How Can I Find a Job Without a Degree?

So here was a question that was asked on the Spherion Career Blog. The job seeker asked how he could find a job without a degree and here is what Seymour, the columnist had to say.

You're not alone, and many would say that you're even in great company. Some
of today's top professionals didn't get their college degrees, including Bill
Gates and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. You don't have to have a college education
(and a burden of student loans) to be successful and have a rewarding career.
Vocational training or an associate's degree may be needed, and all jobs will
require on-the-job training, but many of today's fastest growing and
recession-resistant careers don't require a four-year degree.

Here are some of the tips that he recommends using when job hunting:

Do a self-assessment.
Before you launch a new career, do a little research about different career options and also about yourself. Many of today's hottest non-degree positions include sales, education, law enforcement, construction, administration, transportation, and management. Think about who you are and what you like to do in your free time. Do you like to interact with people, or are you more technical? Are you great at organizing, or do you love working with your hands? Knowing your goals and being passionate about what you want will help you to land that first position in a new career.

Once you have a goal in mind, research the position and the industry.
When you have an idea of what you want to do and why, do a little more digging and find out what you would need to do to land a job in that field. What certificates, seminars, workshops, training, or even volunteer activities would boost your attractiveness as an applicant? Find out ways to start getting experience and knowledge that will help you get the job you want. Recent experience will be a great leg up as you start to apply.

Remember that personal qualities count.
Attitude is everything, and if you're great to work with and are clearly happy with what you're doing, people will want to hire you. Think about it--would you rather work with someone who dislikes their job, or with someone who is happy to be at work? Be dependable, positive and honest and you'll be the kind of person that anyone would want to hire.

Just remember that there are plenty of people out there that choose not to go to school and are very successful. Failure is not an option when times are hard, so make sure you set a goal and do everything you can to achieve it!

Also here is a story that shows sometimes "experience" is not everything. This story to me is very frustrating to hear and if anyone else is having similar difficulty finding work, I suggest trying WiserWorker.com. This is a website that assists mature workers in finding work.

So Portland, give us some feedback on those of you trying to find a job without a degree and what tips you can offer. Please feel free to leave your comments below.