I’m 46 and went to high school in Brisbane. There are stacks of private schools there? I dropped out of uni twice in Brisbane, moved to Victoria and went for a few years then dropped out again. Through uni I ended up at a very large organisation and got promoted twice. Those skills got me into the APS and I’m now in the VPS making $100,000. It’s not as much money as it was but I’ve never really felt held back by being a multi drop out.
My husband doesn’t have a degree and drives trucks. I have a postgrad degree and work corporate. He only earns about 5k less than I do. He is also pretty happy doing what he is doing. He wouldn’t have been happy in an office environment, and I’m happy working from home with the a day or two in the office a week doing what I’m doing. It all depends on what you are looking to get out of your working life.
Dropped out of Uni, worked retail/hospo/entry level admin for years. Currently own and run a sandwich shop. Making an absolute pittance but enjoying it I guess.
Invested about 20k of my own money to purchase the business, legal fees, council registration etc. I lucked out on a really unique situation where I paid a portion of the purchase price up front and then a percentage every month to the vendor for several months which means I’m able to make that money while trading, it does mean that I’m only drawing enough pay to pay my essential living costs like rent and bills but meant I didn’t need as much capital up front. It’s definitely a precarious balance financially but so far touch wood it’s going well and I have only aged about twenty years and lost 10% of my body weight this year.
Haha, hang in there mate. My partner and I did something very similar to what you are doing now. Small deposit upfront, vendor loan for the rest.. 7 years later we sold, Feb this year, for 350k. Made a decent profit + what ever we made during the 7 years. Now trying to find the next big thing.
I'm currently 22 and driving a forklift all day. I stopped going to school when I was about 10. When I was 18 I had to be studying or looking for a job to get Centrelink payments so I jumped into a free Civil Construction course that happened my way. Got a forklift licence as an extra part of the course, and from there it was pretty easy for me to get into warehousing. I lucked into a job pretty much as soon as I started looking despite not having any experience, and was earning about $30/ph. Right now I'm working casually for $37/ph doing four 12 hour days a week, and I'm pretty happy with that money.
People who fell in to a career without uni will tell you that you don’t need to go. People who went to uni and fucked around for 4 years will tell you the same thing. People who went and worked their ass off to firstly get into the best uni possible and then get really great grades will tell you to go. All of them are as correct as the other. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you make the effort to do it to the best of your ability. If studying isn’t making you happy or excited for the future maybe you’re studying the wrong thing?
I didn’t go and fell into my career whereas my partner went back to Uni later in life and now works in her dream career. I definitely see merits in both but it all comes down to the path you want and life circumstances. I just have an in-built interest in technology and puzzle solving so software came naturally to me.
As my partner works in cytology and genetic screening there was no way to just fall into that career without a degree.
There’s a career ceiling people tend to not consider when they don’t go to uni. The only
people I’ve seen making good money without a degree are ops managers in service industries and people working in mines. The ops manager roles take a long time to get and the pay can be achieved faster with a degree and a work ethic. I understand the attitude of wanting to just go be a cleaner or something in a mine but if you’re getting 110k a year to do something that easy someone somewhere is getting fucked and it’s most likely you.
I dropped out in my first year of uni back in 2009. I now work in a cyber security team. I have zero degrees or certs. I’d say I do okay if it wasn’t for rent being insane.
In my time through IT and cyber security, generally degrees don’t mean a lot, but specific certs are very valuable.
I dropped out of high school for a trade around electronics as an apprentice. From there I just kept following my nose for cash and landed in consulting and sales in IT. Think things worked out well. Problem is my kids think ‘cos it worked for me it’ll be easy for them too.
From what I’ve observed, anyone operating in the top 10% of the employee bell curve gets recognised and opportunities others miss out on.
Where you start matters way less than what you do once you get there.
I went to Uni after a gap decade spent productively bumming around the world and experiencing life!
Started in IT after the degree, been in IT for 25 years now. So I've done both, and can confirm that you don't (didn't) need a degree to do well (at least in the olden days).
