Jobs for school leavers haven’t been the most popular option for young people in recent years, especially with so much pressure to go to college or university.

However, with graduate employment down and approximately 70 applicants for each job, degrees are looking less attractive. And of course, there is also the question of student debt, which is predicted to reach an average of £25,000 in the near future.

And university places are down too, with many young people missing out on a place this year.

So what is the situation with jobs for school leavers?

Apprenticeships are the main area in which school leaver vacancies can be found and these are now available in a huge range of subjects. So it’s not just the traditional apprenticeships such as plumbing, carpentry or hairdressing that are open to today’s school leavers.
But what exactly is an Apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are really jobs for school leavers which include training. They allow young people between the ages of 16 and 24 to learn a trade while being paid a wage. So they consist of a combination of work with a company and training, usually for NVQ qualifications in a further education college. The amount an apprentice is paid varies from between about £95 – over £200 per week and the average is £170. So that makes this option a lot more inviting than 3 or 4 years chalking up debt!

Some apprenticeships will have to pay their own college fees, but they are earning money and as with most jobs for school leavers, won’t necessarily expect this to be high to start with. At least it is better than accumulating a load of student debt,with no guaranteed job at the end of a university course.

Depending on the subject and level, apprenticeships last between one and three years
There are approximately 180 different apprenticeships in 80 different industries . so ther is plenty to choose from. Some of the more recent additions to the list of areas in which apprentices can receive training are Creative and Digital Media, Information and Library Services and Design.

Things to Consider When Looking for Jobs for School Leavers

If you aren’t able to take up an apprenticeship, you can think about going straight into the workplace. Progressive employers,who understand that learning on the job can be more valuable than a degree, will be offering jobs for school leavers.

When applying for a job, you want to consider your own interests and your long term goals. These days it is much more common to change jobs and even careers several times over the course of your working life. So you don’t have to worry about committing yourself to a career path for the rest of your life.

However, before taking a job, make sure that you will gain the sort of experience and training that you will need for your long term goals. So be sure you will be able to improve skills in computing, communication and team work, as well as any specialist skills related to the industry or career.

Entry level jobs for school leavers should help prepare you to take the next step in your career, whether in the same company or elsewhere.

Because so many people are living much longer, more services for older people are needed. This can be in the health care professions or it can be in leisure industry.

Although many older people suffer from health problems and so need some form of medical or residential care, others want to keep themselves healthy and fit in their advancing years. Also, growing older can cause financial problems, especially now that so many people have lost out on their pensions or the pension schemes they paid into haven’t been set up to take extra life span into account.

Some of the fast growing jobs related to these trends are:

Home health aides

Personal care assistants

Assistants in different medical professions, such as physical therapy assistant, dental assistant, occupational therapy assistant

Another area where employees are always in demand is funeral services, death being something which happens all the time, whatever the economy.

Another fast growing area of work which demands skills, but in the US does not require formal qualifications is the career of interpreter or translator. The type of work available will vary according to your experience, level of competence and the languages you speak.
Many translators and interpreters work sporadically or part-time and those without qualifications are most likely to work in the community translating and interpreting for people from other countries who are resident in the US or wherever the translator is based and also for agencies which deal with people unable to speak English. So this could include welfare organizations, social housing agencies, hospitals and courts.

Opportunities also exist for private detectives and investigators but generally speaking applicants will need relevant work experience, such as having worked in the police force.

Construction is another growth area. This type of work requires good health and stamina and there will be better opportunities for those who have developed specific skills

Most of these jobs will provide on the job training and it is important to check out what is available before taking a job in these fields. Although you may initially be able to work without qualifications, gaining both experience and a recognized certificate or diploma will both give you greater job satisfaction and more job security.

Source of fastest growing jobs

http://www.careeronestop.org/

Getting a top paying job is high on the agenda for many people who are out of work, or fear they will lose their job. It’s easy enough to find lists of the top paying jobs online, but will that help you actually find a job if you don’t have a lot of qualifications?

It’s true that many of the top paying jobs are very specialized and you’d have to study for years before having a chance. This is true of a lot of the professions, like medicine and law.

Since you either haven’t got the aptitude or the money to spend on a long course of full time training, you need something a bit more practical.

There are plenty of jobs which provide training as you go, but you have to be prepared to take an entry level job to start with and work your way up. So don’t expect a high salary for a few years.

And if you can’t get a trainee position, there is still plenty you can do on your own to improve your chances of getting a top job. Start off by assessing your own skills and then comparing them with which skills are in demand in the market place.

Become an expert in a field where experts are in demand. Don’t forget that an expert is just someone who knows more about a particular subject than the average person. So you could think about becoming an expert in using a particular software package or in a segment of a particular industry.  Look at where you strengths lie and what you most enjoy doing and see if you can get your skills and experience to expert level by attending conferences, reading, taking short courses, researching on the internet or just practising your skills in and outside work.

Gaining experience can be difficult and lack of experience can hold you back. However, there are ways to do this. One of the best of these is volunteering. You don’t necessarily have to volunteer full time, but can offer your services in a way that suits your timetable.

