different types of truck drivers, and of course you do require some basic courses as well as a special drivers license, the class depending on the area and the type of vehicle you are driving.

You don’t need any formal education to become a truck driver, but almost every company will put you through a training or orientation program, such as the ones offered by HGV Training and Recruitment. If you’re thinking about becoming a trucker, learn how to start a trucking company.

Blogger

Apparently, blogging can bring in a lot of dough if you are doing it right. The bloggers behind sites like Young House Love and other big, popular sites make a lot of money. Many bloggers are able to quit their day jobs and work from home on their sites.

Often, however, bloggers won’t rely on blogging income for their earnings, but they use their blogs as a platform to find more business. Many freelancers start off by blogging, to show off their work (whether that’s written, design, or what have you).

You don’t need any formal education to be successful as a blogger but you sure do need to put a lot of time and attention into it.

Depending on what you are interested in doing in your career, you may be able to find an alternative that you won’t have to go to school for.