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1 - Start Your Own Business

Becoming an entrepreneur will teach you loads about running a business whether your venture succeeds or fails. (As long as you constantly figure out what went right/wrong.) Depending on the type of business you launch, you’ll have opportunities to learn about:

Marketing
Finance
Inventory Management
Sales

Production
Project Management
Supervision
Investing

Even the best MBA programs barely scratch the surface of all these subjects. What’s more, with hard work you’ll get paid to learn business while you’re building yours. You won’t be shelling out cash to learn business from someone who’s been in a university his whole life.

2 - Get Certified

Many Information Technology professions place more value on industry certifications than college degrees. Couple those certifications with real-world experience and you’ll have a jump on many people who’re still trudging through computer science programs. Here are some of the certifications that lead the list:

These certifications hold a lot of weight in the I.T. industry and are enough to build a high paying career. I know a few dozen people who’ve taken this route. I’ll profile one of them in my Success Stories section.

3 - Work Your Way Up

Many people in big business (and small) value time in the trenches over formal education and training. I observe this every day. It’s still viable to get into a company or industry entry-level and climb ranks to the higher paying jobs.

Just spending time in a company or industry won’t pay off unless you couple your tenure with hard work and skill development. Learn from the people above you. Your track record of success will communicate more competence than a diploma hanging on the wall.

4 - Demonstrate Your Skills

It’s akin to working your way up, and you may be able to get a great, high paying job by simply proving your ability. I know one designer who was recruited by Apple, in part, as the result of an infographic he created. His creativity and skill got him what many would consider to be their dream job.

I always send links to an online portfolio of my instructional design work when I job hunt. That visible proof of what I’ve done and can do has generated multiple job offers.

5 - Get Friends in High Places

A less predictable route to getting great work and income depends on knowing the “right people.” Do you know anyone who got a great job simply because they’re a friend of the family? It hardly seems fair, but it happens all the time. People in Human Resources know all sorts of loopholes to justify cronyism and nepotism.

You’ve got to have something to offer if you think you can connect with movers and shakers on LinkedIn. Join groups and forums focused on the industry you want to get into. Make meaningful contributions to the dialogue there. Wait for the right moment to contact another community member about an open position you’re interested in.

So what are your thoughts on these alternatives to college for getting better work and income? Who do you know that fits these trends? Any other ideas about bypassing a degree and still being successful in a career? Thanks, in advance, for your feedback.

11 Comments

Charles makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Steve, Other than winning the lottery (which doesn't qualify as getting a career), this looks like a prety good list. I know a few people in every category, but also know people who've done quite well because of their formal schooling and degrees.
Bonnie makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Nice post! The problem I see is that many companies/organizations still require college degrees for higher-level positions, regardless of the "informal" education and experience a person has. What sucks is that the degrees don't mean anything. I'm not saying degrees are worthless. I'm saying the companies often don't care what type of degree it is. It could be a degree in history or political science or basket weaving... they don't care. It's like they believe a diploma has some magical power that will make someone a better manager. When it comes to possible internal promotions, they'll ignore employees with years of experience in their own organization and hire an outsider with a degree. Gee, this sounds like sour grapes, huh? But it's not. I do have a degree, and I am not looking for a promotion. I just think it's dumb and unfair that so many excellent workers are shut out by clueless companies. (End of rant.)
Joel Deceuster makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Starting a business. Here at the Management Society we are big believers in starting a business in order to be self sufficient. Especially for those over 50 who face tremendous age discrimination here in the Silicon Valley. We have started an extensive entrepreneruship program in our chapter to help those who want to start their own home based businesses or for those who want a more scaleable, venture funded business. The Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship is sending their top professors every month to San Jose to teach college level course work in entrepreneurship. We currently have 85+ people attending. We provide mentors and other worthy resources to add to the success of those who participate. To learn more visit out web site or join our LinkedIn group at the Silicon Valley Chapter. Joel
Debora makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Great article. Interesting concepts I agree, but my advice to my own children: get your degree(s). As soon as you can. For one, because it has been my experience that the more time a person spends in school, the less time they will have to spend working. Having a degree gives you options. And secondly, I think you learn certain skills earning a degree, even if it's in basket weaving. How to meet deadlines, prioritize work, multi-task, function in a group, interact with people, and communication skills. But building your own business is a great idea no matter what your education.
Steve makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Thanks Charles, Bonnie, Joel and Debora for your input. Sometimes people want a definite up-or-down about getting a college degree. I'll write an article about the average incomes of college graduates vs. those who haven't finished, then write something like this that discusses alternatives to college. My recurring advice is to determine where you want to go, and see if college is necessary to get there. I always maintain that you have to get continuing education, and keep learning and teaching yourself, but those things are possible outside of universities. Keep coming back...we'll explore this more
Steve makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

The degree is a key, it is a key to open the door. If I have 100 resumes for a position, I use education as a way to sort the stack. I also believe that gaining a degree is difficult and shows a lot of fortitude in finishing a project. I want finishers to do the work, not someone that starts and doesn't know how to plan out long term projects. A degree helps one with planning and goal setting. Now I am not saying that without one you cannot grow. However, in my own personal way it has helped. I went back to school at 30 and graduated at 34, my education has open some more doors in my business and has helped my income potential 3 fold. Again not saying it is for everyone but it sure has helped me and my family over the last 15 years.
Steve @ BetterLearningBetterEarning.com makes this comment

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

@Steve - yes, that's what perplexes a lot of people; averages saying your best bet is the degree, and then many exceptions where people without the time/$ investment in school who've done quite well. I've got a BA and MA myself, but the skills I use in my job have little to do with the curriculums of those programs. To your point, someone else who does the same work as I do, and works just as hard, also makes about $12K less per year than I do - no degrees!
BC makes this comment

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Bonnie, are you saying that the grueling, sometimes gut-wrenching years I spent getting a degree should mean nothing to a highering manager? As Steve remarked, a degree is more than just a piece of paper, it's a key. I learned more about myself and how to be a finisher by getting a deploma than I could have in almost any other way. That's what we managers are looking for when we hire. The deploma tells us they know how to finish something really big. I realize a college education isn't for everyone. To function properly, our society needs people driving garbage trucks, CEOs, entrepreneurs, etc. But, if you're in a profession where you work for someone else and most people have a higher education, you'll always be at a disadvantage without one. Steve, I'm not trying to rain on your parade. I'm just trying to be a realist.
Steve @ BetterLearningBetterEarning.com makes this comment

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

@all - thanks for the ongoing dialogue here, really. BC - what you written here is what convinced me to finish school. That piece of paper communicates self-discipline and the ability to see something through. Other people can communicate that same message with a track record of experience, an established reputation, a portfolio of their work & accomplishments, etc. And yes, recruiters use the "have/don't have a degree" clause to sift several applicants for a job. There are so many exceptions to any rule about going to college or not. There are a lot of people with MBAs right now who have been unemployed long term. There are people who barely graduated high school who are making millions. As I mentioned before, I will continue to explore this and hope it's of some benefit to people who are still deciding.
Charles makes this comment

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

BC-You've got some good points. ONe tip: "deploma" is actually spelled diploma. :-)
Jeddie Churchill makes this comment

Monday, 24 May 2010

Best wishes - great ideas