From a young age it is instilled in a student’s mind that college is the main objective to a successful career and future. Schools stress the importance of testing, essays, volunteer work, and other factors to guide them to recieving their acceptance letter.

What is often forgotten are possibilities outside a degree. As with everything else, college is not the answer for everyone. Don’t panic, there are plenty of alternatives out there.

There is always the route of going straight into the workforce. The key is to begin at a job that offers a path for advancement, instead of one that would simply hire a graduate for a brief period in time.

Some of the most successful people in America have gotten where they are without a college degree. Networking is another big part of job hunting, with or without a degree.

A person must use the resources and people around them to help them get to where they want to be career wise; it isn’t a bad thing to seek help. Be sure to apply for more than one job, and don’t expect instant results.

More importantly, one should enjoy the profession they get into, as they’ll be there for most of the day.

A less emphasized alternative to college is volunteer work. A student can join local volunteer companies, or even internationally. To figure out which organization is just right, a little research on the World Wide Web can always help.

Vocational education and certificates are closely related to a college experience. A person is taught skills needed in any specified career field of their choice.

Vocational programs are based mostly off of hands-on classes where a student gets relevant experience about what would be going on in the career of their choice.

A lot of these programs offer guaranteed internships, which further train a student and eventually provide them with jobs. There will always be calls from Uncle Sam to answer. The military is constantly accepting new recruits for all branches. Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Army provide many opportunities.

These are some, but certainly not all of the choices out there for those not college bound. Prepare the caps, gowns, and tassels. Take a deep breath and lose no sleep, there’s life outside of secondary education.