EARN MORE. LIVE BETTER. DEGREE OPTIONAL.
A CAREER TOOLKIT TO EARN MORE AND LIVE BETTER
WITHOUT A COLLEGE DEGREE.
MISSION
Provide women accessible information, practical tools, and hands on learning to earn high-wage jobs and live a better life without a college degree.
Women Who Work
Learn how to get higher paying positions and advance your career without a college degree.
Women Who Volunteer
Gain experience, develop skills, build your resume, and give back to the community.
Q u i c k G u i d e s
Want to change jobs? Make the most out of your current one first:
Reading Your Paystub – The first step to understanding your current finances, benefits, and finding comfort in the facts. This comes in handy when negotiating for a new position.
The Budget Revision – The 50/30/20 rule doesn’t always work in every situation. Here’s an easy way to make sure your bills are covered, you have some savings, and know what you can spend.
Automated Financial Process – Check one item off of your to-do list and set up an automated financial process that allocates money for you.
What can I add to a resume with limited working experience?
- Volunteer work! 45% of hiring managers consider volunteer experience equally valuable as paid experience when evaluating soft skills. Source: Harvard Business Review, 2022
- Free (or paid) online certifications! This is a great way to demonstrate continual education and initiative, what company hates seeing that?
How do I know I am qualified enough?
Job listings describe the “ideal” candidate qualifications, but not necessarily the minimum qualifications needed to successfully perform the job. If you have transferable skills and relevant experience (not always in the same industry), avoid self-rejecting before giving yourself the opportunity to advance or learn. Meeting 60% of qualifications is a good rule of thumb when applying.
What jobs can I get?
Ask yourself, “what kind of work am I good at, what do I enjoy doing, how can my skills earn me more money, and what industries utilize those skills?”
O*net OnLine is a free government platform where you can search potential careers by filtering using your skills and goals. Visit the official U.S. Department of Labor website and search for O*net onLine.
How should I prepare for an interview?
- Research the position – Review the job listing again and correlate how your attributes align with the descriptions.
- Research the company – Comb through their website, find their values, become familiar with their products/services, and try to reference back to any information in the interview to show your research.
- Prepare for their questions – Write down your key points to commonly asked questions in interviews such as:
1. Tell me about yourself
2. Why are you interested in this position
3. Why did you apply to ‘XYZ Company’
4. Tell me about an accomplishment you are proud of
5. Tell me about a challenge you faced - Prepare your own questions – You are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you. This is an important step in your career, and this is the time to determine if this company and position align with your goals, pay structure, and values. Here are a few examples of questions to ask:
1. What success looks like in the position
2. Growth opportunities
3. Biggest challenge in the position
4. Company culture
5. Company priorities within the next year
Should I accept this job offer?
You should accept the offer if you have A. Negotiated (successfully or not) and B. The position and company align with your goals, pay structure, values, and career path.
Though tempting to accept an offer immediately, companies hardly (if ever) offer their highest pay and best compensation package. Most companies expect some type of negotiation to take place. Here are a few ideas of what you can negotiate:
1. Pay
2. PTO
3. Flexible work schedule
4. Benefits
5. Hire date
Where do I start if I am unsure?
Start with the Women Who Work free guide for the Higher-Paying Job Roadmap.