Hey guys, I live in Tennessee and am gonna go to one of the Technical College of Applied Technology's near me to sign up for a trade to start in the fall. It is between 2 or 3 things I think. I was thinking about either Welding, Electrician, Hvac, or Automotive Technology. As of right now I have really no skills in either of them, but I like the thought of being an electrician because I think the wiring could be really fun and I do want to make good money and have a secure job. What does /o/ think would be best for me? Thanks so much!
I am currently going to school for electrical engineering. My job is at a theme park and I do a bit of everything. I do electrical work and I weld all the time, not to much with HVAC(we hire HVAC technicians for that) and do small engine work (for the exception of hydraulics and pneumatics) so long story short, welding and electrical work is definitely a lot of fun and dangerous lol. To be proficient at welding, it takes time and lots and lots of practice but work is a plenty. I know of a welder who travels at weeks end and makes a great chunk of change. Was in Hawaii last month and now he is doing work in Maine. Cool if your single
>>14618514
How do you like electrician?
>>14618437
Bump
>>14618437
get a civic or look at the sticky fag
I'm currently a Sound and Communications Installer. I work for a commercial electrical contractor, doing low voltage work, which means mostly data cable installation. I've done a little bit of electrical work in the past, and am currently trying to get placed as an apprentice.
A few of things. 1. You can make damn good money as an electrician, at least in my state. I have a friend who lives in Nashville, he told me he considered going for an electrician apprenticeship, but decided against it because the end wage isn't high enough. My point is, if you're looking at an apprenticeship, which is a great way to learn a trade, consider the income you would be earning in the end.
2. Remember that most of the work in the trades has relatively poor job security. If the economy is shitty, people don't build things, builders don't work as much. Mind you, this can be mitigated by being an exceptional worker, and endearing yourself to your employer. The good foremen, and good workers at my company are never out of work.
3. Avoid residential work. Those guys are either doing remodel work which sucks, because you're dealing with old installs, some of which could have been done by highly incompetent craftsmen, or they are doing new construction, the pace of which is bullshit. Typically, the expectation is for one or two electricians to wire a whole house in a day. Also the pay is worse.
I took a tech school program on electricity before I got into the industry. I'm glad I did, it was a good way to gain some basic knowledge and learn a little bit about what the trade is like. Plus, if you take the classes and decide you hate it, at least you learned something you can still potentially use.
>>14618437
fucking stock photos...
>no eye protection
>no ear protection
>no HRC2 long sleeve, & gloves
>dollar store multimeter
>>14620220
Not really dollar stuff anyway.They had one of those in my school. It could even tell you the efficient value on signals of any shape you would imagin, from triangular signals, to Dc mounted Ac, to pulse signals. It could also measure in an effective range of 10 Hz to I think 10khz.
>he fell for the trades meme
this is worse then falling for the STEM meme
>>14620293
I guess it just depends on how accurate you need things to be for your work.
An actual dollar store one would work for 99.9% of /o/ stuff, but my box is full of Fluke tools with semi-recent calibrations
>>14618437
Do welding if you can. There are some people in this state that make $40/hour. HVAC would be second.
Honestly auto tech would be a last choice. There's stuff in the other jobs that you will learn that will help in working on your own cars and keeping wrenching as a hobby instead of being a grease monkey for other people.
>>14620305
How's your philosophy major working for you?
>>14620182
That's a lot of money to spend on something that I might hate you know? I just wanna be good at something. I am not great at math so it worries me. I do want to make good money but I wana be sort of happy with it too. That's why I was thinking electrician or HVAC. I just dont know how to start. Should I do school first then a union apprenticeship? Or skip school all together
>>14620305
only thing dumber is the law degree meme
>>14620360
I heard HVAC or electrician would be best for life skills wise and something that isn't too repetative and you can enjoy. I just donno how to get started
>>14618437
>2 o 3 things
Lists 4, uses either to differentiate across 4 items.
> no skills
That includes Maths and English.
Wiring is boring as fuck but pays well.
Welding is boring as fuck and pays badly until you get to fabricator level, then it's ok.
HVAC I have no experience of.
Automotive technician, gets you a bit of everything pay isn't great.
