# Jobs that don't require college **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411 "2009-06-29T23:47:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/1 "2009-06-29T23:47:56Z")
I hate college. I hate it with a passion, I really don’t want to go, so what are some careers that don’t require a degree? I’m not looking to get rich, just secure. My real problem is I’m not mechanical or industrious or anything. The only subject in school I am interested is history. Other than that, nothing. I have looked online and found out, I think, that the State Department doesn’t require a degree. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/2 "2009-06-30T00:03:13Z")
In no particular order: Barista Office mailroom Garbageman Janitor Fast food worker Taxi/limo driver Bartender Bus driver Waiter / busboy Day laborer Cashier Construction worker Landscaper Commercial fisherman Rodeo clown ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/3 "2009-06-30T00:06:59Z")
For a second this thread really confused me. I thought I remembered reading a thread where someone said you were a millionaire lawyer with a yacht and all that jazz. Then I realized that was **Rand Rover**. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/4 "2009-06-30T00:12:57Z")
If you can pass a criminal history check, credit check, and drug screen, you could possibly get a gaming license and work in casinos. You’d probably still have to go to some training, but it would be vocational…how to deal various games, payouts, customer service. ---
**Author:** ![Otanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Otanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otanx)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/5 "2009-06-30T00:36:34Z")
Military enlisted. You will not get rich, but stick with it for 20 years, and get a retirement check. Pick a job, they train you, give you housing, feed you, send you to far off strange places. If you do eventually decide you want to go to school they will pay for that as well. There are down sides. Long hours, get sent where people want to kill you. Takes a few years before you start making an OK wage. Got to put up with alot of BS (IMHO). -Otanx ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/6 "2009-06-30T00:45:46Z")
If you’re fine with training, just not with college, there are plenty of trades out there. Plumbing, welding, etc. You can make some good money if you’re decent with your hands and aren’t stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/7 "2009-06-30T00:59:57Z")
Spelling tutors can pick up a decent amount of extra side money. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/8 "2009-06-30T01:01:09Z")
Is it possible that you’re just in a college that’s a poor fit for you? There’s a world of difference between large state schools, small liberal art schools, community colleges, religious colleges, career-centered degree programs, online degree mills… I could go on. I’m not trying to sell you on college; if you don’t like it, you don’t like it, but chances are you’ve only experienced a small subset of what a university education could be. My father was a corporate executive (Exec VP) without having a B.A. He did it by starting a small business of his own (no degree required) and then networking with those who ran much larger businesses. He used to complain to me about the idiocy of the M.B.A.s who worked under him. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/9 "2009-06-30T01:12:28Z")
> [@Otanx](#): > > Military enlisted. You will not get rich, but stick with it for 20 years, and get a retirement check. Pick a job, they train you, give you housing, feed you, send you to far off strange places. If you do eventually decide you want to go to school they will pay for that as well. > > There are down sides. Long hours, get sent where people want to kill you. Takes a few years before you start making an OK wage. Got to put up with alot of BS (IMHO). > > -Otanx IIRC, that’s a “done and done” for the OP. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/10 "2009-06-30T01:41:48Z")
In Studs Turkel’s "Working’ ,the most satisfied were garbage men. No commitment other than completing a route . They were well enough paid and left the job at work They did not sweat overnight about what was waiting for them. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/11 "2009-06-30T02:30:18Z")
Fixxed speling erer in tittle. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/12 "2009-06-30T02:38:08Z")
This government database, O-Net, has tons of information about occupations. [http://online.onetcenter.org/find/](http://online.onetcenter.org/find/) Use the Job Zone option to look at jobs requiring little to no preparation. Even the medium preparation may not require a college degree. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/13 "2009-06-30T02:49:53Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I hate college. I hate it with a passion, I really don’t want to go, so what are some careers that don’t require a degree? I’m not looking to get rich, just secure. My real problem is I’m not mechanical or industrious or anything. The only subject in school I am interested is history. Other than that, nothing. > > I have looked online and found out, I think, that the State Department doesn’t require a degree. I was just reading the page on the FSOT. Evidently, you are right, they do not generally formally require a college degree. They do note that most candidates possess a bachelor’s degree and that a substantial fraction hold advanced degrees and that some Foreign Service Specialist positions do, in fact, require degrees. I have a few friends at State and I think calling the proposition of becoming a Foreign Service Officer without at least a bachelor’s degree “a longshot” is being generous. However, you were in the Air Force(?) for some (2? 3? 4?) years, I’m sure you picked up some transferable skills then. What did you do in the service? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/14 "2009-06-30T02:56:06Z")
