Get 19 years and 11 months worth of experience, I guess.  Some things you just can't learn in books.

Arcboy,

There are many things you can do if you are serious about learning. Are you currently working in the inspection industry? Some companies fund classes and seminars. Do you have welding experience? There is nothing like learning how to make the welds you will be inspecting, you never forget what IP, wagon tracks, burn through, undercut, etc. look like once you make them yourself. How many welding processes are you proficient in welding?

How about non-destructive testing? RT, MT, PT, UT - There are some great places on the internet to get the basic understanding of NDE: http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/communitycollege.htm
And then there is destructive testing and failure analysis, not to mention the advanced NDE like AUT, Phased Array and computed radiography.

You must have a computer, how are your computer skills? Do you have Microsoft Word and Excel experience? Most shops are using these basic applications for everything from reporting, job tracking, weld logs, etc. How about AutoCAD, blue print reading, welding symbols? Report writing is another thing that can be practiced; I wish I would have paid a little better attention when I was in English class after reading some of the well versed people out there. The industry is moving more and more to computers so keep up with that.

How about materials and metallurgy? Do you know where to lookup material specs for plate, pipe, fittings, flanges and forgings? What about alloys? Mild steel, low alloy, high temp, stainless, austenitic, martenstic, 300 series, 400 series. How about dissimilar welds? What about heat treating?

What about in-service damage mechanisms and corrosion or fatigue?

Etc, etc, etc

My point is, you are entering a great field that you can spend a lifetime learning, take it one step at a time, follow what you like and you will have a great career, I think many people get into a kind of rut (for lack of a better word) because they are unwilling to learn something new... it takes effort and time to keep moving ahead and learning new skills and practices! It's easy to get into the "rut" of the same thing day after day. SO... don't stop learning!

Oh, and don't forget to pass on what YOU have learned.

John

I have to agree that there is no replacement for 20 years experience. However; there are some things you can do to kick start your knowledge base.
For a CWI, knowledge of welding processes is absolutely essential. The base knowledge required to pass the test, is at times insufficient. If you search the post here, you will find many stories from welders in regards to CWI's who made calls out of ignorance rather than knowledge and fact.
To be an inspector is to be a professional student, continued education is not an option for any inspector, it's mandatory if you wish to be good at what you do.

You need to learn how to weld, but also the physics behind it. Need to learn what codes are what and where, when, and how they apply, and constantly keep yourself updated on that information. Need to keep up with inspection technology. This later one is particularly important.

One of the absolute most important things to remember as an inspector: It doesn't matter who you are, how long you've been in it, there is always something more to learn that you do not know. Always be open minded and ready to take note of those things as they come along, assimilate all the knowledge you can hold, and take detailed notes and records for future posterity.

My two cents worth,
Gerald