Switching careers to SEO without a degree might seem tough, but I did it—and so can you. Through self-learning, hands-on experience, and strategic networking, I landed my first SEO job. In this blog, I’ll share my journey, the exact steps I took, and actionable tips to help you break into SEO without a degree.
People always ask me, “What do you do for a living?” And every time, I hesitate.
Not because I don’t have an answer but because, for the longest time, I felt embarrassed about it.
For over three years, I worked in technical support. Not by passion, but because, well… I never took school or college seriously. While my friends were moving forward, getting stable jobs, and building careers, I was stuck, pretending like I didn’t care.
But deep down? I did.
After three and a half years, reality hit me hard. I saw people moving ahead while I stayed in the same place. And I realized — if I didn’t change now, I never would.
So, I quit my job.
Everyone around me thought I had lost my mind. My family wasn’t happy. People kept saying, “You had a job. Why would you leave it?”
But I knew myself. I knew that if I stayed, I would never learn anything new. I would never grow.
For years, I had lived inside a comfortable little cage. Carefree. No real responsibilities. No urgency to improve.
Or maybe ‘careless’ is the better word.
But something inside me had changed. I couldn’t live like that anymore.
I decided —
“I just can’t keep living this way. So, starting today, I’m breaking out of this cage.”
Step One: Fixing My Attention Span
The problem? I had no idea what I wanted to do. I had no degree, no special skills, nothing that could get me into a good job.
So, my first step wasn’t learning a new skill. It was fixing my attention span.
I wasn’t used to sitting down and learning for hours. I would get distracted by Instagram, YouTube, or just random thoughts. So, before even choosing a career, I forced myself to build the habit of focusing.
It took me two to three months to finally train myself to sit for two to three hours without distractions. Once I did that, I started researching my next step.
Step Two: Figuring Out What to Do
I searched for “best jobs without a degree.”
Watched thousands of YouTube videos.
Even took Udemy courses in SQL and Power BI.
But nothing clicked.
Then, I came across Digital Marketing.
It seemed like something I could do. But the problem? Every institute was charging 2–3 lakh rupees for a course. I was ready to sign up, but then I stopped myself.
“Will paying this much money actually get me a job?”
So instead, I took a smaller, more affordable course just to get a certificate. And as I started learning, I realized — some topics like Facebook Ads and Google Ads weren’t new to me. I already knew them.
And that’s when I got even more interested.
Step Three: Writing, SEO, and My Website
While learning Digital Marketing, I stumbled upon Content Writing.
I had always enjoyed writing. So, I started posting on Medium — just random thoughts, things I wanted to express. And then, I learned about SEO.
Something about SEO caught my attention. I liked the idea of understanding how search engines work, how content ranks, and how websites grow.
So, I combined everything I had learned — writing, SEO, and digital marketing — and built my own website. https://writingmonk.com/
It was my personal project. My portfolio. Something that could prove, “This is what I know.”
And guess what?
It worked.
Step Four: Getting My First SEO Job
I finally landed my first job as an SEO Executive.
No degree.
No corporate experience.
Just two years of self-learning and taking risks.
But for me, it was never just about money or a high-paying job. It was about doing something worthwhile — something I enjoy, where I can grow and learn.
Or simply, something I can confidently tell others: “Yes, this is what I do.”
Something that makes me feel, “I have a skill. I know this. And I’m good at it.”
And SEO felt like exactly that.
I learned that it only takes one year to step into something new, and once you enter the field, you can keep learning and growing.
My main goal was just to break into this industry — and I did.
I was nervous. I wasn’t sure if I was ready. But I knew one thing —
I had come too far to stop now.
The Biggest Lesson I Learned
It took me exactly two years to change my mindset, build new habits, and start my career in a completely different field.
The first year? I was confused. Lost. Trying to figure out what to do.
But once I decided? It only took 7–8 months to learn a new skill and land a job.
I’ll be sharing a detailed breakdown of everything I learned soon.
One more thing- I haven’t updated that course or certificate anywhere.
(So I can say now that certification is also not important; you just need to show your skills.)
So, if you’re feeling stuck, wondering if change is possible — trust me, it is. You don’t need a perfect plan.
You just need to start.
Want to read more of my stories? Check out my blogs on Medium.
I’ll also be sharing SEO insights and important updates on LinkedIn soon, so feel free to connect!