> [@Otanx](#): > > Military enlisted. You will not get rich, but stick with it for 20 years, and get a retirement check. Pick a job, they train you, give you housing, feed you, send you to far off strange places. If you do eventually decide you want to go to school they will pay for that as well. Or you could get out in a few years and find an excellent job with your military credentials in lieu of a college degree. It’s how I got started. There are (were?) plenty of companies that recognized such when my term of service expired, and my gross income (benefits, etc.) was doubled on my first job. Obviously you’ll have to have had a good career field. In my case, Air Traffic Control Systems, Subsystems, and Equipment Repair worked out for me, and it’s not even remotely related to what I do today nor to what I did upon exit. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/15 "2009-06-30T02:58:27Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > In no particular order: > > Barista > Office mailroom > Garbageman > Janitor > Fast food worker > Taxi/limo driver > Bartender > Bus driver > Waiter / busboy > Day laborer > Cashier > Construction worker > Landscaper > Commercial fisherman > Rodeo clown Yes, this is absolutely correct. Without a college degree, the OP is doomed to a life of menial labor, working for minimum wage until the day he dies in a freak three-way collision French-fry-grease-powered lawnmower, a bus, and a taxi which simultaneously plow into a construction site where they were building the new office mailroom for Starbucks HQ. There aren’t enough rolly-eyes smilies in the world, but then again I’m used to this attitude from people who are convinced that they aren’t worth anything if they don’t go tens of thousands of dollars into debt for a piece of paper that says they know how to learn things. OP: Don’t sweat it. I fucking hated college, too. Loathed it. Every minute there was an exercise in tedium, putting up with assholes, dealing with incompetent instructors who don’t know their own subjects, and fending off drunken imbeciles. My advice: Make a list of endeavors which you enjoy and which you’re good at. Don’t worry if those pursuits line up with actual jobs while you’re making the list. Then, go through the list, and try to see which ones could be used in a job. Then, talk to people you know (or people on the tubes) who use those skills. Ask them how they started, what training they got, etc. Go take classes in stuff that interests you (and which you think is useful.) Meet people, and apply for any job which looks interesting. The worst that can happen is you don’t get the job. If you do get the job, it will probably be something entry-level and boring, but you can observe all the other people there doing things that might interest you. Ask your boss how you get to do those things, then be willing to put in the effort to make it happen. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/16 "2009-06-30T03:01:32Z")
I index books, and although I have a college degree, I don’t think you would really need one. I would probably recommend taking one of the indexing correspondence courses that are available if this is a path that interests you, however. The American Society of Indexers website is at [http://www.asindexing.org](http://www.asindexing.org) and has a lot of information on indexing (what it is, how to get started, etc.). Also, the office manager at my last actual office job was a woman who did not have a college degree. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/17 "2009-06-30T03:12:59Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > However, you were in the Air Force(?) for some (2? 3? 4?) years, I’m sure you picked up some transferable skills then. What did you do in the service? I was in the Air Force for four years as a combat search and rescue aerial gunner. I got out a little less than a year ago because I thought I wanted to go to college. I wanted to be a child psychologist. Then I realized while in class that I hated psychology. I’ve always been interested in history. That is the one subject I’m good at, but even then my interest comes in spurts. If I had to, I wouldn’t mind going to a trade school. I got to plumbing school, I learn everything I need to know to be a plumber. Makes complete sense to me. I’m doing good in school right now. I didn’t do too hot last semester so my GPA dropped to a 3.6ish. [QUOTE=Czarcasm] Fixxed speling erer in tittle. [/QUOTE] I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/18 "2009-06-30T03:17:14Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Yes, this is absolutely correct. Without a college degree, the OP is doomed to a life of menial labor, working for minimum wage until the day he dies in a freak three-way collision French-fry-grease-powered lawnmower, a bus, and a taxi which simultaneously plow into a construction site where they were building the new office mailroom for Starbucks HQ. > > There aren’t enough rolly-eyes smilies in the world, but then again I’m used to this attitude from people who are convinced that they aren’t worth anything if they don’t go tens of thousands of dollars into debt for a piece of paper that says they know how to learn things. > > OP: Don’t sweat it. I fucking hated college, too. Loathed it. Every minute there was an exercise in tedium, putting up with assholes, dealing with incompetent instructors who don’t know their own subjects, and fending off drunken imbeciles. > > My advice: Make a list of endeavors which you enjoy and which you’re good at. Don’t worry if those pursuits line up with actual jobs while you’re making the list. Then, go through the list, and try to see which ones could be used in a job. > > Then, talk to people you know (or people on the tubes) who use those skills. Ask them how they started, what training they got, etc. Go take classes in stuff that interests you (and which you think is useful.) Meet people, and apply for any job which looks interesting. The worst that can happen is you don’t get the job. If you do get the job, it will probably be something entry-level and boring, but you can observe all the other people there doing things that might interest you. Ask your boss how you get to do those things, then be willing to put in the effort to make it happen. Yeah OP, if you want to be a famous Hollywood actor, just go for it and fuck all else. Your chances of success are great! My REAL asperations was to be a lotoin boy for the Hawaiian Bikini team. But alas, I was irresponsible and went to college. Now here I am stuck in this nice beatiful house with a nice brand new truck and a healthy 401k. Gee, I sure do wish I would have followed my heart; instead of “sucking it up” and dealing with shit I don’t always want to do. Talk about not enough roll eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/19 "2009-06-30T03:27:30Z")
You could do what I do - sell insurance. There’s a licensing test and…that’s about it. Get signed on with a churn and burn agency (they’ll take anyone with a license and a pulse), learn the ropes, and then strike out on your own. Not a glamorous career, and not a respected one by far, but it’s a living. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411/20 "2009-06-30T03:40:32Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > If I had to, I wouldn’t mind going to a trade school. I got to plumbing school, I learn everything I need to know to be a plumber. Makes complete sense to me. Don’t dismiss trade school. Plumbers, electricians, welders, and contractors can make some serious cash especially if you own your own business. The contractor that restored our house after a massive tree strike owns a true mansion with a fleet of sports cars. He is unusually good at project management but he doesn’t have a college degree. You might be like that too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jobs-that-dont-require-college/501411.md?page=2)