How to Prepare for Work Readiness When You Aren't Going to College

By Jody Bell

After a year of turbulence, colleges have seen a 7.2% drop in student enrollment. This drop was to be expected ‒ many students are rethinking traditional career paths and seeing the value in a more unorthodox-approach to their professional lives. 

These students are spot on ‒ while college can be a world-changing experience and a great way to begin your path to the workforce, it isn’t always worth the price tag and it is more than possible to prepare for your future in other ways.  

We’ve gone ahead and compiled our top three steps to follow to prepare for work readiness without college and the hefty tuition charges. 

1. Look into online opportunities

Due to a vastly online year in 2020 and some of 2021, there has been a massive amount of effort put into the development of online and independent education. 

Many students enrolled in higher education found themselves learning more through online programs than traditional lectures. Thus, is more than possible to receive the same sort of information as college students through a few paid subscriptions to online-learning sites. If you have a specific field you want to go into/explore, see what online resources are available and make a schedule to do a little bit of coursework each day. 

At Girls With Impact, young women can thrive by taking our online business and leadership Academy right from their homes. This is an incredible way for young women to tap into their passions and discover more about how to create a business or non-profit. Students learn more why entrepreneurship is the key to success - for any career path while also getting the skills and confidence to really stand-out from the crowd. Check out even more about some Girls With Impact graduates from their venture profiles.

2. Rebrand yourself professionally

In college, one of the many skills you learn is professionalism and your presence as a walking advertisement for your professional skills and services. 

This is your “brand” ‒ your identity as it relates to your career, and the first thing that your employers/clients should think of when they think about you. 

There are multiple things that go into the cultivation of your professional identity and brand, but the best place to start is online. Clean up your social media accounts so they don’t look inappropriate, childish, or otherwise something you wouldn’t want to show off to your teachers and/or parents. From here, make a LinkedIn account about yourself and start creating your following/circle. You may not have a lot of “resume-like” information to include ‒ but that’s okay! Discuss who you are ‒ specifically what you’re passionate about and your short/long-term goals. 

Once you are proud of this professional-online-persona, try to carry that brand and message with you; you should have a rehearsed 1-minute pitch about yourself, your goals, and your passion, so that when a networking opportunity comes up you are able to leave a concise and memorable impression. 

3. Network 24/7

For many people, the main benefit of a college education is to get their foot in the door in a specific industry and/or jobs.  

It is perfectly possible to land the same interviews and jobs as someone with a degree if you simply have the connections. If there is a specific field you know you want to go into, speak to as many people in that industry as possible; explain that you are a young professional right out of high school trying to fast track your career. If you go into the conversation just trying to learn more about a specific field, most professionals are more than happy to help, and will applaud you for your motivation to explore. Fostering these sorts of relationships could lead to internships and opportunities that turn into full-time jobs. 

While some industries require a certain level of higher education, it is common for employers to find employees who they see potential in and finance their education in return for employment following graduation. This could be a great option if higher education is on your radar, but you’re taking your time exploring other opportunities. 

While these steps may seem like a few easy things to check off your to-do list and feel productive, we urge you to take these steps seriously. Make a daily schedule that represents each of these steps and make sure you are sticking to it! Ensuring you’re committing time daily to your professional development will be the key habit that will transform you into a work-ready-young-professional.

Jody Bell, 19, is Girls With Impact’s Chief Editor and a program graduate of Greenwich High School. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, after-school, entrepreneurship program for girls 12-21, turning them into tomorrow’s business leaders and innovators. More info at www.girlswithimpact.org