The game has changed in the last 20 years. People used to always say that as long as you have that piece of paper, ie a degree, then you can be successful. If you didn’t have it, then you may find it a hard row to hoe.
Though I would never say that you shouldn’t get a degree, it is not always necessary to be successful.
Many people are using the internet to make an income and most of them did not need a degree to do it.
In this article, I will go over several reasons why you no longer need a degree to succeed.
Speaking English is sometimes enough
If you speak English well enough and live in an area with low cost of living, there is plenty of work online that you can do even without a university degree. Just take a look at this guide on how to make money online in Nigeria to get some idea of what the possibilities are for anybody in the world to do the same.
You can be a content writer for a blog, whether it is your own or for somebody else. A virtual assistant is always in demand if you are an organized type of person. And if you are particularly fluent, you could do translation work for clients.
Speaking English is a key that opens many doors. Even without experience in some of these things, you can get started somewhere and build up a nice, steady income.
Go for a trade
There are many recent architecture graduates that are either looking for a job or are working but struggling to pay their student loans.
Meanwhile the guy that became a plumber out of high school already has his own plumbing business and is looking to expand.
Tradesmen are always in demand and can make great money as soon as your apprenticeship is over. Many times without needing to go to school at all.
Look into what trades are in demand for your area and start there before you start applying to universities.
Learn online
There are so many learning resources available for free online that it makes little sense to get a degree in some cases.
Let’s take graphic design as an example. There are hundreds of ways to learn how to be a designer that can all be done online and for free. Dedicate yourself to learning it online and become a designer with no debt holding you back.
You can learn marketing and get into the advertising industry by helping websites generate traffic and conversions. If you can do that then you are valuable to any company looking to do the same thing.
Some types of jobs do require a degree, so this is not ideal for every type of job you want. But, take a look at some of the companies that don’t need a degree and find one that interests you. Then dive in and learn everything you need to know to land the job!