There are reasons to consider college alternatives. Factors such as time investment, personal interests, and cost are all legitimate reasons. College is one of many ways to land a quality job. There are alternative ways to build a career. Here are alternatives to traditional colleges that might be an excellent fit for your career goals.

Vocational Training

Trade schools and vocational education can provide in-depth knowledge for careers or trades. You might wish to be a chef or be interested in auto, medical, dental, welding, firefighting, law enforcement or animal care. Vocational training is a college alternative that can provide a straightforward path to a fulfilling career. With this training, you will not have to worry about taking electives or other classes unrelated to your career path.

Certificate Program

A certificate program at a community college might be an option. You can complete a certificate in months or even weeks. Certificate programs exist in high-demand fields such as health care, information technology, construction, transportation and manufacturing. You can find certificate programs that benefit you as you work toward higher-level credentials.

Coding Bootcamp

If you want to develop this specific skill set, this is another short-term option. You do not need to attend a traditional college to be a computer programmer or front-end developer. You can attend your local community college or take courses online. These boot camps do an outstanding job of getting you to your end goal faster. There are hundreds of coding boot camps to choose from globally. These programs typically last from six to 28 weeks.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships are paid learning experiences. Employers or program sponsors typically offer these experiences. Apprentices work in their chosen fields and can learn on the job. They might receive classroom instruction or study under a mentor during employment.

Military

Join the military to serve your country, learn valuable skills and gain work experience. The military can provide educational benefits that make earning a college degree financially viable. Recruiters are the best source of information, and you can ask them questions.

Volunteer

You might benefit from volunteering or participating in service learning if you are still determining your next steps. Structured programs like the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps can help you develop new skills while opening the doors to new career opportunities in the future. These programs provide a living stipend and education benefits. You may even discover a passion that you end up pursuing in college.

Entrepreneurship

Do you have a business idea? A hobby you wish to turn into a career? You might want to create and provide products for others and be your boss. Formal education is not required to be an entrepreneur, but you can benefit from skills in business and marketing.

Exact Staff will help you find a challenging, high-paying, rewarding career opportunity. Employment opportunities exist in various fields, including administrative, accounting/financial, legal, medical/dental, technical, sales and engineering.