Researching switching jobs into the trades. Any advice?

[Loneiguana]

To try to make a long story short, I've spent the last 8 years working in front of a computer. I was using my college degree, but 2 years ago I was involuntary moved to graphic design. I tried to learn it on my own, no help from employer, but it was rough. I recently went out a got another editing job, but I don't like it. I'm tired of being bored. And I'm tired of not really building any skills, mastering my craft, and the day going by super slow.

I have some connections in the local trade unions and am looking at tech schools as well. Though I need to remain employed, I have 3 kids.

I have a meeting with a carpenter union this afternoon for some information, local job market and such.

My current job does offer things like pension, Healthcare, paid time off, sick leave. So I do have nice bendifits.

My wife is worried if I went into the trades, I'd hardly see my family, let alone be able to help her with sick kids or running them around. My father was a union labor, so I have experience with that as well.

I do have a good work life balance now, if only super bored and burned out at work.

Anyone here work for any of the unions or any trades? What's work life balance like currently? Any non union jobs out there with paid training? Anyone else make a similar career change in mid life?

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by Fish

It's difficult to tell another man what he should be doing for a living. But for me, it would depend greatly on your current benefits. Especially pension. Because you likely won't find another new job that still offers a pension these days. Pension and good benefits are very valuable these days. Especially with a family. Boredom sucks, but you have an entire family to think about.

Yup. That is what is making this difficult.

Age is one thing. But age when thinking about retirement? I almost have to stay somewhere with a pension. I'm 8 years vested already.

I've given thought to non union route, but unless it's a large company with a retirement, I probably shouldn't take it.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Dude just needs to stay in the type of work he's currently in. Something in front of a computer that isn't taxing on your body.

Yeah, being bored might suck.

Maybe he should try PB’s path taking advantage of working a 2nd job

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Oh, and how could we forget the cost of tools? Thousands and thousands of dollars in proper tools that you'll have to accumulate over time. Most places aren't going to supply you with your own tools.

When i first started here at the shop 17 years ago my first paycheck went into about $500 of proper sockets, ratchets etc.

Then thousands more for proper air tools etc. The Snap On Tools truck would come by every month to collect from everyone. Most of us had monthly tool payments to the Snap On truck worth somewhere between $200-$500.

Exactly what my father said when we discussed it, the cost of tools.

It definitely cannot be forgotten.

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by jdubya

Interesting. It is usually reverse from your story. I was in construction for most of my 20`s before realizing it was eventually going to kick my bodys ass so I went in another direction. I guess it depends on what specific trade you do. I was mostly on a framing crew for residential houses and for a couple of years I worked with a contractor that specialized in retaining walls. Retaining wall work is hell on the body.

I bet there is a high percentage of tradesmen out there limping in their 40`s and 50`s saying, "Why didnt I go to school and get into the tech world"?

It's why I didn't stay with it when I was in the labor union briefly.

Every single tradesmen I talked to at 18. 19, and 20, when working on the jobsite told me to go to college and never sell your body for a paycheck. Even the electrians.

I get it. My dad hurts. But he is also still in great shape at 62.

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by AdolfOliverBush

I personally would stay put and keep looking for a more enjoyable/higher paying job you're already qualified for.

Difficulty: English major in a red state small town.

I know, I know. I choose that degree. I did have a great job for about 5 years with it.

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by TripleThreat

Are you looking at Union or Non Union? I can only speak to Union work, and what trade?

Union. I'm looking at Carpenters because I day dream about learning it enough to be able to build.my own book shelf or whatnot.

But I'm not picky. I'm exploring others. IbEW seems impossible to get into.

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by notorious

How old are your kids, Lone?

6, 3, and 2 months old.

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wizard

Been teaching trades for 33 years, have past students in all walks of life, here is my 2 cents.
At your age I think you are better off calling local electrical or HVAC companies and telling them your story and asking if they are looking for an apprentice. They will hire you and teach you until you take your apprentice test then your journeyman test. At that point (usually a year) you are a journeyman electrician.
I have sent kids to trade schools for electricity and they ended up doing the same thing as stated about. May as well go straight to the apprenticeship.

Personally I would say, Electrical or HVAC are clean, require less travel.

Thank you. I'll think on this.

[KCUnited]

I'll provide an additional age perspective. Things can start to break mid-40s, literally in my case when I broke my leg earlier this year. I'm 10 months into rehabbing it which will go into Q1 next year.

Feel I'd be completely ****ed if I worked a trade. Not sure how unions take care of a non-job related injuries but being able to sit in front of my computer and actually advance my career while being injured has been huge.

I would never advocate for living your life in fear of something bad happening so just an additional perspective from someone who's getting their ass kicked by age.

[TripleThreat]

Originally Posted by Loneiguana

Union. I'm looking at Carpenters because I day dream about learning it enough to be able to build.my own book shelf or whatnot.

But I'm not picky. I'm exploring others. IbEW seems impossible to get into.

I'd read some of my other posts on the other page. I quit the trades/union due to the work environment.

