Need a Job? How to Find a Good One That Requires No Experience

How many people are really out of work? The accurate answer is surprisingly difficult to ascertain. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the official unemployment rate as of February 2015, is 5.5 percent. For reasons that are highly political, official unemployment figures are greatly under-reported. There are other factors that should enter into the reporting. For example, there are discouraged workers (those who have given up on looking for work.) There are those employed part-time but not able to secure full-time work, and there are others who are marginally attached to the labor force. In reality, then, the actual U.S.unemployment is up around 11 or 12%.

Those who are fresh out of high school and college are finding full-time employment more difficult to find. Many are educated but over-qualified for the few entry-level positions that are available.

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While many professional careers do require formal education and years of experience, there are high-paying jobs out there that don't require a college degree or prior experience. Let's look at some of the better paying jobs that don’t always require a college degree or vast amounts of experience needed:

Security Guard

Working as a security guard can mean a lot more than just patrolling the local mall for unruly punks. You might work as a protective sentry for an embassy, a secure cash transporter for firms such as Brinks, or even a member of the Homeland Security team at an airport. A high school diploma is sufficient for most of these jobs, but requirements vary and could include passing a drug test, having a clean criminal record, and perhaps even obtaining a firearms license. Annual Salary Range: $18,000 - $39,000.

Bartender

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You don't need a formal education to work as a bartender, but you should go to a bar tending school. Working behind a bar can be difficult, as each shift requires dealing with an imbibing public from different walks of life. Some locales have laws in place where a bar or bartender can be held responsible if a patron drinks too much, so there is the added pressure of monitoring how much alcohol your customers consume. The ABC Bar Tending School lists locations around the country.

Delivery Drivers

Whether national, regional, or local, companies need delivery drivers. As long as you have a clean driver's license, you’re eligible for these jobs. You sometimes don't need prior experience for many of these jobs, and they often offer a lot of scheduling flexibility. Starting with a company as a driver can also help you get your foot in the door, with opportunities to work towards a higher-paying position such as in sales, a shift manager, a terminal manager, etc. Annual Salary Range: $17,000 - $46,000.

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Bill Collector

Experts project the employment rate for bill collectors to grow by approximately 19% in the next 10 years,and most of these positions only require a high school diploma. Job requirements include effectively communicating over the phone and having good customer service skills. Previous bill collection experience is sometimes not required. Annual Salary Range: $22,000 - $48,000.

Sanitation Worker

Garbage collection may not sound as attractive as some other non-degree jobs, but the pay is good and the opportunities are abundant. You’ll need to wake up before the crack of dawn to start your work day, but you get most holidays off, receive good benefits, and you get to exercise a bit on the job when you work as a garbage collector. Requirements include being physically fit, capable of lifting heavy items, and the ability to drive a garbage truck. You can begin looking for a job in this field on a waste management company's career site. Annual Salary Range: $20,000 - $60,000.

School Bus Driver

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You must have the patience of a saint if you want to drive children to and from school every morning and afternoon. Additionally, you need a clean driving and criminal record. Bus drivers usually work twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, and get all the same holidays and days off that students enjoy. Oftentimes no previous experience is required to become a school bus driver, and the job can come with benefits as well as a decent salary. Annual Salary Range: $16,500-$40,000.

Cable TV Installer

Cable TV and Internet installers can make decent salaries. Previous experience is not required for employment, and on-the-job training is provided. A good rapport with the public certainly helps make this job easier. Annual Salary Range: $21,500 - $52,000.

Semi-Truck Driver

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The majority of your time will be spent away from home, but being a truck driver certainly has its rewards. These jobs offer good pay and benefits, and little or no previous experience is required for employment. You have to get trained and licensed to drive the big rigs, but most trucking companies pay for your training and assist you with getting your commercial driver's license. Medical exams and background checks may also be required, depending on what substances you might be hauling. Annual Salary Range: $27,500 - $67,000.

Real Estate Brokers & Sales Agents

The most successful brokers have established a large referral network and have return business. In other words, it takes at least a few years to make significant income in the field. But the potential is there to earn a great deal of money, and you only need an agent license to get your foot in the door at a real estate firm. To become eligible for a license, you must take an approved pre-licensing course and then pass the state exam. You can then affiliate with an established broker and work your way towards getting your own broker's license. Annual Salary Range: $30,000 - $200,000+

Taxi Driver

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Specific licensing requirements for taxi drivers vary from state to state, but include being over 21 years of age, having a clean driving record, several years driving experience, and passing a background check. Generally, taxi drivers pay to lease their cabs from a cab company, keeping all the income they receive from their fares. Work hours can be long and often include nights, weekends, and holidays, and the work can even be dangerous at times. But with no previous experience needed and the ability to set your own hours, being a taxi driver can make for a relatively comfortable career choice. Annual Salary Range: $17,000 - $67,000.

