The NoDegree Podcast – No Degree Success Stories for Job Searching, Careers, and Entrepreneurship

She gave college a try. But college just wasn’t a good fit for Alexsis Bass. Besides the fact that it was so expensive, she just didn’t see how she could apply and benefit from what she was learning. She dropped out of college the first time because she had a hard time navigating it all and she fell into a deep depression. Listen in as Alexsis tells Jonaed about: * Why she decided to drop out of c...

What if you never had to interview for a job again? Well, it’s possible and this week Teddy Burris spoke about not having to interview for ANY job he’s ever had, although he didn’t have a degree. He got a scholarship to go to college but couldn’t afford room and board. So, he traveled from home to school everyday but it didn’t work out. He failed and decided it was best to just drop out. Find out...

His dad wasn’t in the picture. Wib Gridley’s mom was a single parent that sometimes worked three jobs simultaneously just to take care of her kids. By the time he was 16, his friends were stealing cars and getting in trouble. He realized if he went down the same path he’d either be dead or his life would be a wreak. So, he decided to drop out of high school. But he had a plan. He joined the milita...

High school sucked and he hated it. Will Davis says he was never good at “organized learning”. As he struggled through high school, when he was 17 he accidentally stumbled into graphic design. And it all started with his love of American Idol. Listen in as Willtells Jonaed about how he became a UX designer, earning almost $200k/year. Support/Contact Will: * Website:  https://www.wdavis.design/ * L...

In high school he wanted to be a rapper. And that’s what Jahmar Gale did for 10 years. But he had a plan: if he didn’t achieve the kind of lifestyle, he wanted by the time he was 30, he’d get out of the entertainment industry. So that’s what he did. Listen in as Jahmar tells Jonaed about how he: Was a rapper for 10 years Started and scaled 2 businesses Became a data analyst earning between $75,000...

Since he grew up poor, LeRon Barton’s family encouraged him to pursue a career that would allow him to take care of himself. So, he put his love for writing aside and started college. But it just didn’t work for him so he dropped out and went headfirst into the workforce. Listen in as LeRon shares the story of how he became a Technical Project Manager that earns $140,000/year. Support/Contact LeRo...

Networking isn’t about meeting people and talking about yourself.  And it certainly isn’t just for business owners to grow their business. It can actually take your job search to a whole new level. Find out how you can leverage it to help your job search in this week’s episode. Books and resources mentioned in this podcast: Resume course: https://bit.ly/podcastpca Need career or resume advice? Fol...

Enjoy job interviews? What will you say when asked about the reason you don't have a degree? Listen in as Jonaed breaks down five things you can do to ace your next job interview. And if you’re wondering what experience he has in this area, well, over the past three years he’s helped over 400 people land jobs at places like Meta, Hubspot, Google, Twitter, Amazon, Tesla (just to name a few). So, th...

Are you sending out resume after resume with no callbacks? If so, listen in to this episode as Jonaed breaks down five things you can do to make your resume stand out. Over the past three years he’s helped over 400 people land jobs at places like Meta, Hubspot, Google, Twitter, Amazon, Tesla (just to name a few).  Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:42 Jonaed's background 1:01 Tip 1: Highlight your achieveme...

Do you fear success? It sounds counterintuitive but often times we’re so accustomed to “the struggle” that we don’t realize we create situations that keep us struggling. This week Chris Nesbit returns and talks about finding success during the pandemic. Support/Contact Chris: Social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-nesbit/ Appearance in episode 19: https://www.nodegree.fm/episodes/ch...

In high school he wanted to be a doctor. But as Jackson Blackledge visited colleges to check out different universities, he quickly realized college wasn’t for him. He also did not want to make $15/hour working as McDonald’s. So, he researched how to make money online. Listen in to find out how he went from making $15/hr at McDonalds to $120,000 in monthly recurring revenue. Time Stamps: 0:39 Intr...

Derek tried college but it just didn’t work for him. He rolled with the punches and went after what he wanted. He wanted to be an entrepreneur.  He wanted to be free. Listen in as Derek tells Jonaed about: How he became a teenage entrepreneur at 17 How he built himself into the success he is today All the lessons he learned from the different jobs he did  Support/Contact Derek: Website: listening....

