I became a welder because I love the trade but also I was told I would get paid A LOT and have a job. I graduated from a technical high school in 2006 with:
HS Diploma
SENSE: Entry Level (only person in the class)
OSHA 10 hours
NIMS: Metalforming I
I couldn't find a welding job in high school. I was told I was too in-experienced or there were no jobs. So I went into a technical college in hopes to get more experience, a college degree, and a possible job. I graduated from the college in 2008 with an Associate in Welding Technology. In fact I got a 2.74 GPA which is pretty good. I learned a ton of stuff including 6G code welding. I still couldn't find a job until a friend introduced me to a guy not advertising his heat exchanger company. I got a job there from May to Nov. 26 when I was laid off.
Since then I have applied at least 40 various companies ranging from MA (where I'm based), NH, SC, TX. I have received a total of 5 I think interviews all refusing to hire me based on experience level. The only jobs I have seen in this area is spot welding boxes. I ran out of un-employment insurance and I'm very lucky I can live with my parents. That is the entire problem though. I'm 22, out of college with an Associate Degree in Welding, multiple certs, no experience, and now a year with no job.
Now my experience is not unique neither. My friends who graduated with me got laid off and some remain at their job because they got extremely lucky. In fact the 45 year old guy who graduated with me didn't get laid off but remained there. He was rather popular talking about his war stories but couldn't weld (and the manager even joked about him).
I'm really at the end of the rope here. I want to become a certified welder but I have no access to a welder. I really feel like I have been duped or something picking welding as a career even though I love it. Any suggestions on what to do? I know we are in a depression but this is ridiculous. Employers have a shocked face when I tell them my last company I worked at was a year ago. Plus I really want to live the American dream. Even if I got a welding test, it would look like I have not welded in over a year.
Welcome to the very best welding forum on the net. You should spend some time here and browse through any subject you have questions about, you will find answers to anything and everything here. This is going to sound hard and I hope you take it the right way and learn from what I have to say. I am not an old man but I do have more than 25 years experience in welding trades. In that time there have been many up and down turns. I have never been unemployed for more than one week in my entire life. It sounds to me like you need to quit wining and start really applying yourself and get a job. In your position with the experience you have any welding job would be good for you because it will build experience for you. The way I look at your situation is there is an average of 30 days in a month, you have been off for about a year so It appears to me that an average of less than one application a week is not very much effort. If you said you have put in 300+ applications I would think that you are doing your part. Maybe there is something you are missing, really look at your self from an outsiders perspective and make the necessary adjustments. This is a mans job and there is no room for whiners, laziness or sorry attitudes. If any of these apply to you I would start working on them ASAP. I have hired many welders and mechanics in my time and the one thing I look at more than anything else is the persons attitude. I have passed up guys with experience because of their horrible attitude, just food for thought. So to make this really blunt, work is better than no work even if it is not as a welder. Look into any business where welding is done and try to get in there and prove yourself. You may not be hired as a welder but at least you have your foot in the door. When I was 18 I did just that and it opened doors for me to move up and I did. There is work out there if you want it so go and get it!
Hi Hool
Couple things:
You have to be willing to go where the work is... and there is work available. Many companys want a welder with skills, knowledge, and work ethic to replace some slacker they have been carrying for risk of hiring someone new who may be even worse. They may not be advertising, but that doesn't mean they won't hire.
40 rejections is nothing.... stick with it.... try at least five outfits per week, across the country.
Look for someone with hire / fire authority. Avoid personel people who may turn you away since they "aren't hiring". Look for general foremen and the like who may hire anyway if they think you look like a good bet. In person contact is the best.
Folks in industry can be skeptical of any school training. Unfortunately some training warrants that skepticism.
Folks in industry can be skeptical of anyone young. Unfortunately much youth warrants that skepticism.
Folks in industry can be intimidated by anyone who may have more skill or knowledge than themselves.
Folks in industry generally don't want someone with the skills and ambition to outgrow their company in short order and then leave.
Folks in industry tend to want workers who need them, so that they will stay and not always be asking for more money.
The welding industry is not unique in the things I listed above.
