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What's a good trade skill that i'll use in real life?

Ds

Ds

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Apr 26, 2006
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so i'm planning to start back school in january, and i'll be getting a trade. its short, and doesn't require much math and english(besides the normal).
is there a trade that i should look into more then the other? i mean i like welding, but when will i find myself welding in real life?(besides work or something) or something like Air Conditioning/Refrigeration and Cabinetmaking.
I mean that stuff will be good to know how to do, but what's a trade that would really help me in the long run?
i was thinking about Automated Mechanic but don't know which field.
what do you think?
thanks
 
Not sure. I'd love to go to College for some classes of some sort. Right now I'm off but I was previously working with my father learning how to install, repair and maintain commercial and residential sprinkler systems. Was getting paid $10 an hour, was a nice job to have. Starts back up again in March though.
 
D's said:
so i'm planning to start back school in january, and i'll be getting a trade. its short, and doesn't require much math and english(besides the normal).
is there a trade that i should look into more then the other? i mean i like welding, but when will i find myself welding in real life?(besides work or something)
Click to expand...

so you're looking for some skill that will be useful outside of work?
well, carpentry/cabinetmaking are ok. If nothing else, you'll have no hassle when assemblying your Ikea bookshelf :p. Or maybe something that will allow you to diagnose/maybe repair home appliances. Soldering, using a multimeter, rewiring a plug, changing some component without frying yourself probably are a good skills to have
 
From some of the tradespeople I've talked to, airconditioning is pretty much a booming industry. Not only due to global warming etc., but mostly because of the rapid urbanization of hundreds of millions of people in (sub-)tropical areas where proper airconditioning is essential to living/working efficiently: the great cities of Asia, South America, Africa etc. They all need that A/C and from what I understand, there is a BIG difference in quality between what is being made in the US/EU and some of the stuff they make themselves.
 
Pretty much any trade will help you out when you get yer own house. I mean you got plumbing hvac painting welding carpentry insulation anything that got to do with home improvement will benefit ya when ya got your own place.
 
The demand for electricity grows exponentially with all our techno toys. Laying electric wires underground or hanging them from poles, electricians are busy. I wish I had an electrician in the family. My smoke alarms are all screwed up and go off for no reason at random intervals whether we are home or not. Plus they are in a system of some kind. They ALL go off if one goes off and it is deafening. My doorbell quit on me. My vacuum cleaner needs a new cord. My garbage disposal switch quit on me just today!!!! I can't afford an electrician but I need one! Everybody needs an electrician and you'll need one too, sooner or later. I don't know anything about electricity except that I hate getting shocked.

Look around you. What is there? What isn't there? Looking around me right now, every single outlet is plugged. If an outlet quits, I'm screwed. See what I mean?
 
Plumbing is an excellent trade imo. It can get messy, but the reward is generally more than a carpenter or a bricklayer. I'm not very familiar with the welding field, so I can't really compare compensation vs difficulty vs demand for tradesmen of both fields. All I know is our plumbers were making way more than us carpenters, finishers and tile layers.

Same goes for electricians.

If you have any experience working in these areas you may have a personal preference as to what you'd like to do. You can also research on future job prospect predictions, average salaries, education required etc.
 
Machinists can hold pretty well-paid positions for petroleum related companies.

Auto technicians make pretty good money if they're in the right side of the business. Specialists for exotic cars make over 6 figures.

Air traffic control personnel

Medical equipment technicians. One of my ex-student's fathers owned a medical tech company. He made over a million a year and started out learning under the wing of someone else. Now he just manages the business and lives life.
 
Trades? I don't know about over there but as someone who has been trying my hand at a few different ones while working on my niche, I have been told that plumbing and plastering are THE trades to get into.

You can charge a shitload.

I would personally get your palms read, and also work out what tridosha prakriti you are (search for ayurveda prakriti test) - these 2 things can tell you what area of things you are suited for.

At the moment you are very vague about what you want - narrowing it down will help.
D's said:
so i'm planning to start back school in january, and i'll be getting a trade. its short, and doesn't require much math and english(besides the normal).
is there a trade that i should look into more then the other? i mean i like welding, but when will i find myself welding in real life?(besides work or something) or something like Air Conditioning/Refrigeration and Cabinetmaking.
I mean that stuff will be good to know how to do, but what's a trade that would really help me in the long run?
i was thinking about Automated Mechanic but don't know which field.
what do you think?
thanks
Click to expand...
 
Bardeaux said:
Plumbing is an excellent trade imo. It can get messy, but the reward is generally more than a carpenter or a bricklayer. I'm not very familiar with the welding field, so I can't really compare compensation vs difficulty vs demand for tradesmen of both fields. All I know is our plumbers were making way more than us carpenters, finishers and tile layers.

Same goes for electricians.

If you have any experience working in these areas you may have a personal preference as to what you'd like to do. You can also research on future job prospect predictions, average salaries, education required etc.
Click to expand...

I'm a plasterer and have been for twelve years. In my state there was a great influx of Brazilian labor into my state and the trades got saturated with guys undercutting each other, doing jobs for next to nothing, due to the fact that they had an extremely inexpensive (read undocumented and illegal) labor pool to draw from. Why pay Americans? It was like outsourcing on home soil. My trade got annihilated by throat cutting fly by night companies that put out shoddy work. Painting took a huge hit. Laborers positions as well. The only guys who did alright were electricians and plumbers. Plus, you can save a ton of money if you can wire or run pipes in your own house
 
Arnold said:
Most of the machining jobs get done in some cheap labour country even cnc so I doubt it, in the uk anyways.
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in uk there is a shortage of machinists and many firms are working flat out, i even heard of a few turning work down as they are insanely busy
even with the increase in cnc traditional machining will still be required for small batch jobs and repairs
id suggest machinest, electrician, maintenance (electrical or mechanical), welding these are likely to be highest paid trades or those with links to big money e.g off shore/nuclear
 
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