21 year old at the crossroads. Need some career advice.
So I'm turning 21 next month and recently have been worrying a lot about what I'm going to do with my life. After high school I went to college for a semester and then left. School has never been my thing and college wasn't any better. For the last 2 years I have just been a lazy mess who works night shifts 20 hours a week and thats about it. Basically I've just been taking time off after 13 years of school.

But now I can't do it anymore. I'm bored as fuck and I hate my dead end job. Everyone has been telling me to just go back to college, but I just can't see myself doing that. I'm smart but I just don't learn in those environments. Plus I don't have anyone to pay for my schooling, so I'll basically be in debt right out of school either way.

As for the career choice, ever since I started HS I had wanted to get into CRE. I'm still thinking about doing it but want to know if its even worth pursuing without a degree. Plus I've never been a big social butterfly, which I'm guessing can be very tough in this field. Its not that I'm super shy and quiet either, I just don't like talking a lot. I'm more of a listener. But I'm motivated by money. I know everyone says "Follow Your Passion", "Do What You Love", etc. but what I love is music and there isn't much money in that unless you are very talented and I really have no desire of being famous. I want to make money so that I can have more free time off to enjoy my hobbies and passions.
[{"id": "cqvcm4q", "text": "You may be able to get a job as a salesperson without a degree, but it will be at a shitty shop and 100% commission, so if you're bad you will not last long before you're broke. Its also not a great position for someone that is not a \"social butterfly\" as you put it. Also, CRE is not a profession for those that want a ton of free time. Think of it as a subset of the finance industry, becuase it works very similarly - you will work your ass off for the first 10 years of your career, and if you are successful you might be able to sit back and sit on commission checks or rents later in life. But it will be a long time before that happens.\n\nHonestly, and I don't mean this as an insult, it sounds like you have not done a lot of research on the topic. I suggest you think seriously about this before wasting your time experimenting with jobs. \n\nAnd go to college, man. Unless you're a boy genius (FYI you're not), you and your bank account will regret it for the rest of your life. ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cqvcsxm", "text": "Maybe try residential first and go from there. \n\nCRE brokers without a degree are becoming very rare, typically you would have to know somebody like a family member who can get you going, or if you came from a family with ties to the industry.\n\nI'm not getting the impression that your resume is great either (unless that semester happened to be at Harvard or something), that might be another hindrance. Get some experience, do menial work in a related field. Get your license, get a certificate like CCIM. Just do something that actually shows you want to take it from sitting on your couch dreaming about it to actually being out there and doing it. \n\nIt's not impossible, but you have a mountain to climb just to get into a brokerage. And then once you are in it gets much harder.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cqvdzmf", "text": "I'd look elsewhere if being social isn't your thing. You could be an analyst, but you'd need a degree for that.\n\nYou might be able to come up working for a CRE management company, but without connections that might be hard to break into. No degree means that people aren't likely to look at hiring you unless you want to be doing maintenance, but there you're likely going to be stuck in a dead end. \n\nI'm gonna be blunt - How you practice in school is how you're likely to play in real life. You work your ass off in school; you're gonna work your ass off in a job. Conversely if you float by in school; you're probably going to do the same in a career. There are of course exceptions, but by not completing college you've already got a strike against yourself. \n\nMost of the people I know in CRE have a degree and the successful (young) guys have further CCIM creds and various other designations. Those things are extremely helpful for getting your foot in the door. Can you succeed without a degree and designations? Absolutely! BUT you've gotta schmooze, be naturally talented, or know people (schmooze). ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cqve7nb", "text": "wouldn't really bother without a degree, especially without a strong outgoing personality. this field is really competitive and there a lot of people that want in. you need to be able to set yourself beyond many others to even get your foot in the door. that's going to be really hard without a degree unless you have good family connections. \n\nif you just want to make good money, i'd suggest a trade or sales. good luck.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cqvf4f6", "text": "I'd stay away from CRE.  \n\nIts a tough business.  