I'm the type of person that enjoys working with the same company/people day in and day out. I enjoy working with likeminded individuals. I enjoy knowing my work and being recognized for it.

Enjoying those things as a person, are things I never experienced when working in the trade. Also when you say carpentry, are you talking about sheetrock? Those are the only guys I ever seen on jobsites that were doing carpentry and most of the time they were heavy in Hispanic population and not much english. It was also the least paying trade on the site. The work looked easy though.

[Dunerdr]

Originally Posted by scho63

Plumbers or electricians are NEVER without work, just like auto mechanics.

The difficult part of the building trade is cyclical nature. Commercial is much better than residential and Union Ironworkers make $125,000 minimum, $250,000 in New York or Chicago.

Those 4 jobs all bring in big bucks and keep you very active.

Gotta like what you are doing.

EDIT: add HVAC to that list

I wouldnt say never without work as an IBEW inside electrician. Some guys are laid off a lot, some guys stay busy most of the time and wormy shits like me land a killer maintenance job. I have a great job sub contracted at a data center. 7-330 daily, new tech and challenges regularly. A solid work life balance. Some guys end up working on the road a lot, its killer money, but its not all sunshine and rainbows.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by Loneiguana

Union contruction Family experience.

I see. See, all my experience with trades is non unionized. Which, from what ive seen, swings a bit more wildly between dry spells and big paying jobs.

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi

Male stripper

You know, my wife has given me permission to make money online doing that.

Hmmmm.....

[Spott]

Originally Posted by Loneiguana

Thank you.

I've been looking at utility and linemen degrees at a tech school. I think it would be fun. But that is definitely a longer schooling.

Being a lineman is/was pretty cool because you generally work with a crew of guys(and occasionally women) so it’s like going out and hanging with your friends while you’re working. Most of them don’t get as dirty as I mentioned, but I chose to do underground stuff partly because all those guys were generally taller and wider than I was and I could fit into underground manholes better than they could. But it was also less physically demanding and safer to climb down a ladder and get dirty than it was to do aerial work.

Working directly for one of the providers will pay more, offer more training, have better benefits, etc than working for any subcontractors would be. I honestly don’t know if a place like KCP&L would require a degree or would just give you on the job training.

[Loneiguana]

Originally Posted by TripleThreat

How is HVAC clean? I don't understand why people outside of HVAC think this is a clean trade. It must be because they see us working with metal and making it look all nice in the air it's clean lol. The amount of metal/insulation/puddy/cuts that I experienced never made me feel like I was in a clean trade.

I don't even understand how you think he goes to journeyman in one year?

For us it was pre apprentice, take your apprentice test. Apprentice for years 1-5, with pay going up each year and you had to do 2 weeks of schooling every few months each year. after year 5 you were then a journeyman.

I'm speaking from a Union stand point so maybe Non-Union it's different and/or easier but if he's wanting a pension/benefits/packages etc, Union is the way to go.

THAT BEING SAID: I advise NOT joining the trade and/or union and here's my reasoning.


If you don't like change, if you don't like working with new people every day, if you don't like not knowing who your boss is going to be or the company you're going to work with in a year from now, if any of that stresses you out, don't join the trade.

A typical start up for you is you will be sent to a company and fill out paperwork and they will then send you to one of their many job sites for work. You will show up and meet your new boss and be sent to do whatever work he needs you to do that day. You will usually continue on this project until you finish said room/area and then be told to do something else.

At any moment your boss/company could send you to a whole new jobsite where you are then met with meeting a new boss/foreman and new coworkers. Hopefully they are nice each time right?

Then you have the chance of being abruptly laid off a few months later simply because work slowed down and you are back to the hall where you get reassigned to a new company for work. The hall is really your employer, but the companys work through the union hall to secure workers.

When you become a journeyman, every year you get the same pay raise as all the other journeyman no matter what work you do. Your reward for good work is being able to keep your job, that's about it. If you find a good company, especially as a journeyman, then it can be nice because you build friendships over time etc, but as said before, it just takes one slow spell and your back to the hall looking for a new company/work.

My brother's a foreman and he loves what he does, has a truck and the company provides him a gas card so no miles or gas for his long travel, but you gotta remember you go where the work goes. You'll need to live close to where you work, otherwise your days are LONG and you are TIRED every day.

I would get up at 4am, and I wouldn't be home until 4:00 pm even though I was off at 2:30 pm. Prime Traffic time. Then you're home and tired cause you've been sweating and working your ass off all day as opposed to listening to Dorothy on your teams call rant about that past due claim.

Stick with what you're doing, if you're bored find exciting work on the computer side of life. If you want to be trained in something new and feel accomplished, go back to your local college and take some courses in some things you may find interesting and go from there while keeping your job to support your family. School can be your back up and once you finish and apply to your dream job in a career that you found fun through school courses, you can quit your current job.

Thank you for this post. My dad has said a lot of the same. I'll probable end up reading this a couple times as I think on it.