Just make sure that the organization you volunteer with will enable you to gain the experience you need and develop new skills at the same time.

One of the main areas in which it is possible to get a top paying job without any qualifications at all is self employment, but you do need to have the right personality and you need to have a great business idea.

Getting a top paying job can be more difficult if you don’t have high level qualifications but it doesn’t have to be.

One of the top paid careers for English majors is technical writing. This might not have been what you had in mind when you took your degree, but if you are looking for a lucrative career, it may be the one for you.

What does a Technical Writer Do?

Technical writers create user manuals, leaflets and brochures for ordinary mortals to read and this is currently one of the top paid careers for graduates with a degree in English.

A technical writer’s job is explaining computer software and hardware, household and garden electrical items, all the latest gizmos and gadgets and so on in layman’s language and in a user friendly way, which makes even the most complex information easy to follow.

The work can include a variety of tasks in addition to the actual writing, such as liaising with photographers and illustrators, or with people testing the written instructions.

What skills do you need to be a Technical Writer?

You need to understand jargon and be able to express complicated instructions in a way which the average person can understand.

A good understanding of the products or the ability to grasp this information quickly is an important skill if you are going to write user manuals.

Probably the greatest demand for technical writers is in information technology and so having a good understanding of software the ability to learn how it use it quickly is a big asset.  You may also be required to use specialist software to set your work out.

Another important skill is the ability to work to deadlines and it is vital that you pay great attention to detail.   It can also be useful to have some design skills and the ability to use a number of different computer program

Many companies provide training on the job. However, to increase your chances of getting work in this field, you could think about taking a class in technical writing. You can do this at a local college or you can do it online, which will enable you to study in your spare time. This is particularly useful if you have a full time job.

A high level of English and good communication skills are essential and although many technical writers have a degree in English, others come from a science or computing background.

Many different companies employ technical writers, although the biggest demand is in the IT industry. It is also possible to become self employed, although it is a good idea to get some experience first, as this will enable you to create a portfolio to show to potential  clients.

If you enjoy learning new things, writing and doing detailed work, have plenty of patience and are looking for one of the top paid careers, technical writing could be the right career choice for you.

Our culture tends to consider a college degree essential to career success, but some of the most successful people in the world did not have the benefit of a college education.

So don’t be put off if you don’t have a college degree. We’ll be assessing some potential careers for you on this site over the next few months and don’t forget that a lot of people who started at the bottom of the ladder have been able to climb to the top. It really just depends on choosing your goals and making sure you are strongly motivated to achieve them.

If you don’t know what you want to do, take a look at our career change site, which helps people of all ages decide on a new career direction.

And with a three to four year college course costing many thousands of pounds or dollars, quite a few young people are more interested in getting themselves established in the workplace, rather than spending several years accumulating debts.

So what are the best jobs without a degree? The answer to this question will depend very much on your own skills, experience and interests as well as the job market in the area in which you live. It will also depend to some extent on your age, as certain jobs require experience and others are geared towards school leavers.

Apprenticeships are a great way of getting into a solid career with training and qualifications, while being paid, although wages are not high during the apprenticeship itself. These days, a very wide range of choices is available to the would be apprentice, including traditional apprenticeships in areas such as plumbing, electrical work and  carpentry, as well as business studies and computer repairs.

There are quite a few sites out there which give lists of the best jobs without a degree. A few typical examples are air traffic controller, dental hygienist and computer technical support. Source: http://www.christianpf.com/paying-jobs-without-degree/

Do you want to have a full time job or would you prefer a combination of one or more part time jobs and self employment? This gives you the opportunity to use a wider variety of skills and knowledge than a conventional nine to five job.

Do you want to use the skills you have already learned in your career or would you prefer to train in a completely different area? And would you be able to fund retraining? Don’t rule it out completely if money is in short supply as there are grants available in some fields and flexible study and training options allowing you to continue working while you retrain.

Do you want to work primarily with people, animals, with machines, such as cars or computers,with facts and figures or with ideas? Are you creative or artistic? Or are you practical, methodical and well organized?  Often we just drift into jobs and so when you are trying to come up with good career change ideas, it’s important to look at where you strengths and interests lie.

Do you like to work as part of a team or would you rather work undisturbed? Are you a leader, an innovator or do you prefer to follow instructions?

Do you like to work in an office environment or would you prefer a community based job such as teaching or hospital work? Or is retail your thing? Perhaps you’d like a job which doesn’t keep you in one place all day or you’d like to be able to travel around the country or abroad.

Are you passionate about a cause or a hobby ? Or do you want to do research?

By taking the time to answer these questions, you can narrow down your focus. There are literally thousands of career change ideas out there and this will help you find some areas which could potentially work for you.

You can also read more career change ideas in my article

Many high paid jobs require high levels of education and this usually means getting good results in specific subjects at school. Amongst the most highly paid jobs these days are many in the medical field, for example Surgeon, anesthesiologist,  orthodontist or psychiatrist. All of these jobs require good grades in sciences, as well as an interest in people and the willingness to undergo a very long training program.

