no formal qualifications needed

pinpin

missbiggles1 wrote: »

There are quite a few jobs/careers where a degree or similar isn't an actual requirement but very few people without those qualification would be likely to be considered.

That's why I'm investigating careers where entrance is based entirely on an assessment and where having a degree doesn't effect your chances of landing the job one way or another.
You do really well on the assessment stages? Hired
You don't do great but you have a degree? Sorry. Not hired.

kleapatra

Accountants are probably a good example - I have average GCSES's and just the one a-level at a grade E! I started in an accountancy firm when I left school and did my AAT and then over the years I've completed my ACCA so I'm a fully qualified accountant and earn pretty good money.

lazer

kleapatra wrote: »

Accountants are probably a good example - I have average GCSES's and just the one a-level at a grade E! I started in an accountancy firm when I left school and did my AAT and then over the years I've completed my ACCA so I'm a fully qualified accountant and earn pretty good money.

But you won't start on a decent wage in accountancy which the OP seems to want too. (I remember when i started - and i had a degree and was doing my chartered training, we worked it out and when our hours were considered we were lucky if we were even on the minimum wage)

OP - the key is to get into the industry type you want to be in, even on a minimum wage job, and then work your way up when in the company.
Look for a company that invests in people and is willing to train you on the job.

InsideInsurance

pinpin wrote: »

That's why I'm investigating careers where entrance is based entirely on an assessment and where having a degree doesn't effect your chances of landing the job one way or another.
You do really well on the assessment stages? Hired
You don't do great but you have a degree? Sorry. Not hired.

How do you think such things would work? That all 400 people that apply for each job get to go through the assessment? In reality CVs/ applications are going to be screened and only a minority will get to sit the assessment.

The challenge is knowing what the screening process is going to be but that can vary by the person doing the screening as much as by job. When I am recruiting a BA or PM I dont even look at their education section unless I am curious about their age or nationality. I dont really often look at their professional qualifications either unless I really do need someone with accountancy skills or such. On the flip side I've known others who think you cannot be a good PM without either an MBA or ACCA

pinpin

lazer wrote: »

OP - the key is to get into the industry type you want to be in, even on a minimum wage job, and then work your way up when in the company.

Thing is I don't know what industry I want to be in. I never have, and I guess it's fair to say that if I don't know now then I never will!

InsideInsurance wrote: »

How do you think such things would work? That all 400 people that apply for each job get to go through the assessment?

I don't know, but my 'railway' friend has 6 GCSE's and his best grade was a 'C'. The rest were D's and E's and he got invited too an assessment after sending in his (awful) CV. There was nothing on his CV to suggest he'd be good but he done extremely well on the assessment and is now on his way

lazer

pinpin wrote: »

Thing is I don't know what industry I want to be in. I never have, and I guess it's fair to say that if I don't know now then I never will!




I don't know, but my 'railway' friend has 6 GCSE's and his best grade was a 'C'. The rest were D's and E's and he got invited too an assessment after sending in his (awful) CV. There was nothing on his CV to suggest he'd be good but he done extremely well on the assessment and is now on his way

Have you ever tried the career finder quizzes - i can remember doing them in school but i know they ae are the internet now, they ask questions about you, your likes and dislikes etc and "match" you to suitable jobs and careers.

http://www.yourfreecareertest.com/

http://www.mycareerquizzes.com/job-quiz

and there is probably loads more

FBaby

missbiggles1 wrote: »

There are quite a few jobs/careers where a degree or similar isn't an actual requirement but very few people without those qualification would be likely to be considered.

Indeed, and I think you can write off 'air traffic controller' on that basis. The assessments for these are extremely difficult and demand a high level of cognitive awareness that unless there was a specific reason that meant you couldn't attend school, would mean that even full As at 'A' levels would most likely have been an easy achievement.

missbiggles1

pinpin wrote: »

That's why I'm investigating careers where entrance is based entirely on an assessment and where having a degree doesn't effect your chances of landing the job one way or another.
You do really well on the assessment stages? Hired
You don't do great but you have a degree? Sorry. Not hired.

But what happens with many jobs is that they have a massive number of applications so they use having a degree as a sieve and bring the number of people tested and interviewed down to a more manageable level.

pinpin

lazer wrote: »

Have you ever tried the career finder quizzes - i can remember doing them in school but i know they ae are the internet now, they ask questions about you, your likes and dislikes etc and "match" you to suitable jobs and careers.

http://www.yourfreecareertest.com/

http://www.mycareerquizzes.com/job-quiz

and there is probably loads more

Cheers.
I have taken quite a few such tests over the years.
I just took one of the ones you linked me too and it reminded me of why I find them of little use.
I found my self ticking 'slightly interested' for just about every question, and it's given me a huge lits of courses and careers with such variety that nothing is narrowed down and i'm where I was before.

missbiggles1 wrote: »

But what happens with many jobs is that they have a massive number of applications so they use having a degree as a sieve and bring the number of people tested and interviewed down to a more manageable level.

That doesn't appear to have been the case with my friend , but maybe je just got very lucky and they made a mistake by inviting him to the assessment? I don't know.

Either way, I'm sure as you say, having a degree helps, but I don't have one, so that doesn't help me much!

Thanks for those who had suggestions, but I think we're maybe out of ideas and without a degree, the options are very very limited as I kind of suspected.

I Was just temporarily inspired by my friends story I guess...

cheers

remorseless

missbiggles1 wrote: »

There are quite a few jobs/careers where a degree or similar isn't an actual requirement but very few people without those qualification would be likely to be considered.

hmmm it really depends on the role. For a doctor, sure.

But given that in the UK just 30%~ had a degree, there's a big percentage (majority really!) who don't have a degree and yet are still employed and making a decent living.

A degree is maybe an easier foot in the door, but someone with experience can look just as favourably (not as the doctor).

There are some companies that place a lot of emphasis on graduates, good on them. There are a lot of other business that don't care much about it.