Degrees are often a hot topic of discussion among anyone talking about careers. There’s always a debate as to whether or not they’re actually worthwhile. People voice their opinions from either side of the debate, and it just goes on and on.

We’re not here to enter this debate again. If you know this blog then you know we believe that higher education is very valuable. The skills you learn and the things you go through during a degree can help you in all walks of life. Having said that, there’s no denying that you can get into a lot of careers without needing a degree.

This is what we’re going to focus on today; careers you don’t need a degree for, and careers you do need one for. By looking at both sides, it should hopefully show you the different types of career you can pursue if you choose to get a degree or not.

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Top Careers That Require A Degree

In this section we’ll look at some of the top careers that require a degree to get into them:

Public Affairs Careers

The public affairs career sector is very vast, and there are plenty of jobs available. The most common of which is probably a social worker. To pursue this career, you’ll need either a DSW or MSW degree. The benefits of earning a MSW degree over a DSW is that you get better qualifications and are eligible for higher jobs. It’s also worth noting that this is just one degree that leads to a career in public affairs. There are plenty of others you can pursue to get different jobs in this sector. Degrees are required as these jobs are very important. They often involve working with the public and dealing with high-pressure situations. As such, it’s vital you learn how to deal with the public and gain knowledge of various regulations and laws to do with public affairs, etc. This is where the degree comes in handy as it teaches you this information.

Healthcare Careers

There are few careers that rely on degrees as much as healthcare ones. When you’re working with people and looking after their health, you need to understand what you’re doing. The only way you can get a healthcare career is if you study for one. With a degree in medicine, you will learn all about the human body and understand how to diagnose problems and treat patients. This sets you up for a healthcare career as a doctor. There are loads of other degrees too such as dentistry, physiotherapy, and so on. The bottom line is, qualifications are required when you deal with human health.

Engineering Careers

Engineering jobs have always been in demand as they’re very well paid. But, you have to work hard to earn your wage. To even get a foothold in this career you need to study an engineering degree. They can be long and arduous, but they’re absolutely essential. This is because engineering is a very important job where mistakes can’t be made. If you engineer a building or bridge incorrectly, it can have devastating consequences. So, you need a degree to learn how to hone your craft and develop your engineering skills to the highest standard possible.

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Top Careers That Don’t Require A Degree

Now, we can look at some careers that don’t require a degree yet still pay well and offer good future prospects:

Web Design Careers

A career in web design can be very fruitful in this day and age. Companies will pay top dollar to get the best designers to work on their websites and other projects. You don’t need a degree for this career as it’s based purely on talent and experience.

Personal Trainer Careers

Personal trainers work with clients to help them reach fitness goals. You don’t need to spend three years on a degree course to pursue this career. Instead, you can get simple qualifications by taking a few short courses. This is a job that pays well, and you can be self-employed too.

Plumbing Careers

As a plumber, you will carry out all manner of work on people’s properties. It’s a career that will always be guaranteed to work as people always have plumbing problems. Not to mention it pays incredibly well too, and you can go solo or be part of a larger company. No degrees are required here whatsoever.

There is a difference between jobs that require degrees and those that don’t. In general, you don’t need a degree when your career is based on a specific skill that anyone can learn and develop. Always check if your chosen career requires a degree or not before you commit to higher education.