Having a college degree will certainly not hurt your job search, but there are job options out there if you don’t have a college degree. Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of statistics to support someone going to college:
The Census Bureau estimates that someone with a two-year degree will earn on average $500,000 more over the course of their lifetime than someone with just a high school diploma. Someone with a four-year degree will earn on average $1 million more over the course of his/her lifetime than someone with just a high school education.
In addition, some potential employers won’t even consider you unless you have a college degree. In many cases, they may not be as concerned with what your major or degree was in as long as you have one. By having a college degree, regardless of what it is for, you show a potential employer that you have what it takes to be disciplined, work hard, and accomplish a goal.
One of the things you have to evaluate is what kind of career path you want to pursue. If you’re looking for a corporate 9-5 job with a Fortune 500 company, a college degree will probably be a must. But if you plan on being a freelancer or an entrepreneur and doing your own thing, you’ll probably find that potential clients are more interested in your skills and experience than your education.
Before you start school, evaluate how you plan to use that education in the job market, so you don’t just have an expensive piece of paper hanging on your wall that you never utilize.
YOUR 2 CENTS – What do you think? Is it hard to get a job if you don’t go to college?
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I definitely think though as a freelancer or even entrepreneur would benefit more from having at least some higher education. What most people don’t get from their schooling is that its not only about getting a degree. Its about networking. All of the people you are surrounded by will either be your boss, someone that will get you a job, or someone that will work for you. Education is so much more than a degree.
Also more and more freelance photographers, and designers with skills aren’t going to college. Sometimes they make it by alright but I don’t ever think that they reach their full potential if they skip out on college. There are some things you just can’t teach yourself, or learn from experience. Especially in the artistic industry. Plus it would show your clients that you do know more than you can show them and have a backing of education to your style.
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