I can’t afford to go to college and I’m kinda overwhelmed by working dead end jobs in fast food and retail. I was hoping to find something better but lack of skills and education is hindering my growth. Many people recommend taking online courses in I.T., healthcare, tax accounting and so on to get a certificate or license. I’m not sure what to search for and if local cities offer courses. Is community college a good option possibly?
Community college is a great option, but college isn’t for everyone.
If you’re willing to work hard you can make great money in construction.
Would also recommend checking out trades like electrician, plumber, or HVAC Tech. I know welders make good money too. If you like driving maybe look into getting your CDL and drive semis or even local delivery for FedEx or UPS. A lot of good options out there if you’re willing to work at it. Good luck to you!
@Sky
Community college can be a place to train for trades; you don’t have to go to be a business or math major.
Hadi said:
@Sky
Community college can be a place to train for trades; you don’t have to go to be a business or math major.
Also technical degrees, like health sciences.
@Sky
This. I don’t know which part of the world you’re in but any type of trade is pure gold. Here in Australia you can get paid to do an apprenticeship and become a qualified tradesperson. Do the time and then you can have your own business or, if you don’t want the hassle of admin, go work for someone and subcontract. There’s always going to be jobs requiring a tradesperson.
Check to see if your local library offers online classes. Try classes out in whatever sounds interesting. If you find something that you could see doing 40 hours a week, start looking for college classes. Yes, community college is a very good option.
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Inquire at your local community college. Most will have counselors on hand to help you navigate the process and they can provide info on career paths and financial aid possibilities. You may be able to get started for the current term if you act quickly, or you can start your research now to be ready to take classes in the summer or fall term. I recently took a community college class (more for my own interest than a career path) and was really impressed with the level of support that was available for students.
If you have the time and motivation you can always take free courses offered by colleges. I know that Harvard offers them. You can also learn to code (google- Aula de Python do Google | Python Education | Google for Developers) or apply for scholarships (Federal Student Aid- Federal Student Aid) many of which go unclaimed every year because no one applies for them. There are a lot of companies out there that will pay for your education/training once you are hired because they WANT people to stay/the best of the best.
My advice as someone who went to college and was where you were, if you want a higher paying job, DON’T GO FOR A DEGREE GO FOR A CERTIFICATION FIRST. Higher education is EXPENSIVE so let a future employer pay for it not you. Some jobs will require that you have some sort of education BUT they will often overlook this if your experience is what they are looking for. Don’t be afraid to apply to jobs you don’t think you’ll get. Better yet, apply for jobs you don’t think anyone else would want. Make the first goal to get your foot in the door THEN apply from within the company. But most importantly, pick a direction and DIG IN. It can suck but it IS possible.
There are lots of certifications like HubSpot and Google Analytics that don’t cost anything or are low cost.
What are you passionate about?
Depending on your age, you may qualify for enough financial aid to get through college at little or no cost. Start at a community college to get your general credits out of the way or pick a trade. If you haven’t been making real money, there’s a good chance you’d qualify.
Look into FAFSA if you’re in the US.
Look into courses that help you prepare to take certification tests. There are plenty of sites out there, such as Udemy. Just watch for their sales.
Vivian said:
Look into courses that help you prepare to take certification tests. There are plenty of sites out there, such as Udemy. Just watch for their sales.
Second vote for Udemy. I’ve used them before and I’m just about to buy a couple courses now. They’re having a pretty decent sale right now for the next four days.
@Bex
Third vote for Udemy. And yes, wait for their sales.
Western Governor’s University.
You should decide what you really want to do and figure out a way to make it happen. If you want to get into IT, then certifications can help, but you’ll really want to find an internship or some help desk job to get the experience you need to grow. Then after some time and certifications, you can move up to more advanced IT positions.
With Healthcare, you’ll probably need to take courses at a community college depending on what you want. There’s a variety of shorter programs such as CNA, Medical Assistant, Medical Coding, and many others. Look at local community colleges and see what they offer and do your research on the job boards to make sure there is a demand.
Tax/Accounting is harder to get into. During tax season if you have an Enrolled Agent certification, then you’ll probably be able to start out at a smaller company. The larger companies are more challenging to get into, but it’s still doable.
Each of the options you suggested will require a couple years of work. With the healthcare options, finding a job would be easier. IT is pretty competitive as is Tax/Accounting. As someone else mentioned, apprenticeship programs for different trades could also be a good route. Each state has some kind of workforce development agency that usually shows several apprenticeship programs available in your area. Apprenticeships are usually the best way to grow while making money. Going to community college will cost money, but most offer financing options and depending on your situation, they may have grants available for you. If you’re not sure what you want to do, give yourself a week to research and then pick something. If you don’t like that thing at first, stick it out. Most people don’t like their first job in a new career which is usually why the job was available in the first place. Good luck!
Community college is great. Talk to an advisor and look at financial aid options before making a decision.
I went to community college to try to get certified on the CompTIA A+. Complete waste of money. I feel I could have studied the same materials without the class. In fact, the class progressed so fast I felt I would have been better just taking my time and memorizing every detail of the CompTIA book. I ended up failing the test and was out the money because it progressed too fast.
Check your local library. Some offer skill classes or certificates, or can connect you with local job skill building resources.
Some libraries also give LinkedIn Learning for free or other courses, which can be done online.
Where in the world are you based? Many communities offer free or low-cost job training. Look into local trade unions for free job training opportunities.