Do You Need A Bachelors Degree To Have A Successful Career
College Vs. Debt Vs. Career
Conventional wisdom in the USA has always said that a bachelors degree from a 4-year university is the best way to get a job that pays well. But many 4-year colleges and universities have different priorities than their students, and many students graduate into major debt without a reliable career secured. Many recent graduates find that they do not even have a clear path to entry-level employment.
All of these factors lead many people to the logical question: Do you need bachelors degree to have a successful career?
Luckily, the answer is no. A bachelors degree is not the only way to land a high-paying job, create a secure retirement, or have a comfortable life. You may not realize that there are many new jobs being created that require specialized training, and employers who would prefer someone who is highly-focused on their field. A bachelors degree may qualify someone for a wider range of jobs by having them study many topics, but many new jobs need candidates who are willing to dive-in and do intensive learning on one topic for 6 months, 1 year, or up to 2 years.
Focused Job Training for A Solid Career
The old advice that you have to get a 4-year degree is proving to be out of date. The education you need for your dream career may be even shorter than a typical 2-year associates degree. It really just depends on what you want to do, and then finding the right training to get you there and get you paid well.
What Jobs Can Make You Rich Without College
The 10 highest-paying jobs you can get without a college degree all pay more than $79,000
Achieve Your Personal Goals
While your degree can have many perks for your professional goals, finishing college can be an important personal goal, as it was for John Reck ’22.
Reck is a 1% survivor of a rare infection called septicemia. He’s also suffered a heart attack, been in a coma, undergone 18 surgeries and lost the ability to walk and talk.
“Life goes on around you,” he said of his time in the hospital during his health scare. “It’s lonely.” Once Reck was on the road to recovery, he knew his next goal. After 30 years, he would go back to school and this time it was for him.
“School came upon me like a bell,” Reck said. “I’m going to go finish my degree, and here I am, alive.” He now holds his bachelor’s in graphic design. In achieving his personal goal, he has also attained a professional one. He secured his dream job as a graphic designer for a Boston law firm.
In a recent survey*, 500 people were asked what the greatest benefit was in achieving their degree, and 57% said it was accomplishing a personal goal for themselves. For first-generation college students, achieving a degree is a major personal goal for themselves and their families.
Recent graduates and Michael Riley ’18, wife and husband, walked across the stage together. Marlene is an immigrant from Peru, and Michael is a veteran, and both are first-generation college students. Finishing their degrees was a personal goal they were able to achieve together, and it was even more special sharing the stage at Commencement.
You May Like: Does My College Student Need To File Taxes
A College Degree Is Beneficial But Not Always Required
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
You dont necessarily need to go to college to earn big. There are plenty of high-income earners who did not go to college, and many high-paying industries that welcome non-college graduates.
Start-ups in technology, for example, may be more interested in your skillset and potential than a degree. You can also start your own business in something you excel at, such as consulting, marketing, design, or freelance programming all of which can pay well without a degree.
You also dont need to go to college to become an expert in an area. Personal and professional experience, coupled with online resources can give you expertise in your field that a college degree cannot. In college, you dont learn tenacity like you do from the fails and successes of real-life experiences.
In addition, your degree could be useless by the time you graduate. Take computer science, for example. The introductory programming course taken in freshman year of college will likely be irrelevant for a job four to five years later. Industries such as technology and science are always changing a better way to learn and become successful in your field is to keep yourself updated on industry news.
What Are The Benefits Of Not Going To College
Top 10 Benefits of Not Going to College
- You’ll Save a Lot of Money/Avoid Debt. …
- You Can Earn Money Instead. …
- You Could Increase Your Lifetime Investment Earnings by $1.5 million. …
- You’ll Stand Out to Employers. …
- You’ll Gain Genuinely Useful Experience. …
- You’ll Develop Truly Useful Skills.
You May Like: How To Get An Official College Transcript
Be Prepared No Matter What
What are the implications for financial planning?
Emotionally and psychologically, reassessing college plans might help you reorient your current priorities.
Maybe you’re sacrificing an emergency fund or saving for retirement because of the pressure of rising tuition. For you, knowing that there are good and for many individuals, better options outside of college might help you feel at ease putting money where it should be going.
And 529 college savings plans the most popular vehicle for college savings are much more flexible than you might realize. Assets in a 529 plan can be used at two-year associate degree programs, trade schools and vocational schools.
