10 Skills that are More Important than University Degree

vemuda.com - If you are as observant as I am, you've probably noticed how the career field has changed over the years. The good old "job security" that your folks and grandparents talked about no longer exist.  

With that said I don't think it's a bad idea to acquire some new skills that will set you apart from the rest. Just in case the degree doesn't awe your potential employer. 

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Or you could forgo the whole studying for a degree and study these skills instead. Because I kid you not, possessing even one of them will get you the reaction you are hoping for from an employer.  

So stay tuned to find out some of the skills  that are more important than a university degree.

1. CPR/ FIRST AID CERTIFICATION

Have you ever longed to be a doctor or nurse  but dread the amount of time it would take to get your degree? Worry not because even with half a doctor's degree budget, you can still practice your passion. This can be attained by registering for CPR or first aid classes.

After which, you'll be tested before being certified, then you'll be all set to dive into the job market. You could look for jobs in teaching or coaching. On the other hand, if you have a swimming pool in your parent's backyard.

You could set up a small gig by being an instructor. As long as you are a good swimmer and know how to save a drowning person, you're good to go.  

Parents are more inclined to register their  kids up for swimming classes with instructors with some extra oomph. Such as the one a certification will bring.

Getting this skill will cost you about 50-120 dollars , while training takes an average three to five hours. It seems like such a small price to pay for a skill that will set you up for a lifetime.

2. ONLINE MARKETING

Many businesses opt to transition from  physical office setups. As a result, many of them are in desperate need of online marketers. Someone who understands how to make their social media work in their favour. 

Once you've mastered the art of business  promotion and drawing traffic to any business, I can proudly affirm to you that you're all set for the journey as a digital marketer. Not only that, with these skills, you'll find that starting a business will be a piece of cake.

If you want to look more professional to your potential clients, then you could look into getting certified. This will require 10-weeks of online classes in some institutions. And on the plus side, you don't have to break the bank or burden yourself with student loans.  

As it only costs about $2,000 to take the  course and get certified. And one can save up that amount by working some part-time jobs and cutting off buying fancy clothes and clubbing.

The perks of being a digital marketer are  endless. Firstly you get to work at home. It's also something that you can easily venture into as an independent party.  

With no boss barking at you, it means you can enjoy your job. If you dare to, you could be someone else's boss by setting up your own company.

3. CYBER SECURITY

Our list wouldn't be complete if we didn't talk about something IT-related. And what better mention  than a career in cyber security.  

This is one of those high in-demand jobs that are not only well paying but also very impactful. Because so much damage could be caused if there was ever a security breach in some companies.

It's a more technical skill that requires you to have a great passion to pursue. You'll also need to take a few courses to master the trade. Once you've completed, you are in for an impeccable ride.

With a very handsome salary in prospect since people are willing to pay top dollar for these services. And why wouldn't they pay that much? When everyone is terrified of their little secrets being exposed to the world to see.

An entry-level position will earn you 30,000 dollars, and as you work your way up the ladder, you can earn up to 150,000 dollars. What's most shocking is that this fast pacing  field in IT has a great shortage of talent.  

That's according to the Department for  Digital Culture Media and Sports(DCMS) UK research that shows a 14% growth in shortage in 2020.  

The most difficult positions to fill are the senior positions in cyber security. So why isn't every geek on the face of planet earth running towards this opportunity?

4. NOTARIZING

If the idea of being a lawyer has ever crossed your mind, and for some reason, you didn't cut it, you could consider signing up to be a notary.

This means that you'll be authorized by law to oversee and witness the signing of contracts, will, or legal documents. You'll be a stamp of authenticity for any legal document.

Your title will go as a  notary public witness and will mostly work for the government. Before that, you'll be required to take a course that runs for up to 6 hours, not forgetting the exam afterward.

You'll need to pass this exam before you can be certified as a notary public witness. It costs about 180 dollars to take the classes and exams.  

And if you are among the lucky ones, your  employer will have no problem servicing your fees. This doesn't sound bad at all  for an income-generating gig.  

But be sure to be integral in your work, or else you'll find yourself in a dark hole if you're ever convicted of dubious practices.

5. ACCOUNTING

Accounting can be overlooked sometimes because people think it's boring and basic. But look at this, on average, an accountant can earn a yearly salary of 80,000 dollars with a bonus on top.  