BTW a 2.74 GPA is nothing to shout about.... if that is how you did in your welding courses that could raise some flags. Hopefully you have a 4.0 or close to it in your welding courses. If you haven't been working in the last year, it would definitely be an asset to have been furthering your training while looking for work.
How is your personal appearance? You may have problems if you don't have a neat conservative haircut, aren't physically fit, wear tats or ear rings or jewelry, or dress sloppily, etc. Smoking doesn't help, if you do I would hide any evidence.
There is lots of opportunity in the field if you are one of the best... and that is not just skill or knowledge but includes work ethic, reliability, flexibility to meet the company's needs, easy to get along with, etc. You just need to establish yourself, and yes that can be hard... you must go to where the work is and get some experience.
Good luck!
A welder is always judged by their skill at the craft. Formal education that you have and the associates degree will benefit you in the future. Such as getting your CWI. However a lot of welding jobs are not found by filling out applications and waiting for interviews. A lot of getting a job as a welder is networking with other welders WHO KNOW YOU! These need to be people who know your abilities and how you are bent as a worker. Sometimes the job you get is not the one on the radar. Work your contacts and work the people they put you in contact with.
By ssbn727 
Date 11-30-2009 03:02
Edited 11-30-2009 14:27
And to add to the excellent advice already given to you... Go to your local welding suppliers and start asking where the work is and see if they know who's hiring as well as going back to your area Vo-tech school to take some remedial welding courses at night while you flip burgers or whatever else you need to do in the mean time!!! Don't forget to network yourself at the local area AWS Section meetings as well, because a lot of the folks who attend are decision makers as well, so make it the most intense effort you have ever attempted in your life son!!! You need to redouble your efforts as well as intensify the efforts too!!!
Someone told you do at least five applications a week??? Not good enough!!! You need to really saturate yoyurself by at least sending out 20 a week, and don't tell me that there aren't 20 jobs open out there per week because there's way more than that!!!
Get your resume and cover letters scrutinized by someone who is a human resources person that does this for a living!!! Get BUSY OUT THERE!!! Go apply at the temp agencies because you need to first generate cash flow even if you have to work on a temporary basis, because for someone starting out - even an agency job will at the very least give you some arc time and chalk up some added real world experience to your resume!!!
Bottom LINE IS YOU MUST TRY MUCH MUCH HARDER THAN YOU ARE AT THE PRESENT TIME!!! Go back to your high school to inquire about job opportunities they may or may not know about in their area... Go contact the college you went to and keep pestering their placement personnel to search for any type of work that may just be waiting for you to fill!!!
In SUMMARY, STOP BLAMING EVERYONE ELSE AND START ACCEPTING THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT YOU NEED TO BE THE ONE GOING OUT THERE POUNDING THE PAVEMENT IF NEED BE, PESTERING ALL, AND I MEAN ALL OF YOUR CONTACTS OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!! ALSO, KEEP APPLYING TO AT LEAST TWENTY POSITIONS ONLINE EACH WEEK, GET SOMEONE TO SCRUTINIZE YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER!!! TAPE MOCK INTERVIEWS WITH SOMEONE THAT'S A ROLE MODEL TO LOOK AND CRITIQUE YOU WEAKNESSES OR POSSIBLE INTERVIEWING MISTAKES THAT YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF!!!
APPLY TO EVERY AGENCY OUT THERE EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT ADVERTISING, LOOK IN THE PHONE BOOK FOR LOCAL OR REGIONAL WELDING COMPANIES, METAL FABRICATORS, ANY TYPE OF COMPANY YOU THINK MAY DO SOME WELDING AND FABRICATING AND CALL THEM UP OR BETTER YET, GO TO THEIR ADDRESSES AND SHOW YOURSELF TO THEM!!! GET CREATIVE WHEN JOB SEARCHING!!! ALSO, FOLLOW UP ON AN INTERVIEW AFTERWARDS!!! SO, IF YOU WENT ON AN INTERVIEW AND YOU DON'T HEAR BACK FROM THEM IN A WEEK, CALL THEM OR GO TO THEIR PLACE TO REMIND THEM JUST HOW WILLING YOU ARE TO COME WORK FOR THEM!!! YOU MUST PROVE TO THEM THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO NOT ONLY LAND THE JOB, BUT TO KEEP IT AS WELL!!!