>>14621059
Alrighty
>>14620713
In the end, an apprenticeship is probably best. There is a reason that the apprenticeship I'm applying for is 5 years long. There is a lot to learn, and most importantly, it takes plenty of practice before you are going to be good at everything, and more importantly, prepared to handle most of the crazy unknowns that will present themselves.
That said, having the school background in electricity will give you a leg up when applying. If you take the program and do well, it will show them that you are committed, and are able to grasp the concepts. It also helps if you've had a labor intensive job before, especially construction. Some people just can't hack it in that environment, and they don't want to offer an apprenticeship, which is a big time and monetary investment on their part, to somebody who might not work out. That's part of why so many new apprentices that I've encountered have started out as unindentured workers in the electrical industry. That might be a good route if the cost of school is making you nervous.
>>14618437
do electricain and STAY AWAY FROM AUTO TECH!
>>14622299
Unidentured worker? Is that basically you work to see if you like it? See, I dont look like someone who would do well over manual labor. I am 5'10 1'48lbs really thing and I have longer hair. I kind of look like a pussy, I feel like they will turn me down because I dont look the part. And apprenticeships are generally offered by unions right?
>>14622299
Is this what we are talking about sort of?
https://sourcerefrigeration.hua.hrsmart.com/hrsmart/ats/Posting/view/3309/0
HVAC techs basically need to know how to be an electrician anyways.
Source: I'm a HVAC tech
>>14618437
>going to a technical college
Just go to a community college, get the associate's, and take the ASE tests. The technical college is going to jew you for everything you've got and leave you with the same or worse quality of education.
Been around the trades for a bit, ill tell you what I know.
>Welding
This is one of those professions you are either good at it or you are not. It takes a lot of skill and practice, and if you don't have the magic arm it's not going to matter. You could have all the schooling in the world, but if you can't pass for example a 6G pipe welding test then it does not matter. If you fail an x-ray, you fail an x-ray no "working your way through it" in welding.
>Electrician
Lot's of apprenticeships and unions out there for this. Usually can end up making good money overtime and it's not that hard to understand/get into. You might want to consider going in as an apprentice rather than school but that's just my 2 cents.
>HVAC
This is where the money is at, especially if you are doing industrial on-call work. I have seen guys make $1000+ in one night of on call work (keep in mind they are journeyman with 10+ years under their belts).
I have honestly never knew automotive mechanics myself. I will say I don't think they offer the type of career advancement as well as a trade union does.
With that being said, you should really consider applying for an apprenticeship. You would be surprised how hard it is to find 18 year old high school graduates with clean records and no drug use. Apprentice I starts at $17/hour here.
Go to your local trade unions and apply for an apprenticeship. The first year or two will be mostly bitch work but eventually you'll learn the job and you are getting paid while you do it.
>>14624292
what if the union pays for the technical college?
HVAC tech here, take hvac. You'll learn both hvac and electrician wiring.
Especially if you're on new construction alot you'll pick up other basic household shit like plumbing/carpentry etc. BTW don't be a plumber.
HVAC will always be in demand no matter what, if you're good and you work for a reputable company you'll never go hungry
>>14618437
Im currently doing Automotive Technology and im loving it . I just bought my first tool set. A craftsman 250 piece mechanic set.
>>14622373
Why?
>>14618437
Welding is the best paid and there is always demand. In the past welding was unsafe and you wrecked your health welding but this is no longer the case, welders are too valuable to fuck with and the work is safe.
But you have to be willing to work long hours and go where the work is. You have to be willing to travel across country or even international to get the best work.
If you want to live in one place then I would go electrician, if you want to earn bank and then retire become a welder.
Stay away from underwater welding courses though, they are all fucking scams. It is literally easier to become a doctor than an underwater welder.
>>14624463
the auto industry is shit. the only people who have it good are government mechanics (police mechanic, sanitation truck mechanic for example). the flat rate system is a failure. i dont know about independent shops but dealerships are the worst. warranty time pays shit and customers are cheap. i worked at a MB dealership for 4yrs i quit last month because people there are snakes.
>>14620305
How's women's studies?
>TCAT
Lots of fucking rednecks there. Good luck.
>>14618437
Am a mechanic and it sucks. It's really nice to have the knowledge I have in cars and the pride in the tools and skills I've gained but the industry really sucks to work in.
