Beware promises of jobs and money, money, money

I suppose there are many ways people discover their paths to becoming productive members of the workforce—an early obsession that never lets up (I want to be a firefighter!); a family tradition (my dad was an ironworker, now I’m an ironworker); signs of early aptitude (I was building computers when I was 10); convenience (all the language classes were full, so I switched over to premed); or an early job (I was hired as a helper, and now I’m building houses). And so on and so forth.

I’m not sure what went through your head, but as a junior high/high school/college kid, I wasn’t thinking about how much money I was going to make. I just figured that whatever path I chose, I’d make it work, financially speaking.

I had vague notions of becoming an architect or psychiatrist, but the money never really entered my mind. For me it was about finding something to do that was interesting and fulfilling.

I bring this up because it seems that money is all anyone wants to talk about when it comes to a welding career.

It’s in the many messages I get from kids asking how much they could potentially make, or how much they should be getting.

It’s in industry propaganda, like the cute comic showing a trade school enrollee getting talked down to by the liberal arts student, despite the fact that the former will start at $50,000 a year once he or she graduates, while the latter will be lucky to find a job making ends meet

It’s from the concerned parents, skeptical about letting their little boy or girl wind up melting metal for minimum wage.

Now we’re seeing study after industry-backed study saying welding jobs are falling off of trees, or they will be once the old-timers retire in the next few years. FYI, they’ve been saying the same thing for at least a decade. Why do you see so many ads for truck drivers? Or nurses? Or IT people? Because these industries are preying on folks with the lure of job security and decent wages, while in reality they’re hoping to saturate the market and pay less per person.

I’m bringing this up not to deter you from getting into welding, far from it. I just don’t want you to get into a field for the wrong reasons only to regret the choice down the road.

A similar thing has happened for years with kids going to a four-year university because they were told it was necessary. A decade later, they realize they hate it and decide to pursue a more hands-on career. I’ve had so many interactions with white-collar folks who wish that they had given a trades education more serious consideration.

Josh Welton at work.
Photo courtesy of Brown Dog Welding.

My fear is that the pendulum will swing 180 degrees, and some now will see trade school as a quick fix, or an easy means to an end, when in the end it’s not what they want to do.

It’s like anything else: If you’ve got a work ethic, maybe some talent, and have a passion for it, you’ll always have work. But don’t do it because someone is telling you an abundance of jobs are available or the pay is always great. Life’s too short to be miserable making a living. Find something you love and make it work.