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Trade folk are a different breed than the more cultured, tamed college breed. We fix our own vehicles, know how to drop the transmission if we have to, aren't afraid of dirt, and usually have a great deal of pride in a job well done. For one reason or another, this is threatening, even cringe worthy. It seems a little dirt under the fingernails is deserving of the ire of the perceived higher class. Of course, no one likes to mention how critical many of these jobs are to the ordinary, every day life of nearly every citizen in this nation.
Well said. The best thing about being skilled in a trade is that my skill can't be outsourced, illegals don't effect certain sectors of my skill(mining, oil fields, offshore rigs) and I am fine doing jobs that other Americans won't do.
And to whoever sent my the anonymous rep comment about illegals taking all the positions I listed, it just can't happen. It is highly unlikely that you can pick someone off the streets and have them work on a reclaimer. They will need years of proper training and lots if safety courses. No company will take that chance with expensive heavy machinery in the OSHA world.
When I talk about mechanics, I'm not talking this...
Anything IT security related, especially in areas like Iperva and Guardium, etc. Get certified, get $75 to $150 an hour and work from home. No degree needed, just common sense and good English skills.
Lol, I've been saying this for years. My husband and I both are skilled tradesmen (no, I'm not a man nor am I pc). Both of us have more work than we can finish in a year (literally, he's booked out until next summer and I have appointments booked until February so far).
Neither of us can find anyone to help. We both have a clientele list that anyone would envy and my client list alone, is an asset (groomers sell their client lists when they retire. I built mine but have been offered $17k for it...for a list of NAMES!).
When a skilled tradesman works to the best of their ability (which 9 out of 10 don't), they get repeat business. I've had the same clients since 1994. They're on their 2nd and 3rd dogs since I started working for them, but the client remains true because my work stands out. Same thing for my husband.
He's mastered several trades and now has an "all in one" company. One guy can do the whole house, from foundation to paint, and also has a 100% call back rate.
It's more than just learning a trade, it's taking pride in that trade and being the best at it. I don't see much of that sort of attitude anymore...I suppose that's why we're both so busy all of the time.
2) Why some jobs are lacking workers: This one applies to fields like truck driving, etc. Some of the jobs are just plain horrible - long hours, terrible pay once you factor in what's really going on, etc. I bet there's a shortage of high-security prison guards, too, because nobody wants to work for barely above minimum wage while being surrounded by criminals and killers all day. Some jobs are hard to fill because they are simply horrible jobs to have, and if the companies actually need the people, they should treat them like human beings and pay them enough for their grief.
Have to disagree with you on this one. Our correctional officers where I work make more than me, much more and have opportunity for overtime. Heck my cousin who is a clerk makes almost $10k more a year than I do, and I have a master's degree, many years experience, and a specialized license. Really, college is a joke and education is being devalued. Yes, the hours and the work may be hard, but you have no debt, you didn't waste years in school, and you get paid more than those suckers (like myself) who went to school, got debt, and yes have good hours and benefits, but get paid only a few dollars more than those at McDonalds :/ And really, being around criminals and killers is not that bad. I actually prefer talking with them then I do my co-workers...
Well said. The best thing about being skilled in a trade is that my skill can't be outsourced, illegals don't effect certain sectors of my skill(mining, oil fields, offshore rigs) and I am fine doing jobs that other Americans won't do.
And to whoever sent my the anonymous rep comment about illegals taking all the positions I listed, it just can't happen. It is highly unlikely that you can pick someone off the streets and have them work on a reclaimer. They will need years of proper training and lots if safety courses. No company will take that chance with expensive heavy machinery in the OSHA world.
Some stuff can be offshored in my occupation. Much of it already has been. The thing is, much of it came back because the quality just wasn't there. It cost the companies more than it saved, and really put a hurting on our domestic manufacturing infrastructure. Remember how we won WW2? Couldn't have done that without skilled tradesman and a strong manufacturing sector! And today, people act like we don't even need it
The illegal can be used to count widgets. They can mop the floor. They can even sit in front of the machine and load it. Unfortunately, they lack the capacity to master many of the skills needed to do anything not automated. Companies have tried, and there is a reason they think twice now. Most of these people have an education that is less than that of the typical HS grad. Great for cheap labor brainless stuff. Not much else. Unfortunately, what they are really doing is eliminating the opportunity for the next generation of apprentices.
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Originally Posted by DeannaC
When a skilled tradesman works to the best of their ability (which 9 out of 10 don't), they get repeat business. I've had the same clients since 1994. They're on their 2nd and 3rd dogs since I started working for them, but the client remains true because my work stands out. Same thing for my husband.
At least where I work, many of our customers have been doing business with the company for +20 years. We're not the cheapest, but we do exceptional work, and much of it requires hands on craftsmanship. It's really difficult to find people who have the patience for anything hands on anymore. 9 out of 10 people in my profession have never worked with castings, where details can vary widely, and one must draw from experience on how to handle every piece. Everyone wants to be the computer guy now...
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeannaC
He's mastered several trades and now has an "all in one" company. One guy can do the whole house, from foundation to paint, and also has a 100% call back rate.
I'm starting to think I need to do the same thing. I'm an ok welder, but an exceptional welder is always in demand. In any area where new construction is going on, they are becoming harder and harder to find.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeannaC
It's more than just learning a trade, it's taking pride in that trade and being the best at it. I don't see much of that sort of attitude anymore...I suppose that's why we're both so busy all of the time.
