So a stupid piece of paper that has absolutely nothing to do with the job is more important than actually being good at your job, and having many years experience ? Unfortunately, you are absolutely correct. THAT is part of why North American business is so Fucked Up.
A great skill but not a healthy or profitable career choice. Become a mortician and build some vintage hearses! Ever see a poor mortician? Definitely a career that isn't outsoruced either.
Yes. At high school age, explore the possibilities first. Even consider the option to get the degree before learning to weld. Also; Lose acquaintences that whine or play a lot. Concentrate on what you want, not what somebody else wants for you. Look at every peice of advice that hints of an excuse, or a reason to not do something as poison. People that have failed will assume you will fail too. Ignore them. Be optimistic. Presume that you are going to succeed, and you will. Imagine that you can't, and you won't. Walk away from people that tell you that you can be anything you want to be, however, because we all have limitations.......... Life is Good.
My advice ,Don't do it 8 hrs a day ,Your health is far to important .I don't know what the best market to get into is .But health care rarely never lays off.Do it while your young enough ....I don't mean to become a doctor ,You could be technitian or therapist ,oR A DOCTOR .The trades are in trouble still .That's what I do .General contractor .
Part of why you can't get an interview, is you are "over experienced", meaning you would expect to be paid for your work. Some paper shuffler straight out of school will do "the same" job for a lot less. The bean counters "save" some money, and everyone is happy.
In a way, outsourcing is currently happening, there's not enough americans going to mortuary school, so we're importing morticians. Goldmine that ain't going away for a guy with mechanical skills? Artificial limb tech.
Been welding for 50 years. Started with a Forney stick on the farm, went to mig and did some part time commercial work. Started my business and learned to do some tig. For the chassis I build I hire a certified tig welder to do the finish welding. I don't have the patience any more. Welding never made me big money but it has paid the bills for a long time.
and people are dying to see you. College degree! College degree! College degree! If employers want to see degree's show them a degree. Ain't nuttin wrong wit being edumacted.
Over experienced and "under educated", that's me, but at least I can pour pee out of a boot without havin' to read the instructions under the heel.
Tech style programs, just like welding school. Everything over $10 an hour requires formal education. That's just life. Roll with it or it'll roll over ya.
Clark16, I strongly urge you to watch this You-tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY The message is-you're training for a career that doesn't yet exist and you will likely have several careers over the years. If you have an interest in a specific technical expertise, follow your love. But, don't be one-dimensional. Learn how to speak, and write,well. Communication skills will never be outdated. Learn to dress and present yourself properly to those who may hire you. Learn a second, or third language. Develop interests in lots of fields, take some business courses and, if you can, go to a liberal arts college where you can not only learn facts and skills, but more importantly, they will teach you how to think and learn. Learn as many basic skills as you can,sometimes you have to rely on yourself to get things fixed. If you find something you really love to do, you will never really "work" a day in your life.
I've got more than my fair share of diplomas and certificates of qualification. 2 years in college, four year apprenticeship, and night school classes. Plus decades of experience in my chosen trade. Employers are now specifically advertising for people with LESS than 3 years experience. And it's not because of their education.
My stepson is floundering so I sent him a copy of the book "What Color is Your Parachute", hoping it will help him find a direction. If you can't figure out what you "want" to do, choose the most highly paid field you can aspire to. Better to be well paid for doing something you don't enjoy than hate your job AND not make any money. Study hard, become a doctor, make lots of money, retire early, then follow your dreams, even if that's just lying on a beach somewhere.
If you are really wanting to get into welding for a living, the only way to make a decent living at it is to join the Pipe Fitters Union out of Tulsa OK. My dad was a 798 welder for over 50 years. Gone from home probably 9 months a year, When he was home, he worked out of our home doing local construction and fabrication. I worked on some pipelines in the summers with him and swore I would never do that for a living. You will still have to apprentice as a weldors helper for five years before getting a journeyman's license. You will make around $18 per hour as a helper and close to $40 as a journeyman. It is a very hard to make a living.
Funny thing this just came up,I just got done watching the 10 O'clock news here in Phoenix and they had a list of the 5 worst jobs,welder was #5 on the list.
Been welding for about Six years in a hot rod shop but been lucky. learned how to tig and tig aluminum. the shop iam at sells gas tanks and radiators as one of thear main products so the job was there and the pay was good, but things do get slow the key is to diversify your skills. I learend metal fab and suspension and chassis work for job security.
Watch the fist video on this link... http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/jessi-combs-wyotech.html Also poke around on this site on other things it will answer all your questions. It is my second favorite web site next to the HAMB.
I didn't have a degree in welding but got a pretty damn good job welding. But i've been laid off for 6 months now. There's lots of out of work welders around right now. funny thing is when i got laid off the state offered to send me to a trade school. I already have a degree in collision repair. so they said i could go get a degree in welding. I said really? Then do what? set around? The guy working for the state said "yeah, I was a welder and got laid off three months ago."
