Let’s face it…not everybody likes going to school and high school can be a terrible experience for many students. Whether you’re the hands on type who preferred Shop class to English class, or an athlete who liked working as a team more than studying alone, or even someone who liked schoolwork more than schoolmates; the idea of four more years of school is unbearable. If you identify with any of these types, but still want to secure a good future, there are some great options out there for you.
For you hands on types there are a lot of great careers out there that allow you to work with your hands and they pay well. There will be some coursework in things like shop math, reading schematics or architectural drawings, but most of this will be reinforced in your daily work. The schoolwork won’t seem useless because you will be using it everyday. Best of all, most of the schooling will be finished in two years or less. Most hands on jobs have an apprentice, or on the job training aspect as well, so you can get to work right away.
Some of the careers in this category include:
Electrician – Installation or troubleshooting of electrical wires and connections. Work may take place in new or existing constructions. Licensing is required. The lowest starting wage for an electrician is $11.81 per hour, while the median is $19.90 per hour.
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Tech (HVAC Tech) – Installation or troubleshooting of heating and air conditioning systems in homes or businesses. Licensing is required to work with refrigerants. The lowest starting wage for HVAC Tech is $10.34 per hour, while the median is $16.78 per hour.
Home Appliance Repair – Repair of in home appliances like refrigerators, ovens and washers and dryers. The lowest starting wage for Home Appliance repair is $18,200 per year, while the median is $30,390 per year. The skills learned for this job can advance you to other higher paying careers.
For students who paid more attention to extracurricular activities than schoolwork, there are plenty of careers where you can capitalize on your social skills. The healthcare field is one such career. Nurses, physicians assistants and medical assistants all work directly with people – both patients and their families. If healthcare doesn’t appeal to you and you have an appetite for technology, being a help desk technician allows you deal directly with people and computer technology. You might also take business classes and work your way up to become an office manager in any number of industries.
If you’re someone who loves to learn and prefers talking to people on a limited basis there are plenty of jobs you can train for as well. Computer based jobs like software development, web design or database administration immediately come to mind. If you’re creative and visually talented, the fields of graphic design and multimedia design might suit you. A great job for someone who likes to perform research is that of a paralegal. That job offers many of the tasks a lawyer performs, without having to go to court. And it pays well. You can even find jobs in the healthcare field where there is limited or no contact with patients like medical coding or office administration.
The bottom line is, even if you didn’t like high school, that’s not a reason to bypass education and your shot at a good future. Career colleges get right down to business and offer specific training for well paying careers in a short period of time.
Careers for graduating seniors who hate school:
- HVAC Tech
- Home Appliance Repair
- Electrician
- Help Desk Analyst
- Nurse
- Medical Assistant
- Office Management
- Paralegal
- Database Administration
- Medical coding
