Advice on How To Get a Welding Job
According to the American Welding Society, there is a potential shortage of 200,000 skilled welders by 2010:
From the Welding Shortage Fact Sheet: The United States is in the midst of a welder shortage that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for skilled labor grows. Studies show that there are more than 500,000 welders employed in the U.S. And the need for these skilled workers is only getting stronger as virtually all construction and manufacturing companies require some form of welding, from the production of assemblies to maintenance and repair. But finding a highly skilled and experienced welder is no easy task. Skilled welders are in short supply and the situation is only getting worse. According to AWS and other industry research (1), the average age of a welder is in the mid-fifties, with many approaching 60 years old. It is estimated that more than half of the industry’s highly trained workforce is nearing retirement, creating a potential shortage of more than 200,000 skilled welders by 2010.–continue reading about the welder shortage–>
I’ve written about it before on this blog. It is part of what inspired me to begin the New Rosies series, which will hopefully inspire some young women to go into welding as a career. But how do you get into welding as a career? How do you get the really high paying welding jobs?
I recommend starting with professional training. There are a lot of low cost programs out there that will at the very least get you started. Check out my earlier post on How to find a Welding School.
Welding is far more complex than many people realize. A good welder needs to know about metalurgy, geometry, electricity AND have good eye/hand coordination to actually lay down some beads.
Look for a school that offers an open enrollment program so you can practice, practice, practice. One of the benefits of an open enrollment program like the Simi Valley Career Institute (we featured welding instructor Tony Marsden over on JoeWelder.com earlier this month) is that students can learn at their own pace and the classroom serves as a workshop. Beginners can learn, or they can improve their skills– learning to weld titanium or Inconel, or getting a pressure vessel pipe certification– which means additional money!
How did you learn to weld? How did you get your first welding job? What advice would you give anyone interested in joining the industry? First five to leave a comment (who aren’t related to me or Arc-Zone.com) will get a free t-shirt!
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:17 am
I first took a night course at the local community college that covered the basics of Oxy, Stick, and Mig welding. That course planted a little seed that, several years later, inspired me to pursue welding as a career (that, and my Dad told me that being a tour guide wasn’t a proper career). I asked my Uncle (who works for a welding supply company) and I was told that, for a good career in welding, I should go to either Hobart or Lincoln to learn all that I could. I looked at the websites of both the schools and decided on Hobart. When I was about ready to finish at Hobart, I got a job in the area running a Mig welding robot. I have since moved on to a better welding job, but one of the things that I would tell a newbie, is that you should expect to start small. Nobody is an expert right out of school and if you are going to get the really big jobs, you have to work your way up learning all that you can.
September 11th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Great adviceWeldrwomn…. lots of folks seem to think they can walk out a training program or a university and demand top dollar for their field…. but you gotta start somewhere!!
September 17th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
My grandpa got me my first pipeline job as a welder helper. Traditionally, unless you’ve got family that are in the business, one will work as a helper for around 5 years before “breaking out” on the pipeline as a welder. There’s a lot of knowledge to be taken in concerning the work at hand and as well as the downhill welding procedure used on most lines. I worked my ass off kept my ears open and pestered anyone that would stand still long enough with various questions and bought myself a ’77 Lincoln SA 200 welding machine and began to practice. On my third job I was set up to help a certain welder who had been given the helpers he had before a lot of trouble. He had “run off” or fired two helpers previously so they decided to put me with him. He had nothing but praise for my help and my work and he was grateful enough and impressed with my knowledge of the work and welding he asked the welder foreman to let me test on the next job which he did. So by working long enough around a certain group of people in the field and building a small network of coworkers and proving myself to my superiors I was given a chance to make the kind of money after only one year that some people strive a decade or more for. I’ve only got a ged to show for education and had no previous knowledge of welding whatsoever before i started, but working the ground and keeping interest in what was going on and staying focused got the job done! Know the work that you’re doing before you go and try to lay some heat out there. An incompetent helper can be trained but an incompetent welder usually gets to look for another job.
October 16th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I’m a student currently attending and just about at the end of my welding course. I have passed most of the program, but there are theory modules which I have failed due to my lack of sleep from working full time in addition to the 30 hr/wk course. As it is, I won’t be passing the course, though we receive credits for each plate test and project passed. I plan on finishing the course in due time, but my savings are running low. Will it be possible to find a welding job with the year and a half experience I received at the school?
May 25th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
ive been driving trucks long distance and hauling oversized loads for about 14 years and i thought its time for a career change i love to weld but only know the basics so im returning to school at the age of 34 to learn tig,pressure,and maybe underwater welding either way i can fulfill my new dream and hopefully make a new career for myself thanks for listening and have a great day kevin
May 26th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Kevin! it’s never too late to switch careers… and to pursue your dreams. Keep us posted
August 18th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
my 20 year old son took a welding course at night at the local voc school in fall river mass. he wants to take more courses and get certified i have been looking all over in this area on the web and can’t find a course for him to take full time any ideas ?
August 24th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Your best bet is going to be the American Welding Society– they have a school locator.
http://www.aws.org/w/sense/
Good luck!