How To Pursue a Career Without a College Degree

High school graduation, college graduation, professional career: That’s the traditional way of thinking when it comes to careers. While some certainly require a degree to get started, we’re debunking the logic that everyone needs a four-year degree for a successful career.??

By Helen Harris

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Rachael Ray, Kanye West, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ryan Seacrest, Steve Madden, Alicia Keys. These are names that need no introduction, and whose celebrity status occupy industries ranging from tech to entertainment to fashion design.?

Despite their differences in careers, one thing all of these well-known individuals have in common is they never earned an undergraduate degree.?

You may have a clear reason for wanting to pursue a college degree. Perhaps the motivation is wanting a traditional undergraduate college experience, or maybe a bachelor’s degree is necessary for the career path you want to take, such as being a doctor.

It is my due diligence to caution any reader here who desires to be a surgeon, rocket scientist, chemist, lawyer, professor, etc.: These fields require undergraduate degrees and possibly higher education beyond. So, please, do pursue your bachelor’s if you want to enter a specialty field!??

If your interests lie in travel, marketing, graphic design or coding, cosmetology, fashion design or entertainment — an undergraduate degree may not be required. The key for these careers, and others, is to gain as much experience as possible. You can do this by getting a mentor or learning from others who have succeeded in your desired field.?

If you are unsure if the traditional four-year undergraduate degree is right for you or whether to pursue a career sans a degree, Jessica Hernandez , CPBS, CDBS, executive resume writer and LinkedIn Top Voice Job Search/Careers , offers her clarifying words on the matter.?

“The best advice I can give would be to do whatever you can to try different career fields, and then you’ll know whether something you love is worth going to school for,” said Hernandez. “And an added bonus is you’ll have already built connections in the field.”??

Top Careers Without a College Degree

The tech space is a good example of a booming career field (including roles such as DevOps engineer, Mobile app developer, web designer / front end developer and many more that tend to prefer experience and proven skills over formal education).?

Reiterating the popularity of the tech industry, Hernandez noted it as the No. 1 industry for resume clients at her company, Great Resumes Fast .?

“Tech is growing aggressively, and it's definitely one of those industries where you can acquire the skills to do it without having to go to college,” said Hernandez.

?If you are savvy with computers and programming, use that to your advantage and consider joining the tech industry. According to SHRM , salaries averaged above six figures in 2021.

In addition to those in the tech space, US News & World Report rated the top 25 best jobs that don’t require a college degree. So if you don’t already have a career path in mind, you might consider one of the options listed in the article including the following:?

• Flight attendant.
• Maintenance and repair worker.
• Electrician.
• Insurance sales agent.
• Medical assistant.
• Massage therapist.
• Firefighter.
• Patrol officer.

What Training Options To Consider?

You may not choose to attend a traditional, four-year university, but your career could still require constant learning. Most, if not all, of the above fields require certification and/or training.

For example, if you want to be a firefighter, you must first pass a written exam and physical exams. And to become an electrician, you must apply for an apprenticeship in order to learn the skills of the trade. The apprenticeship lasts roughly four years, and from there, you will take an exam to earn your license in the field.?

If you know a certain area in which you want to build your skillset, platforms such as LinkedIn Learning will be an invaluable resource to build your professional skills. This online portal specializing in business, technology and creative skills has over 15,000 courses available for you to pursue in order to build your professional marketability.?

“Whatever it is that you love to do, you can teach yourself,” said Hernandez. “You can go online, you can find the right courses to take and learn about it. You can freelance and build your portfolio in almost any space other than specialized careers, such as medicine.”

A College Degree Is Not Equivalent To Success?

There was a time — not too long ago — when going straight into college after highschool was seen as the most successful career path. It was true for me and my graduating class, and it was true for Hernandez as well.?

“Kids who are graduating have so many more options available to them than we did 10 to 15 years ago,” said Hernandez . “There are more careers now in general. But I work with a lot of executives who never got college degrees, and one of the things that really made them successful was their willingness to go the extra mile and develop their leadership skills.”

“You can get started anywhere and work your way up,” said Hernandez “It just takes being available, working hard and being diligent — and then it really depends on what your definition of success is as to how far you want to go.”

In CBS News’ article “50 Super Successful College Dropouts,” reporter Joal Ryan explained that Steve Jobs exited his college program after just one semester due to running out of money — a problem many students face today. Instead of falling into debt, Jobs built Apple, an empire valued at $2.240 Trillion as of May 2022 , according to Market Cap.?

The moral of Jobs’ success is that anyone, no matter their degree, can do anything. It just requires hard work, a mind open to constant learning and tenacity.?

Editing by Onjeinika Brooks .