Where will I end up when I am older and how will I get there? This is a question many adolescents and teenagers ask themselves, especially as they inch closer to high school graduation and adulthood.
What options are out there and how do you get information for that field of study? The main and most popular option is college, but that path is not for everyone. With more and more options for post-secondary education becoming available, there are ways to get a great job without attending a traditional university. Some other options include a community college, which is a 2-year college and is much cheaper than most 4-year universities. There is also online college, which is also much cheaper, but you miss out on the college experience.
The military is a great option for people who do not know what they want to do. It has really good benefits such as enlistment bonuses of up to $50K, high quality, low or no cost health care, better rates on home loan retirement, and pension plan options. A downside is the pay; it’s not great. On average, they revive about $52,000 a year, with the first year around $21,000 per year. This line of work is obviously dangerous which is why the benefits are so great.
For students who struggled in school or just didn’t like it, trade school is a great way to get them on the field and make a living. Financially this option saves thousands of dollars. “Four-year school worked out to $10,740 for in-state students during the 2021-22 school year per CollegeBoard figures, you can attend trade school for as little as $5,000 per year. Not only that, but you can often learn a trade and enter a related profession in 18 months to 24 months vs. the four years or longer it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree,” according to Forbes.com. Not only is it good financially, but it is also a hands-on job where you don’t have to sit behind a desk all day. The only downside is the weather because these people are needed in storms and in snow.
Another kind of risk that can end up being a very successful life is getting into real estate. “It takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance to become a successful real estate agent. To become an agent, you must take classes, pass a test, and find a broker to work for. Once you get your license, the work is not over. You must learn to sell houses, which they do not teach in real estate school.” This is from Investfourmore.com and gives the steps and work it takes to not only become a real estate agent but also be successful and sell houses. On average, real estate agents make $84,459 per year according to salaries reported by Indeed users. However, there is a very large gap between the lowest and highest-paid real estate agents. It is a very good job and can be very rewarding but it takes a lot of self-motivation and hard work. With being self-employed with really no boss, it is all on yourself. A lot of these options are overseen but could possibly be the perfect job for you.