Nine Ideas For Getting Your Dream Job Without a Degree

18/08/2014
Matt Bates

Matt Bates just got his A Level results. And he doesn’t necessarily think uni is the next step for him. Here are his nine steps for getting ahead without a degree.

A Level results day has just passed and soon enough everyone will be starting to go their own ways. A lot of your peers will be heading around off around the UK to attend different universities and that in itself can be a daunting prospect if you don’t have similar plans.

Unfortunately, there is an atmosphere in this country that you have to go to university to be able to even consider competing with others for your dream job. With universities charging up to £9,000 a year (for tuition alone), it’s not surprising that many post-A Level students are choosing not to take the well-established, ‘uni route’.

But there are ways to establish yourself in the job market.

I’ve collated nine ideas on how to make sure that you can get your dream job without a degree.

1) Degrees require hard work. Just like trying to get a job without one will.

2) Get as much experience as possible.

The phrase, ‘you can’t get experience without having experience’ is only partly true. The likelihood is that you will not be working as an intern or gaining work experience in your dream organisation straight away. Build up a bank of experiences that show how passionate you are about the job that you want. After each experience, reflect upon what you have learnt from the experience and how it has helped you – make sure that you include this information in your CV.

3) Make your own experiences.

This can be difficult depending on what job you want. Get stuck in on Youtube, Twitter, Linked:in and other social networks. Speak to people who are already in the industry and network as much as possible. Show interest.

4) Work from the bottom and you CAN get to the top.

Note that I said ‘can’ instead of ‘will’. The emphasis is on ‘work’.

5) You will have a massive advantage to graduates: real-life experience. Shout about it.

Read about your job. Know who the leading figures in the field are. Develop your passion so much that it’s obvious to a stranger. You don’t know who that stranger may be.

If the cost of tuition puts you off going to university, you can learn so much for next to nothing. There are free online courses that you can complete to show your commitment to the field.

6) Network where ever you go.

Having contacts in the industry is important. If you meet someone who already has the job that you want, let them know that you aspire to be where they are. Follow them on Twitter/Linked:in and maintain a professional level of conversation with them. You never know what that person could do for your future.

7) Use websites designed for people in your position.

Websites such as NotGoingToUni and UnisNotForMe are specifically aimed at young people who don’t want to go to uni but still aim high.

8) Some jobs require a degree and there is no way around it.

If you aspire to be a lawyer, you have to have had the appropriate training, which is likely to be costly. So be realistic about what you want to do.

9) At the end of the day, a job should not define you as a person.

No matter where you end up and how you measure your own success, remember that there are so many other things about you that make you important and valid and successful.

I hope everybody got the grades that they wanted/needed and can continue to follow whichever path they desire.

I hope that these nine ideas give you confidence that going to university is not a compulsory part of your life. Whether you choose to go or not, you can succeed and find a job that you love.

Good luck for the future.

How did you do on your A Levels? What are you doing next? Have any tips for people who don’t have a degree looking for work? Tweet us: @rifemag