With student loan debt being around nearly $40,000 per person, it’s understandable why so many people are opting out of college. However, that doesn’t mean that they can live without some form of work. Fortunately for them, there are plenty of careers that pay well, offer a nice income, and don’t require a college degree. Here’s a look at three of the most promising ones.

Real Estate Agent

In general, those who are good at sales stand to make quite a bit of money. Since most sales jobs pay based on commission, the amount of income you can make is potentially higher than many other jobs. You’re paid based on your performance. Being a real estate agent is one such sales career. A real estate agent makes pretty decent money. You make money based on commission. Commission is a percentage of each home sold, typically 6-7%. Nationwide, real estate agents make between $62,000 and $90,000 a year. Most real estate professionals bypass college and go to real estate school instead, where they learn about real estate law, contracts, and other important information pertaining to selling houses or commercial property.

Firefighter

Firefighters bring a widerange of skills to the job, including, of course, firefighting skills as well as people and animal rescue techniques and medical training. In order to do their jobs effectively and to maintain a degree of safety, firefighters must also have a high level of physical fitness. Each city has its own requirements for becoming a firefighter. Usually, would-be firefighters can receive job-specific training by the fire service. However, there are often community classes that will also prepare future firefighters for the job, at least to a certain degree. This job doesn’t usually require a degree, however. Income is dependent on the state where you fight fires. The highest-paid firefighters make more than $75,000 a year.

Web Designer

With the existence of online training companies like Udemy and LinkedIn Learning, it’s entirely possible to learn how to do web design or web development for a fraction of the cost of a bachelor’s degree. While many hiring bosses still look for candidates who have a BA or a BS, many will now consider hiring people based on their portfolios. Designers need some basic skills, like the ability to draw, the ability to use design programs, and the ability to work well with clients.Many designers without a degree will post their work to their social media accounts so that it can be seen by people in their industry. They’ll also attend trade shows and other industry events so that they can meet people in the industry who might help them to get a job down the road. Graphic designers make up to $71,000 a year. Getting a well-paying job these days doesn’t always require a degree, and with the average debt of most college students being in the mid-double digits, it’s easy to understand why more and more people are opting out of a university degree. The key to making a nice living is to find a job that pays well without a degree. These jobs usually require some sort of on-the-job training or a certification course. However, many people working today teach themselves the skills they need to do the job they want, allowing them to save money on a degree and dive right into their chosen field.

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Due to their consistent presence in our lives and the fact that impressionable people such as children tend to take cues from them, celebrities are often thought of as role models. Even if a celebrity denies this status or obligation, it can be hard for their audience not to not hold them up to exaggerated expectations. If you look to celebrities as role models, these are some things to be aware of.

Their Image May Be Manufactured

Celebrities often seem to be utterly poised, to have the most attractive appearance and to make the wittiest observations in interviews. In most cases, however, these aren't qualities they were just born with. Celebrities and their teams strive to create an image of being relatable and likable. This effort shouldn't necessarily be viewed unfavorably, and many celebrities are naturally charismatic, but people ought to use discretion in considering how a celebrity is able to charm the public through practiced communication skills.

Your Idea of Them May Get Destroyed

There have been plenty of celebrities whose reputations have been shattered due to incredibly disturbing revelations about their behavior. Even if something is just hearsay, it can still be quite unsettling. The latest celebrity gossip can range from the strange to personal issues that may bring you down. To better support your self-esteem, you should learn to detach yourself from what celebrities do. It can be difficult to find out someone you admire has done some very bad things, but it's easier when you don't have sky-high expectations of them.

You're Accountable for Your Actions

Regardless of your influences, you must hold yourself accountable for your own actions. If you do something wrong and your only defense is that a celebrity also did it, you'll be making a flawed argument that will not absolve you. You should discuss this with your children since young people often have trouble recognizing that bad behavior isn't okay just because a famous person displays it. If you have this conversation after someone famous is exposed for doing something wrong, the impression will stick with your kids for a long while.

When you place a celebrity on a pedestal, you can forget that they're merely human and that their wealth and fame don't prevent them from making mistakes. Remembering this can help to keep your beliefs and actions in check. While it's fine to admire celebrities for their exceptional qualities, make sure you're not holding them to a standard no one could possibly meet.

Looking for more advice on how to help your children become the best adults they can? Read 5 Ways to Empower Kids to End Bullying next.

5 Ways to Promote Gender Equality in the Workplace

(Family Features) Although women are making strides in the corporate world, there is still work that can be done to level the landscape.

Research from Catalyst, a global nonprofit focused on empowering and accelerating women in business, shows the needle is moving, albeit slowly. In nearly 10 years, the number of women in senior roles in the United States increased just 1 percent. At Standard & Poor's 500 index companies, overall women’s representation is far behind: 5.2 percent CEOs, 11 percent top earners and 26.5 percent senior-level officials and managers. Less than 5 percent of senior level positions are held by women of color. Men still lead more than 95 percent of the most powerful companies in the United States.