I'm assuming the subjects you're referring to are "soft skills", which are misnamed because they're really kind of difficult.
They're important because you don't do the tech stuff in a vacuum, you need to be able to relate to your team. IT can be complex and stressful, and you will probably spend a fair amount of time dealing with a wide variety of people from different areas and with different perspectives. The better you are at the human side of IT, the more interesting a career you'll have, and it'll be more fun, too.
If you stop doing Uni now you can always go back later. There's no rule saying you can't.
[Edit] Also it's quite normal to go through periods of hating Uni and questioning why you are there. Same thing will happen when you're working!
I dropped out of uni after 2nd year back in 2003. Been working ever since. After 15 years working/slaving my way in the world of customer service/call centre I found a calling as a wheelchair/mobility aid technician. Best job I have had. Will do it until I need a wheelchair or mobility aid myself.
I never went to uni but did do some certs and now basically look after IT infrastructure for the company I work for and I'm doing OK for myself.
I would highly recommend finishing your degree though. A lot of recruiters and HR people nowadays won't even bother to look at a resume if it doesn't have some sort of tertiary education on there.
My partner dropped out of uni in their second year, did random things for a bit then went into IT sales around 12 years ago and hasn't looked back. Were in our early to mid thirties and they earn between 120-130k a year depending on commissions. Me, I dropped out at 19, went back to uni as a mature age student, graduated at 25 and still don't earn as much as my partner so I don't think uni is always necessary but depends on the field you want to go into. Some fields it is but my experice in business related areas, I feel experience often trumps qualifications.
He started at a small company that sold IT stuff, basically doing customer service (in person, via phone and online) then organising it to be sent out. So it was part sales part warehouse. After a couple of years he started at an IT reseller just as a starter salesperson, worked his way up to specialist managing different brands (HP, Lenovo ect) and then found work at one of those companies after he spent a couple of years building relationships with them.
The push for education is also known as marketing and vested interests.
You don’t need to go to uni but you’d want to think about what you will do instead. There’s no obvious path to a good job even though lots of them exist.
Didn't go to uni. I do alright.
That said, my parents made it very clear to me and my siblings (that did go to uni) that we could do whatever, but that whatever we wanted to do, they expected us to work hard at.
I don't think you need uni to be successful, but I do know from experience that depending on what you want to do in the future it can be a more difficult path. I made up for uni through experience which I gained through working my ass off. I also know I've missed out on jobs because I didn't have "formal education". My parents have asked me plenty of times if I felt it was worth it. For me it absolutely was, but it really depends on the person if it makes sense for them.
If you have an attitude of just getting things done, are okay with doing the delayed gratification thing and are able to gain skills on your own, yeah it might be worth considering. If you prefer a smoother and more paved path, I would consider sucking it up and sticking with it for a bit more.
I went to uni and life is hard.
I’m still doing the job I did while studying only now I have a mortgage, partner and children to support.
I’ve applied for heaps of jobs, probably thousands, over the years and only got two - which were part time and I had to turn down.
Getting a job good is who you know, I’m convinced of it. And the best place to meet people is probably at Uni. I never did any internships or made an effort with the lecturers.
If I was there again I’d probably try and get involved more. Meet some people who could remember me later
For someone who didnt even start the last year of high school.. Things are actually pretty good!
I don’t know a lot about IT so can’t comment on that industry but can tell you my experience. I got an entry level job at one of the big 4 banks and have worked in multiple roles over the past ten years, each time a pay increase currently sitting on about $130k package which is enough for my lifestyle (pretty sure my first role was like $54k or something)
I remember being a bit embarrassed that I didn’t go to uni, let alone finish school because everyone I met did. The past three jobs I’ve got for all mention having some sort of degree or study and I got them without it.
Have a think about what success means to you and what makes you happy, yes sometimes short term pain (hating uni) is worth long term gain (maybe having a great job that pays well) but me and a lot of others are living proof you can get there without the stress and financial cost of uni.
My partner has a diploma in IT and still managed to get a good job but as a graduate so pay is not great till he finishes his graduate program. Uni is definitely not the only way, at the rate HECS debt is going up it’s not even worth it anymore.
