Who here works in the trades?

M

mingo_clambake

Joined
Dec 11, 2010
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Hey y'all. I know a bunch of folks here have backgrounds in the trades. I just started a pre-apprenticeship program to help women get into the skilled trades, and my homework assignment for the week is to interview some people in the areas I'm interested in (primarily lineworking, but also considering becoming a millwright, carpenter, ironworker, tree-trimmer/arborist, piledriver, or steamfitter, more or less in that order). Would anyone be willing to lend me a bit of their time to let me pick their brains? I'd really appreciate it. Even other trades besides the ones I mentioned would be helpful. Let me know!
 
wildmike said:
I'm certified in several trades. HVAC/R, Machinist, Millwright, Carpenter.
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Thanks for responding. I was just gonna PM you, but I thought your answers might be helpful to someone else that might be reading too, so I'll just post my questions up here. If you'd rather not have them public for some reason, you can always email me. Answer for whatever trade you want, it'd be too much to ask for you to answer for all of the ones you're trained in! I suppose I'm most interested in your answers as a millwright, but it's up to you, you're doing me a favor so I don't want to be picky.

What do you like the best about your trade?

What do you like the least?

How did you get started in the trade?

What are the working conditions? How often do you work outside?

What is the entry level wage? How about the top/journey-level wage?

What is a typical workday like? Activity? Hours?

Do you work steadily or do you get laid off sometimes?

What are the hazards of your trade?

Is it physically demanding?

What tools does this trade use? What tools would I need to buy?

If there is an apprenticeship, when do you go to class? How often?

Are there other women on this job?

What advice would you give me i I wanted to get into your trade?
 
I was in the pipe trades from 1961 until 2006 when I retired. I've worked around and for women many times over the years. Some belonged in the trades and some didn't. Two in particular stand out, they were both my favorites and I loved working for them. The first ( who I enjoyed greatly) was great as a foreman, not so much in the field. She just wasn't physical enough for the tougher jobs which put a burden on her partner. The second and most memorable one was terrific as a foreman and could work most of us guys right into the ground in the field. I'm not knocking women in the trades at all, I love'em and if they can do the job they have my utmost admiration. What I take issue with is those that get the jobs only BECAUSE they are women and get to keep them only BECAUSE they are women and not because they deserve to.

I think your choice of trades should take into consideration your physical ability to perform WHATEVER task is required in that trade. For instance, I had a young lady welder who worked for me who was one of the best TIG welders I've ever had the pleasure of working with, but she was so tiny that there was no way she could carry her own welding grid or the 50' lengths of welding lead for herself like all the other welders could. When she and her male partner had to move to a different location on the job site, guess who had to do all the work!

Many trades will require you to do a lot of traveling to find work and layoffs are a part of life in them. I traveled all over the western United States just to keep working a reasonable amount of time. Some will love that and some will hate it.

I'll probably get slammed for some of these comments, but I think a persons first priority when deciding on a career choice should be "can I do it". I would have loved to be a fighter pilot.
 
Plumberdv said:
I was in the pipe trades from 1961 until 2006 when I retired. I've worked around and for women many times over the years. Some belonged in the trades and some didn't. Two in particular stand out, they were both my favorites and I loved working for them. The first ( who I enjoyed greatly) was great as a foreman, not so much in the field. She just wasn't physical enough for the tougher jobs which put a burden on her partner. The second and most memorable one was terrific as a foreman and could work most of us guys right into the ground in the field. I'm not knocking women in the trades at all, I love'em and if they can do the job they have my utmost admiration. What I take issue with is those that get the jobs only BECAUSE they are women and get to keep them only BECAUSE they are women and not because they deserve to.

I think your choice of trades should take into consideration your physical ability to perform WHATEVER task is required in that trade.

For instance, I had a young lady welder who worked for me who was one of the best TIG welders I've ever had the pleasure of working with, but she was so tiny that there was no way she could carry her own welding grid or the 50' lengths of welding lead for herself like all the other welders could.

When she and her male partner had to move to a different location on the job site, guess who had to do all the work!

Many trades will require you to do a lot of traveling to find work and layoffs are a part of life in them. I traveled all over the western United States just to keep working a reasonable amount of time. Some will love that and some will hate it.

I'll probably get slammed for some of these comments, but I think a persons first priority when deciding on a career choice should be "can I do it". I would have loved to be a fighter pilot.
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Yea, but on the flip side she can get into all those tight spots.

I'f she can't carry her load, it's time to talk to the uppers and get some carts or whatever you need to haul the stuff.
 
Machinist working in the Aero/def, R/D type work. 12 hour days and eight on Sat. and Sun. Good pay, very rough on the home life. Stress level can get a bit high depending on level of dedication to work, IMO. Try not to get a government loan, bloodsuckers!!!!!

**BH#90**
 
12345678910 said:
Yea, but on the flip side she can get into all those tight spots.

I'f she can't carry her load, it's time to talk to the uppers and get some carts or whatever you need to haul the stuff.
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I didn't come here to argue. We had carts available but in many areas of the job site in question, carts were of no use and more of a handicap than a help. The point was that the young lady in question was not physically capable of doing everything that a man in her position would be expected to do and was far more suited to a job in a fab shop or somewhere that didn't require more strenous parts of the trade. That wasn't her fault, just a fact of nature. On the other hand, the one young lady that was my foreman could tote a load as well as any man on her crew and did so.

All I'm trying to say is I think a person should consider a trade or job where concessions don't have to be made for them in order to do the job.
 
We've got a young lady on my VFD that owns her own finish carpentry business, and while light and thin, can outwork most of her male counterparts on a fire, especially interior attack. I love her like a sister, but almost hate being teamed up with her because I know for fact, from past experience, that I'm gonna be sore as hell for days after a fire.

As to the OP's question - long hours, relatively low pay if working for others, the weather, layoffs, predjudice and cat calls, hotels & bad food, time away from home, med insurance (a spendy bitch these days), the union position and dues you may disagree with, tools that get ripped off, laid up may equal laid off, body giving out with time, etc...

All can be dealt with, but not for the faint of heart. The biggest problem in the trades as I see it, as most, the majority, don't save regularly for the rainy days coming...then, well then, they're forked... :/
 
I'm a diesel mechanic by trade. Horrible pay etc. I've worked several different areas of construction, all with crappy pay. I've always lucked out and got jobs that didn't lay off. Still, if my situation wasn't as it is I'd goto nursing school or something. Trades are too dependant on the region you are working in etc.

I've met guys that make 30-40 an hour, the 6 months out of the year they are working... IBEW commercial wireman apprentice here starts at 10 something an hour. They didn't accept any apprentices last year.
 
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Welder, certified at one time.Ive welded since I was 15.Also a blacksmith. A farmer too..
 
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