So you want to be a welder? - Part 4

Moving around the country to obtain a job may not be your cup of tea.  But if you’ve just graduated from welding school, this may be the lot that is cast at your feet.   If you aren’t willing to relocate, and in some cases, willing to become a transient welder and “chase” the work while living out of motels or become isolated on rigs, you will have to figure out how to gain real employment where you are.  You can choose to stay exactly where you are, but you must be willing to do one of two things.

The first is to accept whatever job is available locally and accept whatever pay it pays.   This is fine if you are prepared to do so, and your lifestyle can afford it.  In many cases, if you live near a region that graduates a lot of welding students, you’ll need to live with the facts of supply and demand.

High supply of trained welders coupled with low or average demand for welders equals lower pay.  Or you can create your own employment, by becoming self-employed.   This can be a tricky and tiresome prospect, but it can yield great dividends in the future.  Being a self-employed welder means you are your own boss, but you are also responsible for all aspects of the business, including marketing, bidding, billing, labor, and even procurement.

Being your own boss, you can command a higher wage often than another welder who words for another company, but you also have to face more challenges and work harder to maintain a good business image.  Self-employment has a lot of benefits though, and for persons valuing workplace freedom, it is an ideal solution.  However, if you do not have self-motivation, an impeccable work ethic, and good general business sense and  you don’t like making decisions regarding your future, then being self-employed as a welder will not work out well for you.