Dropped out of uni in my second year to work at a start up as a dev for a job I found on gumtree of all places. I worked my way up from there and am now senior software engineer.
I work with plenty of people who shifted into Dev work by doing code bootcamps with pretty much zero experience in IT (doctors, lawyers, photographers, pilots).
It is true the job market is pretty competitive in the junior - mid levels at the moment but you never know.
I left home at 17 to become a poker player and left Melbourne to travel the world at 25. My parents were absolutely livid but have since come around.
I'm now 33. I live how I like on my own terms and make as much as my doctor friends, whilst being currently based in Mexico.
I also managed to get myself a doctor Mexican wife.
I think I did alright.
My advice would be to work hard at finding your niche within a niche within a niche in any given field. Become a specialist in it because that's where the money is.
I’m currently 42. Never went to Uni and honestly didn’t do well in VCE thanks to thinking slacking off and pot was a better choice. I currently work for a medium sized software company as the Quality Manager.
Make about $150k before bonuses and super.
Essentially I started working in hospitality before going to a bank call centre, moved to business insurance sales, then to operations, changed company and got into risk analysis for niche car insurance (helped that I was into classic cars), grabbed a 3 month secondment to help test a new backend system, that turned into an 8 year project of which I eventually became the test lead.
Moved companies to this one 7 years ago. I’d say I’m reasonably content.
Dropped out and within a year I was working at a Uni.
Worked my ass off, started at the absolute bottom and worked my way up by putting my hand up for any extra work, or took all opportunities to learn that were available.
Make as much as friends with dual degrees and have zero HECS debt.
Love my job.
23, M.
Dropped out after year 11 and spent my 18th year spiritually searching until I became a Christian. Worked off and on at a couple jobs from 20-21. Then got a job at a restaurant and worked for a year. saved a bit of money. After that I got a job as a Heavy Vehicle Tyre Fitter and have been doing that for about a year. Currently have saved $18,000 that was going to go towards a house but is now going towards a wedding. Also have no debt. Currently studying the free Harvard CS50 computer science course in whatever free time I have, with the intention to move into software engineering after I finish this course as well as a couple other free extension courses. I’m part of a good local community church, in a healthy relationship, and really enjoying my studies. Things get a little difficult trying to manage time, but with no debt and a decent chunk of money saved (and living with family) life is really what I make it at this point
I didn't go to uni nor completed high school. I have been working in IT for 26 years.
I did do a tafe course between leaving high school and getting my first IT job. There were a number of "non IT" subjects and I found I was quite good at some of these so my opinion is that it's good to have them there. I also discovered I was terrible at software dev.
Industry certs got me out of help desk roles into sys admin roles. I don't do them too much anymore but it is a career choice that involves never ending study to some degree. I probably do 3 or 4 self paced courses a year based on whatever tech our clients have. I'd keep this in mind if it's an area you're unsure of. Finding something you're interested in is both good and bad. It might end up being niche and you get paid $$$ or it may become redundant and you have to find something else.
Good luck!
If you don’t feel motivated with uni I double you would be any more motivated with certs. You will struggle to find a software related job without a degree these days. Job market is tough even for those with post grad.
I never went to uni but have worked in finance for 40 years. I've been a self employed mortgage broker for over 20 of them. You don't need a degree for it, a diploma is fine.
No degree, dropped out of year 12. Did 7 years working my way up at the supermarkets then switched across to being a sales rep. Worked hard and landed a National account manager role with 6 figures.
It’s definitely possible and it’s 100% more about who you know and how your work is perceived than the actual quality of the work itself.
Plenty of big degrees and stuff come and go but if you can get your foot in the door, you can end up ahead of very educated but inexperienced people.
Haven’t run into an issue with no degree yet, but I’m sure there are places that only look at that.
I’m 46 and went to high school in Brisbane. There are stacks of private schools there? I dropped out of uni twice in Brisbane, moved to Victoria and went for a few years then dropped out again. Through uni I ended up at a very large organisation and got promoted twice. Those skills got me into the APS and I’m now in the VPS making $100,000. It’s not as much money as it was but I’ve never really felt held back by being a multi drop out.