Bathtub Refinisher

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Years ago, the idea of painting a bathtub for a living would’ve been considered a ridiculous notion, but today the business of bath and kitchen refinishing has grown into a multi-million dollar industry. In reality, it involves much more than just painting. The concept is to replace a worn-out finish on a bathtub, sink, or kitchen counter top with a new finish. The activity is highly detailed, with specific steps to properly clean and etch the surface, and then apply the new finish through the use of a professional spraying process utilizing specialized equipment. It enables the homeowner to save quite a bit of money and annoyance by avoiding having to tear out the old fixture and replace it with a new one. It could save a family up to 70%. Annual Salary Range: $20,000 -$200,000.

Those who have been truly successful have taken the time to learn the trade by attending a professional Refinishing School. There they can get not only classroom time, but precious hands-on instruction, so that when they go into a customer's home, they can provide professional results. Tub King, Inc., in Jacksonville, Florida provides such a course one weekend each month.

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For the past decade, people from all over the world have traveled to Jacksonville, Florida to attend its bathtub and kitchen refinishing class. Previous participants have hailed from Canada, Colombia, Spain and Germany and, of course, from throughout the U.S. Typically, the class runs Friday and Saturday, unless the class size is larger, in which case, it is continued into Sunday. The class usually runs for a full eight hours each day with a free lunch included. It's taught by Tub King’s Operations Manager, Mike Turner, who has been instructing the class for well over a year.

During the class, participants learn about the entire refinishing process, repairing damaged bathtubs, spraying the tubs to make them look new, refinishing countertops, and more. The students are taught the various skills and then are able to practice in real-time during the class. It’s here they’ll actually get hands-on experience in learning how refinish a variety of Clawfoot bathtubs, countertops, sinks, cabinets, etc. Furthermore, the course offers hands-on instruction in:

An Overview of the Refinishing Industry
How to Select the Right Equipment
Proper Preparation
What are the Most Reliable Coating Products
How to Refinish Porcelain (sinks and tubs)
Striking Gold in Antique Clawfoot Bathtubs
How to Refinish Fiberglass
How to Do Spot Repairs
What are the Most Effective Cleaners
How to Refinish Kitchen Countertops
How to Refinish Appliances
How to Refinish Ceramic Tile
How Refinish Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinets
How to Create Multi-speck Patterns
How to Refinish Concrete
Bathtub Conversion (for Walk-in Tubs) for seniors
Truck Bed liners (which is a separate business all in itself)
How to Properly Set Up Your Business
A Review of the Best Marketing & Advertising Strategies
Using Key Strategies to Obtain Work for Months

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At the conclusion of the class, students are awarded a Certificate of Completion as a trained refinishing professional. After receiving a Certificate of Completion from Tub King's course, students can start their own bathtub and kitchen refinishing business. With the purchase of a professional spray rig, approximately $700 of materials, they're now a professionally equipped, well-trained contract laborer. Not only are they now skilled to refinish tubs, but also counter tops, ceramic tile, appliances, sinks, and cabinets. Whether as a part-time or full-time job, this could expand your income far beyond just being able to refinish your own tub.

Tub King’s well-lauded refinishing class empowers students to work for themselves to change and improve their lives as a qualified, certified refinishing professional. Upon completion, students can “put up their shingle” and earn a decent income by providing their professional services, whether it’s in commercial, residential or doing antique work.

Equipment and coating materials can be obtained inexpensively and there are many avenues for advertising that are affordable. In fact, Tub King also offers its students discount pricing on requisite equipment and materials as well as advertising assistance; so in addition to offering expert hands-on training, the class also addresses marketing techniques to help its students’ get started with their refinishing business. We offer marketing assistance in the form of brochures, advertisements, and flyers.

Tub King also has a very active referral program. Every class graduate is added to Tub King’s database of certified refinishers. When someone from another state contacts us to find out if we’d recommend a professional for any of their refinishing projects, we help them get in touch with one of our graduates who’s nearby them.

Learn More About Tub King's In-Depth Refinishing Course

In this article, I provided solutions to the issues surrounding our nation’s current unemployment figures. I then recommended several possible non-degree career tracks such as security guard, truck driver, etc. I especially discussed Tub King’s internationally acclaimed Bath and Kitchen Refinishing course, going into detail about the once-per-month course’s hands-on curriculum, and also mentioned some of the things Tub King does to facilitate our graduates’ business success. If you found this article useful, please share it with your family, friends and co-workers.

If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the Comment section of this blog.

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Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the number or email listed at the end of this article and I’ll personally get back to you. It’s been my pleasure sharing this information with you.

Thanks again for visiting with us.

Click Here to Learn More About Tub King's Refinishing Classes

Alan Knight is the owner of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. He has many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. HIs companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” four years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800) 843-4231; or send an email to alan@tubking.com.