How to start a career without higher education

You can get a job as a waiter in a catering immediately after school. The trouble is that there are no prospects in the burger - in a couple of years the graduate will leave to look for another job. However, there are areas where you can grow and develop without higher education. It's about digital marketing and IT technologies. This is not taught in universities, because large companies raise specialists from scratch.

Why is it not scary to start a career without education? How do HR managers view the lack of a degree? What digital professions are available right after school? We will tell you in the article.

When companies choose skills over a degree

Regularly. Fifteen global corporations (Google, Apple, IBM and others) have already announced that they are ready to hire people with a school certificate. Western companies look at the applicant's practical experience as well as talent and work discipline. They also ask about a diploma, but its absence no longer interferes with employment.

Russian digital companies are not lagging behind: they are recruiting former schoolchildren for junior positions, conducting internships and open days. They have their own interest in this: having raised a specialist from scratch, a company gets an employee who shares corporate values.

Additional confirmation: recently, job search service SuperJob refused Superjob decided to drop the "education" column when posting vacancies from the "Education" column in vacancies. The company representatives said that the real achievements of the applicants are more important to employers.

How to find your first job

Finding your dream job on the first try is almost impossible. It's better to tune in to a long search right away - it's easier to put up with rejections. Shortlist interesting jobs from various sources and submit your resume.

What will help you in your search?

Job search sites

It is worth starting with them. HeadHunter has added a job search for candidates over 14 years old, and SuperJob is convenient to search for vacancies without higher education.

Company Sites

Go to the website of the company you are interested in. HR departments often post relevant vacancies there. If higher education is not specified in the requirements for the position, then it is possible that the employer is considering candidates without a diploma. Some companies specifically indicate vacancies for starting a career.

It happens that there are no vacancies on the site. This is not a reason to be upset. Even if the company is not looking for anyone, the applicant has the right to send a resume to the HR department. The worst thing that can happen is the letter will be ignored. However, there is always a chance to get on the pencil of an HR manager who will remember a promising candidate and call later.

Friends and relatives

According to a recent study by Romir, 65% of Russians are looking for Places for their own. How many Russians get an acquaintance job? work through friends.

To use this resource effectively, interview your friends, post information on social networks. Many startups are also looking for employees on social media - friends' reposts will help you meet.

When you find an interesting job, send your resume and cover letter. There is a lot of information on the Internet on how to compose them correctly.

Write to the point and do not go deep into reasoning: this is not interesting to anyone. Indicate all part-time jobs and internships, as well as courses, seminars that you took on your own. If there is no other information, tell us about an interesting hobby: the image of a versatile person (for example, a stamp boxer) can hook an employer. And be honest: lies are easily revealed in a job interview.

What will be asked at the interview

The good news is your name is for an interview. Bad - most likely, you have a lot of competitors. If there is no experience, the hiring service will compare the basic skills and soft skills of applicants - the ability to complete tasks and build relationships in a team. There are other topics that an HR manager will definitely touch upon.

Age

Hiring a 17-year-old employee is not the same as employing an adult. The Labor Code of the Russian Federation makes special requirements for minors' work: a shorter working week, safe working conditions, low physical activity. Not all employers are ready for this.

Motivation

Be prepared to share your reasons for starting your career. Logic is important here: a young man must imagine where and why he gets a job, what he wants to learn.

Work skills

No one expects an impressive portfolio from a former student, but they will have to demonstrate a minimum of knowledge. A newbie programmer will be asked to show the code, an SMM specialist - social media accounts.

Professional ambitions

Think back to a favorite hiring question: "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" In addition to clarifying life priorities, the answer is used to judge the character of the young specialist. Will he leave the company in a month, because he is tired of working, will he give up at the first failure.

Personal qualities

They are as important as professional ones. A beginner must show psychological stability and purposefulness, the "maturity" of decisions. If a graduate wants to work, "because it's cool" or "mom said," it's not cool, so tell your mom.

What to do if you weren't hired the first time

It happens that several interviews in a row fail. In this case, it is not shameful to ask the HR manager why the company refused. If the reason isn't your age, here's what you can do.

1. Take an internship

If you are not hired for an interesting vacancy without experience, apply for an internship. Companies often invite talented students to work as interns. You won't earn money, but you will get an idea of the profession. Show yourself - you will be invited to the state.

2. Self-pumping

While you are looking for a job, develop. Make a list of skills that are missing, pick up tools: books, courses, seminars. Digital and IT courses are offered by Netology, Coursera, Stepik and others. In addition to gaining knowledge, you can add information about the course you have taken to your portfolio.

3. Wait and try again

The labor market is quite flexible. In big cities, dozens of vacancies appear every day. Those people who are preferred by employers may not pass the probationary period. Even if you were turned down for the first time, no one will forbid you to apply for a new vacancy.

4. To retrain

Assess your skills: perhaps they are not in high demand or the hiring market is in decline. For example, there was a boom in infographics a few years ago and everyone was looking for great designers. Great designers are needed now, but not in such numbers.

You can find up-to-date information on market trends on industry portals and job sites. If you are not in trend, be glad that you found out about it before starting your career.

What professions can you start a career with?

Let's talk specifically about which digital and IT professions are suitable for a graduate. We've put together a short list of key skills.

SMM specialist

Responsible for promotion on social networks, writes attractive posts, works with subscribers.

Key skills: literacy, creative thinking, understanding of social networks.

Traffic manager

Creates advertisements on social networks, writes engaging content.

Key skills: literacy, ability to use social networks.

PPC Specialist

Sets up and runs advertising campaigns in Yandex. Direct and Google Adwords.

Key skills: analytical mind, knowledge of Microsoft Excel, literacy.

Search Engine Promotion Specialist

Promotes sites to leading positions in search engines, collects the semantic core, makes recommendations for site optimization.

Key skills: basic knowledge of SEO and search engine principles.

Copywriter

Writes texts on a given topic for websites, mailings, social networks.

Key skills: literacy, love of text, knowledge of text editors.

Programmer

Develops software.

Key skills: technical mindset, understanding of programming principles, knowledge of at least one programming language.

Tester

Detects errors in programs. Tests software for defects that affect the performance of programs and applications.

Key skills: technical mindset, attentiveness, basic programming and software testing skills.

What if it's scary to start a career without education

Few are ready to give up their usual life path - school, university, work. But with the development of Internet technologies, professions have appeared that are not taught at the university. The value of the diploma is falling, and the target skills are growing. Starting to work after school, the graduate gets a head start for professional growth. In five years, it will cost several times more in the labor market than its peers, students.

Of course, this is the ideal scenario. However, the chances of a successful career do not depend on a diploma, but on a person's learning ability, personal effectiveness and the result achieved. Develop, study - and you will build a successful career with any starting education.