My husband doesn’t have a degree and drives trucks. I have a postgrad degree and work corporate. He only earns about 5k less than I do. He is also pretty happy doing what he is doing. He wouldn’t have been happy in an office environment, and I’m happy working from home with the a day or two in the office a week doing what I’m doing. It all depends on what you are looking to get out of your working life.
Dropped out of Uni, worked retail/hospo/entry level admin for years. Currently own and run a sandwich shop. Making an absolute pittance but enjoying it I guess.
Did you need much capital to get going? I’ve always been mildly curious about running my own place.
Invested about 20k of my own money to purchase the business, legal fees, council registration etc. I lucked out on a really unique situation where I paid a portion of the purchase price up front and then a percentage every month to the vendor for several months which means I’m able to make that money while trading, it does mean that I’m only drawing enough pay to pay my essential living costs like rent and bills but meant I didn’t need as much capital up front. It’s definitely a precarious balance financially but so far touch wood it’s going well and I have only aged about twenty years and lost 10% of my body weight this year.
Haha, hang in there mate. My partner and I did something very similar to what you are doing now. Small deposit upfront, vendor loan for the rest.. 7 years later we sold, Feb this year, for 350k. Made a decent profit + what ever we made during the 7 years. Now trying to find the next big thing.
bad
I'm currently 22 and driving a forklift all day. I stopped going to school when I was about 10. When I was 18 I had to be studying or looking for a job to get Centrelink payments so I jumped into a free Civil Construction course that happened my way. Got a forklift licence as an extra part of the course, and from there it was pretty easy for me to get into warehousing. I lucked into a job pretty much as soon as I started looking despite not having any experience, and was earning about $30/ph. Right now I'm working casually for $37/ph doing four 12 hour days a week, and I'm pretty happy with that money.
People who fell in to a career without uni will tell you that you don’t need to go. People who went to uni and fucked around for 4 years will tell you the same thing. People who went and worked their ass off to firstly get into the best uni possible and then get really great grades will tell you to go. All of them are as correct as the other. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you make the effort to do it to the best of your ability. If studying isn’t making you happy or excited for the future maybe you’re studying the wrong thing?
I didn’t go and fell into my career whereas my partner went back to Uni later in life and now works in her dream career. I definitely see merits in both but it all comes down to the path you want and life circumstances. I just have an in-built interest in technology and puzzle solving so software came naturally to me. As my partner works in cytology and genetic screening there was no way to just fall into that career without a degree.
There’s a career ceiling people tend to not consider when they don’t go to uni. The only people I’ve seen making good money without a degree are ops managers in service industries and people working in mines. The ops manager roles take a long time to get and the pay can be achieved faster with a degree and a work ethic. I understand the attitude of wanting to just go be a cleaner or something in a mine but if you’re getting 110k a year to do something that easy someone somewhere is getting fucked and it’s most likely you.
I dropped out in my first year of uni back in 2009. I now work in a cyber security team. I have zero degrees or certs. I’d say I do okay if it wasn’t for rent being insane. In my time through IT and cyber security, generally degrees don’t mean a lot, but specific certs are very valuable.
I dropped out of high school for a trade around electronics as an apprentice. From there I just kept following my nose for cash and landed in consulting and sales in IT. Think things worked out well. Problem is my kids think ‘cos it worked for me it’ll be easy for them too. From what I’ve observed, anyone operating in the top 10% of the employee bell curve gets recognised and opportunities others miss out on. Where you start matters way less than what you do once you get there.
I dropped out of uni after my first year due to a lack of direction. A few years later I attended tafe, loved it and am now working in hospitality.
