Traditionally, many people believe that attending college is the gateway to landing a high-paying career. But in today’s job market, that sentiment does not hold. A study found that 46% of parents prefer not to send their children to a traditional four-year college after graduating from high school even if there were no obstacles, financial or otherwise. Instead, many parents and teens are opting to take breaks to help them discover what they want to be and succeed in life. Here are a few career choices your teen can consider checking out if college is not for them.
Software developer
Software developers earn over six figures annually, and it is a job that does not require having a college degree. Many developers out there are either self-taught or attended coding boot camps instead of going the traditional route of pursuing a four-year degree.
Notable companies like Google and Apple no longer require potential employees to have degrees when applying. Google also offers accredited coding courses to aspiring software developers. Because of this waiver, software engineering has become one of the best paying jobs with no requirements for further education. It’s not too late to get your teen interested in coding if that’s what they want to do. There are several coding boot camps available to help them get started.
Digital marketer
You do not need a college degree to become a digital marketer in recent times. Most digital marketers picked up the trade by either teaching themselves or enrolling in online digital marketing courses. Google offers free digital marketing courses for aspiring online marketers. Experienced digital marketers are extremely well-paid and sometimes work as freelancers, part-time or full-time companies. They can also decide to be self-employed and run their agencies. Plus, it is a very broad field, and your teen can specialize in various areas such as social media marketing, content marketing, and paid advertising.
Skilled trades
Many people tend to overlook skilled trades when finding their careers. But the truth is, skilled trade jobs often pay extremely well and almost always do not require a college degree. Some do not even require a high school degree, but it would make your teen’s job search easier if they did. If your teen is handy, creative, and resourceful, they can try their hands at a skilled trade like plumbing, construction, and carpentry. Other skilled trade jobs such as gunsmithing are paid very well, although they would need to be at least 21 years old to enroll in a gunsmithing training school. They can pick excellent skills like creating a AR 15 80 lower receiver and many other forms of firearms.
Experienced skilled workers have years of training behind them. Your child would have to enroll in a vocational training school and work as an apprentice to help build their experience. Eventually, they would branch out on their own and manage their businesses.
Attending college is great, but it is not the only path to finding a high-paying job. But it is important that your child knows what they want and is ready to put in the hard work to be successful in the future.
