SICK of slogging away at your job? A career change is exactly what you need – you don’t even need ANY experience for some top-paying roles.
You don’t need an expensive university degree for these 11 roles employers are hiring for now – with perks including free flights around the world and even a FREE £26,000 Mini Cooper.
CV Library has pulled together a list of jobs you can walk straight into today – as many let you train on the job and earn while you learn.
Be aware that you may need to take a small pay cut initially while you complete training as an apprentice, or start out in a more junior position.
But there’s plenty of opportunities for career progression – and you can quickly bump up your salary to as much as £90k once you’ve climbed up the ladder.
Those looking for a new role will need all the help they can get as experts are predicting a jobs market crash.
Bosses in Britain’s private sector are expected to cut the number of new roles advertised and headcount over the next three months, according to figures from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
It means that if you’re hunting for a new job, you might see fewer roles advertised in your sector – so expanding the search to other areas you might not have experience in increases your chances of bagging a role.
“It’s absolutely possible to build a well-paid, rewarding career without a university degree,” Katie Emerton, recruitment expert at CV-Library said.
“For anyone thinking about a career change, whether it’s to become a train driver, software developer or estate agent, employers focus on practical skills, a positive attitude and intent to learn fast,” she added.
These top 11 jobs also come with amazing perks – see the full list below.
Estate Agent – £40,174
Estate agents sell and let commercial and residential property.
To make it in one of these roles, you will need to have strong negotiation, communication, customer and service skills.
You don’t need a university degree to land one of these job roles.
In some instances you can apply directly to an advertised role.
However, it may be helpful to complete an apprenticeship.
Better yet, you could earn a hefty wage each year if you landed one of these roles.
CV Library said the average salary for an estate agent is £40,174.
There are a number of perks if you chose this career path, with some UK employers offering a free company car and a chance to earn commission.
For example, estate agent Foxtons gives its employees a Mini Cooper to whizz around in.
The popular group also offer staff uncapped commission, meaning there is no limit to how much you can earn if you are successful at closing a deal.
How to retrain for free
WHETHER you want to develop skills or change skills, there’s help out there..
- The Open University offers free courses.
You can get an introduction to almost any subject from psychology to social media.
Find a list of them at open.edu/openlearn/free-courses.
To get started in business or boost your skills to go back to work, search for The Skills Toolkit at nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/find-a-course/ the-skills-toolkit.
It lists free courses to help you learn new skills or change jobs, including courses for business and finance as well as computer science and coding.
And try freecoursesinengland.co.uk, which links learners with organisations that provide government-funded training.
Learning on the job is one of the best ways to retrain in many careers. and get paid a small wage at the same time.
You can try approaching local businesses or you can search the government site.
You can get an Advanced Learner Loan from your college to help with costs. You will have to pay this back though, and it works like a student loan for those over 19 years old.
What you can get isn’t based on income, but the cost of the course. You start paying your loan back when you earn £21,000 or more.
You can apply for grants and bursaries to help pay for courses and training – and you usually don’t have to pay this back.
For example, you can get an NHS bursary for medicine, dentistry or healthcare, or a social work bursary for social work.
Look at what help is available on the gov.uk.
See if you can apply to a Skills Bootcamp, which is run by the government.
These are free, flexible courses lasting up to 16 weeks. Courses include HGV driving, health and social care, early years, business and administration, and digital skills like data engineering and software.
See if there’s a bootcamp running near you here.
If you’re unemployed, Jobcentre Plus may be able to help provide funding or training as part of a return-to-work plan. Ask your local Job Centre Plus centre here.
There are charities who may be able to help with a grant that you don’t need to pay back.
For example, ABTA Lifeline helps people who worked in the travel industry get back into work with grants to help with the cost of interview clothes, IT, and travel.
Some Armed Forces charities offer grants if you are or were serving personnel, such as the Royal British Legion and poppyscotland (for those in Scotland). Find if you could get a charitable grant here.
Claims Adjuster (Insurance) – £43,959
If you have an analytical mind and care about the little details then you could be perfect for a role as a claims adjuster in the insurance sector.
In this role you will investigate large or complicated claims for insurance companies.
Your day-to-day duties could include visiting sites to survey damage, interviewing customers and gathering evidence, like security camera footage or police reports.
You may be able to start by doing an apprenticeship for insurance professionals, or a senior insurance professional degree apprenticeship.
