Did anyone here not go to university but has a good job?

Question

Is it possible to earn good wages without going to university?

Answer 1

Yep. Didn't go to uni and I'm a company director

Answer 2

Depends what you mean by 'good'
I earn a reasonable living, not great, but comfortable (I own an averag house and have a decent car) and I don't have a degree. (I do have a couple of NVQ's though - done while working)
My wife earns almost twice what i do, and has just average GCSE's.
If you have the option, go to Uni. Your chances of getting a really good job (£40k plus) are damn slim without a degree from a good Uni.
My advice would be to study something you like that will be useful (don't skive off doing 'media studies' - tens of thousands gradate that every year, and there are very few jobs to go around)

If you really don't want to study, serve your time and get a proper 'trade'. Plasterers / plumbers / joiners etc earn good money and you have the option of self employment.

Whatever you do, don't take a cr@ppy job that's going nowhere just because it pays better than any other option. I guarantee you'll regret it.

Answer 3

I left school just after 5th Year, did a quick Higher in Chemistry (I was annoyed that I failed my Chemistry first time round whilst passing Physics and Maths, so went back to finish it off).

I then took a Job as a telephone Operator in a Hotel. Having crawled my way up the Hotel ladder in 3,4 & 5 star hotels, my previous was Front Office Manager doing both Duty Management, Hotel running, and Department running.

I tended to be a more knowing and organised manager than the Hospitality Uni Grads who had learnt it all from a book at Uni.

I am now a self employed consultant specialising in Recruitment and Hotels, and have the freedom to decide who I work with, when I work, and when to take holiday Leave.

Succes is being happy with your results. I am not going to criticise Uni's (Everyone here is doing a fine job of that), but I am happy with where I have got to.

Answer 4

Yes. I don't have a degree and have worked for UK Immigration, worked for private American companies doing logistics and am now a diver. I acknowledge that a degree is necessary for professional roles, ie. law degree or accountant or something but you can earn good money working manual for a while : building or plumbing is a good wage. I have done 1st year of OU degree and will complete it over the next five years. So best of both worlds. You can also find that degree smart people don't have the necessary working experience to get a job.

Answer 5

I never went, have a great job, work at home 3/4 days a week and get paid good money. University doesnt always equate to being able to get a good job. I work with some IT placements and they are as thick as two planks, one of them couldnt even work the photo-copier!

If you want a career in Law/Medicine/Teaching fine, but all these business studies and media courses are a cop out and a waste of time. Start earning and get experience.

Answer 6

It really depends upon what a person studies at university before you can make sweeping generalisations about a higher education being useless.

The degrees which can give a person entry to the professions have always - and still are - the most sensible choice; as opposed to the Humanities et al, which do not lead directly into any career other than teaching.

As a Law graduate, I have found my university education to be invaluable.

Answer 7

Uni is a waste of time, its experience that counts now. I went to uni for 3 years then when I graduated I couldnt get a job as I didnt have the experience to fall back on. I now work in events management, I dont enjoy it and get paid a pittance for the amount of crap I deal with, I now wish I had gone to work straight on finishing school and built my knowledge and skills up. The only good thing about going to uni was the fact I met my best friend there and probably wouldnt have done if I hadnt taken up the course I did.

But careers and work-wise, uni sucks, I wouldnt recommend it anymore

Answer 8

Yes. Left School with zip qualifications and was a coal Miner for 11 years.

Now I'm a managing Consultant for one of the largest Insurance broking houses in the World. 6 bed house. £££££ BMW the works. But I did it the hard way and went through the university of life and had to push and climb a very long ladder.

Answer 9

I guess it depends on what "good wages" are to you. I have my degree, but it really takes a degree and experience to earn my opinion of good wages, and I am not quite there yet (I am in a manger position with 4 years experience since college). If you don't want to go to college, find a good trade and start your own business. When you work for someone else you make them money, when you work for yourself- it's all yours!

Answer 10

I went to college and graduated. All my job offers started at $35K and I have friends who didn't go to college and started at $7-8 hourly. It just depends on what you make out of life, but I'd recommend going to college if you're young and unsure about life. There's plenty of professors and advisors who can point you in the right direction. I'll admit, some people are entrepeneurs like Bill Gates, but for the rest of us it's always good to FALL BACK on a college degree.
In a pool of candidates that can make all the difference.

Answer 11

Well, I had a good job in the British Army and then with British Aerospace. Then another in Baghdad at the US Embassy. Left school at 15.5 without a GCE or GCSE to my name... let alone a degree from University! Managed to retire early!