Is Welding Really a Career Worth Pursuing?
My reply to your questions:
My reply to your questions:
I first entered the welding industry in 1981 by signing up for the welding program at my local technical college. Today I work as a Nondestructive Test Technician and a Welding Inspector Educator, I would LOVE to answer your questions.
What are the true needs for these skilled professions?
State labor statistics all across the country will show that the rate of Welders leaving the work force to retire far out paces the number of Welders entering the work force. I’ve worked in manufacturing and construction in many different locations and have found contractors/employers struggling to fill the role of Welder. It is true that there have been many advances in the field of welding. Robotics, mechanization, automation has come along at a pretty fair clip, but it has barely put a dent in the need for skilled Welders and skilled Welding operators.
Patients, a steady hand, good hand-eye coordination and attention to detail would be characteristics of a good Welder candidate. I’ve found that when being challenged the most, my job as Welder was most satisfying. A Welder can easily find him/herself tethered to a beam 6 stories up having to use their hands for everything other than holding on. They may find themselves cramped inside a boiler where just standing up would be a much welcomed break. Maybe on a fast paced production line with overhead cranes sounding their alarms and hammers and scaling guns make so much noise it’s tough to hear your own thoughts. None of those situations sound glamorous, but after a slew of 6-10’s, when the buildings up, the boilers fired or the production quota is met, there’s a satisfying sense of accomplishment.
And if you have embarked on a career as a welder or a technician, why did you do that?
“One Lost Trouble Maker” would have described me back in the late ‘70’s, early ‘80’s. I pumped gas for minimum wage ($2.35hr-$2.90hr) for as many hours as the boss-man would give me. I had close friends who spent most of their High School days in shop class. One went to work in a machine shop right out of school, another got a Degree of Occupational Proficiency in Welding that summer and headed to the shipyard. They could get their own place, have a nice car, but they couldn’t hang out with us “cool kids” because they both worked the night shift. I was convinced I couldn’t work like that.
After a relationship changing conversation with my Dad I decided I was going to take Carpentry classes at our Technical College. I filled out all the paperwork and as I was heading out of the councilors office she shouted, “Mr. Cameron, you have to make a second choice.” It was a requirement. I checked the box that said Welding and left.
So, welding as a career was more or less thrust upon me, and I thank God it was.
Do you think you can make a career out of it?
I believe I’ve done that. When I left that $2.90hr job to attend Welding School I didn’t know how I was ever going to get by. After graduating 9 months later I went to work for $8.50hr and a 50hr week… 3rdshift.
As a Welder, my wife and I, who was able to be a stay-at-home-Mom, raised 4 kids, meet every mortgage payment, lived in 4 states, travel all over the country and now educate others. I have an acronym, IGTBM, drives my kids crazy (It’s Good To Be Me). This year, for the 5th year in a row, and for 10yrs over my career, I’ll exceed $90k. IGTBM Baby, IGTBM!
How is it different than you might have first imagined?
I imagined it would be hard work. I imagined it’d be dirty and noise. I imagined there would be day that sucked to go to work. I nailed that, but I never imagined the people I would meet, the opportunities that would be presented to me and the security that I feel knowing I have the security of a high demand field.
I was laid off from that first job after a little under 3yrs. I was out of work for a long time and falling back into my slump when I realized, my skills were portable. I packed my life into a Toyota Celica and headed West. Since then I‘ve been out of work once, for 3 days. I was fired from a job on Memorial Day Friday, took my family to visit Gramma & Grammpa for the weekend, purchased a Denver Post and started job shopping on the ride back home. I was hired that Wednesday. Again IGTBM!
Does it enable you to have a satisfying life outside the workplace?
OH HELL YA! Everybody busts it at work for their 8, 9, 10, 12 hr day. Once the week, the project, the goal is met, there is plenty of time (and money) to enjoy life. That’s not a Welding Thing, that’s a Work Thing.
Welding’s been good to me. I hope others consider this as a career.
God Bless,
PWC