IF YOU DO NOT DO THESE THING THAT ARE EXPECTED OF YOU, YOU WILL NOT FIND WORK - PERIOD!!! PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!! DON'T GET MAD!!! GET BUSY!!!
Respectfully,
Henry
All the above advice is sound as a bullet. I am assuming that you're not married and don't have any little ones to feed. If my assumption is right then I want to point out the fact that you HAVE NO LEASH! You're off the chain, buddy. Why are you livin' at mom and pop's? Go see the world, get goin'. AND, you have an education to get you in the door! North Dakota is doing good, there's work in Alaska, too. Get in your car and drive, make money to do it along the way. This is the only chance you will have to do this. If the American dream is what you want then the lessons you learn during your travels will make you a better husband and father when you get there.
This turned into quite the rant but let me tell you, as many others here will also, this is it, make your youth count. The wife and kids will come soon enough. Then the hard part starts! Need motivation? Watch the movie RUDY and apply those principles. Instead of getting carried of the field your prize will be the skills and experience to get a paycheck.
I also recommend you read "raftergwelding's" posts. You will read of a man who's been through the wringer but is still hanging on because of his tenacity and his skill with a welder. You need to get that kind of resolve.
The opportunity for greatness is yours. Don't get discouraged. Go, fight, win.
If you do have a family then scratch everything I said, and get a job, any job.
hool10
All have given good advice.
Don't set your sights too high in the beginning.
I been doing this for over 40 years and have found the best experiences I have had with companies and employment is when I went in well below my abilities and skill because times were bad. As they realized my worth they compensated me accordingly to keep me from leaving as times improved.
But as others have written Welcome to the forum and good Luck
Marshall
Welcome to the forum!
I work part time as a welding instructor and have seen students come back to complain about not being able to get a job. I think the job market is very competitive now. Those people with an "edge" are going to have an advantage in my opinion.
If you have the ability to weld small diameter pipe (GTAW Root, SMAW fill and cap) then opportunities exist in the construction industry and the amount of jobs vary with the time of year. In my experience many companies will let you come in and test during outage seasons. Of course with many companies using recruiters, the screenining process would be an issue.
Think about the industry you are applying for. Describe the skills related to that industry. Instead of telling someone " learned a ton of stuff including 6G code welding". There is no 6G code.
Maybe be specific and say .
"I have the ability to weld carbon steel using GTAW and SMAW in all positions. This includes Open roots using GTAW or SMAW using Cellulose electrodes."
I would avoid stressing my "Education" and stress my abilities more. Look for jobs that indicate a test will be given. That way you may have a chance to show your skills. (Which in my opinion can be underrated by industries when looking at people with education).
I am going to make statement regarding one of the things you said. The purpose is NOT to offend you or insult you. You said "I became a welder because I love the trade but also I was told I would get paid A LOT and have a job".
If your primary goal was the money, thinking it was better than others, please understand that the "Good Money" is worked up to by people who love the trade. The GPA you listed doesn't reflect someone who loves the trade however this is only a statement as I really don't know what your thoughts are on the subject.
If someone could go through a 2 year class and make 80K a year how many people would sign up ? Like any job, its competitive out there. I would imagine the current economy allows for employers to be more selective. Though your skills and education may have been VERY desireable a few years ago, the current amount of work a company has dictates how many people they need or how badly they are needed.
Take classes, practice welding, read about welding, every chance you get. If that doesn't seem interesting to you even though you currently have "spare time", then think about what you like to do, hobbies, pastimes etc. Compare how much you know about that subject, how much time you spend studying it etc. Then compare that to how much time you have put into your trade learning on your own.
I think welders that excel, enjoy it and think of it more than a way to make money. I have heard it when they talk about jobs, seen it in their face when they slick one on. Seen the willingness to take the challenge of another welding test.
