How to change careers without a degree

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to attend university for a career in an exciting and well-paid industry, or to change careers to try something new.

Many people around the world choose alternative study options to going to university each year, with many favouring online training or virtual classroom sessions to earn industry recognised qualifications, which open the doors to competitive careers in Accounting, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, IT, Mortgage Advice, Project Management, and more.

There are a few study options if university is not for you, including:

• Undertaking an apprenticeship
• Gaining work experience
• Getting yourself certified

In this article, we will review apprenticeships and show you how to get started, teach you how to upskill for a career change, and show you how to write a CV when changing careers.

Read more: What you need to know before changing careers

Apprenticeships

An Apprenticeship lets you learn new skills on-the-job and earn key certifications, while gaining industry experience. Your new skills and certifications will help you become proficient in your chosen field and help you find employment in the future.

Apprenticeships are a respectable alternative to going to college or university. One of the big benefits of apprenticeships are that they offer you a great way into employment without having the debt that comes with studying at university.

For employers, apprenticeships are a fantastic option, as you will gain new staff members that are mouldable and can perform in a way that suits the culture of the business.

How long does an apprenticeship last?

Depending on their specific needs, a business can have an apprentice anywhere from 1-4 years.

Drawing up an apprenticeship agreement

Before you decide to undertake an apprenticeship or take on an apprentice (if you’re an employer), an agreement must be drawn up with an appropriate training provider, like e-Careers. We are an approved training provider, and we can help you take you throughout your apprenticeship journey. Simply call us on +44 (0) 20 3800 0144 to speak to one of our Apprenticeship Consultants, to discuss your requirements in more detail.

Other apprenticeship articles you may be interested in:

• The mutual benefits of apprenticeships
• 5 benefits of apprenticeships
• Employer’s guide to apprenticeships 

Work Experience

Work experience is time spent in a workplace learning about a company, career sector, or specific job role, which offers the chance to gain industry-specific work experience for those new to an industry.

Work experience has evolved over the last few years. Gone are the days where you would be tasked with making tea, stamping envelopes, or taking messages.  

Your work experience should be a great training ground that prepares you for employment, making it a great chance to see if you like the industry you’re interested in.

How to find work experience

• Find a placement with one of your family or friends
• If you already know of an organisation that interests you, try searching for their contact details online and send them an application letter and a copy of your CV.
• Look for employers in your local area
• Use job boards like Reed to find employers in your local area
• Consider travelling outside your local area

Upskilling and training

Just because you’ve not going to college or university, it doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t study to earn other industry recognised certifications, to improve your career prospects.

Upskilling and retraining is a great way to gain the skills and certifications often required by employers today, which in turn help you stand out from your competition and secure a job interview. It also helps employees gain the skills they currently don’t have, to do a job they either need to do or want to do in the future. Upskilling has been a real buzzword for organisations since 2018 and has been used to help fill company skills-gaps internally. Explore our full range of training courses to get started.

While there are a few options to choose from, you will most likely be best suited to online learning through an eLearning platform, or attend a virtual classroom, which has all the benefits of face-to-face learning but from the comfort and security of your own home.

Read more: How to study for a new career while working

How to write a CV for change of career                

If you have not yet read our article on how to write a CV, you may wish to start there first, to learn how to write An excellent CV.

Whatever you reason for changing careers, it’s always a good idea to implement the below tips to write a CV for a career change.

Create a new CV

Don’t be tempted to use your existing CV. The layout and content are likely to be very different, so starting fresh is much easier. You’re starting a new career, so it’s worth creating a new CV for the change. Think about your new skills, knowledge, and experience, and highlight them on your CV. Make sure they are suitable for the new role you’re applying for.

Make a positive first impression

You only get one opportunity to make a good first impression, so make it count!

Your CV (or Video CV) is a great way to get your personality, skills, and experience in front of the Hiring Manager, and you need to sell yourself at this stage to stand any chance of being called up for an interview.

Make sure you spend time creating a compelling cover letter to support your new CV.

Remember, you’ll compete with candidates with more relevant experience, so be sure to specifically show how your previous experience will benefit the company and explain how your previous experience and training makes you an excellent fit for the job.

Use the job description to write your opening paragraph

Highlight a connection between your skills, qualifications, work experience and the job description.

Don’t be afraid to leave parts of your history out

Your CV does not need to include everything you’ve every done on it. If there’s a job you had that doesn’t benefit the job you’re applying for, or was early on in your career, you can make a small reference to it, or leave it out altogether. Use the limited space on your CV more effectively by highlighting beneficial training, skills, work experience, volunteering, or internships you’ve been part of instead.

Highlight how you have helped the bottom line

Whatever your roles have been in the past, you would have had some impact on the profit or savings of the business. This could be an increase in revenues (think sales and marketing roles), or a cost-saving to the business (such as operational roles, management, accounting, etc).

Use numbers to show how you have been able to positively impact previously businesses and how you can do the same in your new role.

Other career advice articles you may be interested in:

• What should be included in your first CV?
• 5 things to avoid in your CV
• How to find work experience