The pride is not there anymore. Maybe it's the wages vs the price of everything, or maybe it's this new digital age where everyone wants to do their job from the computer without lifting a finger, but craftsman are in short supply. I've always said you should pursue what you love. It doesn't seem like anyone really loves this kind of work anymore. It's all just a means to an end at best.
As an Rn,I can tell you right now healthcare technicians is BOGUS.
Why? Because that's what I trained for before I was a nurse. I couldn't get a job to save my life,it was that hard.
And no,dental hygenist don't make as much as an engineer. The pay stagnates,as it does in nursing. I started out making nice money,but over time the people in other careers who made less than me have actually made more than me,esp now.
"At least where I work, many of our customers have been doing business with the company for +20 years. We're not the cheapest, but we do exceptional work, and much of it requires hands on craftsmanship. It's really difficult to find people who have the patience for anything hands on anymore. 9 out of 10 people in my profession have never worked with castings, where details can vary widely, and one must draw from experience on how to handle every piece. Everyone wants to be the computer guy now..."
Exactly! The cream is rising to the top! When the only people that can afford the kind of work we produce are "upper class", then that "upper class" will demand top quality work. They find it in those of us who are dedicated to our craft, not a paycheck. Your company can charge more because of the quality of the work produced.
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"I'm starting to think I need to do the same thing. I'm an ok welder, but an exceptional welder is always in demand. In any area where new construction is going on, they are becoming harder and harder to find."
That's another trade that both I and my husband can do a "decent" job with...in an emergency, lol. I can only arc weld, but he can mig weld. Brother, do yourself a favor and find a master welder that will allow you to "apprentice". Offer to do some labor in return for hands on instruction. (That's how I got the world's top Bichon groomer to give me a day of her time)
Quote:
"The pride is not there anymore. Maybe it's the wages vs the price of everything, or maybe it's this new digital age where everyone wants to do their job from the computer without lifting a finger, but craftsman are in short supply. I've always said you should pursue what you love. It doesn't seem like anyone really loves this kind of work anymore. It's all just a means to an end at best."
People aren't familiar with work pride any more. Satisfaction in a superior job doesn't seem to come into play. I keep finding things like, how much work do I have to produce to get a paycheck. Pride in a job well done is what we were raised on. We would never have thought to deem any job "beneath us" (which I've seen a dozen times on this site...such and such a job is beneath me). An honest day's pay for an honest day's work is all we've ever expected.
Expectations these days are selfish and unrealistic. No longer are people grateful for being trusted enough to be a part of something, they somehow believe that because they have a piece of paper that says that they've passed a written assessment of a job, and that job's top paying position is $80k, that they have the right to wait for someone to hand them a job that pays $80k and believe that somehow, they're worth it...experience or not.
I've always had the mindset that one should have more than one viable trade. If one field is overrun, take the other. People are selling themselves terribly short by not realizing the God given talent they have. I can sit at a computer all day, and produce a ton of work, but so can any trained monkey. Learning a trade and developing it into a craft is so satisfying! My husband can take a stack of wood and turn it into whatever anyone wants. I literally "sculpt" dogs! I've even developed my own designs on dogs with no set standard and am having other groomers come to me to pay me to learn to re-create it!
People will never love what they never come in contact with. Just think of how many clock makers, jewelers, carpenters, masons, etc. that are sitting there in front of their tv's, waiting for someone to call them back for yet another interview, which will put them in a little cube, with a hundred other people just like them in little cubes, waiting for someone to die or screw up so they can claw their way up another rung!
My advice? Learn the welding. You've already got a base, which is more than most can say. With the general lack of interest in physical work (which also keeps you in fabulous physical condition), I would think that there must be a welder that would allow you to learn, hands on, that would be grateful for the help and more than willing to pass the torch!
(let me know what you decide! I'm really interested in the outcome!)
This thread is really interesting to read. I agree with the poster that said most CityData posters look down on trade careers.
The typical remark is "Major in Accounting or CS, or else you'll be broke."
And then I say something along the lines of "But I really want to do what I love, social work."
Their response? "You're young, dumb and foolish. Have fun flipping burgers and chasing dreams."
Sorry, but social work is way more fulfilling than business jobs. You have the power to change lives (or even save lives.) I'd rather save lives than make some extra money and be miserable. I think it is so sad that people nowadays think a successful career is a career that pays 80k and a career where you spend your life trying to get into the top spot. It just seems silly to me.
But I like reading about everyone's engineering/trade experiences on here. Money is important yes, but your happiness comes first.
By the way, where do you go to learn a trade? It's something I'd like to look into. I'll probably end up going into social work, but might as well explore all options before I start college. Question though; I'm a female, would people treat me differently because of that if I do decide to learn a trade? It is male-dominated.
One thing is for sure: I refuse to become a robot for giant greedy corporations. Business/IT careers would be hell to me.
I'm a female, would people treat me differently because of that if I do decide to learn a trade? It is male-dominated.
No. Not at all. Every base I get stationed at, we have a few females here and there. Those females are just like one of the guys. The shop I manage now has over 50 male technicians and only 2 female technicians(one is pregnant).
Most times the women pull their own weight better than the guys. It's as if they have something to prove. Whatever the case, they do a damn good job.
Sent from watch
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