How did you start your welding career?

[kevinwindwalker]

How did you start your welding career?Is there anyone like to share your experience to me?
I quited my job at two days ago,and plan to get trained in APEX Technical school,but i still confused about how to start my welding career after i finish up my class in APEX? Some people suggest my to become a welder helper first.

[Rbeckett]

Kev, you picked a tough time to quite a job. Most welding facilities are not too interested in green welders with little or no experience. Best bet is to start beatiing the bush now and try to locate some one who will take you on as a helper and then buddy up to an old timer who will teach you many of the things they do not teach at school. Not trying to discourage you at all, but persistance is your freind now and you really need as much experience as you can get, Study hard and pay attention during school and ask questions if you even slightly dont understand. It may make a difference later. Good luck and let us know how it works out.
Bob

[mb_welder]

Went to college and then got a job in a high production shop welding truck parts (easy stuff!)

A humble start several years ago, but a start none-the-less.

[BAR BAR 2]

How did I get started welding ? That's a d*mn good question, and I'm glad you asked.

It all started when Mom and Dad had me. They weren't married.

Then came a drinking problem.

Then two ex-wives.

For the hell of it, I then developed loose morals.

Too many nights spent in a bar honed my bullsh*tting skills.

After this I learned how to make up smart-sounding words on the go.

With a pedigree like this I had to either become a welder or a TV preacher.
I like to sleep in on Sunday's.
Hope this helps.
LOL

[Curry21]

i went to trade school for a year after high school. got hired on as a shipboard welder have around 12 certs in mig, stick, tig, fluxcore and several types of metal. now travel around the world to different naval bases at the age of 19. from what i have learned go to school do great, learn as much as you can and practice alottt. then apply and try and get as many certs as you can with them if you want to stay with them and make good money.

[wagin]

Originally Posted by kevinwindwalker

How did you start your welding career?Is there anyone like to share your experience to me?
I quited my job at two days ago,and plan to get trained in APEX Technical school,but i still confused about how to start my welding career after i finish up my class in APEX? Some people suggest my to become a welder helper first.

Skip the years of apprenticeships/ helper, low paying jobs. After your APEX class you should jump straight to being a journeymen welder, nuclear certified. It's that easy according to general consensus.

[grumpycricket]

Learned how 2 weld in 1979. H.S. & community college. Started tool & die welding over 25 years ago. Never been out of work 4 more than 2 weeks since.

[VPT]

At 14 years old I dropped out of boring school to attend exciting school at the local MSTC. Took all kinds of classes like small motors, welding, machining, wood working, etc. At 15 I bought a brand spankin new miller stick welder (which I have for sale now) and just welded ****. Friends started bringing me their junk to fix and stick back together. By 18 I was in my own house with a small 1 stall garage and I was still stick welding everything together even aluminum and nearly every day. By 25 I had a kid and we moved to the house we are in now with a nice shop out back, new lincoln TIG welder, metal lathe, saws, grinders, a whole shop set up, all bought, built, and set up by me and paid for from welding and auto work. I am 32 now and work every day to keep what I have and keep the fam happy.

To do it you have to have a passion for metal working! You can't just like working with metal or you will never last, you nearly have to be obsessed with it. If you are planning on being on your own like I am every dime you ever make will go right back into tools until you decide to retire or die. Long days and hardly any weekends. Not uncommon to start work at 6am and still not be done with a single project at 8pm.

I wouldn't have it any other way!

[mb_welder]

...or replacing squares you put down somewhere and can't find...or burning bars you left stuck to some random I beam or trailer or plow or in some bizarre place that you cannot recall.

The thing I like best about the job for me are the railway projects. They either drop stuff off that's just right buggered in that "How in the world did you do this?!!" way, or when I get sent out into the bush on some raggedy arse road to work on random equipment. I loves it, I does! The pulpmill work is okay, though generally humid and those places leak like a cyv. The sawmill is aight for what it is (work), but the dust kills me and if it isn't wet, it's flammable!

*edit, an afterthought!*

Gumption. No matter how futile a task may be, the ability to work through it and see a job done to the end will be your biggest ally. Should you ever decide to move on, don't just pack up and punk off (Don't burn your bridges!). Take it for what it is, give two weeks notice (at the very least!) so you don't leave a company high and dry or leave half finished projects behind. I've had to finish jobs that guys have left torn apart with no sign of what goes where and I have had to dig through scrap bins to find the pieces of what they cut up to figure out what goes where on the newly fabbed stuff they left partially finished.

[TozziWelding]

I always welded, but as far as my "career" I told my boss of 10 years to go F himself after a blow out. Bought a machine threw it in my truck, and 7 years later I am still making my own money.