You will get nowhere in life without a degree’, they say. We all witness a rat race to the top everyday and everybody around us is chasing after a professional degree so that they can hope to land that high-paying job so that one day they can own that dream apartment, that dream car and support a family and a lavish lifestyle. Of course, that is almost everyone’s aim in life these days. But the question we all tend to ask is, is there any job that will pay us without a professional degree. It’s safe to say that this question is not absurd; in fact, there are countless jobs in today’s world that do not require a professional degree. Here is a list of 10 jobs that pay hefty amounts, for all those of you that don’t wish to be a part of the meaningless quest for a degree in a field your heart does not lie.
1. Fashion designers and models
The one profession that pays really well and has close to zero requirements for a professional degree is the world of fashion. Let the world of fashion suck you in, all you need to do is allow your little toe in. Fashion designers are essentially required to have tons of originality oozing out and a lot of creativity that is feasible. There are a large number of designers who work in this field and are lucrative, with no professional education to back them up. Coco Chanel, Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren, Gianni Versace and Tommy Hilfiger are a few big names that the world of Fashion swears by. These designers swear by experience and the daring to never have attended fashion school.
As for models, the earlier they start, the better they are. Models, as we all know, have a shelf life in their world of cut-throat competition. But they are free to start as early as they please, without any requirement for a professional degree. All they need to have is the right kind of determination and a good figure. In the list of jobs that pay brilliantly without a professional degree, these stand at the top with an annual income as high as 50 lakh at an average.
2. Web-designers
The internet, they say, is the beginning and end of everything in today’s world. They could not have been more right about it. Remember how Facebook came in and toppled your whole world and now you cannot spend a day without opening the link to that website? Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook was no more than a college dropout when he started out. Today, everyone needs that one person who can put cyber-life into their big idea looking no farther than talented web-designers. What makes a good web-designer, you ask? Nothing more than good knowledge of the technicalities involved and the thirst to be different while making something people can easily use. Freelance web-designers earn a lot per project and they form the backbone of many high-functioning internet enterprises.
3. Hair Stylists and Make-up artists
Hair styling is a highly competitive field with the demand for stylists increasing daily. Question is, what does it take to be a stylist with a name and place in the world? It takes a little bit of hands on experience and a couple of styling classes. You have to look to make your own signature in such a field, because at the end of the day your fate is in your hands, literally. So look up a couple of styling courses and take them, practice and see how you can invent your unique style with what you have gathered. There is a lot of money and incentives waiting for you. It is a similar story with make-up artists as they need not have a professional degree, a thorough, in-depth knowledge of different styles, be it vintage or modern.
4. Linguists
Languages are important in today’s world and knowledge of multiple languages only makes you more desirable. Nowadays, where communication forms the crux of almost every enterprise, having personnel with linguistic skills only proves to be an asset. The best part of this is that you need not have a professional degree in order to be a practicing linguist, all you need is perfection in multiple languages and if need be, a certificate of the fact that you have studied this through a recognized institution. Now you see, the deal is, that certificate is not necessary if you can show your linguistic skills. Linguists make brilliant interpreters and organizations as big as The United Nations scout for people who can speak more than a couple of tongues. If you have the thirst to learn languages and the flair it takes to master them, you need not go to college. All you need is training in these languages and the desire to experience various cultures.
5. Event-planners
Celebrations look very easy but really, up close, planning these celebrations is actually an uphill task. You have to co-ordinate with at least fifty other people and for us to indulge ourselves in such tedious tasks may actually prove to be quite the night-mare. This is where our dear event-planners come from, whom with their contact base, grit and excellent networks bring to us the ultimate celebratory atmospheres. Be it a themed birthday party for the little one of the family or a grand wedding celebration, event planners bring to you the perfect mix of everything you want and everything you need, while you sit back and enjoy the event. Of course, all of this comes at a cost and rightfully so because these people are on whom the success of your celebration depends. In order to become an event planner, all you need is to have experience in the field and you can easily gain that on the job. Success and high-pays will soon follow.