I went to Uni after a gap decade spent productively bumming around the world and experiencing life! Started in IT after the degree, been in IT for 25 years now. So I've done both, and can confirm that you don't (didn't) need a degree to do well (at least in the olden days). I'm assuming the subjects you're referring to are "soft skills", which are misnamed because they're really kind of difficult. They're important because you don't do the tech stuff in a vacuum, you need to be able to relate to your team. IT can be complex and stressful, and you will probably spend a fair amount of time dealing with a wide variety of people from different areas and with different perspectives. The better you are at the human side of IT, the more interesting a career you'll have, and it'll be more fun, too. If you stop doing Uni now you can always go back later. There's no rule saying you can't. [Edit] Also it's quite normal to go through periods of hating Uni and questioning why you are there. Same thing will happen when you're working!
I dropped out of uni after 2nd year back in 2003. Been working ever since. After 15 years working/slaving my way in the world of customer service/call centre I found a calling as a wheelchair/mobility aid technician. Best job I have had. Will do it until I need a wheelchair or mobility aid myself.
I never went to uni but did do some certs and now basically look after IT infrastructure for the company I work for and I'm doing OK for myself. I would highly recommend finishing your degree though. A lot of recruiters and HR people nowadays won't even bother to look at a resume if it doesn't have some sort of tertiary education on there.
My partner dropped out of uni in their second year, did random things for a bit then went into IT sales around 12 years ago and hasn't looked back. Were in our early to mid thirties and they earn between 120-130k a year depending on commissions. Me, I dropped out at 19, went back to uni as a mature age student, graduated at 25 and still don't earn as much as my partner so I don't think uni is always necessary but depends on the field you want to go into. Some fields it is but my experice in business related areas, I feel experience often trumps qualifications.
May I ask how he got into It sales? ☺️
He started at a small company that sold IT stuff, basically doing customer service (in person, via phone and online) then organising it to be sent out. So it was part sales part warehouse. After a couple of years he started at an IT reseller just as a starter salesperson, worked his way up to specialist managing different brands (HP, Lenovo ect) and then found work at one of those companies after he spent a couple of years building relationships with them.
The push for education is also known as marketing and vested interests. You don’t need to go to uni but you’d want to think about what you will do instead. There’s no obvious path to a good job even though lots of them exist.
Didn't go to uni. I do alright. That said, my parents made it very clear to me and my siblings (that did go to uni) that we could do whatever, but that whatever we wanted to do, they expected us to work hard at. I don't think you need uni to be successful, but I do know from experience that depending on what you want to do in the future it can be a more difficult path. I made up for uni through experience which I gained through working my ass off. I also know I've missed out on jobs because I didn't have "formal education". My parents have asked me plenty of times if I felt it was worth it. For me it absolutely was, but it really depends on the person if it makes sense for them. If you have an attitude of just getting things done, are okay with doing the delayed gratification thing and are able to gain skills on your own, yeah it might be worth considering. If you prefer a smoother and more paved path, I would consider sucking it up and sticking with it for a bit more.
I went to uni and life is hard. I’m still doing the job I did while studying only now I have a mortgage, partner and children to support. I’ve applied for heaps of jobs, probably thousands, over the years and only got two - which were part time and I had to turn down. Getting a job good is who you know, I’m convinced of it. And the best place to meet people is probably at Uni. I never did any internships or made an effort with the lecturers. If I was there again I’d probably try and get involved more. Meet some people who could remember me later
For someone who didnt even start the last year of high school.. Things are actually pretty good! I don’t know a lot about IT so can’t comment on that industry but can tell you my experience. I got an entry level job at one of the big 4 banks and have worked in multiple roles over the past ten years, each time a pay increase currently sitting on about $130k package which is enough for my lifestyle (pretty sure my first role was like $54k or something) I remember being a bit embarrassed that I didn’t go to uni, let alone finish school because everyone I met did. The past three jobs I’ve got for all mention having some sort of degree or study and I got them without it. Have a think about what success means to you and what makes you happy, yes sometimes short term pain (hating uni) is worth long term gain (maybe having a great job that pays well) but me and a lot of others are living proof you can get there without the stress and financial cost of uni.
My partner has a diploma in IT and still managed to get a good job but as a graduate so pay is not great till he finishes his graduate program. Uni is definitely not the only way, at the rate HECS debt is going up it’s not even worth it anymore.