The most common fear stopping people from starting a 529 early is the prospect of paying a 10% penalty and taxes on the earnings should the child not use the funds for qualified education expenses, but don’t let the fear of the penalty stop you from good planning. Those penalties are offset by tax-deferred gains and recapturing state income tax deductions.
I’m about investing in people, not blindly investing in a path that everyone says is the only way to success. There are many doorways to a financially stable, prosperous life. I hope you’ll take the time to consider all of them.
Nicole Webb, Senior vice president/financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Group
Develop And Show Off Your Skills
College is not the only way to master technical skills. Candidates are increasingly investing in online learning tools to build competencies in various industries. In fact, research by Gartner shows that 43% of job candidates teach themselves one or more of the skills they need to do their jobs. If you are looking to expand your skill set before applying to a role, online learning platforms such as LinkedIn Learning or Open University are great places to begin.
That said, building new skills is not enough to impress in and of itself. You also need to be creative about showing them off on social media. The easiest way to do this is to demonstrate your credentials on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and even more visually-driven platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Think about the numerous Instagram Reels and TikToks of people demonstrating their expertise from consultants spewing job advice to artists walking you through their processes. You, too, can and should take advantage of these innovative formats.
For example, one of our graduates at LaunchCode, JeNell McCrary, recently entered the technology field and now makes YouTube videos about her experiences in a new industry on her channel, Forever GeNella. Shes demonstrating her passion and ability to learn new things quickly and autonomously. Even if youre not an expert, sharing the skills you do have can help boost a recruiters confidence that youre the right candidate.
Read Also: How To Make Money To Pay For College
Hard Work Isnt Taught In The Classroom
There are few college degrees that pave the way to six figures. It can happen but you can also earn a six-figure income without ever going to college. Im a proud college dropout, and was earning over $200,000 a year as the head of SEO at Oversee.net while my friends were working on their degrees. I went on to build and run successful companies and help others grow theirs. And Im certainly not an anomaly in the world of business success.
Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Lady Gaga are all wildly successful all without college degrees. According to reporting from the Washington Examiner, 68% of Americans dont have a bachelors degree. My position here isnt to say college degrees are worthless or cant be beneficial just that they arent necessary to achieve success.
Here are 7 reasons you dont need a college degree to earn big.
Benefits Of Having A Degree
Photo by Godisable Jacob from Pexels
There are countless reasons why you really should go to college. One of the most common reasons why students attend college these days is for the opportunity for an increased income and a boost to the resume.
College grads, on average, make much more than those working with only a high-school diploma.
Employers really do look at your education as an important aspect of your resume and many companies wont consider an applicant without a minimum of a bachelors degree. In addition, many companies offer higher entry-level salaries for a college degree. And if you study while you are working, you may be eligible for a salary increase once you graduate.
Plus, we cant discount the college experience. As cheesy as it may sound, college really is a life-changing experience. The people you meet throughout college, even though an online degree will change your life forever. There are so many research opportunities, and project experience you will gain not to mention all of the soft skills you develop from attending colleges such as time management, work-life balance, networking skills, and presentation and writing skills.
If you are worried about whether your degree will be worth the investment, do some research on which degrees, majors, and colleges have a strong record of a high return on investment. Common majors with high ROIs include engineering, computer science, economics, physics, and finance.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best College In Missouri
Securing A Trade Is A Fine Choice
“I work with teams and leaders, so I often hear from employees that a high school counselor steered them away from seeking a career in the trades. They were people smart and got good grades, so counselors assumed they were college material. And now they want to earn licenses in the trades with union protections and perhaps lead their own construction, plumbing, electric car, and wind generator repair companies as general contractors. Desk jobs ultimately bored them and were not life-affirming. These trades come with licenses and certifications that often serve people better than a four-year college generalist degreeand at perhaps a tenth of the cost or more.”
Dianne Crampton, TIGERS Success Series
Do You Really Need A College Degree To Be Successful
Save to my list
Remove from my list
Many people are told through their whole childhood that college is an absolute requirement to be successful in life. Whether it happens in school, at home, or anywhere else, there always seems to be someone handing out reminders that college is important. Furthermore, some kids feel as though their family would be disappointed if they did not attend college, which makes it much more appealing. Considering that college is regarded as an extremely important part of life, it should be easy to describe why right? Well, its not exactly that easy.
