No Degree No Longer Means No Job

Author

By Candice Reed

Publish Date

Aug. 13, 2012

Finding a good job without a college degree used to be next-to-impossible, but in today’s ever-changing world, a college education is hard to afford and often times, even harder to justify.

According to the Department of Education, the average in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities nationwide rose 8.3 percent to $8,244 this academic year versus last year, the College Board reported in its annual survey of the cost of higher education.

And that doesn’t even factor in the cost of the weekly keggers.

Added to this equation is the sad news that even college grads with masters and doctorates are finding it difficult to land jobs that are not in a drive-thru.

So what should you do if you can’t afford a four-year degree and you’re ready for a career?

Lucky for you, there are positions that will enable you to live and enjoy your life without having to join a fraternity. Many of these positions involve some training - but all offer a good salary and potential for significant income and employment growth.

At the top of the list: dental hygienists.

Darcy Rogers, a registered dental hygienist in San Diego, enrolled in to Mesa College’s RDA Program, to study for the Dental Assisting National Board. This program, also offered at Palomar College. teaches you to become a certified dental assistant and/or a California registered dental assistant.

“I didn’t go to a four-year college, but I’m making more money than my friends that went off to school,” Rogers said.

If you get freaked out by even making a dental appointment, you might need to go in another direction.

Studies show that commercial airline pilots, nuclear power plant operators, and landscape architects can pull in some big bucks without a bachelor’s degree too.

A recent New York Times article showed that personal trainers are still in hot demand. The newspaper reported that, “In a country with a 35.7 percent obesity rate, potential customers are plentiful, at least in theory.”

This certification is not very difficult to obtain and is relatively cheap compared to any other type of trade school. To be successful in this line of work you will most likely want to be a very physically active person yourself, as well as have a passion for this line of work. If you love the newest trends in fitness, and spend lots of time in the gym already, this could be the perfect career option for you, but beware: there are a lot of trainers and fit people in Southern California.