Advice and Insight from Welding Pro, Alex Seibert
We first met Alex at the Arc-Zone.com® headquarters back in October 2019. He’s a MIG and TIG welder in the aerospace industry and one of the hosts of Just the Other Day podcast, an entertaining welding show featuring some of the world’s most talented fabricators.
Alex took some much appreciated time out of his busy schedule to share with us how he thrives in the welding industry.
Before we get into it
Let’s start off with your name, current age, and where you live
Alex Seibert. Oceanside, CA
What are you hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Golf, podcast, and drinking with buddies
Welding, according to Alex
How long have you been welding? What got you interested in welding?
I’ve been welding for 8 years. Originally I got into welding for the money. Then after I struck my first arc, I fell in love with it. The satisfaction of working with your hands is second to none.
What is your job now? If welding is not a part of that, in what way do you use welding (what kind of projects, why do you weld, etc)?
I am a metal fabricator/welder for a company that specializes in rotational fixtures and tooling for aerospace companies
How did you train? What welding processes do you use the most or feel more familiar with?
My training mainly consisted of watching other people do it. Then later trying to apply their technique. Then after that, tuning what I learned with what best fit my own personal style. I mostly use MIG where I am currently employed but I would have to say I feel more comfortable doing TIG
What advice would you give your 15 year old self? What advice would you give young people interested in welding as a career?
Invest in yourself. Make yourself valuable. Don’t waste time not improving or becoming better. The advice I would give to a young welder would be to always ask questions no matter how stupid they sound. Welding is easy… there is just a lot to know. Also practice.
What has been your biggest career challenge to date?
Being open to new methods. It’s easy to get stuck in your own ways and it’s hard to accept a different approach that could potentially benefit you in the long run.
Where do you see the Job opportunities in this industry? What’s the best path for success for both women and men, especially given the projected shortage of skilled welders?
It’s hard to say. Welding has a home in so many industries. It depends on what makes you happy. Whatever you are doing you should feel proud of everything you do. What you produce is a reflection of yourself.
Any other topics you’d like to cover, such as favorite project, favorite tools, music you listen to while welding, where do you get your inspiration for your projects, etc.?
Never assume you are done learning. Never think that you can’t get any better. There is always room for improvement and there is always something to learn. Respect the veterans and don’t underestimate the green horns.
Now what?
Alex continues to excel in his welding career, showing off his skills on Instagram. Sharing everything from daily welds, new and exciting welding products, and welding tips and tricks, he’s amassed quite a following and shows no signs of slowing down.
Interested in learning more? Catch up on the latest episodes of Just The Other Day with Alex, his friends, and some insanely talented welders.
