By Lawrence 
Date 12-14-2010 00:29
Edited 12-14-2010 00:34
It's a mixed bag.
If you can do those things (multi-process certifiable, close a triangle, shop math, work from prints with minimal supervision). You will land on your feet.
If you can do those things, you have an advantage over welders your competing against that might have a few years under them, but learned on the job without the benefit of technical training.
Focus on selling yourself on the things you are confident you can accomplish on day one *unsupervised*... Don't worry about the what other welders can or can't do. And don't advertize yourself above what you honestly think you can do.
Edit: You have already proven that you can finish something you started. That in itself is hard currency when it comes to what employers are looking for out of greenhorns.
Mistake free resume, clean pressed starched button down workshirt, dirty leathers.
I agree with Lawrence, your fresh out of school if you can do the math, do multiple process that's great. You'll find that once you get out in the field you'll be learning everyday on every job you do. Then it will depend on the industry you work in. If you work in a shop doing welding repairs on equipment you won't be using the math and such as much as if you were out on a job slinging iron or running pipe.
My Uncle is a welder, been one for 35 years and when I talk with him he just baffle's my mind with what he knows. I've got another welder friend who I call at times to ask questions, not sure how long he's been at it but has a successful business for the last 10 years, real sharp guy and I learn something from him everytime I talk to him. It's like any job though, as a first year mechanic I was as green as they come. Went thru school, they taught me and crammed my brain full of stuff. After 5 years of working on Cat stuff I was pretty darn sharp. After 10 years of working on cars, equipment and big trucks and I felt like there was nothing that was a problem. After 18 years and 4 years at a Cadillac dealer troubleshooting electrical on those and I was nearly bullet proof, sort of speak. Now with the welding......I'm an idiot....sort of speak!!
As far as abilities, I know a guy who is a teacher, can weld tig and mig like nobody's business, not very good with a stick though. He spent his time in a shop doing, tig and mig. I hear about guys that are doing pipe who can make a 6010 work like Merlin's wand, but could not weld tig if their life depended on it. Another teacher spent his time doing gas pipe, he can weld it and taught me all I know. He is very knowledgable in tig and mig and can weld it but will admit he has not done it enough to be considered great. In my mind it does not make them less of a welder, they are still welders. It's like a guy who spends his whole life working on Caterpillar equipment and has no clue what is wrong with his wife's Ford, GM car. He's still a mechanic and excellent in his field, just does not know the systems because he does not work on them everyday.
As far as the math goes, I cheat. I've got the blue book, black book and a pipefitters math book and of course a calculator. Off the top of my head I can add, subtract, divide, multiply, convert fractions to decimals and decimals to fractions of a foot and inch. I can do the pythagorean theorem off the top of my head and some other crazy stuff I never imagined I could do at 17. What I do requires this just about everyday so it's like a habit, it's just blazed in a few brain cells and is readily available. I do know a few guys however that don't really have to know this. Things are set up for them, they tack it and then weld it, squeeze the trigger or whatever. Others have jigs, they throw the material in a jig, then tig away. They don't have to figure out the how's or the why's just put the pre cut pieces in place and go for it. It's their job, they are not required to do the other, just weld it. I've had a helper a few times while building stairs and been babbling away with numbers figuring the rise, run and stringer length and have the guy say, "what the h_ll did you just say" as the numbers spilled out of my mouth. A guy I knew built stairs in a shop environment, large shop. He didn't know how they got the numbers, he read off the paper at what length to cut the material and put it together like the picture showed.
Hope this helps out, this is just what I've noticed and experienced in my time doing this. It may also depend on the welder as a person. Those who want to learn, get better, do all types of welding and those who just want to get by until friday gets here so they can cash their check and hit the bar. Good luck out there and congrats on the graduation!!
Shawn
The welding industry runs the gament man. You've got everything from trigger pullers to full blown Welding Engineers with doctorates degree's that can weld with multiple processes. Now you do the math and that's what you will find in the good ol welding industry of today. They've got something out there for every kind of person that know's a bit about welding. Just remember that Knowledge is power and the more knowledge and experience you have, the further you will go and the more money you will make. Good luck to ya and congrats on the 2 year welding degree. It will pay off and put you ahead of people that don't have it.
For my 2 cents Dave nailed it pretty good. Never had the dead steady hands to be a great (or even superior) welder but I learned a lot of do and don't and what makes things tick (or not). Never cared to take pictures (close up) of my welds but the finished products sometimes shined.
