While the traditional four year degree and the two year associate’s degree are no longer a sure fire path to financial self-sufficiency there are a vast number of jobs available that only require certification. Compensation can vary widely, depending on the choice of careers, but well-paying jobs are available.
Health Care, Public Safety, and the Trades represents fields that have well established certification processes. Here are some examples of jobs available:

Health Care
The health care field is expanding as the population ages, but note that some of these careers do not pay well. (Often a local hospital will hold a “career night” which is an excellent source of information.)
• State Tested Nursing Assistant
• Patient Care Assistant
• EKG Technician
• Phlebotomy Technician
• Clinical Medical Assistant
• Pharmacy Technician
• Dental Assistant
• Medical Office Specialist Billing and Coding
• Medical Reimbursement Specialist

Public Safety
Where you work can make a lot of difference in the future of these jobs. If you are employed in a city that is poorly managed, your job can end up being a pawn in political budget struggles.
• Law Enforcement
• Fire & Emergency Medical Rescue
Trades
There is a high demand for workers in the trades. Many of the current workers are older and reaching retirement.
• Welding Technician
• Auto Collision Technology
• Auto Service Technology
• Construction Technology
• Electro-Mechanical Maintenance Technology
• Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
• Industrial Diesel Mechanics
• Heavy Equipment Operations & Engineering
In general here is how to approach certification for these fields:
• Explore your career options. Check out the salaries at payscale.com and salary.com. Match up your interests and aptitudes. (A quick way to get exposure to lots of options is to visit a local community college.)
• Find an accredited institution that provides the desired training. This might be a college, community college, vocational school, a private company, a hospital, etc. What is their track record? What is the background of their instructors? How much will it cost (including fees, books, and equipment)? Will they assist you in job placement? It pays to shop around.
• Complete the training.
• Apply for certification. This process varies widely depending on the field you choose. Generally, it requires one or more applications and exams (usually with accompanying fees.). You may be required to get a license in certain fields.
• Search for a job. The best accredited institutions will have direct connections with local employers in your specialty.
Typically this entire process can be completed in a year at a very reasonable cost. Financial aid may be available.
The Information technology is another field that lends itself to certification because: 1) the knowledge required for each specialty is well defined. 2) the skills required over a career keep changing. 3) the skills are in demand, and the jobs pay well. However the certification processes are not as well defined, and some of the certifications are not well understood by prospective employers. Here are some of the jobs:
Information Technology
• Front-End Web Developer
• Data Analyst
• Mobile Developer
• iOS Developer
• Full Stack Developer
• Android Developer
• Networking
• Database Administrator
• Enterprise Messaging Administrator
• Information Security

If you are going to be successful in pursuing a career in information technology you must have an aptitude for the work and be prepared for working long hours.
Major vendors such as Microsoft and Cisco have well established and recognized certification programs. Being certified is not going to guarantee a job, but it is a plus on the resume.
The latest development in information technology is the software bootcamp. It doesn’t take four years to learn how to program. You can learn a programming skill in a few months at a modest cost. Some examples are: Dev Bootcamp, Flatiron School, Hackbright Academy, and Udacity. The certification process varies widely by provider, and there isn’t much evidence that employers recognize the certifications. However, you will have a body of work to show prospective employers. When choosing a bootcamp consider their job placement process and try to determine their success rate.
Getting certified and getting that first job is just the beginning. As a rule of thumb your working life is likely to be forty years. It is important to make a lifetime commitment to improving your skills: 1) Increased skills translates into higher pay. 2) The days of going to work at the GM plant and retiring after forty years are long over. 3) You must be productive and current to maintain viability in the job market.
One criteria to consider when you are contemplating a job offer is what is the potential employer’s commitment to employee training? In many desirable fields there is high employee turnover and/or a skills gap. Many employers are offering training and education as a perk. (That modest investment that you made in getting a certification could end up as a free associate’s or bachelor’s degree down the road if you make the right choices and work hard.)