7 Jobs in the trade industry you don’t need a degree for

Often we get the question, “I am looking for jobs in the trade industry, I have the experience or the ability to learn but I do not have a qualification, why can I not get a job?”

That’s the troubling part, unfortunately with unemployment being at an all-time high, employers are putting in stricter requirements to try and eliminate the masses. The tables have turned and now employers have the pick of the crop. These days it is a sad but true fact that at times a degree does make a difference on who gets the job or even on who gets paid more. And lately even having a degree does not guarantee you the job.

All is not lost though. There are options available to you if you do not have a degree. In fact, why bother with a job that requires a degree at all, if it doesn’t pay accordingly? And if that is not what you were born to do?

There are all sorts of people out there quietly making more money than most of us, in occupations assumed to be low-paying. Yes , you do have to start at the bottom and learn the tricks of the trade, but these are also usually jobs that can eventually turn into your own business. We want to help you out, so here are are 7 jobs in the trade industry that you don’t need a degree for.

While everyone streams through university and competes for the office jobs, the traditional trades have seen a shortage of new arrivals for many years. As a result, wages have gone up, but to capture the good pay for jobs in the trade industry, you generally need to run your own small business, rather than working for an existing company. The wage differential is often over 300%.

Carpenter – You need to be good with your hands and it would help to work alongside another good carpenter for a year or two.

Plumber – Slightly more traditional and formal, this will also require an apprenticeship before you can get your own license.

Welder – People always need custom steel work done on their houses, buildings, etc. Not many people know how to do it – so it is easy to charge per hour for running your welder and grinder alongside some basic design skills.

Electrician –  Before you can become a fully qualified electrician, you need to pass the trade test. You will require at least three years worth of experience in the field before you can get to the stage where you can sit the trade test.  Once you fulfill specific tests and course you can consider sitting the trade test to become fully qualified.

Painter – Hardly anyone does their own painting these days, and thus they often go searching for painting companies to handle odd jobs around the house.

Tile Setter – An ideal combination with “Painter” above, because the same skills make you good at both. This pays a little higher and you get to create fine bathrooms and kitchens. Bid out both tiling and painting, and watch the customer’s line up.

Builder – It may be possible to get casual work on a building site and to learn as you go along, but it is always best to get professional training. Being able to provide certificates or other evidence of experience in your particular area is preferable. You can learn on the job and gain experience in a practical sense as you go along.

These trade industry jobs are hard manual labor but if you have a talent for it, work hard and make a name for yourself as being legitimate and a professional business who gets the job done properly at a good price, you will hardly ever have to do marketing as people like to recommend laborers to their friends if they feel you did a good job. Word of mouth is gold in the trade industry.

This is the first part in a five part series featuring jobs you don’t need a degree for. There’s more than one way to skin a cat, if you keep your eyes open and step outside the conventional way of thinking you will clearly see that a degree is not the be all and end all of your existence.

Do you know of any other jobs in the trade industry that you can do without a degree? Leave a comment and let us know. Feel free to share this article if you’ve found it useful.

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