Jump Start Your Career Before You Go To College

Start Your Career Before You Start Your Education

For most of modern America, college is a catch twenty-two. It's no secret that you can be successful without going to or completing college. However, most people, whether due to family influences, career goals, or simply trying to fit in to society, are stuck on the college expressway with only one foreseeable exit. Before you get on this road, STOP! Look around for a minute. Look ahead, look behind you, and read this set of action points to help you start on your college journey.

Evaluate Your Career Goals 

Many careers don't require college. Every career you could ever want will require special skills and abilities. Whether you have a natural abilities or obtained them some other way, you probably already have something to offer an employer or clients. 

Is your dream career in a field that even requires college? If not, why don't you go ahead and start working? I'm not saying don't go to college, I'm saying get a head start on your career and do college on the side. 

While requirements may vary state by state and city by city, it is possible that you already qualify, at least in part, for a few careers. Some examples may include construction, private investigator, police officer, firefighter, lawn care professional, elected official, martial arts instructor, artist, etc. 

If you already have the skills, why not get started now? The main push for going to college anymore is to get a good paying job. If you already have a good paying job, technically, you could just skip the college step. However, I do believe there there is still some value you can get out of going to college. For example... 

Maybe you decide that you want to start a lawn care business, a martial arts school, or something like that. Working towards a business management degree while managing your business could help enhance your business and ultimately help you make more money.

Should you decided to become a private investigator or police officer, working on a a degree in criminal justice or legal studies could actually boost your career and your pay check.

Working in the capacity of most elected officers does not require a college degree. Even the office of President of the United States doesn't have an educational requirement (Point: President Andrew Johnson had no formal education at all). But imagine how much more service you could render as president, senator, governor, mayor, judge, or sheriff, with a learning and understanding of public administration, law, criminal justice, or something in a related field. 

If you can go to college to enhance your job and ability to perform, do it!

If You Need a Degree for What You Want to Do 

So you've chosen a career path that requires a degree, whether it be an Associate, Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate. Way to go! But don't complicate your life more than you need to. For such insanity, I recommend you continue reading this article. I'm planning on a doctorate degree for myself and think you can benefit from what I've researched so far.

Find a related job or trade, then go to work, or enter an apprenticeship.

There are many careers that do require a degree. Some rightly so, others, just because someone said so. Either way, if your dream is in the field of nursing, medicine, engineering, education, psychology, or law, you need a degree. In most instances, to obtain whatever level degree, you will be required to undergo X amount of years educating yourself to receive Y career.

Why not start at the bottom and learn your way up?!

Let me explain what I mean.

Lets say you want to get in on nursing. Why not start out as a phlebotomist? You'll gain related work experience while earning your way through school. Start studying with a LPN/LVN (Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse) diploma, and start earning more. While working as an LPN/LVN, study for an ASN (Associate of Science in Nursing) to increase your pay check and knowledge. After you've completed your ASN you can progress to a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and increase your income once again. if you want to keep going on to become a nurse practitioner you can get your MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) and instantly increase your earnings. If you want more, you can finish up your formal education by getting a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice).

There are similar paths in just about any industry.

Want to become a Lawyer or a Judge? Why not start out as a paralegal or mediator/arbitrator, then earn your way through school, all the while gaining valuable working experience?

You could get an apprenticeship as an electrician, and earn your way through school to become an electrical engineer.

Get an apprenticeship in opticianry and earn your way to become an optometrist.

There are so many paths that can be taken to each ending. Why not take the path that pays you to gain valuable industry related experience? You will get a better understanding for other's roles as you work in them and will be more relatable. 

Start to Finish: Which Way is Better?

When you start your career is really up to you, it doesn't have to be when you graduate college. Most careers have a progression anyway. Why not start yours early? 

In the end, I would like you to think about how much you will have in the bank, or owe to the bank, when you finish your formal education. If you invest in yourself wisely, you will be much further ahead in your career, have more knowledge, and ultimately be more likely to have the ability to make better decisions about related work than those who went straight through school with no practical working experience. Start working hard early, work smart, and you'll be straight on the path to success.