is it possible to have a good job and not have formal qualifications?

fitnessguy1

hi everyone,

i am very confused at the moment because i have a sh*tty, low paid job (honestly) and i fear i won't get anything better without formal qualifications. in school i had a lot happening in my life and i didn't do so well. since i have left school i have worked in various jobs, but all of them were/are dead end. i think the problem is not knowing what i want to do. people tell me i am an intelligent guy but i just don't see it myself. i failed school and i'm just not good at education.

SailorSam

When i left school i didn't even have an 'O' level , i hadn't got a clue what i wanted to do and started at the first place i went to as the office boy. It was a small engineering works but over the years it grew and 'cos i was doing a good job i grew with it. Qualifications or the lack of them didn't matter and i moved doing different jobs as the openings came. After 7yrs i was Management Accountant but still without any qualifications.
So i'd say if you put your mind to it, with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work you can get a decent job. But then i, along with some others got made redundant and without any sort of qualifications i couldn't even get an interview for a job similar to the one i'd been doing. So Op you may get yourself a decent job if you did like me and work your way up the ladder, but without qualifications you'll be very lucky to move to another company.

Takeaway_Addict

............yes

dippy3103

Of course you can..

I know of lots of people that worked their way up from the bottom. If you have intelligence & a strong work ethic the world is your oyster x

McKneff

Yes, with a bit of luck and management, nothing to stop you.


My son left school with one GCSE and at 46 he is earning megabucks working for ICANN, some big americal company and the internet.
All down to tinkering with computers when he was young,

Bantex_2

Bernie Ecclestone seems to do OK for himself.

pleasedelete

It depends on what you think is a 'good job'. this will vary from person to person

You will not be able to have a professional job as these require qualifications although not all are well paid (doctor, lawyer, accountant, teacher etc etc)

Not having a GCSE or equivalent in English and maths may hinder employment as for many lower levels vocational (on the job) qualifications it is either essential or desirable.

Overall there is a strong link between level of education and income. Now whether the salary is what makes job a 'good job' is another question.

getmore4less

Very possible many people run companies and never really did well academically in their early life.

The traditional way to get a career without higher academic based qualifications was to go down the trade route or go out and start earing, often gaining equivalent(degree level) qualifications over a longer time with training/earning.

Some are not that hard just need practice so you can do them better/quicker and people will pay, over time you build up the skills that go with business skills if you go self employed management skills when you start employing people, etc.

There is still retail/hospitality where just being smart can get you ahead as they attract low achievers and transients(students) but hard work and low pay till you get through the first few levels where there are too many 1/2 wits.

Any interest in doing things like diy/the building trades, they can't send them overseas same with car repair and once trained on a manufacturer it is a portable skill.

healthcare is another industry that requires workers in the UK.

If a people person there are a few areas where those skills can get you on but some are more intense like sales.

Start with things that interest you.

getmore4less

One example.

I know a window cleaner that has to be creative to avoid becoming VAT registered.

ohreally

What do you define as a good job or are you looking for a lucrative job?

Bantex_2

Sales tends to pay on results rather then qualifications.