Flat rate can be a pain in the ass
and being so dependent on one to a few service writers on feeding you work to maintain a decent paycheck is terrible. When shit goes wrong it really sucks and it's your wallet that's paying for it in lost time that could have been spent on good paying work. Lots of shops want you in on Saturdays. (I fought for my Saturdays off and changed jobs once.) I've found there's little motivation to gain more skill and knowledge in your field when the idiots will just get fed easier work while there's no real financial reward for taking on more challenging work.
So I would say stay out of automotive. There are days where I like my work but there's just to many downsides to it.
>>14618437
You can take the LLE without ever having to go to a classroom. Just pick up a copy of the NFPA 70 (NEC) and stare at that shit until you're pretty quick at using the index. I forget who you get in contact with to take the exam. Google can probably help. Can't vouch for other states, but that's about all you need to do in Tennessee.
>>14624329
So you think apprenticeship for either electrician or HVAC? Which one do you think id more likely be able to get into? Which one, for someone with no real skill would do better in?
>>14624387
If I did an apprenticeship for HVAC and i learned some electric while i'm at it, if i ever wanted to do more electrical work, would I need to start fresh as an electrician apprentice aswell? I am really trying to decide out of the 2 would be the best bet for me making money and being happy
>>14624329
Where is it you live for 17 an hour apprenticeship?
>>14624566
Thats not good to hear lol. I plan on going for diseal so I can save up to open my own shop.
>>14625265
Do you regret going into the field?
I'm an Electrician. If you're still around OP, feel free to ask any questions.
>>14626419
Yeah I was thinking about choosing between an electrician and someone doing HVAC. How do i choose in the end? I feel like I would like them both, but I have no real skill in either in general, or trades but I know I want to do 1 of them. How do i figure out what I should do? I know I should be trying for an apprenticeship, but how do i know whats a scam or not? How do I know which one of those to pick for something I want to master?
>>14626893
>>14626419
Like is there an introduction video of both courses I could watch to see what kind of stuff maybe is more for me? Or like a documentary of some sort?
>>14626305
yup, it's harder to change careers as you get older. I'm trying to make a switch right now. Wish I had just continued in college and went for a bachelors degree. Studying towards my bachelors online right now but I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking of dropping that for in favor of a brick and mortar school but that pretty much means I have to abandon my current career as the hours aren't that flexible.
>>14626893
im going in for hvac
i use to love cooking for myself and others when i was younger and decided to go in to be a cook
ended up hating it
i like to fuck with cars and decided to make a gig of it
now i hate it unless its on my own shit.
see where im going with this lol
look up local unions for what you want to do they will set you up and point you to the right direction
(for a fucking fee of course)
if your lucky like i am they can doc you entry payment from your checks
i havent gotten in im in line to do the test but shit man youll do fine just pick something and go for it electricians got it made for how easy it is but its pretty hard work moving the lines around and shit.
>TL;DR
leave hobbies as hobbies if you want and land your self a good career or job lol
very few lucky people love their jobs and are content with their pay.
most of us aren't but its usually always the co workers that just make you want to murder
>>14627015
appreciate the advice, when you say unions will lead you in the right direction, you mean the right direction in their field right? And yeah what do you mean by a fee? I know if you join a union you have to pay union fees but they load you with benefits right? Like tuition reinbursement, and an apprenticeship and other shit right?
>>14627031
> when you say unions will lead you in the right direction, you mean the right direction in their field right?
yeap
for example the pipe fitters union is $700 to get in once you pass the exam
once paying that your in. (you can also request to get it off from your checks) and they send your butt off to to a job to learn and 2 days of the week you go to school. for 5 years.
school is free in this case but they are making a profit from your ass from your monthly dues (most unions have monthly dues and entrance payments.)
and benefits vary from union to union. some are only granted from the job you get others are union related. but yeah usually always bretty good.
and you always start as an apprentice and have priority over seasoned vets.
best bet is to go to one or call and ask questions. since unions are basically mafias their all different man
>>14626297
diesel is another story. i suggest you make a thread asking about that and see what any diesel tech has to say.
i hear diesel techs make way more money and dont deal with cheap customers because they work with people who need their trucks so they can work
>>14627081
Is it like signing your life away joining one? Or like a deal with the devil?
>>14626893
> I know I should be trying for an apprenticeship, but how do i know whats a scam or not?