I teach a 240 hour class. Thats 6 weeks of actual "arc experience" which is a drop in the bucket of experience. I have students that finish up and can barely make a consistant vertical and overhead fillet weld with 7018 (they expect a job) . I have others that can put a root in with 6010 or GTAW, fitup and weld out a 3G and 4G 1/2" plate and pass bends, or even do a 6G root with 7018 fill and cap on a 2 1/2" tube/pipe coupon with code acceptable visual appearance.
Even the guys with the greater skills are going to have a hard time but in situations in which a demonstration of skills and ability exist, they hopefully will walk up to the test booth with confidence (not arrogance), ask the proctor whats required, not make any comments about "in school we did ....), set the machine and weld it up.
I am by no means an expert in welding education. I just love welding. It shows in some students and in some I am sure my abilities as a teacher are questioned. I hate even signing a paper saying they attended. Those are the ones who showed up about 75% of the time, generated more smoke from cigrettes, and made sure the booth was spotless 10 minutes before class ended.
Welding is not for everyone. Its my opinion that desire can overcome some limited skills in the long run. I have had some students that probably would have been great hunting guides, car mechanics, junk salesmen etc.
I have also had students with limited vison, shaking hands, inability to lay on the floor and get back up etc. Those people are limited by things they may not be able to overcome.
There is a great amount of knowledge on this and other forums. One thiing about the people that post this information, 99.9 % enjoy sharing what they know. And its not for glory or praise. They just do.
I am thankful to God for the opportunity to work in a trade that I would be interested in even if it wasn't my "JOB". And I am sure many others may feel that way too.
Have a good day and please hang around here and ask questions any time. Use the forum search function and see what we have rambled about in the past. Soak it in, filter it out, and use the good dtuff.
Gerald Austin
Hello and Welcome
I'm just a hair older than you at 23. I graduated from a normal high school in 2004, Picked up an associates in welding in 2006, a certificate in machining in 2007, and then a Bachelors in welding engineering in 2009. I was laid off in March where I was working as an engineer. Took the summer to travel and now I'm back working as a welding engineer.
I worked my way through high school and college as a welder, which allowed me to say I had 6+ years of working experience when I applied for jobs. Right now this is a terrible time and people who are much older and have much more experience are also hurting for work just look around on the board. Veteran welders are taking up anything they can get just to pay the bills on their rig and put food on the table. It really squeezes the entry level people as they are the first ones out the door. That's how I got laid off even though my boss wanted to keep me,they had to fire all the new hires.
Age is a big factor. physically I look even younger and It takes time for me to establish any credibility as an engineer at every new company.
my A.A in welding was only ever a foot in the door, and people in industry are reluctant to count it as experience. I got my jobs by showing up at facilities and showing them that I could weld and weld well. as I was a student I was willing to take low paying jobs and I never really made it into the big bucks before I started working as an engineer, but I gained a lot of experience by watching and working with the old dogs.
My advice to you is to continue to gain experience and skills, especially those that set you apart from everyone else.
Also if you look around you'll notice that I have posted a job in the welders exchange, and I'm looking for some welders. Throw in your resume if you have an inkling to work in the aerospace industry.
There are also welding jobs available in the military. I believe some of our members started there, just from what I've heard the navy would be an excellent place to start. If you have welded on a nuke sub it would look awesome on a resume when you got out...
Its almost outage season for the power plants,try industrial construction companies. My company is hiring like 300 people for a Jan. outage at our Miami Fort plant in Ohio. Just go to ZHI.com look under craft jobs for Ohio, I don't know if it is up already but it will. Tube Welders make $30 and $100/day.
I didnt sit here and read all this. but u really dont need and degree in welding. its a trade ppl jus pick up. I know tons of welders who have no ged, and some who just have a ged. I know alot who are damn good welder who just got a diploma and a ged. From where i am the companys just look for welders to fill the spots. And if some one calls for a job and they need him. send him to test, if he passes he has work. In other words, if you can weld good, your name will get out there after you work for few companines and you wont have to be calling them. what i did is just got in with 2 companies real good. I bounce back and fourth. now they call me asking me if i want to work. so. in other words. weld good, make them a good hand, and i promise you will stay busy.
Just change your job!!! become a lawyer!!!!! Ha Ha.........
