High School Senior Getting Into Welding

[BobbyO94]

Hey guys, hows it going tonight? With High School coming to an end- it is time for me to start thinking about what I want to do with my life, going to a University is not one of them. So Ive decided I want to give welding a try. I have statue like steady hands. There is this local community college that has welding classes- I know they teach TIG and MIG, I am going to go there. I live in North Carolina by the way, I heard where you live plays a big role in employment oppurtunities. But my main questions are: Is becoming a welder for a living in today's world a good idea? How likely am I to get employed? Whats life like for a welder at work? Thanks .

[Broccoli1]

Welcome to the forum.

Can't offer any advice since I'm just a hobby welder but just like anything you get out of it what you put in.

Good luck to ya

[tnmgcarbide]

it all depends . nothing wrong with learning a skill , but being stuck with only that skill can be very
limiting to the jobs you can get . weldors' jobs come in many forms - from $8.00/hr jobs where any
monkey who can point a mig gun is fine - to critical boiler and pipeline work to underwater work to
welding engineers . if the thought of 10 hr days production welding fence panels or patio furniture doesn't appeal
to you...... maybe keep your options open . welding for hours on end is hard on the body - hard on the
back , knees , eyes , and lungs . constantly breathing in vaporized metals , ozone , and grinding soot -
can't be healthy to the body.

that said, if you truly enjoy the work , and you have a talent for it - go for it . i'd ask at your tech school
and local weldors where they work for a living , what's available , and how they like it . perhaps there's
a local shop where you can work part time and gain some experience and get in some trigger time .

i would suggest learning some other disciplines that bridge well with welding -

Industrial maintenance is in demand . it involves mechanics , hydraulics , electronics , welding ,
machining , etc . pays well too .

another good paying job is tool and die maintenance and repair - involves machining , welding ,
metrology (precision measurement ) , metallurgy (heat treating , tool steels).....

automotive- body / repair / mechanics - another trade where welding skills may make or break the
deal when applying for a job .

i am a professional machinist - welding was something i learned out of necessity . i wish i had taken
welding classes while in school . it would have saved me many headaches learning on my own .
a machinist who welds too is more of an asset than one who's clueless .

be sure to absorb everything you can while you're in school . you can't learn on the job if you've
no technical background - you'll just learn repetitive motions and what works for the job at hand .
(conversely , tech school won't teach you how to work , won't give you job experience - you really need both)

good luck.

[shovelon]

Welcome,

Find out if your CC has a degree program, and if so look at the class schedule and requirements. Most include technical math, blueprint reading, metalurgy, machining, and so forth, All of these skills are highly desired and can deliver much higher pay. That is the route I went 35 years ago and I am glad I did.

Good luck.

[vpd66]

it all depends . nothing wrong with learning a skill , but being stuck with only that skill can be very
limiting to the jobs you can get . weldors' jobs come in many forms - from $8.00/hr jobs where any
monkey who can point a mig gun is fine - to critical boiler and pipeline work to underwater work to
welding engineers . if the thought of 10 hr days production welding fence panels or patio furniture doesn't appeal
to you...... maybe keep your options open . welding for hours on end is hard on the body - hard on the
back , knees , eyes , and lungs . constantly breathing in vaporized metals , ozone , and grinding soot -
can't be healthy to the body.

that said, if you truly enjoy the work , and you have a talent for it - go for it . i'd ask at your tech school
and local weldors where they work for a living , what's available , and how they like it . perhaps there's
a local shop where you can work part time and gain some experience and get in some trigger time .

i would suggest learning some other disciplines that bridge well with welding -

Industrial maintenance is in demand . it involves mechanics , hydraulics , electronics , welding ,
machining , etc . pays well too .

another good paying job is tool and die maintenance and repair - involves machining , welding ,
metrology (precision measurement ) , metallurgy (heat treating , tool steels).....

automotive- body / repair / mechanics - another trade where welding skills may make or break the
deal when applying for a job .

i am a professional machinist - welding was something i learned out of necessity . i wish i had taken
welding classes while in school . it would have saved me many headaches learning on my own .
a machinist who welds too is more of an asset than one who's clueless .

be sure to absorb everything you can while you're in school . you can't learn on the job if you've
no technical background - you'll just learn repetitive motions and what works for the job at hand .
(conversely , tech school won't teach you how to work , won't give you job experience - you really need both)

good luck.

I agree 100%. If I were you I'd take a tech school welding program. Get a job has a welder and continue taking night courses in machining/tool + die, electronics, auto or small engine repair, hydraulics. Then persue a maintance job. Please don't think your going to complete this tech school and get the highest paying welding job out there. A Welder also has to have experience. I've been a welder for 17 years and I just hate it when kids come out of school and think there worth big money. They can MIG weld steel but could hardly stick weld. So expect to start at a lower wage and a not very high tech shop until you get some experience. I'm in the midwest and they can't seem to get enough welders. My company offers a weld training program to anyone with high school or backyard welding experience and if they pass the weld test when there done with training they are eligible for a welding postion when one comes up. Even when the economy took a dive in 2008-9 some of my coworkers got laid off and found welding jobs at other local places with in 2-3 days. Just my opinion for what I've seen

[BobbyO94]

Alright thanks guys. An industrial maintenance job sounds like something Id really enjoy doing. Im good at fixing things. And my dad was an industrial maintenance technician... So maybe it runs in the family, eh? There is a community college near me that has an Industrial Technology section they teach HVAC, Welding and alot of Industrial related stuff. Here is a link if you guys want to see if this is what it takes to become an industrial maintenance technician: http://www.johnstoncc.edu/appliedind...echnology.aspx