As parents, we want our children to grow up and be successful, but do we think about what our kids view as success? When students graduate from high school, they have a few options: find a job, attend college, join the military, or enroll in a program such as the Peace Corps. What does your child want to do after graduating from high school? If they're solely interested in getting to work, there are several great career options your child can choose from that don't require a Bachelor's Degree.
1. Construction Worker
If your child would like to work with their hands in a team-like setting, becoming a construction worker may be a great fit for them. On average, construction workers make around $40,000 per year. The salary for construction workers is projected to increase. As they gain experience, construction workers can move into higher positions and work for bigger companies, where they can make up to nearly $100,000 per year. Illinois, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are some of the states that pay construction workers the most within the United States.
Along with being able to move up career-wise as experience is gained, the construction industry is constantly innovating, as new designs and ideas circulate every day. For example, according to the UK-based WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, modular construction can reduce waste materials by up to 90%. These waste materials could include cement, bricks, timber, concrete, wood pallets, shrink wrap, cardboard, and plasterboard. If your child is interested in a job where they can learn, grow, and innovate in time, this career path may be worth pursuing.
2. Dental Hygienist
Another career your child may consider is becoming a dental hygienist. Dental hygienists can work in a dentist's office, a physician's office, or in a government position. If your child enjoys working with people, is sociable, and is keen on helping kids and adults alike maintain healthy dental habits, then this may be a great career path to pursue. To become a dental hygienist, your respective state's requirements must be met. This may mean enrolling in courses and taking licensing exams in order to be approved by your state.
The median annual salary for a dental hygienist is approximately $76,000. With more and more people seeking dental care and the need for basic healthcare to be accessible to Americans on the rise, dental hygienists will always be needed. The job outlook is even projected to increase at a faster rate than many other jobs in the next 10 years.
3. Legal Secretary
If your child is organized and efficient but is also interested in working in a more fast-paced environment, working as a legal secretary in a law firm or in a law-based nonprofit would be a great fit. This job would allow your child to provide administrative support to lawyers and paralegals as well as help draft legal documents and serve as a liaison between attorneys and department personnel or the court system. By working in a law firm and assisting with administrative duties, your child would also learn about how the law system operates. They would also learn some interesting information about legal happenings in the country. For example, each year, between two and three million temporary restraining orders go into effect in the United States.
Becoming a legal secretary can require obtaining a certification or enrolling in a career diploma program. Time management, strong writing skills, and a knowledge of legal terminology and technology systems are important attributes a legal secretary must obtain otherwise. The average annual salary for a legal secretary is approximately $46,000. California, New York, and Washington D.C. are some of the top-paying states for legal secretaries.
4. Customer Service Representative
If your child is very sociable and loves working with and for people, becoming a customer service representative could be a great career path to pursue. Working in customer service offers many options when it comes to choosing an industry to work in. While customer service representative salaries are on the low end, there is the opportunity for growth depending on where your child decided to work.
If your child is tech-savvy, working as a customer service representative for a telephone or tech company could be a good fit. On the other hand, perhaps your child has a passion for racecar driving. Perhaps they know various facts about the industry; for example, among average races, there are short tracks, speedways, and superspeedways that range from 0.5 to 2.5 miles long. If this is your child's passion, have them consider applying to work at a race track to work in customer service at race events.
What skills and traits does your soon-to-be high school grad bring to the table? Consider what your child is good at, what they want to learn, and what jobs allow steady growth and career advancement. A college degree is not always necessary to obtain a rewarding and professional job that can turn into a successful career.
