In 2018 society seems to have the impression that if you have the grades to go to college you must. However, there are many viable career paths which can earn you good money without collecting huge debt for both children and their parents.
The average wait between leaving high school and earning a reasonable salary if going to college is 7 years. Add a hefty amount of student debt on top of this, and the reality is 7 years lost earnings and deductions off your salary when you do get there.
Listed below are 3 alternative career choices that if done right can be huge earners without needing a college degree.
Specialist Auto Repairs
Becoming a standard repair shop mechanic isn’t a huge earner in itself, but there are some automotive niches which are huge business opportunities at the moment. Take bodywork for example, repairing panels (especially for rare or specialist cars) is something car owners are willing to pay big bucks for.
With paintless dent repair training, you can have your own business set up in as little as 7 days. The next step is getting some high-end customers willing to pay for your services. The best way to find these customers is attend auto conventions, meet-ups and shows.
Hand out business cards, be friendly, take an interest in your vehicles and don’t forget to take their details and follow up on leads. It might be slow going to start, but if you persevere the rewards are there for the taking.
Private tutoring
If you achieve good grades in high school then there is a lot of money to be made in private school tutoring. Parents who are desperate to get their child’s SAT results above that golden number will pay almost anything to get them across the line. Although keep in mind unlike the specialist auto repairs listed above, this is more of a part-time earner.
Choose the subjects you performed best at during school and make sure you have a full plan laid out for the students to follow. Tutoring pays good money, but it is definitely not easy money. Keep in mind these are students who are struggling at school, not just people wanting to hear you recite your course notes.
Some of the key skills you need to succeed as a tutor are patience, empathy, the ability to problem solve and teach. Because each pupil will be a different case, and you need all of the above to create an action plan to get them on the path to success.
Furniture repair and renovation
Again like with auto repairs, just training to be a furniture repairer in a general sense isn’t going to be a banker. But if you can get into a specialist area and make a name for yourself this can be a fantastic business opportunity. Think antique or custom built furniture for your business venture – this is where the money is at.
If you can restore period furniture to a high standard then there are two ways to make money. The first (and easiest) is simply to offer your services as a restoration expert, where people bring their furniture to you to repair or recondition and you charge a fee for your time.
The second, which is harder but more lucrative is to source, repair and resell period/antique furniture. However due to the various moving parts of needing to find continual supply and buyers it is a harder business model.
The above are just a few examples of ways to make good money without a college education. There are hundreds more, but hopefully that is enough to get the brain juices flowing!