NEW!
College-level education is a requirement for many jobs in America, and those jobs will not hire you if you have not attended college. There are alternative jobs that are available for those who do not attend college, but they arent quite the same in regards to salary and benefits. Despite being helpful, a college education is not an absolute necessity. Especially in this day and age, more and more jobs are becoming available without a college degree requirement.
Some of these jobs even offer great benefits, resembling the jobs that do require a college education. More importantly, jobs that do not require a college education are much more convenient for the average everyday person in most areas, which means that more people will have a better source of income.
You wont be charged yet!
Also Check: What Loans Are Available For College Students
Access Better Job Benefits
Besides securing better-paying jobs than those with just a high school diploma, college graduates also have access to more employer-sponsored benefits. According to a report by the College Board, in 2018, 40 percent of high school graduates working in the private sector were offered a retirement plan by their employer. By contrast, 49 percent of those with a bachelors degree got offered this benefit.
Likewise, just 52 percent of high school graduates working full-time had an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, compared to 64 percent of bachelors degree holders and 70 percent of advanced degree holders.
Other Paths To Success
Talent and marketable skills can get you hired.
Look at the construction industry. Careers in carpentry, electrical, ironwork or pipefitting require only a high school diploma to get started because skilled professionals in these crafts can learn on the job and through specialized craft training.
The construction industry is a great example of how you can climb the ladder without spending four years in an academic institution.
For example, lets say you are a student in middle school thinking about what you want to be when you grow up. Youve always loved to build things and construction seems like it would be the perfect fit.
Now that you have a career in mind, you go to high school and start taking basic construction classes. After four years, you know that college isnt your next step.
So, what do you do? Apply for an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships offers training programs and on-the-job experience while earning a pay check. There are few industries that offer this type of earn while you learn opportunity.
Now that youre an apprentice, there are endless possibilities. You can become a skilled craft professional, work your way up to site superintendent and even become the CEO of a company. You can do it all without a college degree.
Degree or not, in construction you wont sacrifice a good salary.
It all comes down to skills, experience and credentials.
Recommended Reading: What Can I Study In College
Not All College Students Know What They Want
At most colleges and universities, students are expected or required to declare a major by the end of their sophomore year. This is usually for a couple of reasons.
First, to give first- and second-year students enough time to get some general education courses out of the way.
Second, to give students the opportunity to explore electives.
Needless to say, school administrators acknowledge the fact that its not unlikely for many fresh high school graduates to have no idea which career path they would like to take.
True enough, at least 80% of all college students change majors at least once before they graduate.
According to David Kirp, a public policy professor at the University of California at Berkeley and author of the 2019 book The College Dropout Scandal, some students drop out of college because of money problems, while others simply realize the fact that college isnt right for them.
Some high school graduates are 100% certain that they dont want to go to college. But then there are also those who are still in the process of mulling over as to whether or not they would get a degree.
If you are one of them and you want more time to decide, heres a suggestion: take a gap year.
Take Care Of Your Health
Above all, you canât achieve success without taking care of yourself. Maintaining your mental and physical health are crucial to reaching your goals, regardless of what those goals entail. For example, a lack of sleep can disrupt your bodyâs ability to function .
If you are taking on responsibilities outside of the classroom, such as work or family obligations, finding balance among your academic and social pursuits can be challenging. Hold space for yourself to notice when youâre feeling off, reprioritize as needed, and seek professional help if necessary.
Recommended Reading: When Does The Next College Semester Start
Its Time For Job Seekers To Get Social
Many people start their job search on sites like Indeed or LinkedIn. They search a few keywords and then browse the first few pages of listings. But often, its only the biggest, wealthiest companies the ones that pay money to keep their job openings at the top of those lists that show up. As a result, hundreds, or even thousands, of candidates apply for a very small pool of job openings, increasing competition among job seekers. Hiring managers are more likely to favor those candidates with relevant network connections, which puts students with college degrees at an advantage and those without them at a disadvantage.
For hiring managers, degrees are often a quick proof point. They indicate that a candidate has dedicated the necessary time and received the proper education to build skills relevant to a role. In lieu of a degree, candidates need to be able to prove this on their own and social media is a great way to do it. You can use your profiles like a portfolio and engage in activity that demonstrates your experience, dedication, and commitment to bettering your skills.
How do you get started? Here are some strategies you can use.