Also, since all businesses are required to have at least one person who's proficient in accounting, that means that the opportunities for you are countless. You could work in food, entertainment, education, or banking. The versatility is amazing.

Even though some people take accounting  at University as an independent degree, it's not necessary. You could research online to find some legitimate institutions that offer accounting as a course.

That's sure to take you half the time you'd have taken in uni while still enjoying the perks of being an accountant. Once you are in the field, ensure to do refresher courses on it and also advance your accounting skills. You'll be able to easily move up the leader from entry-level to a senior position.  

If you, unfortunately, are still unable to land  a good job, you could start up your own business, which will be more likely to succeed because you have accounting skills.  

And as we said previously that by having  this skill, you have one major ingredient to the recipe of business success. This skill is a honeypot just waiting to be discovered.

6. PUBLIC SPEAKING

Some skills like public speaking can't be found in books and will require you to search deep within you to discover and utilize your confidence to your advantage.

You'll need to take a public speaking course that will guide you in the right path towards polishing your communication skills. If you might be wondering where you can enroll for such a course, don't worry because numerous online platforms offer this course, if not in adult and community education centers.

With such a skill up your sleeve, you're equipped to scale up your career and earn a dime from public speaking. You'd be amazed at the spoils and connections that come with this skill. I'd choose it anyway over any other university degree.

7. COOKING

This is my favourite, food  and anything to do with food. I'm also certain that a majority of you reading this have been sleeping on your cooking skills.  

Why? Why are you doing that? Or is it because you've been living under a rock and have no clue how many YouTubers are cashing  out on these skills. Especially after many countries were on lockdown, people had to invest time, learning how to make home-cooked meals. In a way, I'm glad that happened because the internet has blown up with so many home cooks.  

They have become the latest trend to follow  on tik tok, Instagram, and even Facebook. What may come as a surprise to you is that  only 1% of these food bloggers, chefs have ever stepped into a culinary class. Most are just out here chasing their dream of cooking. 

Since I'm sure you have at least some basic skills for making pasta or even pie, why not venture into getting this skill. You could get lessons on youtube on how to make anything in the kitchen.  

Also, skillshare has a pretty good program for anyone looking to explore their creative side. You could open a home-based restaurant and sell your food online. Just make sure that you sell yourself well on social media.

Additionally, you could start a youtube channel and teach others how to make your grandma's secret recipe for pie or any other food.

There is no age limit to start, you could be young or old and still make a good buck from these skills. And maybe a couple of months in you can decide if a university is all that important.

8. GRAPHIC DESIGN

Another superb skill you should consider learning is graphic design. Unlike other time-consuming degrees, you can learn graphical design by simply signing up for a short course online.  

All you'll need to enhance your skill is a good  client list which you will use to perfect your fluidity. The best thing about adopting this as a career is the fact that you'll need no formal training or a university degree. It's a brilliant side hustle that you can monetize.

To enroll, you'll have to part with a mere twenty-nine dollars on a creative online platform. With such little cash required, what's  stopping you from learning a new skill?

9. CODING

Programming jobs have been on the rise in the past decade, even overtaking the general market. With a shift in technology, learning programming allows you to be versatile, making you more relevant in the general market.

You won't need a degree to get started, all you'll need is some basic programming and computer knowledge, and you're good to go. With basic programming knowledge, you can comfortably earn a living from developing your business website, or what do you think about it?

10. LEARNING ANOTHER LANGUAGE

Learning another language will do more good than harm because, in the long run, you might decide to use it to make some money. Though you have to be very strategic when choosing the new language you would love to learn.

It would help if you considered learning more than one language to use when you are out and about sightseeing. You never know who you'll meet out there. A company might have a vacant position for someone familiar with the language you've just learned.  

When learning a new language, you should  do your due diligence by doing extensive research on the language at hand. There are a handful of careers you can indulge in, like translation for organization or even better lucrative deals In the tutoring business.

It's never our intention to cause a great debate with life matters such as this one. Our only intent is to show you both sides of the coin before you can make a life-changing decision.  

University is great, I won't lie, and I'm one of those who decided to go to University. I hope this information gives you the insight you require to make that tough decision.

So thank you guys so much for reading. Have a great day and see you in the next one!