6. Artists
If you can pick up your brush and paint, art will welcome you into its colourful world of success and fame irrespective of whether you have a professional degree to your name or not. Artists are only required to have the capability of making their visions coming alive and captivating the mind of people who see it. Here is where you should know, that art is not confined to merely painting, art is a whole world of expression and exposure, where words are replaced by far more poignant elements. Art is a world of understanding, perception and individual interpretations. It is not meant for everybody, but people who look within themselves and find an affinity to expressing themselves with something different must go ahead and work to fulfil that desire. Art after all, is not meant to be spoken, but it is meant to be understood and artists can only get better by doing. Art can provide strong financially sound lives to people who are involved in it. Art is important in so many different fields today. Advertisers and film-makers scout for artists who can add another dimension to magnify their works and give it an edge, making them very much in demand in today’s world of cut throat competition in visual and print media.
7. Writers
Have the skills to create magic with your words? Are you capable of writing smoothly about anything and everything under the sun? Then why chase a degree when you can simply get into the field and gain hardcore experience and sharpen those skills. A writing job, these days, is easy to come by. Other than main-stream journalism, there are numerous fields that require an articulate writer to sell their products. Content-writing jobs are waiting to be filled, and all it takes is some courage and a way with words. Most writers today are not born out of fancy universities with big degrees; they come from the lap of experience that adds up to years in the field. Moreover, most successful authors do not carry heavy degrees to back themselves up. All they have is great creative writing skills and a lot of faith to go with. Ever heard of Steve Larsen? George Orwell? Mark Twain? Agatha Christie? If you know them you should also know that none of them attended college. Perhaps, that could be enough motivation for you to go on.
8. Real Estate Agents
The by word for a high-paying job without a professional degree comes from none other than the field of real estate. You see, all it takes to flourish in such a field is immensely strong people skills and flair to sell something. Most practicing real estate agents do not boast of any professional degree, all they carry is a repository of skills that can sell anything. While starting off, of course, you will not earn much but as you progress in this field, you will find that the more experience you gather, the more you become sought after. After all, when the words begin to spread among the clients whose lives you have touched by giving them a home to build their dreams in, your clientele will increase and you will soon find yourself pocketing some good amounts of cash. Perhaps, you may even find yourself in a position to be able to start your own agency someday. All it takes is a deep understanding of people, skills of conviction and some experience. Who needs a professional degree when you can gain everything you need, on this exciting job? For further inspiration, why not look at our very own Phil Dunphy, from Modern Family?
9. Travel Blogger
Do you love travelling? Do you love discovering new places and going on exciting adventures? Most of all, do you carry within you the skills of adaptability and the desire to chase new experiences and gain from each one? Professional backpackers have become a new trend and the latest in the jobs market to earn hefty sums of money as they go forth and chase what they love doing most. The world wants to know more about each destination and what an exploration can lead to and travel and adventure are the means to give them what they seek. Travel journalists, Adventure bloggers, Photography enthusiasts, are a few of what a professional backpacker can do. All you need are basic skills like Rock climbing, swimming, surviving in places with the remotest resemblance to cities and the insatiable thirst for more knowledge. People are willing to pay you for your insights and travelogues and adventure television channels will film you as you scale unknown terrains and delve into the depth of new waters.
10. Call Center Executives
You may think this to be rather hilarious, I mean, come off it, a call center executive? You will be surprised at how much money a call center executive is capable of making. You see, in an economy like ours, where human resource gets outsourced to so many other countries, the BPO sector is actually very financially prosperous. The starting salary of an average BPO employee is around 10,000 Rupees. The educational qualification is close to minimum, with the applicant only requiring a basic HSC pass. The timings can prove to be inconvenient, but the money that can be made here beats all of the cons that come with landing such a job. So if you’re just sitting at home, with nothing to do while you await your college acceptances, this could be what you’re looking for. Good money with close to zero professional degree requirements.
All those jobs do not make you rich. In each field it is the exception not the rule. Very few make it to the top.