While a college education can open particular career doors, other well-paying and fulfilling jobs are available for those willing to learn on their own.
There are plenty of job skills you can learn without a degree.
These may be skills you developed alongside your studies, something you considered a hobby, have a knack for, and/or greatly enjoy doing in your own time.
The fact that you can make a living doing the things you love and excel at, without having to earn a degree for it, might surprise you.
Top Ten Job Skills You Can Learn Without a Degree
1. Web Design
We’ve reached an exciting time for the internet. Everyone has a website, from stay-at-home moms to corporate CEOs.
People who don’t have one, want one.
People who do have one, wish to change it or make it better.
After all, our instinct nowadays is to search for a person, company, or brand we want to know more about online.
Employers and customers can develop favorable impressions of who they want to work with just by looking at a well-made website.
It’s a great time to start teaching yourself how to code.
Start by learning basic HTML and CSS. From there, you can move on to more recent languages like HTML5, CSS3, PHP, and so on.
There are online resources through which even kids can learn how to code.
There is a huge demand for web designers, especially those who do their job well, on the market, from big companies to start-ups.
The quality of the work you put out speaks for itself.
And thanks to the resources available at the click of a button online, you can build your skills as a professional web designer without having to enroll in an expensive 4-year college for it.
2. Freelance Writing
Someone has to professionally write and edit the information posted on the websites that are springing up.
If you did well in English, and you enjoy writing, you can undoubtedly seek work as a freelance writer, or a content writer.
Remember, writing is like exercise. The more you read and write, the stronger it will get.
To polish up your writing and impress potential employers to give you a shot, there a variety of classes and courses you can sign up for to level up your work even more.
From grammar-checking software to speed writing courses, there are many ways you can continue developing your skills.
3. Catering
Do you like cooking, baking, and hosting parties?
Then you may find a career path by following in the footsteps of Kate Middleton’s family – and look where it got her!
You can start your own small catering business, or you can search for catering jobs in your area.
If you have a knack for videography and editing – another great set of skills you don’t have to go to college to learn – you can start your own cooking series, too.
Be it Instagram shorts or longer, more engaging YouTube videos, this opens you up to a broader audience as well as potential clients interested in working with you.
4. Music Lessons
We have guitar lessons, piano lessons, voice lessons; the list goes on.
Don’t underestimate the value of the skills you already have.
There are a lot of people who want to learn music but need some guidance.
Share your talents with them – you can never tell where it might take you.
Again, why not try to put yourself out there by doing short covers and tutorials online?
You don’t need a fancy set-up, and there are plenty of resources available to help teach you how to shoot and edit simple videos.
How much positive exposure you end up receiving might surprise you.
5. Teaching
Positions vary by school-district, but many schools hire high school graduates to assist in the classroom.
This can be great if you’re interested in part-time work, or if you want to teach, and you need to gain some experience before getting your degree.
Some of the positions in high demand right now are in preschool and special education.
6. Wood Restoration
There’s a need right now for skilled woodworkers.
Many people have furniture, antiques, and other decorative pieces that need restoring and refurbishing.
This is one area of the economy that won’t lack demand because people would rather restore their old furniture than buy new furniture.
You don’t need an expensive woodshop to start.
If you’ve got a little garage space, a few power tools, and some wood finishing products, you can start by doing small projects for your friends and neighbors.
Then buy more equipment for larger products later on.
Most importantly, woodworking is an art form, and by pursuing it professionally, you’ll be keeping it alive and thriving.
It may seem like a niche area to specialize in, but that also means your skills will be more coveted and valuable by those seeking your services.
7. Landscape Design
Experience with lawn care, gardening, and snow removal can build a resumé worthy of starting a personal landscaping business.
Busy people are always looking for help with lawn design, upkeep, and care.
8. Printing Services
Anyone who enjoys using desktop publishing programs or designing documents and templates may be able to find work assisting small companies who prefer to outsource their print projects.
This can include banners, signs, business cards, brochures, and newsletters.
Design experience and knowledge of working with layouts can come in very handy!
9. Photography and Videography
If you have knack for taking great photos or videos, consider setting up a local studio.
There is an ongoing need for special occasion photography at events like graduation, weddings, anniversaries, and birthday parties.
This can help build up your portfolio for bigger projects, especially as employers look for work experience and samples of your work to choose to hire you.
There are many courses and services available online to help you boost your skills!
10. Driving
Anyone can start with local projects if you have a truck, some muscle, and the ability to lift heavy objects.
You can offer your services to those who need to have the property cleared of trash or lawn debris, damaged homes emptied, and machinery moved to different locations.
If you want to make a good income driving, look into a truck driving school.
Drivers are in high demand right now, so it’s easy to get your tuition reimbursed through the company that hires you.
There are plenty of skills to learn that you don’t necessarily have to get a degree for, which can still score you a job.
If it’s something you are already good at and have taught yourself, a career using such a skill makes it even more fulfilling!
And when you know how to learn anything faster, you’ll be even more confident in encountering new learning situations, knowing you have the formula to succeed, to improve upon your skillset.
Now I’d love to hear from you!
Do you have any of these job skills that you don’t need a degree for?
Are you going to try any of these job skills you can learn without a degree?
Let me know!
Vicky Hyde is a freelance writer and culinary aficionado. Her most recent endeavor has been studying web design in her spare time. She also enjoys horseback riding, tennis, and books by Jane Austen.
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