Best Jobs for Those With a High School Diploma
High school is a time of learning and growing, both emotionally and physically. Some students plan on going to college after high school graduation, but others have no plans for post-secondary education. These students may have decided against it because of their financial situation or do not think they need it.
However, some people decide to stop their education even before graduating from high school, while some still go to higher education levels, including vocational schools, trade schools, or post-secondary degree programs at a community college or another institution. No matter what level one chooses to continue their education, many jobs are available that do not require a degree but only a high school diploma as an entry requirement.
As the economy becomes increasingly competitive and companies become more global, it is harder to find jobs to support families. Those who pursue higher education have better employment prospects because they are more likely to be equipped with the skills needed in today’s job market after completing a high school academic program. Here are some of the best jobs for those with a high school diploma but no other higher level of education.
Specialty Food Producers
Some food companies only require a high school diploma or general educational development for employment. A person with no higher education could work in the industry’s production, quality control, research and development, and marketing areas. Specialty food producers must be creative and curious because each product is different from the next. A salary will vary depending on how many years of experience one has in this field. This job requires little to no formal training other than providing references familiar with your work ethic or previous employment history.
Hand Laborers
This is one of the best jobs for those with a high school diploma who typically require no experience and only a high school diploma or GED. You might be responsible for making handmade furniture, working with a roofer, who does janitorial companies at an auto body repair shop, and moving materials that are too heavy to lift, making this occupation good for someone muscular wants to work in the construction industry.
Plumbing Jobs
Here is another option for the best jobs for those with a high school diploma with great employment opportunities available right now! Many real estate agents are seeking plumbing professionals at an increasing rate. Plumbers install and repair piping in residential and commercial locations, so if you enjoy solving problems related to water supply, then this may be just the right fit for you!
Plumbers connect the piping systems of buildings. They bring together pipes that carry out dirty water or sewage and separate pipes that take clean water for drinking or cooking. During their day, plumbers will do everything from hanging new pipes to finishing entire plumbing projects within a building. To become a plumber, you only need an apprenticeship program, usually less than one year long, depending on your location. You’ll learn how to install and maintain pipes and read blueprints to install big projects like boilers or furnaces easily.
Again, plumbing assistants’ jobs are also on the top list of the best jobs for those with a high school diploma that require technical skills because they will be reading blueprints and following them to install piping for water or gas lines in a new building. They also may assist with taking out old piping in the building. A plumber’s assistant gets paid hourly.
Truck Driver or Operator
As one of the best jobs for those with a high school diploma, a truck driver is responsible for safely transporting large quantities of materials from one location to another. If you have a Commercial Drivers License and pass a drug test, this job has the potential to be very lucrative as well as enjoyable! Note that your career will require plenty of long hours on the open road, so this may not be ideal for someone who doesn’t enjoy traveling or being away from home.
The annual salary of a truck driver can vary widely depending on location and experience. With most regions’ reliance on delivery and the continued demand for goods as more and more people move into urban areas, career opportunities abound. Additionally, those who take to heart all that your local commercial driving school has to offer can earn their hazardous materials endorsement, which would allow them to haul everything from explosives to infectious medical waste, thus earning even higher wages!
Industrial truck operators drive forklift trucks through places like warehouses, factories, and distribution centers for their employees. Although formal training isn’t required to work as an industrial truck operator, many companies prefer that you have a GED or high school diploma.
A truck driver drives large vehicles over long distances to deliver various kinds of cargo to different locations. Their job can be exciting because they get to meet new people all the time and see the country from behind the wheel of their truck.
Truck drivers often work long hours, so it’s important for them to have stamina and to be able to work well under stress. They should also have excellent customer service skills because they often interact with customers during deliveries.
Designers
Another creative job is considered one of the best jobs for those with a high school diploma or education to hire a designer. This occupation includes graphic designers, product designers, and fashion designers. In addition to having creativity and artistic talent, you also need to communicate how your ideas will benefit the company you’re working for.
If you have a creative side and want to imagine and design new objects, consider becoming a multi-media artist. Some of the artistic trades required in this occupation include character animator, computer animator, 3-D modeler, and interactive designer. You need to have a portfolio that demonstrates that you can do the work, but no actual degree is required.
Many business owners will hire high school graduates because they are young, energetic, responsible, and eager to learn new skills. Additionally, employers may consider hiring someone who has completed their education even if their resume does not contain any formal training or education at the college level.