Depending on your market, the first thing you are going to figure out is there are basically three types of brokerages out there.  \n\n1-  the big guys like M&amp;M, CBRE etc.  They would be the ones you could most likely get on with a non sales role, but they won't touch you without experience.  They are very competitive to get in, but will give you tons of training and support.  \n\n2-  Smaller boutiques-  At least in my market, this is a non starter for you.  They are mostly made up of very successful agents who basically left careers at the big houses to become partners or get much better splits and bring tons of business with them.  \n\n3- Resimercial.  Think your KW Commercial, Huff Commercial, ReMax Commercial.  This is the most likely place you will wind up.  They for the most part will give you 0 training, hold your license, collect fees/splits and leave you alone.  The honest brokers will probably pass on you as there is a VERY high likellyhood this is going to bankrupt you and you honestly don't have the skill or education to properly serve clients.  You will find someone who won't care and will simply say \"hey you have a license?  Cool 50/50 is your split, these are the other fees, etc, let us know when you want to start\".  \n\nAssuming you navigate this first hurdle, expect to spend nearly all your time your first year networking (this means you are calling people non stop, on properties, bankers, industry contacts etc).  You are trying to meet everyone, get lunches, coffees etc.  You will also be going to chamber events, business conventions, and really anything else you can find where you can meet people.  This shit costs money too, so don't think if this goes badly you might just not make anything, you will be spending cash before you make cash.  \n\nHere is your big problem, lets say you get over not particularly liking being social, or just fake it for the money.  The people you are trying to network with are going to know you have no idea what you are talking about.  I hope you are a good bullshitter, because when you are chatting up people non stop and can't discuss these things at a professional level, they will know.  \n\nAssuming you get past that, you aren't making money for 6-12 months, and I'd think more like 12, maybe more, based on what you are telling us.  \n\nCan you float yourself for that long, and pay to get your license, maybe some brokerage fees/membership fees, pay to attend events all the time, and bust your ass like crazy without losing hope?  \n\nIf you just want to make money to have more free time, this is not an industry you want to be in.  You can make money, but free time can be non existent and it takes a ton of drive.\n\nIf you really think you want to pursue this, I'd recommend trying to find a multi family &amp; CRE management company and try to get a job.  Honestly even leasing agents (10/hr or so + commissions) in res a degree is typically required if there is no experience.  Do you need a degree?  Not really, its easy as shit, but there are going to be a ton of applicants so why would they take a chance on you?  Anyhow, I'd try to get in with one of those companies on whatever you can whether its leasing, accounting, hr.  Do that for a year or two.  You aren't going to be doing big things, and are going to be basically in customer service, but you will understand how properties work at a low level and can better determine if you want to be in CRE.  If you do at that time, you at least have some experience and can look at going back to school or whatever you have to do to move up.  If you don't, well at least you got paid for the experiment.  Plus you might get real real lucky and if you find a small company make an impression on the owners/high ups and move up naturally.  I do know some people who started as leasing agents with 0 experience that are now vp's and regional managers etc (though in fairness most of them got degrees or even MBA's along their career).\n\ntldr-  CRE is fun, and challenging, but you are in for a really hard road and you don't really sound that committed (no offense).  This isn't a job where its just easy money and free time to do whatever else you enjoy.   ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cqvvq6m", "text": "Prescott college. Check it out. I financed my degree but worked pt to support myself thru college. Best decision I made.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cr333l9", "text": "CRE sounds nice and exciting with all of the money... Truth of the matter is the only thing that creates success is tenacity and hard work. You could even have a bad personality or be anti-social IF you have persistence and work harder than everyone else. Layer on some basic social skills, better. Layer on Analytic skills, better.Layer on Creativity, VOILA you have something amazing with all of those. That said, take all of them with little persistence and work, you have NOTHING. Unfortunately, hearing of 20 hour work weeks and just taking some time off for a couple of years makes it hard to picture for ya. I never did that.... never. Nor have I heard of successful brokers that have.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]