As thousands of students across the United Kingdom open their exam results and prepare for university, four young professionals are proving that higher education isn't the only path to career success. From photographing A-list celebrities to working with lions at prestigious zoos, these individuals chose alternative routes and achieved their dream jobs without stepping foot on a college campus.

Lloyd Wakefield, now 29, never imagined he would become a celebrity photographer while growing up in Stockport. His original dream was entirely different. "Up until college, my only goal was to be a footballer," Wakefield explains. "I'm not the most academic. I didn't click with any lessons outside of PE. I'm a hands-on person." When his football aspirations didn't pan out, he found himself working at Aldi, a German discount supermarket chain.

The transition was challenging for Wakefield, who spent two years searching for direction after his athletic dreams ended. "It took me two years to adjust, to find any kind of direction or purpose outside of football," he recalls. His photography journey began unexpectedly when a friend introduced him to film cameras. The two would spend their days off exploring and taking photographs together, sparking what Wakefield describes as "catching a bug" for photography.

Through self-teaching via YouTube tutorials and extensive trial and error, Wakefield began reaching out to agencies and pursuing opportunities in the field. His persistence paid off when he landed a backstage position at Fashion Week, which eventually led to his breakthrough assignment photographing Harry Styles' Love On Tour. "If you told me when I was working in Aldi that I'd be in the music world, on a tour, it was so polar opposite of where I thought I was going to be," he reflects.

Wakefield's exceptional work on the Love On Tour project earned him recognition as the favorite tour photographer at the 2023 iHeartRadio Awards. His client list has since expanded to include major celebrities and brands such as Dua Lipa, EA Sports, UFC, Arsenal Football Club, and Emma Corrin, star of "The Crown." Today, he operates Lloyd's Workshop, a creative community specifically designed to support young photographers who lack industry connections or formal training.

For aspiring creatives, Wakefield offers practical advice about balancing passion with financial stability. "There's no shame in getting a normal job," he emphasizes. "Use it to fund your passion. Don't rush it." Looking back on his decision to skip university, he remains confident it was the right choice. "I learned way more by just kind of putting myself in those situations on set. The benefits vastly outweigh the negatives."

Frazer Walsh's journey to working with exotic animals began with a chance discovery rather than years of academic preparation. The 21-year-old from Widnes in Cheshire initially applied to three different universities, but his heart wasn't in it. "I applied for three different universities but I didn't want to go - it was just because I felt I had no other option," Walsh admits. Everything changed when he spotted an advertisement for a zookeeping apprenticeship at Chester Zoo. "Then I saw a Chester zookeeping apprenticeship listed and thought: 'Oh my god, that's my dream, it's something I've always wanted to do.'"

Walsh's passion for animals traced back to his childhood, when he was "obsessed" with wildlife and drove his mother "insane" with his love of David Attenborough documentaries. However, he had no clear understanding of how to transform this interest into a viable career path. "You don't really hear of many zookeepers, or if you do, you don't really know how they got into that position in the first place," he explains.

After completing his Level 3 zookeeping apprenticeship at Chester Zoo, Walsh became a qualified keeper and found his calling. A particularly memorable milestone came about a year into his apprenticeship when he was entrusted with solo responsibility for the lions. "About a year into the apprenticeship, I was finally able to work with the lions by myself. They're your responsibility then, you're looking after them, and you take a lot of pride in it. That is something that I'll always keep with me," he shares. His advice to school leavers echoes Wakefield's sentiment: "Just don't rush it, because it's your life, isn't it? A job like this is really once in a lifetime, so just go for it."

Thaliqua Smith, a 25-year-old from South London, always dreamed of working in film production but felt that university wasn't the right path for her goals. "I just felt like school should be done," Smith explains. Despite being told that further studies were essential for entering the directing and producing field, she remained unconvinced. "They were saying the only way for me to get into [directing and producing] was to go and do further studies. But it just wasn't something that I was particularly interested in."

Following her father's suggestion to explore apprenticeships, Smith discovered the Channel 4 production training scheme. The program immediately appealed to her practical nature. "It just sounded really cool," she recalls. "I thought, 'Wow, this is great. I'm working, I'm learning for a year. I'm earning money for a year in a field that would be amazing.'" Smith was selected as one of only ten participants in the program's inaugural year, and she knew from day one that she had found her place.

Smith's career has flourished since completing the apprenticeship, with credits on popular shows including "The Apprentice," "Naked Attraction," and "Rich Flavours" featuring Big Zuu and AJ Tracey. Her work has taken her internationally to Spain and New York, and she has advanced to the role of assistant producer. "I didn't travel much as a kid, so to be flown to amazing places, staying in beautiful hotels, meeting insanely cool people - it's a dream come true," she says.

Now passionate about promoting alternative education paths, Smith advocates for better visibility of apprenticeship programs. "Apprenticeships are amazing, [but] I had to dig through Google to find mine. They should be promoted way more," she argues. Her advice to young people focuses on self-confidence and patience: "Not let anyone convince you you can't do something. It's OK to not have it all figured out. Even people who act like they've got it figured out probably don't."

Faye Husband's path to entrepreneurship was shaped by significant health challenges that made traditional education difficult. The 19-year-old from Teesside was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, POTS (a condition causing dizziness), and hypermobility, which severely impacted her school attendance and created anxiety issues. "I had a lot of time off and it was hard managing being off and then coming back to school and teachers and friends not understanding," Husband explains.

After leaving mainstream education, Husband was homeschooled before joining Strive, a support unit that proved crucial to her academic success. "That literally gave me my GCSEs - I probably wouldn't have managed them if I wasn't there," she acknowledges. Following college, where she earned A-levels in criminology and psychology, Husband remained uncertain about pursuing university education.

The solution came from an unexpected source - her parents suggested monetizing a longtime hobby. "I'd done my own nails for years and my mum and dad said, 'Why don't you do a course and do it for other people?'" Husband took their advice and established Phaze Nails, operating from a converted garage at her home in Redcar. The business has proven highly successful, often booking appointments up to a month in advance.

Self-employment has provided Husband with the flexibility needed to manage her health conditions while building meaningful relationships. "I've met so many nice people and made really strong friendships from it," she shares. "That's usually stuff I don't get the opportunity to do, because I don't go out a lot." Her advice to young people emphasizes self-compassion and patience: "Be kind to yourself. Don't rush yourself into doing something that you're not ready to do."

These four success stories demonstrate that university education, while valuable for many, is not the only route to professional fulfillment and financial success. Each individual found their path through persistence, practical learning, and the courage to pursue unconventional routes to their dream careers.