So you want to be a welder?

Finding out that you stepped into the wrong field of work can be disheartening and be a great setback to finding job security and contentment.   This is particularly so in the welding field.  If you’ve heard the latest statistics about great demands for welders and huge paychecks that can be earned, you may be thinking about welding as a new career.  Unfortunately a large number of new  welders suffer burnout because they weren’t aware of what was involved in making the big bucks and keeping themselves fully employed.   The first item that a new welder should consider before making a career plunge into the welding industry is his/her ability to be flexible.

Flexibility is one significant key to being employed in the welding field.  It’s important to stay flexible in almost every aspect of the field. You need to be flexible to learn or relearn new techniques.  With an evolving field such as welding, being able to learn a new technique or be able to operate and train with new equipment is crucial to becoming a valued employee.   Locking yourself into one mindset, or one narrow field for your career is not a smart move.

While some people see this as specialization, this is the surest way to be underemployed, or unemployed if your desire for specialization is a motivated by your reluctance to adapt to new technology and new ways.   This can be viewed even as anti-social behavior.  While many old and well experienced welders are often viewed as “Salty” “Cynical” and even “Ill-tempered”, there is a growing trend to reject this type of behavior and a move to a more professional behavior as globalization continues to take place and these old track-layers move on out of the work force.