The only way to know 100% would be to join a union. It is very common for guys to work somewhere with the promise of being taken on as an apprentice, only to be stuck as a labourer for years. That being said, I went through my apprenticeship without being in a union so it's certainly possible.
>How do I know which one of those to pick for something I want to master?
If you want to master either you'll have to take the initiative. It's very easy to get stuck doing one thing as an Electrician, and I imagine it's the same for HVAC techs. For example, I know guys who only built homes for their whole apprenticeship. Zero maintenance experience, no troubleshooting ability, very little low volt experience, no PLC, but they have the exact same license I do.
Something else to keep in mind: my union buddies made way more than I did, but were laid off fairly often. I worked steadily through my whole apprenticeship.
>>14629302
As an electrician right?
mmm
So I just checked out the pre apprenticeship math exam I found online. Holy shit, 110 questions. I mean it doesnt look terrible but some of the questions I dont really know. Does this look accurate?
http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Assets/Departments+(Education)/Trades+$!26+Apprenticeship/Apprenticeship+Office/Documents/Electrician+Entrance+Exam.pdf
>>14620305
>Trades
>Meme
No anon, you're fucking stupid.
>>14624387
Electrician here. You learn SOME electrical shit doing hvac.
>>14629384
Yeah.
>>14630102
Yes, that is all basic shit that you will need to know. Don't sweat it, you can use a calculator.
>>14630246
http://www.nietc.org/applications/preparing-to-apply/preparing-for-aptitude-interview.html
This told me that you cannot use the calculator. Well this is the aptitude test I guess. I dont know anything about it and i googled it and this is what came up. Not sure if I should abandon electirican or maybe go for it. I am sure id do okay on the math test but im not certain. I dont even know how much you have to pay to do the aptitude test
>>14630263
Wait, is this just for oregon? I dont know how i got there, but I live in tennessee
>>14630263
Yeah, okay. I was looking at that last link you posted. Can't help you there m8, I didn't have to do a test to start my apprenticeship.
If highschool math is enough to turn you off from a decent career, then yeah maybe look elsewhere.
If you want to "master" this trade you'll need to know way more shit than that.
Anyway, GL m8.
>>14630336
Appreciate the advice, it iisnt really turning me off, I still just have to decide if i wana do hvac or electrician
Anything but auto technology. I can't encourage anyone enough to avoid this career. Don't listen to any recruiter telling you how great the career is, how much money you can make, and how high the demand is for auto technicians.
It is not true. The industry is actively seeking to reduce wages and benefits, and increasing working hours. Flat rate hours are being trimmed and the top level Master Technicians are being reduced to warranty only repair and diagnosis. The more you know and the better you are at your job effectively reduces your income. Dumb and mindless can make as much money as talented and intelligent. There are several manufacturers actively working to replace all technicians with robots in less than 20 years. There are already prototype Toyota repair facilities in Japan that are totally automated with no humans involved.
Auto repair is quickly approaching dead end status.
http://www.abctennessee.com/education-training/apprenticeship-training/
Here is this, but i dont think they pay for your schooling even though they say it is an apprenticeship program. Or something they teach you.
>>14630113
Do you think hvac is easier?
Get your A&P anon, be an avionics tech make enormous bank
>>14618437
i am a former electrician and current electrical tech, i wanna go back to school while im working and get a degree and start my own buissness
>want to get into the trades
>alberta economy crashed now there's no hope of ever finding an apprenticeship
>>14630899
You don't need a degree to start your own business
>>14631261
this
hmmm
>>14628646
kinda
some places dont want you doing any other kind of work while you are joined into a union.
so like if you are a carpenter in a union and got laid off since its been raining like fuck or what ever you cant go out and get a job at walmart. or what ever. until you retire.
this is for the Californian shit hole so your state may differ
>>14633536
What if you do? What could they do? I posted a vid up above stating if they pay tuitoin its like a loan, and you have to work 5 years to pay it back
>>14624329
>Apprentice I starts at $17/hour here.
Tell me where to move and I'm coming over
Well at least the OP is smart enough to not pick a for-profit school.
>shit at math/science
>dexterity of an armless toddler
>strength of wet 1-ply TP
how can I construct something that will shoot a knife or pipe through my chest at high pressure so I die instantly
>>14634309
how do you know what is a for profit school anyways?
