No college degree? No problem
Don’t have the time or resources to get a college degree? That’s OK, because there are also good opportunities for workers who never completed college — careers that offer good pay and have low unemployment. CareerBuilder recently put out a list of the hottest in-demand jobs for 2018 that do not require a college degree, comprised of occupations where the number of job postings each month outpace the number of people they actually hire. The list includes other data points, such as job growth and salary.
Among occupations that do not typically require a college education and have the largest gap between job openings and hires are heavy tractor and trailer truck drivers, first-line supervisors of retail sales workers, food service managers, insurance sales agents and computer user support specialist. If you’re looking to start a new career, here’s the full list of 10 occupations experiencing growth due to these trends.
Three ways to succeed without a college degree
These tactics can take you from "degree required" to "no degree, no problem."
Highlight any and all training: Maybe you lack a formal degree, but it’s likely you’ve participated in ongoing training throughout your career. Think about job-related training, certifications, conferences, in-service training, seminars, online learning and even self-directed study. You can emphasize these types of continuing education by creating a “professional development” section in your resume.
Master soft skills: Schools rarely address soft skills, but many of these skills are absolutely critical to success in business and in life. Get a leg-up over your peers by improving your negotiation skills, active listening and delegation, for example.
Create a group of mentors: One of the secrets to building a successful career is to assemble a team of mentors who will help you along your journey. Connect with people who are in the position in which you want to be, learn their secrets and follow their wisdom.
Advice for working with no degree:
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