Despite it being another year of record breaking A-Level results, not everybody getting those results ended up with the outcome they wanted. With more people wanting to go to university than places available and with the cost of tuition fees and living expenses going up and up, university won't be possible for tens of thousands of people.

But how important is a degree to being successful? Well, not as important as you might think.

These days it can be tough out there, so getting a degree is no guarantee of getting any job never mind a good job. Here at BIGDOG we believe that qualifications are important but we know that they aren't everything. If you are enthusiastic, hard-working and driven you can go on to have a long, successful career.

For many people apprenticeships offer a great way to start their career. They can learn valuable skills, prove that they cope in a work environment and earn money in the process. Check out number 3 in the list below, Anthony Bamford did an apprenticeship after leaving school and he's doing OK!

If you are lucky enough to get a job after leaving school then remember that it's the first step on a ladder. Even if it's not your perfect job try to make a success of it and who knows what you will be doing next.

Either way remember that BIGDOG have thousands of job and apprenticeship vacancies that can help you get your career off to a flyer.

Still not convinced?

Here's our list of 8 people that we admire that DON'T have a degree but have done OK for themselves:

1) OK so you have seen him on the TV, but did you know that Sir Alan Sugar left school at 16 and went on to become one of the most powerful businessmen in the country?

2) Richard Branson dropped out of education at the age of 16 and started his first successful business venture, Student Magazine. He is the owner of the Virgin brand and its 360 companies. His companies include Virgin Megastore and Virgin Atlantic Airway.

3) Sir Anthony Bamford is the chairman of JCB, the company that makes the big yellow diggers. His wealth is valued at £2.15bn! He started his working life with a two-year apprenticeship at Massey Ferguson in France in the early 1960s.

4) Bill Gates was ranked as the world's richest person from 1995-2006. He dropped out of university after one year to start the world's largest computer software company, Microsoft Corporation.

5) Simon Cowell started in a mailroom for a music publishing company. He has since become a music executive for Sony, a television producer and judge for Britain's Got Talent and The X-Factor.

6) Steve Jobs left university after one term to work for Atari before co-founding Apple Computers. Going on to develop products like the iPhone, iTunes and, most recently, the iPad. Steve Jobs was also the CEO and co-founder of Pixar before it merged with Walt Disney. Not short of a few quid!

7) Coco Chanel was an orphan who trained as a seamstress. She changed the fashion world for good, doing all right for herself in the process.

8) Dragon's Den star Deborah Meaden said her decision to go away to college was the first step along a line that gave her the confidence to become a successful businesswoman. Despite not attending university she is worth over £40M now. Good choice Deborah!