There are more pathways than you might realise to work in the industry you are passionate about; and reach the career goals you set yourself.

Most people assume that everyone who succeeds at a particular career takes the same well trodden path. In reality though, people who work in the legal profession don't all start by doing a university degree, and people who work in construction don't all start by doing an apprenticeship.  In reality, jobs and career paths today are more varied than ever, and are changing more rapidly than ever.

How do you learn what is needed for a successful career, without taking on a massive student debt burden that hangs over you for decades?

Young people, and adult career changers are increasingly faced with this dilemma.

Society seems to be telling them that without training and education, they just can't follow the career path they want; but to follow that path could result in both loss of income while they train, and a student debt running into tens of thousands of dollars; which could cripple any chance of a prosperous life for decades into the future.

There are options though which are not laced with such doom and gloom.

Groundskeeper is a title commonly given to someone responsible for caring for the grounds on a property such as a school, hospital, public institution or even large private estate. The work might be primarily the same as a gardener, but may sometimes involve general property maintenance tasks that go beyond what a gardener normally does.  Groundskeepers tend to work alone or with an assistant, perhaps responsible directly to the manager or owner of the larger property where they work. This might be different to a gardener who may work under direction from a garden supervisor or horticultural manager.

Not all colleges, or courses are the same.

You might not realise until after you enrol though unless you ask the right questions before enrolling.

You might expect a university or vocational college to be offering refunds if you withdraw, and accredited courses to have been developed and be delivered by leading experts in their fields. That isn't always the case.

Read on and consider some of the questions you might ask before making what could be a big commitment.