These take between 24 to 36 months to complete and the average salary is £43,959.
According to Adjusterpro.com the industry is “recession proof,” with services needed “every month of the year”.
Plumber – £44,529
Plumbers install and repair water and heating systems in residential households and commercial properties.
If you’re happy being out and about in any weather, then this could be the role for you – and there’s no need for any prior experience or a degree.
You’ll most likely need to start as an apprentice and work your way up, with the average starting salary £23,351.
According to CV-Library, plumbers can earn up to £44,429 a year.
The perks of being a plumber include strong job security due to constant demand and a chance to work for yourself as a self employed tradie.
Perks can include everything from a company van to discounts.
Maintenance service provider Mears Group said staff can get a company van and fuel card and discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers.
Carpenter – £45,527
Carpenters are in high demand – but there’s no need to have picked up a chisel before.
This job is perfect for anyone who is good with their hands and enjoys manual labour.
The average salary is £45,527 per year.
There are a few routes you can go down to become a carpenter, for example, starting an apprenticeship.
There are different rates of pay for apprentices depending on your age and what year of your apprenticeship you’re in.
If you are aged between 16 and 18, you will get £7.55 per hour. Those who are 19 and over and already have their first year of training under their belt are entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
You may also be able to get trade discount when shopping at hardware stores such as B&Q.
You need to sign up for a TradePoint membership, which is free to do online.
It means members spending £250 a month can qualify for a 5% discount or, if spending £1,000, can qualify for a 10% discount for the rest of the month and the following three months.
Software Developer – £50,456
Software developers create and test programs that allow people to complete tasks, run services and use digital devices.
If you love IT and crunching data then this could be the job for you.
And you could earn a whopping £50,456 a year.
You don’t need a university degree to begin your career as a software developer, and no need for any previous experience either.
You can join as an apprentice and work yourself up the ladder – expect to start on a salary of anywhere between £23,000 to £33,000.
You can find one near you by visiting findapprenticeshiptraining.gov.uk.
Project Manager – £54,015
If you are organised and like leading a team, then a role as a project manager could be the one for you.
Your day could be spent brainstorming ideas and having meetings with clients. Better yet, you could earn £54,015 a year.
With this job, you could work in a range of different industries including everything from green energy to beauty.
To become a project manager, you don’t need a university degree, but you will need to start out on a lower level rank.
You’ll likely begin in an entry-level role such as a project administrator or coordinator.
Some training may be required to land a junior role.
One way to do this is to complete an apprenticeship as an administrative assistant where you will earn at least £15,700 a year.
Perks could include an annual bonus or flexible working depending on what your employer has on offer.
Construction Manager – £60,393
If you loved Lego as a kid and think you’d be a perfect fit on a building site, consider being a construction manager.
You need to be personable and love group work as a lot of your day will be spent managing a team.
There’s no need to have picked up a tool bag before – you can start immediately.
Be prepared to begin your career as a labourer or apprentice and work your way up the ranks.
The average salary for a labourer is £25,000 a year whereas for an apprentice will be paid at least £7.55 an hour or £15,700 a year.
Once you have enough experience under your belt, you can step up into a managerial role and earn an average of £60,393.
To reach a managerial level, you’ll need to rise through the ranks, gaining credible experience.
If you want to go down the apprenticeship rout you can an find out more by visiting, www.apprenticeshipguide.co.uk.
Perks can include a company car to help you travel from site to site.
House builder Vistry said it offers its managers a free care or travel allowance.
Train Driver – £60,850
You will need to have good concentration skills and an ability to remain calm under pressure to make it as a train driver.
But with an average salary of £60,850, it could be a dream job for many.
You could hand in your notice at your job and start tomorrow – as you don’t need any previous train driving experience.
You don’t need a degree but you’ll need to start as a trainee and learn on the job.
Southeastern railways pays its trainees £27,639, and this rises to £33,867 once you have passed the rules and regulations section of the training, which is about three months in.
You need to be at least 20 years old to apply for the scheme.
Working as a train driver can also give you access to free travel.
For example, Southwestern rail gives employees free travel across its lines and 75% discount on many other train operating companies.
Your partner and family can also get to travel for free.
‘I earn £50,000 in a dream job with no degree – but everyone always asks the same question’
George Browning, from Portsmouth, has become Southern Rail‘s youngest ever trainee train driver and earns up to £50,000 a year.
