welding job/schools

[jonston18]

Whenever I get out of high school I think I want to do some type of welding as my career but I dont know what type of job I want to do. I need some ideas of what type of job I should do that pays decent and what kind of schooling I need. Also does anyone know of anytype of website or anything else that shows like most of the jobs that you can do as a welder.

Thanks.

[johnsonmopar]

Yea, this one. Look at the thread about what everyone does.. Matthew

[Chevy-Art]

I know here in San Antonio, one of the colleges offers a welding degree. They also probably offer some sort of job placement.

[Supe]

Get whatever schooling you can, it will never hurt you in the long run. Some of the welding engineering technology degrees are great, in that they give you the practical know-how with the theory to back it up. I got my B.S. in engineering technology from a school in PA, and have done everything from racecar fabrication to my current job as a welding engineer for power plants.

[Ryer]

I just graduated from TSTC in Waco,Tx welding program and I'm having a terrible time finding a job. And when I say just graduating I mean December 5. Every employer basically laughed in my face and said I don't have any real experience. I'm not asking for a crazy pay rate. Heck I'm willing to take 10 dollars an hour now. Which will barely cover the costs of school and bills. It really is pissing me off. I drove three hours to an interview just to have an employer to tell me He can't use me because my lack of experience and wouldn't even let me test to prove to him I can weld. Bastard. He could have told me over the phone.

[Tensaiteki]

Hey Ryer, I'm also a grad of TSTC (AAS Degree August '07). Did you complete the degree program or the 1 yr. program?

Where have you been applying at? I know (at least when I was there) that there are very few good opportunities for grads in the Waco area.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of places don't want to hire this close to the holidays/end of the quarter. You might end up interviewing/testing now but not actually starting until after the first of the year.

After I graduated I went to work at a medium-sized fab shop, its not the highest pay in the industry but it has other advantages. At the very least its really good experience, in my opinion, if you can survive and thrive in a fab shop you can handle just about any welding job out there.

The shop I work at totals 12 people, the president/boss, the secretary, one fabricator (runs the press brakes/shears), two helpers, and seven weldors. Two of the weldors.including me, are TSTC grads (both AAS with degrees).

If you are interested, PM me an I'll give you the name and phone number of the shop so you can talk to the boos to see if he'll test you. For what it's worth, I know the starting pay for weldors is more than $10/hr. (I'm not sure how much more, its been a while since I started.)

[Ryer]

I did the 2 year program. Its good to hear from a fellow graduate. I can't even remember were I have applied at. I think I have applied at the same place twice and didn't even realize it. For sure I will take any kind of lead for a job. What kind of test will it be. I can usually pass the 6g pass, just depends what I drink the night before. Were is this shop at. Thanks.

[Tensaiteki]

When I took the test it started with a couple of worksheets with lots of math questions, adding/subtracting fractions, converting decimal to fraction and vice versa), then another sheet to test whether you can read a ruler/tape, then the boss will test you on whether you can account for kerf with cutoff saws/torches (i.e. if you have a 12" piece of tube and you cut off 6", if the saw has a 1/8" wide blade, how long is the remaining piece?), then he gives you a sample print and asks questions about it (i.e. if the frame is 30" long how long do you cut piece X?). This stuff may seem absurdly easy, but you'd be surprised at the number of people who can't do it.

After all that, the actual practical test starts. The welding part is just fillet welds on thick plate (~1/2") and sheet (~16 ga.) both vertical and horizontal. We don't currently do anything to code so the welds just have to look good. Then you get the fitting part of the test. My test was to make a simple square frame out of angle (coped corners, not mitered). Mainly he looks for squareness and attractiveness of the welds, he also considers how long it took (time is money, don't drag your feet but quality is more important than speed). Again, not very difficult, but it's amazing the number of people that lay down utter crap for welds and expect to get a job.

As far as process, for pretty much all steel and the weld test, we use GMAW 0.035" ER70S-6 with pure CO2 shielding. Most of our machines are pretty old so be prepared to sett the machine with by sight and sound only (most of the machines have no functioning displays, read outs, or useful markings on the dials).

Anyway, as far as perks, we (employees) get a discount on materials for personal use and we are, literally, right next door to the LWS/gas supplier (I can take my argon tank from home with me to work, take it next door during break, and still be back in time to BS with the guys).

I'll PM you the company name and phone #.