If you don't know if you'll like it or not, I strongly recommend getting a job as a helper in a fab shop to learn the ropes first. Some employers are better than others; we train our welders to the point where they can complete the work, and we offer them free training beyond that.
As for the money, it can be very good if you work your butt off. Get a reputation for being lazy or poor workmanship, then you'll do poorly. The work is dirty; you hang in all sorts of interesting positions, often very high in the air, over the sides of ships, under large machinery, between pipes that are so close together you can barely see between them. You get sprayed with hot slag, spatter, grinding sparks, you get flashed with intense UV light. You get burned, you drop things on your feet, you whack your head against stuff. You breathe in all sorts of interesting dust and fumes. You go home tasting metal and you try to wash the shavings off without getting slivers.
And at the end of the day you know you just did what only a few thousand people in the world could have done; made a good, strong, clean weld that will last.
Think about it; it's a job you have to love to do for a living, but the only way to know is to try.
Thanks for the reply, it was very informative.
Actually I was going to ask about that. None of that stuff bothers me at all (in fact I pretty much do it daily at work where I am now), except the heights thing. Cram me into a tiny cave or send me underwater, but I just have a thing with heights. Is that basically a dealbreaker, or is it fairly easy to find a job that won't require me to dangle off the top of a skyscraper?
Actually, high work is some of the highest pay. But it's not hard to find shop work, or field work where you don't have to climb. Some of these guys have some pretty unique insights into the oil field business, where I don't know much about it at all. My company does almost all shop work, and our pay scale reflects that. If you know how to SCUBA dive, you might want to look into the underwater thing. Again, not in my ballpark, but some folks here know the market.
Good luck, man.
It's not the fall that gets you, it's the sudden stop at the bottom. As for deal breaker, I doubt it. Now the underwater thing has potential. But they are a special breed verging on a variety of psychosis at any given time. However; I've known many of them, and it basically gets in the blood. (Literally when you get the bends).
There is a shortage of welders nearly everywhere, and not all are cooning steel in the nose bleed section either.
Regards,
Gerald
By tincan
Date 11-14-2007 22:45
Truer words were never spoken! I've known some welders and have worked along side them in the feild.It can be very tough,but to know you can do something a lot of people can't,is a good feeling.
I went to a technical school about 2 1/2 year ago about and went for welding I was kinda like you didn't really know what to do I ended up going back to school at the age of 26 thinking god I have waited to long I should have gone for welding right outta high school but I said screw it, can't go back in time and do it again all I can do is move forward so I didn't it. It wasn't one of these high end schools I think the course was like 400 or so a semester I went for like 4 semester I was 2 semester short of graduating but felt like i had learned all that I could learn and eneded up getting a job tig welding stainless steel so I thought it was pointless to go back I had learned all that I was going to learn and wasn't going to pay all that money for a piece of paper now others may hate me for saying that but I'm happy with my decision later i will try and get certified. I was working there for just under 3 months and was moved up to pipe welding and I absolutly love it. I am one of those nut cases who eat sleep and breath welding I know that sounds crazy but I really enjoy it. I was thinking about doing this back in high school but alot of people were like no you don't want to do that it's nasty well to tell you the truth where I work is very clean and not nasty at all some places are though. If you really want to give it a try then do it you never know it maybe really for you. I had never welded before in my life only watched it one time and was like yeah that looks cool I want to give it a try and not to brag or anything but I think alot of guys in my class were very surprsed of how quickly I picked it up, most the guys in my class were farm boys and had a huge advantage on me but I quickly caught up to them and passed them up. Welding is very rewarding depending on what you do you can make alot of money doing it. I've been at this job about 5 months now and I can't even begin to tell you how much I've learned from on the job training I think I've blown away alot of guys in my class there is nothing like on the job training. Now I do beleive school is good so you can learn your basics but you will not get everything in school. Like someone else said it is all what you put into it. ok I'll stop rambling here if you have any questions don't be affraid to ask the guys here are very cool i asked many question when I was in school they helped me out alot also the miller motorsports forum is another great forum you should check out. goodluck in your decisions
Chris
Trainwreck,
Here in San Diego we have a Regional Occupational Program which offers welding. Our welding school is a AWS Accredited Test Facility and it is free of charge. Check your area for an ROP program. I know there offered all throughout the U.S.
Chris