If you’re looking for ways to promote change in your workplace, explore these five steps that can help build a work environment where everyone can advance and succeed:

Engage in programs that celebrate women of color. Tap into resources that honor women in leadership and foster growth for aspiring women leaders from racially and ethically diverse backgrounds, such as those available through Catalyst. The nonprofit offers a host of ongoing workshops, programs, trainings and consulting services designed to promote inclusive workplaces, along with events around the world. For example, the “Catalyst Skyline Takeover,” which is a visual realization of the international business community’s commitment to greater diversity, inclusion and gender equality in workplaces around the world, features dozens of global companies “lighting up” their buildings with the female symbol.

Assess and formalize pay scales. As numerous studies indicate, wage disparity is one of the most obvious signs of inequality in the workplace. A fair pay scale outlines specific responsibilities and corresponding compensation rates, and can be applied to roles across the board regardless of race, gender or other potential discriminatory factors.

Ensure growth opportunities exist. Leveling the pay scale is an important step, but ensuring equal access to the positions at the higher end of that scale is an essential supporting move. Simply saying you’ll pay a woman the same as a man in the same job falls short if all candidates, regardless of gender, race or ethnicity are not given the same chance to compete for more senior positions.

Implement mentorship programs. Positive role models can give future leaders the vision to dream big and the guidance to make those dreams a reality. Putting aspiring women leaders in close contact with other women who have attained success in their field helps set a course toward achievement. It also helps men to advance and develop unbiased leadership. Since the majority of business leaders are currently men, change for women can only be accelerated if all those in leadership positions work together.

Support parental involvement. Historically, the issue of parenting and the workforce has been dominated by discussions around maternity leave policies, but more recently that dialogue has evolved. Men, too, desire more time with their families, and through equal parental leave policies, workplaces can allow women and men within all types of family structures to thrive in their careers and at home.

Find more resources and recommendations for promoting workplace equality at catalyst.org.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (woman in conference room)

Get Focused

Plan to make productivity a priority

 (Family Features) Although there are many reasons to feel stressed in the workplace, productivity is often at the root. After all, productive employees are often perceived as the most valuable employees and when productivity fails, it tends to put everyone on edge.

Concerns about productivity are broadly founded. They may be related to your self-assessment of your own performance, or it could be that a manager is demanding more. Or maybe you’re collaborating with a team of peers and are struggling to find your footing, and collectively productivity is down.

Productivity is not only good for business; it’s good for worker morale, too. A productive work day can produce a sense of accomplishment and pride, and may result in a less stressful work environment. You can take a proactive role in improving your own productivity with these ideas.

1. Face a challenge head on. Procrastination can be the ultimate roadblock to productivity. For many, that means saving the least desired task on your to-do lists for the end of the day. However, by the end of the day, it’s too easy to delay the task until tomorrow. Instead, start the day with your least desired task. This is when you’ll have the most energy and you’ll kick off your day feeling accomplished, ready to tackle whatever comes next.

2. Be intentional with your time. It may seem counterintuitive, but taking breaks can help you have a more productive day. When you feel your energy start to wane, give yourself a timeout. Take a 15-minute walk, run the stairs or spend some time drawing in your notebook. Over the course of a week, pay attention to your schedule and start to plan your meetings and tasks around breaks so you’re working during periods of the day when you’re the most energized.

3. Capture ideas when they come. Let’s face it: not every great idea arrives at the ideal moment. While it’s possible to key your ideas immediately into your smartphone, that can come with multiple obnoxious distractions. However, trying to recreate that flash of inspiration at a more opportune time more often than not falls short with missing details.

An option like the Bamboo Slate smartpad allows you to write naturally with pen on any paper without the social media notifications and email alerts. With the push of a button, you can then convert your handwritten notes into “living” digital files. With Wacom Inkspace, you can organize, edit and share your notes and sketches on your enabled smartphone, tablet or other devices. In case you’re not near your mobile device when inspiration strikes, you can store up to 100 pages on your smartpad and sync later. Learn more at bamboo.wacom.com.

4. Identify areas for collaboration. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The key is knowing yourself well enough to know when you need to ask for help to be more productive. Wasting time on tasks you don’t excel in can slow everyone down. Rather, find others whom you can collaborate with and learn from to help you improve your productivity over time.

5. Stay organized. When you’re working under continuous deadlines, things can really start to pile up – literally. Digging through a mess to find the report containing the data you need or the invoice to cross reference is a waste of precious time. Allow the clutter to build during the work day if you must, but make it a goal to never leave the office without bringing some order to the day’s chaos. Coming in each morning to a desk that is de-cluttered and ready for the day ahead can be a big productivity booster.

Learn to Make Lists with Purpose

List-making has long been revered as the classic time management tool, and technology makes it easier than ever to blend this analog task with your digital world by using smart notebooks like the Bamboo Slate to create an online to-do list.

Consider these three list styles to determine the approach that best fits your work style to put you on your way to more productive days:

Categorized lists. Most people start with a daily to-do list, focusing just on the most urgent tasks for the day. Once you’ve mastered that approach, try looking ahead to the future to help you meet your goals. For this technique, you might consider an annual list or even a life list to help put the big picture in perspective and make it more manageable to accomplish your desires. Others go so far as to categorize their time to focus their attention on different types of tasks on different days.

To-do vs. done lists. Another option is to use lists to catalog both the items you need to do and those you’ve already completed. A “done list” can be a motivating factor in pushing forward with your to-do list by letting you see your accomplishments in writing.