Interesting Careers That Don’t Require Years Of University

In the past, traditional education through university, and generally an in-depth degree program of some kind of at least 4 years was the basic level you needed to secure in order to have even a look in at most high-paying sought after jobs and be taken seriously by employers and even colleagues, but times are changing and with that comes new opportunities for people to create new ways of learning that suit them, but that can still ensure they get a good job they also enjoy.

Since everyone learns in different ways, and a degree just wouldn’t make sense for the practical and hands-on nature of many jobs these days, or since they require a natural talent that can’t really be taught, then professions that are high-paid, well respected and don’t require years of university study are now far more common.

In this post, we’ve listed out a number of those for you to help you see that you actually have many options to have a great job you love without spending years training for it in a way that may not necessarily suit you.

It’s important to note, however, that a lot of this will vary from employer to employer, and will definitely vary depending on where you’re located, as all countries, and most states have their own requirements, so it’s always recommended to check this ahead of time to see what you need – this can be especially useful when moving from one place to another.

Dental Hygienist:

Unlike dentists, the hygienists are not required to attend years of schooling to work directly with patients. They will usually be the first person the patient sees before the actual dentist and they’ll be responsible for checking the overall condition of the patient’s dental health and passing that information to the dentist who will then carry out the actual treatment required.

Although dental hygienists will be limited to working within a dental practice or hospital dental unit, they get paid a very good salary with plenty of potential for raises and additional ongoing education and training that can help advance within the field should they choose to. Overall it’s a very rewarding and stable career to have that offers a lot of variety.

Web Developer:

Web development is a highly technical job, but it requires a great degree of natural skill and creativity that can’t really be taught within a classroom environment, so you’ll often find that although many web developers have undertaken some form training in the form of a diploma or similar, a large majority of them are actually completely self-taught.

They will either work within a creative agency such as a marketing or advertising agency or else they may directly for a company, however this is quite rare and if they work directly for them then it’s usually as a consultant. The majority of web developers actually tend to work as freelancers as this allows them more flexibility and freedom over the types of projects they work on and also allows them to set their own rates for their work.

Registered Nurse (RN):

Nursing is a hugely skilled job that requires a great deal of compassion, tactfulness, empathy, and dedication. It’s also a physically demanding job, and therefore certainly isn’t a job that’s suited to everyone, or that everyone is drawn to for many reasons.

Entry to nursing in most places requires only an associate’s degree and is especially focused on the field of nursing to prepare graduates to be qualified to work in hospitals, nursing homes, and various healthcare facilities. Nursing is an extremely rewarding job for the right people, is basically a job for life, and is one that has a huge percentage of graduates who immediately walk into work straight after obtaining their degree because nurses are so in demand, so it’s definitely worth considering.

It’s also an extremely diverse job that provides many opportunities for career progression, and once you’re qualified as a nurse in one country, you’re qualified in all.

Sonographer:

A sonographer is a medical technician who’s specialized in working alongside doctors to help them diagnose various health conditions in patients by using an ultrasound machine and specialist ultrasound technology that allows them to capture images from within the body that can help them with diagnosis and treatment.

Sonographers have a very important job with little room for error because a wrong diagnosis could be fatal, so they really do require a certain skill set and since they’ll work with people all day, then people skills and high levels of concentration are required. No formal degree is required for this job, though a diploma or specialist vocational qualification may be needed for some places.

This job will require a sonographer to work usually within a hospital or specialist medical facility where they will work directly with doctors. The job itself is rewarding, fast-paced and diverse and offers good career growth, challenges, and a high average starting salary.

Electrician:

Although a small amount of vocational training is generally required for this trade, there’s no 4-year degree that’s needed, and since this is a very hands-on technically skilled job, then a university classroom probably isn’t the best place to be learning it anyway.

Electricians work under sometimes dangerous conditions and are very skilled at what they do. It’s also a very important job they have because they’re basically in charge of ensuring the safety of homes and buildings through the electrical wiring and appliances.

A lot of electricians will either be on staff at companies, such as power or phone companies, some will also work as consultants, and a growing majority of them will run their own businesses where they work privately for multiple clients on an as-needed basis so that they have the flexibility and freedom to choose when and where they work and how much they’re able to earn.

Respiratory Therapist:

This is a very special role within the healthcare industry that focuses on helping people with breathing issues. These issues can vary from people with asthma or similar ongoing conditions, right through to administering oxygen when a patient is placed on life support, so it’s fair to say that it requires a great deal of skill and concentration. It’s also a people-focused role, so having the ability to act professionally when dealing with emotional or sensitive cases is something that’s definitely a requirement.

These therapists will typically work within hospitals, elderly care homes, private medical centers, and even work for agencies that provide specialist on-call care to patients who are receiving treatment at home.

Plumber:

Like electricians and those who work in similar trades, a plumber provides a very important and specialist service that requires a great degree of skill. Many plumbers will start off their careers by completing an internship and some other vocational training and will be required to keep their skills up to date through refresher courses, though many of these are done within a day or at most a week.

Again, similar to electricians, plumbers will either work with a company on their staff or as a consultant, but the vast majority of them prefer to run their own business and will often team up with other tradespeople, such as electricians, joiners, and decorators so that they can offer their customers a more all-round service or at least a trusted recommendation.

Legal Secretary:

In the past, many people have thought of legal secretaries as having an easy job, but the job they do is extremely fast-paced, leaves no room for error, and requires a great deal of concentration and skill.

They typically work directly for a lawyer within their practice, or sometimes they’ll specialize in a specific area of law, such as property law or patent law where they may work in a company that deals with these areas. Sometimes the legal secretary may work under one or more lawyers so the daily workload will always vary and will often be accompanied by tight deadlines.

They’ll help with things like transcribing various documents, research and general administrative duties, such as booking travel for the lawyer, scheduling meetings, etc.

Although this is a very interesting job that offers a lot of variety from day to day, there’s not a whole lot of opportunities for career progression. However, it’s a steady, highly regarded and in-demand job that pays very well and comes with lots of opportunities to learn about various aspects of the law.

Commercial Diver:

Working as a commercial diver is one that requires no degree, but they will definitely need to undergo some specialist diving training to ensure their own safety and that of others. However, when working as a commercial diver, no two days are likely to be the same.

This job often involves working alongside the police, fire service and coast guard to help them find and remove things from the water. It can, however, also mean being sent down to build or repair things that are meant to stay underwater.

Commercial divers get paid a good salary for their work, and it not only requires a lot of skill and concentration but also a genuine interest in the job as it will often mean not knowing what each day will involve sometimes long hours.