What are the best paying jobs for those who are not scientifically minded?  Law is a good option, but again requires a lot of training.  Media is another popular area of study these days and offers a wide variety of careers, some of them extremely lucrative for example in TV and of course if you are a talented artist, actor or singer it is possible to make a huge amount of money, but of course, only a small minority reach celebrity status.

Professional athletes are another group who make a lot of money, but this is an area you have to start out in when you are still a child and of course, you must have significant talent as well as the willingness to work extremely hard.

Computer and information systems managers computer software engineers also earn high salaries, but again, information technology is quite a specialized area, requiring degree level study.

One group of people who can earn huge sums of money are entrepreneurs. Now that the internet is so widely available,  the potential for setting up a successful business has increased dramatically and this is an area which you can study at home, in your spare time, without spending too much. So, although there is a lot to earn, it can be done without an expensive college education.

If you want to find or create one of the best paying jobs for yoursel, you ‘ll need to start with an assessment of your current situation.

First of all, it depends very much how the list was compiled. Was it limited to a certain area and how many different professions were surveyed? What were the criteria? Top would seem to apply to having a good salary or being at the top of the tree. And what does best mean? Best for whom and in what way?  This particular list used the income, amount of stress, prospect of getting a job as well as work environment and how physically demanding the job was.  However, all of the jobs require a high standard of education or professional training, which automatically excludes a large portion of the population.

So whilst these lists may be of interest to economists and perhaps young people who are deciding which career to follow, they are of limited value to those who are out of work or looking for a change of career. If you need a job fast, a highly specialised job in a field you have no qualifications in is not going to be the top best job for you!

So it would make more sense to ask yourself what is the top best job for me at the moment? And then define who you are professionally and socially. If you already have certain qualifications which are no longer valuable in the job market is there a way in which you can use them to your advantage, such as in self employment? Or could you retrain for something a bit different, but which builds on your existing skills?

What transferable skills do you have which would enable you to move quickly to another industry? Or would you prefer to retrain to work in a completely different industry?

The first step in working out the best best jobs for you is to sit down and write out a detailed self assessment.

Travel nursing is unlike most other forms of business travel. Usually with travel for business purposes there is little leisure time available between business meetings, conventions, tradeshows, and the like, for treats such as sightseeing excursions, shopping, and entertainment experiences. But in the travel nursing profession you will be living and working in the areas you accept assignments to. When you are not working, you will be able to take in the sights and soak up the local cultures, shop, dine, and attend the entertainment and sporting events held in different regions, which makes traveling away from home so exciting.

Don’t grab a suitcase, throw in some clothes, and head out for destinations unknown expecting that any hospital or medical facility you walk into will have a position just waiting for you. The travel nursing profession is open to a variety of nursing professionals from RN’s, and LPN’s to Radiologists, Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapists and other nursing professionals. But there is a process involved and requirements that must be met before you can begin working in the travel nursing profession. You must have successfully graduated from an accredited US or Canadian nursing program. You will be required to keep your nursing license current, and if you are entering to work in the United States from Canada, you will need to provide proof of a valid nursing license and a valid work permit for working in the United States. Furthermore, keep in mind that each state has its own requirements for allowing out-of-state health care professionals to practice within their borders that must be met before you can begin working in that state.

Some people may try to persuade you into thinking that you do not need to join a travel nursing profession agency. Although you most certainly can put yourself through the lengthy and cumbersome process yourself, there are many hoops to jump through in order to inquire about their regulations and asking for applications to be sent to you. However, remember that you will need to fill these out and mail them back to the agencies that sent them to you, and then wait for a notice that your applications have been accepted. All of this work and you have not even contacted any of the hospitals and other medical facilities in that state to inquire if they have positions for traveling nursing professionals. You may even be unable to secure the no cost lodging that is made available to many members of the travel nursing profession belonging to professional travel nursing profession agencies. It is true as well that many hospitals and other medical facilities prefer working with travel nursing professionals affiliated with a travel nursing profession agency over those traveling professionals that approach them on their own.

A professional agency representing the travel nursing profession simplifies the process of finding and requesting applications from state nursing regulatory agencies around the country, and also provides many other benefits to its members. They are in contact with top notch hospital and medical facilities from around the country and they are knowledgeable about the positions that are open to travel nursing professionals wanting to work in those states. They are also more able to secure no cost lodging arrangements, high pay and bonuses for the travel nursing professionals they serve. You can learn more about the agencies that represent travel nursing professionals and about the travel nursing profession online. Of course you should check out the credentials of any travel nursing profession agency before giving them your personal information in the same way that you need to protect yourself and your personal information using the internet.

The travel nursing profession pays well and the demand for traveling nursing professionals is large with the nursing shortages that are occurring throughout the United States. Travel nursing is a wonderful way to broaden your skills as a nursing professional as you work in a variety of nursing faculties and with different nursing professionals. It is an excellent way to experience meeting new people and learning about the cultural flavors in different areas. The travel nursing profession is a perfect merging of providing those in need with quality health care, and traveling to regions you have always wanted to see and experience.