WTF should i do with my life?

[I R Welder]

hey, i just finished highschool and i got my Level C welding training in a scholarship from the school, i completed the course at OC in kelowna, the job market here is still very poor and i was thinking about just going back to school or taking some courses to make my resume stand out from others... what are some important courses i should take? like safety related or first aid type things? what are they called;)

[Burnit]

Join the military, they teach you how to do all types of wonderful things, feed you and give you a place to live.

[tanglediver]

Give it to the Lord Jesus Christ.

[I R Welder]

well i was thinking of some suggestions about maybe cirtifications that would be helpful in the trade..... and fighting a war that was started on faulse pretences doesnt seem like a good use for my life, ill give my life to jesus when he starts paying my bills and buys me some cool stuff, might be kinda hard concidering there is no god, but when that happens sign me up, amen

[mb_welder]

TRADES Kelowna will help you with your resume and job placement. It's a government funded place which won't cost you a cent, but you need to get a referral via the YMCA career center for youth (the CCY). At the TRADES building, the guy you'll want to be referenced to is Rick.

Work wise, Drive out and check out West Manufacturing. They have a sign saying if they're looking for guys or not. I worked there and it was a pretty good place to work. Enterprise is still slow, Crown west is hurting, Warnar isn't hiring, Versatile is Versatile and Northside sold out to Mexico...

Regardless, if you can find work outside kelowna do so. Wages here are a fraction of what they can be elsewhere. The only reason I'm still here is because I got about 4 months of work at a local fencing place that fortunately has work while times are slow. As soon as I get the chance and do a certain weld test, I'm off to Alberta.

Course wise, Get your PST-CSTS, H2S Alive and WHMIS. Once you have those, look into getting fall arrest and confined space training. If you don't have your CWB all position SMAW, do so, but do so only if you can get work within 6 months otherwise there's no point as you don't get the ticket unless you're working for a CWB certified company. If you're working for a CWB certified company, the ticket is valid for two years, if not...6 months (which as far as I'm concerned is a money grab.)

Fresh out of highschool for myself it was a toss up between fine arts and welding...I went with fine arts but...slept through several important courses...pop culture, art history and some english course...And then I learned to weld! The world will always need welders, it's just a bad time to get into it because of the economy.

One other thing; the attitude. You won't get anywhere with it. Trust me on this. know when to say something and when to keep your mouth shut! For myself, it's been a hard lesson to learn and has cost me a job once or twice in my life...

If you don't mind my asking, who was your instructor?

Cheers buddy, and best of luck!

[mb_welder]

FYI,

St John Ambulance does WHMIS training.

Valhalla Safety does H2S Alive and PST-CSTS.

I have yet to take the last two courses as I need to find a local(ish) company that offers the training.

First aid wise, the person I work with has first aid training and I will ask her where she got it from on Monday.

Depending on what you want to do, the first three are the most important. Hope the above helps you out!

[MarkBall2]

First Aid training is always beneficial for anyone working the trades. No matter how careful a person is, the "Aw S7it" happens. When that happens, knowing what to do with the severed limbs/body parts & all that bleeding will help the person that is groaning on the ground.

It will also help when the kids are sick or the missus is having "a bad day". Otherwise, the rest of your life is up to you. Make a decision & throw your weight behind learning that. If no jobs are available, create one with the tools you have at hand.

[lotechman]

Good advice, Forklift ticket also is handy.
Then of course....get outta that town. I spent 13 years there and the only people wanting to go there are people who are after the nice climate. I lost count of the number of times it was thrown in my face that if I didn't like the wages....move. Low wages was a sorta of climate tax justified by employers.
The valley is controlled by a select few families. You can commit a horrendous crime and it will barely reach the newspapers if you are connected.

[I R Welder]

wow that was defenetly waaaaaaaay more helpful than the first two replies, thanks alot mb_welder, my instructors were Murray Perret, Sean Jarvis, and Ken Soucy .... I will check out YMCA thing that sounds like it would be a good idea, if i cant find a job i am just gonna get all the cirtifications i can so hopefully that will work... also thanks to lotechman , forklift i heard is quite handy too, kelowna is a decent place to live (especially if your connected) i am not attached to the place at all but i need to make some cash first before i can relocate.. thanks for all the help

[mb_welder]

I completely forgot about forklift training, but I concur!

Regardless, I'm glad I could be of help!

[lotechman]

Expect to have at least seven different careers in your lifetime. When I was your age the number was three. A bit of advice I got when I was young was to not to worry too much what you were doing as long as you were doing something. Recently someone told me that the only thing that is stationary is a gravestone.
Keep trying things and doing things and you will be successful. Welding is one of the most useful skills that you can use to build on. Heavy Duty mechanics need welding, Millwrights need welding, Fabricators need welding, Sheet metal workers need welding, and even Carpenters need welding.
This week I met someone who is finishing up welding training. He has his sights on refrigeration mechanic. His welding skills have opened that door to servicing, repairing and installing refrigeration equipment.
You are on a road that will take many different paths and welding skills will make traveling a lot easier.