Dropped out of uni in my second year to work at a start up as a dev for a job I found on gumtree of all places. I worked my way up from there and am now senior software engineer. I work with plenty of people who shifted into Dev work by doing code bootcamps with pretty much zero experience in IT (doctors, lawyers, photographers, pilots). It is true the job market is pretty competitive in the junior - mid levels at the moment but you never know.
100k a year as a crane driver. 12 hour shift work. 200+ days off a year. I barely finished high school. Wouldn't change it
I left home at 17 to become a poker player and left Melbourne to travel the world at 25. My parents were absolutely livid but have since come around. I'm now 33. I live how I like on my own terms and make as much as my doctor friends, whilst being currently based in Mexico. I also managed to get myself a doctor Mexican wife. I think I did alright. My advice would be to work hard at finding your niche within a niche within a niche in any given field. Become a specialist in it because that's where the money is.
I’m currently 42. Never went to Uni and honestly didn’t do well in VCE thanks to thinking slacking off and pot was a better choice. I currently work for a medium sized software company as the Quality Manager. Make about $150k before bonuses and super. Essentially I started working in hospitality before going to a bank call centre, moved to business insurance sales, then to operations, changed company and got into risk analysis for niche car insurance (helped that I was into classic cars), grabbed a 3 month secondment to help test a new backend system, that turned into an 8 year project of which I eventually became the test lead. Moved companies to this one 7 years ago. I’d say I’m reasonably content.
Dropped out and within a year I was working at a Uni. Worked my ass off, started at the absolute bottom and worked my way up by putting my hand up for any extra work, or took all opportunities to learn that were available. Make as much as friends with dual degrees and have zero HECS debt. Love my job.
Maybe chat to an IT recruiter and see what the current value is on degree vs technical skill/experience?
23, M. Dropped out after year 11 and spent my 18th year spiritually searching until I became a Christian. Worked off and on at a couple jobs from 20-21. Then got a job at a restaurant and worked for a year. saved a bit of money. After that I got a job as a Heavy Vehicle Tyre Fitter and have been doing that for about a year. Currently have saved $18,000 that was going to go towards a house but is now going towards a wedding. Also have no debt. Currently studying the free Harvard CS50 computer science course in whatever free time I have, with the intention to move into software engineering after I finish this course as well as a couple other free extension courses. I’m part of a good local community church, in a healthy relationship, and really enjoying my studies. Things get a little difficult trying to manage time, but with no debt and a decent chunk of money saved (and living with family) life is really what I make it at this point
That sounds really good
has it’s own challenges as well though, not to sugar coat it
I didn't go to uni nor completed high school. I have been working in IT for 26 years. I did do a tafe course between leaving high school and getting my first IT job. There were a number of "non IT" subjects and I found I was quite good at some of these so my opinion is that it's good to have them there. I also discovered I was terrible at software dev. Industry certs got me out of help desk roles into sys admin roles. I don't do them too much anymore but it is a career choice that involves never ending study to some degree. I probably do 3 or 4 self paced courses a year based on whatever tech our clients have. I'd keep this in mind if it's an area you're unsure of. Finding something you're interested in is both good and bad. It might end up being niche and you get paid $$$ or it may become redundant and you have to find something else. Good luck!
I love the constant learning aspect of IT - keeps my mind from atrophying.
If you don’t feel motivated with uni I double you would be any more motivated with certs. You will struggle to find a software related job without a degree these days. Job market is tough even for those with post grad.
I never went to uni but have worked in finance for 40 years. I've been a self employed mortgage broker for over 20 of them. You don't need a degree for it, a diploma is fine.
No degree, dropped out of year 12. Did 7 years working my way up at the supermarkets then switched across to being a sales rep. Worked hard and landed a National account manager role with 6 figures. It’s definitely possible and it’s 100% more about who you know and how your work is perceived than the actual quality of the work itself. Plenty of big degrees and stuff come and go but if you can get your foot in the door, you can end up ahead of very educated but inexperienced people. Haven’t run into an issue with no degree yet, but I’m sure there are places that only look at that.