Whether you can’t afford to attend college or want to avoid spending years away at school, if you want to jump directly into a career after high school you may be concerned about your options. It’s perfectly normal to want to find a career you’ll love that doesn’t require a college degree—you could even start your own business after you get enough experience. Consider some of these professional careers that don’t require a degree when thinking about your future and where you want to be in ten years.
Firefighters and EMTs
The world always needs more first responders. The skills that firefighters and EMTs gain over their training and while on the job have important real-life applications that will stay with you your entire life. Some high schools even participate in programs that provide students with EMT or firefighter training and certification while they’re still attending school.
While you may not need a college degree to qualify for a firefighting or EMT career, you must participate in and pass a rigorous certification program. If you don’t pass the first time, you can continue trying until you succeed.
Hair Stylist or Salon Technician
If you love to reinvigorate your friends’ and family members’ senses of style with at-home haircuts or manicures, consider working at a salon as a hair stylist or nail technician. Beauty school programs for salon certification are both shorter and cheaper than attending college. Once you gain experience working under accomplished salon owners and expanding your portfolio, you can look to open your very own specialty beauty salon. Becoming a business owner and outfitting it with all the qualities of a high-quality salon can lead you down a very fulfilling career path.
Flight Attendant
For people that love flying and traveling to new places, becoming a flight attendant may be the best career path. Flight attendants have a balanced mixture of both customer service duties and cleaning responsibilities. Some passenger airplane companies only require a high school diploma, but others may require a proficiency certification to ensure a higher standard of service to their patrons. You’ll need to prepare to be away from home regularly, especially as a beginner—you may also work long hours at strange times. Every flight is different and can broaden your horizons, making a flight attendant job one of the most unique professional careers that doesn’t require a degree.