There is no greater satisfaction than working with your hands. Stick with it, master every aspect of it and you will be fine. Do what you love and money will follow. I sugest learning other trades as well. I am a master automotive and heavy equipment tech. I also weld alot. Stick with it!!!
Go into health-care. Seriously. If you think that you are the type of person who can derive pleasure from helping others, become a nurse...or a physical therapist...or any of the many many different diciplines in the health-care industry. You'll work hard, but not nearly as hard as a welder or any other manufacturing employee. You'll be able to live anywhere in the country...maybe the world...and still find employment. You'll have a job with great meaning and fulfillment. You'll be paid exceptionally well. You'll work in a professional atmosphere. You'll feel needed. The baby-boom generation is a huge population of people who are getting quite older now, and need to be taken care of. Hence, the need for health-care workers has never been greater. There are very few careers that you will be physically capable of, or would want to continue with, or would be allowed to continue with well into your 70s. Health-care is an exception. It's not all poop and blood and throwup, either. There are clerical positions. You can transport medicines. So many different types of jobs in health-care. And there are few health-hazards. You don't have to bust your tail in nasty weather. You can become a nurses assistant with only 2 months of training and immediately be making $13 per hour minimum...then your employer will likely pay for additional schooling for you, and you can continue to advance and end up making $100,000 per year. It's not as difficult as you might think either. If others can do it, you can too. You'll learn a lot of really neat things. It's very interesting. Do you enjoy machines and how they work? I'm sure you do, or you wouldn't be here. Well think of this. The human body is the most awesome "machine" ever. Awesome. How many jobs do you get thanked for doing? Very few. You usually hear it when you screw something up! In health-care however, the "thankyous" never end...from patients...and families of patients. I think I can assume that you're young and you're a male. As a male nurse, you will be in even more demand than a female nurse, and appreciated more. And you will be working with a great number of professional women, many of which are shall we say...marrying material. Then, the two of you as well-paid professionals, can do very well financially, and live the kind of life that others only imagine. Seriously consider it. Look into it. Persue it. 30, 40, 50 years from now, you'll be glad you did. Don't be a welder.
I'm like the guy above--"OLDSPERT". Like you, at age 18 & just graduated from high school in 1950, the Korean war had just started & there was no doubt about my next move. Joining the USN in 1951 & while aboard ship, I figured I had better learn a skill that would be my lifetime career. Fortunately, my rating was a metalsmith & our "boss" was a good weldor, instead of watching movies at night, the boss would come back to our shop & teach me his skill in welding, cutting,& brazing. After a few months of his instruction & my application, he felt very confident in me doing ship related welding chores. It all paid off when we had to repair the right side of our bow after colliding with another ship as lots of over the side welding & cutting/fitting was involved. After being discharged in 1955, my first job was welding boilers at 2.00 hr. Burning 1/4 " reverse pol. rod for a few months was NOT my idea of civilian welding, so I moved on to a much lighter type welding---Combination welding, at a exhaust mfg. co. where you arc welded a 1/4" thick exhaust flange at one end of tubing,& change to goggles to gas weld a connector at the other end, all day long for 2.10 hr. This lasted for a few more months, & moved on to an air filter co. until 1957 making 2.50 hr. When the foreman said I had reached the top scale, a friend told me about entering the pipe trades as an apprentice, & learning all about pipe welding & cutting/fabrication,with raises in pay every 3 months---That was for me!!---And I entered into apprentice program for 5 years, becoming a journeyman in 1962, & making 4.25 hr. Our local union kept me busy at different projects through the years, welding at Power plants, hi rise bldg.s, refineries,etc. all requiring certification papers on the jobsite each time you went on a different job. After 30 yrs.welding in the pipe trades,getting raises every 3 years, it made a comfortable living & putting 2 daughters thru college. I retired at age 52, & we moved to Bend, Oregon in 1984, buying a Trailer mfg.& repair business, which was a welding related adventure, & fun(?) working with the public---Instead of working for contractors---This lasted until 2003 when I pulled the plug & sold everything! Looking back at being 18, I have enjoyed the welding field & can recommend to you, to get started in an apprentice program for learning all the welding skills!!----Yes, I still strike an arc once a month at 77!!!-----Don
Also... the difference between a traveling welding job and a stationary welding job isn't much when you figure in all your expenses. Yea you are allowed Per Deam (spelling?) but with all the travel time and being away from family, you never make much more than if you just got a good job with a local company. I say learn welding and go to college, then you'll be able to afford your car and you can weld on it correctly!!!
I call BS on that. I've worked my way into a job that pays way more than that. I got hired at $18 an hour with a couple years of skill under my belt. Been here 7 years. Good work ethic goes a long way.