[GiddyWelder]

"Recently someone told me that the only thing that is stationary is a gravestone"

Amen to that,you live only once,you are young so make the most of it wisely :)

[Burnit]

well i was thinking of some suggestions about maybe cirtifications that would be helpful in the trade..... and fighting a war that was started on faulse pretences doesnt seem like a good use for my life, ill give my life to jesus when he starts paying my bills and buys me some cool stuff, might be kinda hard concidering there is no god, but when that happens sign me up, amen

A spelling certification would go a long way, definitely make a difference on your resume.

[I R Welder]

A spelling certification would go a long way, definitely make a difference on your resume.

have you read my username??? i think spelling is the least of my problems lol :laugh:

[Burnit]

The OSHA ten hour course wouldn't hurt.

Its a safety course thats mandatory to get into alot of facilities to do work

[I R Welder]

im going to get out there and see what i can find for the safety courses. Is there a place in the okanagan that specifically does this kind of stuff or is it more of an online thing. I could check to see if the college offers anything or the workers comp office may have some useful information.

[Leadhead1911]

have you read my username??? i think spelling is the least of my problems lol :laugh:

You'd be surprised. You talk about wanting to make your resume stand out. Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors will definitely make it stand out... but not in a good way. It's pretty competitive right now, so you don't want to overlook anything. First impressions go a long way. My first impression of you, based on your posts here, was that you just finished High School but didn't learn how to spell or capitalize. Either that, or you just don't care enough to pay attention to details. I'm not saying this to be mean. I'm just trying to make the point that it's often the little things that you may think are not important that will be the discriminator. Get all the training you can. Think, communicate, and work like a professional. Strive for perfection! That will make you stand out from the crowd, and you will do well at whatever you do.

[MrLeadMan]

what ever the !@#$ you want to. So long as you keep your opinions to your self.

:nono:

[cmartman46]

Honestly! Now a days, can't be too picky, but if you can find something you really like to do, would make your life better.
The more you learn,the further you'll go if you apply yourself.
Good luck dude!

[I R Welder]

ok this is for everyone that is so obsessed with my spelling and opinons.... i know that on a resume i need to proof read and check for punctuation and spelling errors, you will have to understand that i typed the post that has everyone so concerned with at 11:30 p.m. , i did not realize that a welding forum called for perfect english and writing skills. Thanks again to the few people that contributed useful information, it is very much appreciated!!!

[fishburn123]

If all else fails and your life is going no where, the life of a carny looks like a good way out. Lol
hell the way the job market and economy is where getting all kinds of people, not just the bums and hoochies. But trying to dive into the welding market is kinda hard right now unless you know somone who can set you up with a interview in the right spot, or you like to travel. Learn more and more, thats what I'm going to do this winter finish getting my g6 for pipe and maybe my tig certs. for alumn. Well good luck

[mb_welder]

I R Welder, pm me your e-mail addy and I can send you my resume to give you some framework to work around. It's a targetted resume, meaning that it's directed towards a certain career.

Cheers, man!

Things are (slowly!) starting to pick up, but the recovery is going to be slow.

[mb_welder]

When you get your resume worked out, check out the following websites.

Local
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/classifieds.php
http://www.castanet.net

Other
http://www.Infomine.com
http://www.infooil.com
http://www.jobank.gc.ca
http://www.skilledworkers.com/

Infomine and infooil occasionally post open jobs, but finding the closed ones a lot of times is simply a matter of finding out where the job is located, and googling welding jobs for that area. :laugh:

I know you're not interested in a military career (they're looking for mechanical trades, though all of the welding positions are filled), but here's their website.
http://www.forces.ca/

Additionally, it doesn't hurt to check out the union halls. Because of the way the economy is, very few will have any openings...if at all.
http://www.ironworkers712.com/
http://www.ualocal170.com/Layout4.cfm
http://www.boilermakers359.org/
http://www.iamaw.ca/indexen.php

[I R Welder]

wow thanks alot mb_welder, you have been alot of help... my e-mail is kyle575@msn.com , it would help alot to see a sample of a resume to base mine off of, i have a general one that was made in school in a career class but im sure the one you have would be a very big help

[mb_welder]

No problem.

Check your inbox. :waving:

[mb_welder]

Just another thought, but how are you with mig welding thin wall galvanized tubing?

I'm not sure if my partner in crime where I'm working right now will work out. While she did get me the job there, her work ethic is leaving a lot to be desired. While I would hate to see her leave, If it comes to the point where she flakes out, I'd rather be working with someone fresh out of school that I can train to produce a quality product and work at a steady pace as opposed to...well, costing me money. The work isn't hourly, but it is piecework.

Regardless, if the latter happens, I will let you know. It's a 3 month project, though I'm unsure if the company can fill out your logbook with the hours at the end. I know they have at least one journeyman, but I'm not sure the requirements a company must meet to fill out time in a welders logbook. Regardless, it is something that you can put on your resume. The work itself is pretty straight forward.

Right now, I can't promise anything, but if I know she decides to leave, you'll be the first to know. Hell, if it comes to it, the second I find out she's leaving, I'll get ahold of you and show you how to do it before the test. :D

[mb_welder]

Just an update, they went over budget and...the new crew got cut. :realmad:

I R Welder, you and I are now in the same boat!

[I R Welder]

Wow that really sucks, thanks for the help anyways, i just got my H2S and OSSA today from valhalla

[mb_welder]

Good on you!

If I hear of any places that are hiring, I'll let you know.