Skilled as he was, being a mechanic was not cutting it.  Joseph needed more time and energy to be with his family while earning a decent living. Instead of waiting around for things to change, he took action.  Listen in as Joseph tells Jonaed about: How he managed a career pivot at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic The roadblocks he had to overcome to advance in his new field The kind of person y...

Learn how to prepare for an interview. We go over the common questions and other techniques that will help you ace an interview. Good luck and get that job! Need career or resume advice? Follow and/or connect with Jonaed Iqbal on LinkedIn. - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonaed   Connect with us on social media! - Instagram: @nodegreecareers - TikTok: @nodegree   Thank you for sp...

She loved to draw. With a passion for art and no guidance, Tamara Laraque went to fashion school. While she enjoyed the drawing part, she didn’t like the sewing part. For the next few years she bounced around in different careers. From dental assistant, to pastry chef, to driving for Uber. Tamara tried it all as she hustled to find her path, pay her bills, take care of her family while also going...

He went to high school in Singapore. And while it was ok for the most part, for the last two years, Julian was unhappy. He got accepted to Cornell University in the US and attended for two years before dropping out. Listen in as Julian tells Jonaed about: How his parents agreed to him dropping out Taking a gap year in college How he got into the cryptocurrency space Support/Contact Julian: LinkedI...

No one in his family went to college. So, for Joshua Cruz, college wasn’t even something he considered when he graduated from high school. By that time, he developed a love for dancing so that’s what he pursued. He soon became disheartened as he didn’t reach his career goals. Listen in as he tells Jonaed about: How he became a successful dancer and toured with a famous popstar even after he gave u...

At 16 he had locks and was in a band. Danny Ruelas dreamed of becoming a famous musician. After high school, he worked different kinds of jobs as he pursued music. And then, the 2008 housing crash happened. It got so bad he had to move back in with his dad. Listen in as Danny tells Jonaed about: How the 2008 economic crash affected his job search Getting a job in quality control without a degree H...

His first pay check was $78. At 13, Jason Nunnelley associated employment with poverty and was determined to get credentials and experience that could help him climb the corporate ladder. Although he was in a heavy metal band and played several instruments in high school, he decided to give college a try. Listen in as Jason tells Jonaed about how he: Dopped out of three different colleges Got expe...

He was working 12-hour days and was distraught when he had to turn down going to the park with his son because he was working. Antoni Tzavelas reflected on his values and determined that he needed to find a job that would give him more time to do what he felt was most important. Antoni returns to the NoDegree Podcast Listen in as Antoni tells Jonaed about how he: Decided what new career to pursue...

In high school, he had no career aspirations. But, Anthony Disney went to college anyway because his parents wanted him to. His lack of aspirations didn’t go away though. He two different majors and realized he didn’t enjoy either of them. Eventually he decided to drop out of college because he felt lost and didn’t want his dad to continue to spend his retirement money. Listen in as Anthony Disney...

He hated school and was a terrible student. Ross Sutherland finished high school by 14 but in New Zealand, students are legally required to be in school up until the age of 16, he took one semester of fine arts from a local university.   Listen in as Ross tells Jonaed about: His love of art and how it shaped his career The unconventional advice his dad gave that set the tone for his career.  How h...

The first black woman to go to space, Mae Jemison, was her role model. Miesha Williamson wanted to be an astronaut like her so she followed the same educational path. She went to college on a scholarship to be a mechanical engineer. There was one problem though, the scholarship covered 4 years and her program lasted 5 years. Then there was the financial crisis in 2008.  Listen in as Miesha William...

High school was no match for him. It bored Drew Karikker so much that he slept through most of his classes. Of course, this got him in trouble. He still managed to pass and went to college. He dropped out three times, joined the Navy and become a Nuclear Engineer before he found his calling. Listen in as Drew Karriker tells Jonaed about: How his time in the navy shaped him Dropping out of college...

His mom made him wear a superman cape to school. Lobow Spark got sent home for it, but his mom made him wear it anyway. As an ADHD kid in a neurotypical world that made students feel broken for not being “normal”, his mom made sure he knew he was aware of his unique abilities. Listen in as Lobow tells Jonaed about: How he went to college but dropped out because he just couldn’t get himself to clas...