Project Manager
People who have started their own business can choose whether to expand or make repairs on current facilities or buy new equipment. This requires organizational skills and the ability to manage the demands of several projects at once. Other skills that are useful for people in this position include negotiating prices and creating budgets. A high school graduate can also work as an account manager for a company, including in an animal clinic, jewelers, and even companies that provide a roofing contractor for residential or commercial tasks. Depending on their industry, their duties may involve assigning sales territories, ensuring deadlines are met, and reviewing customer complaints.
This is among the best jobs for those with a high school diploma because they coordinate with different workers. They need excellent communication skills and negotiation abilities. In addition to having good people skills, managers should have strong computer skills because a lot of office work is done on computers these days. They also need project management experience so that important tasks do not get misplaced or forgotten during busy times. Account managers usually need a college degree, but not always.
The career of an account manager can also be obtained without a high school diploma, but it isn’t easy. If you’re not already working in the industry as an intern or something similar, then it would probably take years of trying various other jobs before deciding that, although there are some nice aspects to those jobs, none of them was ‘quite right’ for you: you wanted a better job where your efforts make a bigger difference and help people instead of just keeping track of money and worrying about
Electrician
Electricians are responsible for putting together, installing, testing, and maintaining all kinds of electrical equipment. They’ll work on anything from lighting systems at a restaurant or home to motors that control the air system within a building. If there’s an electrical problem within a building or home, electricians will be the ones who go in to fix it. Depending on your location, they usually receive most of their training through apprenticeship programs, which can last anywhere from two to four years.
Construction Worker
Construction workers help build new homes or businesses by shaping materials like steel or wood into frameworks for roofs, walls, and floors. They may also assemble these parts with screws, nails, and other small but heavy objects. Employers often look for good math skills in construction workers because they need to be able to measure and estimate materials and figure out a building’s measurements. These skills are easily acquired from the high school diploma academic program. Construction work can also be physically demanding, especially during the summer when it’s too hot to wear heavy clothes or boots. Therefore, construction workers should be fit enough to complete tasks up to their knees in mud or water without feeling tired.
Truck Dispatcher
A truck dispatcher uses a CB radio or other devices to communicate with truck drivers as they make deliveries throughout an area. This allows the dispatcher to give detailed directions using roads that are easiest for trucks to take. If there are problems on the road, such as an accident, the dispatcher will use their experience and knowledge of local streets and shortcuts to find a new route for the truck driver.
Hairstylist
Hairstylists are responsible for cutting, styling, and dyeing their customers’ hair. Stylists must have strong problem-solving skills because it’s easy to make a mistake when cutting or styling someone’s hair that can’t be reversed. They are also often on their feet all day long, so they need to be physically fit enough to lift heavy hairdryers as well as reach up high to cut men’s hairlines or put foils on women’s hair color. A typical training course for hairdressers includes lessons on how to use chemicals properly and proper sanitation techniques needed to prevent the spread of infections.
Customer Service Representative
Customer service representatives are responsible for providing information to customers, so they feel satisfied when they leave the store. This is one of the best jobs for those with a high school diploma, as the reps generally work in call centers or in-person at a business, depending on what their company needs. They should enjoy working with the public and multitask between taking down customer information and helping other employees with tasks throughout their department.
Construction Foreman
Construction forepersons oversee construction projects from beginning to end, ensuring that all plans and materials needed for each building phase are called in and scheduled correctly. Forepersons will also ensure that the construction workers’ team stays on task and gets along well together. This is also one of the best jobs for those with a high school diploma because it is important. Employers usually look for experience before hiring someone into this position; some may even require that their foremen have a background in construction.
Retail Store Manager
Retail store managers are responsible for overseeing the entire store’s operations, from hiring new employees to making sure their team of workers is getting along well with each other. It is among the best jobs for those with a high school diploma as the duties also include managing the inventory, setting prices, and keeping track of sales numbers to know which products will sell well during certain seasons. Managing jewelers can bring in a higher paycheck than managing a typical retail store. Typically, retail managers start working as cashiers or sales associates before becoming assistant managers or acting managers within one or two years.
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
This is one of the best jobs for those with a high school diploma. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents sell investments such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. They also help their clients with their investment portfolio management by recommending what they should buy or sell based on their risk tolerance level. After about six months to a year of experience in this position, many firms will allow you to begin working from home.
Many people with a high school diploma wonder how they can ever succeed in life. Even though your diploma might be the peak of your education, you still have options available for you. There are plenty of careers that only require a high school diploma or just some post-secondary education instead.
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