Not every education from your home country will be accepted in the United States. Nor will work experience in your home country necessarily satisfy a potential U.S. employer. Even in such a huge country as the U.S., for example, there may be no work for a Bulgarian translator.
Don't despair - it's possible to find a decent job without a college degree. Here are seven options for which you do not need to study in college.
1. Collect tips.
Some waiters at top restaurants in New York make over $100,000 a year. The main thing is to get experience. Then you can find work in expensive and busy establishments. With an average of 19% of the bill in the U.S., you can make good money on tips alone.
Bartending is another job with a lot of potential for tips. Bartender Mike Kopczynski says he made as much as $700 in one day working at the Margaritaville restaurant in Glendale, Arizona.
Cab drivers, pizza delivery men, hotel room service, beauticians, massage therapists, and ski instructors also earn good tips.
2. Working for commissions.
Brooks O'Hara, manager of a company that operates 142 car dealerships, says they have a salesman who sells $300,000 worth of expensive cars in a year.
Working on commission alone (common in car sales) is difficult. But if you think you can do it, here are a few other professions that will allow you to get paid for your performance: insurance agent, aircraft sales agent, real estate agent, advertising sales agent, direct sales representative.
3. Doing the dirty work.
Some jobs are so unpleasant or dangerous that employers have to pay more to bring in employees. That's why you can make $15,000 a month as a fisherman in Alaska. And trash pickers in Seattle were making over $100,000 a year in 2010.
Here are some other dirty and dangerous jobs that can pay decently and don't require a bachelor's degree: welder, oil well worker, mason, chemical plant operator, firefighter, plumber.
4. Work in popular cities
Popular cities change, but while gold or oil (or whatever causes their rise) exists, workers tend to be paid well. In 2011, a waiter could make $25 an hour in North Dakota and a truck driver could make $80,000 a year.
5. Work online.
Online employees don't always get paid much. But by working from home, you don't have to spend time and money on travel. For example, you can make up to $12 an hour as a search engine evaluator without even having to change out of your pajamas.
Here are three other online positions to consider: virtual assistant, content writer, website tester.
6. Work for a company with a quick career path
According to some reports, more than 50 percent of fast-food companies receive government assistance. These are not high-paying jobs - unless you use them to advance your career. At various eateries, you can get a management position in as little as 3 to 6 months without any education.
In an interview, McDonald's CEO Don Thompson noted that 40% of the company's executives and 50% of franchise owners start out as hourly employees. This scheme also works for cashiers and in the military.
7. Start your own business.
Perhaps the best way to get around the problem of lack of education is to start a business. Smarts and savvy help a lot in this endeavor, but a college degree is not required. You don't even need a high school diploma. That's the way it went:
Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Group; Equity: $4.6 billion
David Karp, founder of Tumblr; Equity: $200 million
Kirk Kerkorian, casino owner; Equity: $3.3 billion
Vidal Sassoon, hair care entrepreneur; Equity: $130 million
David Murdoch, Dole foods; Equity: $2.5 billion
And the list of those who have limited themselves to a high school education is much longer and includes many business giants.6. Work for a company with a quick career path
According to some reports, more than 50 percent of fast-food companies receive government assistance. These are not high-paying jobs - unless you use them to advance your career. At various eateries, you can get a management position in as little as 3-6 months without any education.
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