One of the biggest concerns among teenagers who have to dropout of high school is whether or not they’ll be able to find a decent job. While your employment options are much greater if you’ve graduated, there are still plenty of industries where a high school diploma is not necessary.
1. Roofing Companies & Other Trades
Roofing can be an incredibly rewarding career. In some climates, they only work during the warmer months and not through the winter, which is appealing to people who like a chance of pace every now and then. Working out in the hot sun can be difficult, and standing on a roof can be a little more dangerous than bagging groceries, so they are paid better than plenty of other jobs. A roofing company can be an excellent employer. According to a poll by Owlguru.com, just over 49% of roofers have their high school diploma. Further education can always help to move ahead in a company, but it’s useful when you can get your foot through the door with a well-paying job in the meantime.
Also, you may have an easier time getting your foot in the door with a local business, rather than going through the application process with some massive multi-national.
“We take pride in supporting our community with local labor and using local suppliers and businesses,” explains Front Runner Roofing.
Other trades can also offer opportunities to people who have dropped out. Many require specialized training which you can get independently of your diploma, or in some situations, that training can count towards your diploma (for example if you take trades through a high school program.)
2. Working in Sales
Working in commission sales can be incredibly lucrative if you have the patience and the right personality, but this comes with a major caveat. There are many predatory sales opportunities out there, for example MLM, where you have to pay in order to “work” for them. It’s not so much a job for many of them, as it is a lifestyle, something to do for fun and to be social.
If you have a good nose for sniffing out predatory opportunities, and you’re quick on your feet and enjoy talking to people, sales could be a great opportunity for you. Just be careful that you don’t fall for something shady!
3. Office Manager
If you haven’t graduated high school, you can still get an entry level job in an office. Again, it may help to find a local business, rather than a larger corporation, as you’ll be more likely to get a face-to-face interview with a smaller company, perhaps directly with the owner, so you’ll be able to demonstrate your skills and capabilities before they judge you for lacking a diploma.
4. Food Services
Food companies can have high turnovers due to the high pressure and stressful environments, but if you excel in that type of environment, it’s totally possible to build your resume and experience and work your way up to a role as a food service manager, which can be a pretty decent job.
Companies That Hire High School Dropouts are Awesome!
Dropping out can be a very personal choice, and something that people struggle with. Everyone has their own unique situation and has to make their own decisions. We would always encourage you to push for a diploma, or to go back and get it later, but sometimes life makes that much more difficult for some people, than for others.
We have respect for companies that are willing to speak to individuals, and can make accommodations for great workers who didn’t graduate. Of course, in some industries, that’s simply not possible due to regulations and education requirements. You wouldn’t want a Doctor who didn’t graduate, but in many fields – it’s not necessary at all for someone to have graduated, so shoutout to the businesses that don’t use an unneeded diploma as a way to gatekeep, or as a filler for actually meeting a worker and giving them a chance.
Further reading: Here are some relevant articles that are related, and may help you learn more about companies that hire highschool dropouts.