Growing up, George dreamed of becoming a train driver or a pilot. But the costly qualifications needed to fly planes made his choice easy.
“I finished my A-levels on Friday and started my apprenticeship with Govia Thameslink Railway on Monday,” he said.
Browning’s pals are green with envy, especially amid the ongoing train strikes that have left many commuters fuming.
“When I tell people I work on the railway, the first question I get is, ‘Have you done your strike training yet?’”.
Four years of hands-on experience later, he’s living his dream, becoming Southern Rail’s youngest trainee train driver.
Now, George spends his days learning the ropes in the driver’s cab, supervised by an instructor.
“Every day is different. My office is a moving train, which is quite cool”.
With a £30,000 apprentice salary and a £50,000 starter salary, it’s no wonder his friends are jealous.
And the perks don’t stop there – enviable benefits, a potential four-day workweek, and a clear path to a £60,000 average salary make train driving a highly sought-after career for Generation Z.
“When I was a kid, I had no idea how much train drivers earn,” George said. “I didn’t even know what striking was. It’s just the job I always wanted.”
Despite the perks, the job isn’t without its challenges. Long hours, intense training, and the pressure of ensuring passenger safety are part of the package.
“If I screw up or make a mistake, that’s a big deal. You’ve got thousands of people on your train.”
While many of George’s peers viewed university as the only path to success, he took a different route.
“The monotony of a desk job never appealed to me,” he said.
“You’re doing the same thing every day and you feel like a bit of a robot.”
Instead, he embraced the opportunity to start his career early, dodging the student debt that burdens many young adults.
Air Traffic Controller – £63,750
Fancy being a gatekeeper of the sky as a traffic controller? You can apply NOW without any experience.
These roles are vital – you’ll be helping to guide planes in and out of airports safely.
There’s no need for a degree, but you will need to start on an apprenticeship with NATS, the UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services.
You’ll start with a package of £31,136.95 per year, which includes a basic salary £22,375.80 and an annual accommodation allowance equivalent to £8,761.15
If you are someone with a sharp focus and logical then this could be the job for you.
You will need 5 GCSEs and be over 18 to be considered for the programme.
Once qualified you can earn up to £64,000, according to CV Library.
Although air traffic controllers may not get free flights like flight attendants do, they still have attractive employee benefits.
For example, some companies give permanent discounts on travel and other products that the airport or a specific airline carries.
Finance Manager – £68,146
If you are good with numbers and are financially savvy, then a role as a finance manager could be the role you’re waiting for.
Financial managers are responsible for financial planning and other duties involving cash flow within a company.
You can walk straight through the office door without any experience – although you’ll start at a junior level and work your way up.
A trainee finance manager can expect to earn £25,000 to £35,000, and will train on the job.
But once you gain experience, you can earn an average of £68,156, according to CV Library.
One way to become a finance manager is to go down the apprenticeship route.
You can search on https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/ to see what is on offer near you.
Accountancy firm Buzzacott LLP is offering a level 3 Finance Apprentice scheme for school leavers. It pays £25,500 a year and takes over two years to complete.
Commercial Pilot – £93,500
You might think that you need tonnes of experience flying above the clouds in order to qualify to become a pilot.
But surprisingly, you don’t need ANY previous experience.
Experts say that taking a 30 minute flying lesson (which costs an average of £70 to £200) could stand you in good stead for being accepted for a pilot job – but it’s not essential.
The average salary for commercial pilot is £93,500 a year, according to CV Library.
A number of major airlines offer training programmes to wannabe pilots looking to gain their wings.
You don’t need a university to get in – but you will need at least 5 GCSEs including Maths, English Language and a Science or equivalent qualification.
To be a good pilot you should be someone who is able to stay calm under pressure.
Be aware that some courses require you to pay for the training -for example, Ryanair‘s 18-month course costs £87,000.
Pick a free course, like Jet2‘s FlightPath training programme.
The scheme offers 60 hopeful pilots the opportunity to get trained up for free.
It opened for the first time earlier this year. Applications are closed now but you can keep your eyes peeled at the careers section of its website for more opportunities.
While you may be required to work unsociable hours, such as weekends and nights the perks can be great.
The standout benefit is discounted travel, with most airlines offering pilots and family members the ability to fly for free or at discounted rates.
