College isn’t for everyone. That doesn’t mean that you should graduate high school without a plan, though.
Many high school graduates who move on to college have other routes in mind. There are many careers in the job market that don’t require a college degree.
Here are five well-paying careers you may want to look into if you decide not to go to college:
Police Officer
With a college degree, law enforcements are liable to get promoted faster, but a degree isn’t required to join every department.
However, you must pass a psychological exam, have a good credit history and provide a clean criminal record.
And of course, you must be old enough to posses firearms.
Police officers also get great pensions and retirement plans as well; many serve for 20-30 years and then leave the force to spend their remaining years with their family.
Firefighter
Being a firefighter is a great career. It’s also a great way to get a good workout in! Usually, high school graduates go straight into pursuing a career as a firefighter.
Firefighters schedule are very flexible and exciting. They also produce long-term opportunities. Many advance into the supervisor position or retire as dispatchers.
If you crave an adventure-type lifestyle with a rush of excitement in the job description, being a firefighter may be the career for you.
Mechanic
Some people choose to become mechanics or attend trade schools in order to learn more in-depth about techniques to hone their skills, abilities or range of knowledge.
However, schooling isn’t required. Most mechanics begin their careers as apprentices. They eventually move up into the field of their choice and many start their own businesses.
Web Designer
If you enjoy graphic design and computers, then you should consider web designing. Many business need websites or need upgraded web sites and web designers can make great money per hour while developing sites to the specifications of their clients.
A college degree isn’t necessary. All the skills you need can be obtained through experience, taking classes on the side, working on your own projects, reading books, or checking out web tutorials.
This isn’t an easy field, but if you love computers and are great with the web and technical-type things, this could be the career for you.
Sales
A career in sales may not sound like much, but as you advance, the perks can be worth it. If you’re a competitor and have a personable, positive attitude, you’re bound to make good money in sales.
Many companies are willing to train the right candidate with the right attitude or work experience so try applying or going in for an interview, you never know where it might take you.
A lot of sales people start out in the liquor industry selling beer or wine to distributors; if you put in the time to build your client-base and learn the materials, you could do really well in the sales industry.
You don’t HAVE to go to college to be successful!
There are many other careers out there that don’t require a college degree such as writing, real estate agent and game tester. However, by not going to college, you must have a good understanding of what you plan on doing with your life, how you plan on getting what you want out of it and how you will make money.
Take the time in high school to figure out what your skills and talents are and work with them. This will help you narrow down your options as far as a career is concerned. If you can’t afford college, you may think about taking a few classes here and there in order to further your education.
