What is the /pol/ opinion on Trades?
27 years old here and i'm trying to pull my life together, i'm considering going into a trade (currently considering plumbing) and i was just wondering about /pol/s opinion on the matter. Any plumbers on here that can give me an idea of what to expect?
lots of fecal matter
>>55286675
I got a graduate degree in STEM. Wish I had taken a trade, I'd be better off.
So... Go for it brah.
You should go for mechanic of welding instead, less poop touching.
I eventually intend to get my heavy duty mechanics if I can get money for school.
Kind of want to kill myself since poor as fuck and getting old.
Ah well, being poor is not so bad I guess.
Plumber here.
If you do new construction, expect your body to take a beating. It's tough work and the stress levels can be high.
If you do service work, don't be claustrophobic, arachnaphobic, or any of that shit. As far as the "touching shit" goes, you have PPE and don't really need to worry about it. The smells can be a little gnarly, but after a while, it's not as bad as people make it out to be.
Also, if you actually want to be licensed, you'll have to serve under a master plumber and go through the training chain. You can't just go to school and become a journeyman.
>>55286675
Sweating copper is a thing of the past. PEX will be your standard, except if service calls.
>poo in loo
You will work in loo
>>55286675
Do tool and die, the demand is still high and no one is getting into it anymore - Plus the men who know how to do it are all retiring, so there is lots of demand for young blood
I do know some well of master plumbers and electricians, but they only got that way since they switched to managing others who do the dirty work.
I'd do welding / tool & die since it's a skill that is invaluable
>>55287057
>If you do new construction, expect your body to take a beating
This. I have a buddy who's shoulders got blown out after a heavy pipe the crew was carrying went a wrong direction.
It pays well, but for a reason - There is some real labor involved.
>>55286675
I talked to a young guy, mid 20's, who came to my house on a service call. I asked him how he liked the work. He said it was great, basically his own boss (though he worked for a large business--I think he meant he had lots of independence).
He said he started at $40k while in training and is now close to $65k as a full employee. Sounds pretty good for poo in loo.
I'm deathly afraid of spiders, I don't think I could make it as a plumber. How do those guys do it? Puttin their hands in places where they can't see and there might be a huge spider that could bite you... Fuck I don't even like thinking about it
>>55286745
I know a number of plumbers that make pretty good bank. All new construction. They like to joke about poop but they rarely deal with it. Think that's the norm.
>>55286675
tl;dr regarding trades:
Unless you have connections, the pay is shit. No better than any other job, but with worse hours and more stress.
The entire, "just go into the trades!" spiel is bullshit, usually parroted by individuals who give more credence to empty platitudes than actual evidence and reality. There's already too many in the trades, and the jobs are trainable enough that the mass waves of immigrants can replace you. Wages continue to go down while unemployment continues to increase. About the best you can expect is having a just-above-wage-slave job. At least it's not McDonalds, I guess?
If you want to ensure a job in the future, you need to pursue new or establishing industries where new jobs are actually being created and where automation cannot run rampant. You very specifically want to avoid well established industries, as these are businesses where the best way to reduce costs is typically to automate or outsource jobs, not create them. ("Job creation" is largely as myth - new walmarts don't create jobs, they destroy them. Same applies to every single established industry. It's only within entirely new industries/niches where jobs are actually created.)
>>55287660
Your Ontario is showing
Did welding as a pipefitter, but went back to college after working for a little over a year.
If you live in the south I would not suggest it. If you live in the north the pay can be much more lucrative as the unions are stronger.
If you go the union route you'll be spending 4-5 years doing work/on the job training/ and will spend time in a classroom until you become a journeyman.
If you do it through a trade school you'll probably spend a year learning how to weld, the amount of effort you put into it will determine how good you become at it.
Personally, I wouldn't suggest it. Overtime is where you make the money and working 12 hour days breathing welding fumes in cramped spaces pretty much sucks. You'll also travel a lot and having a home life would be quite the struggle.
Plumbing or HVAC would be the best idea. People will always have to shit or want heating and cooling. You do your time under somebody and after a few years can get your license. Start your own business and then you make the rules.
>>55287660
lol BC is not like this at all. Went to Jarts and got a job, all good.
>>55287730
Spoken like someone who lacks an actual argument, or even experience in the trades.
It's shitty grunt work and you need to spend years as a journeyman before you can get anywhere with it, assuming you don't physically fuck yourself over in the meanwhile.
And you're still threatened by the millions of immigrants being imported, because your work does not require so much creativity or intelligence that even shitskins can't do it. Let alone the improving automation and tools means the older, richer, and more experienced tradesmen get more efficient at their jobs, with much better offers than you'll ever see thanks to their past contracts and experience, allowing them to individually take on more and better work.
It's a losing proposition. Average best case scenario is that you get a tough high-stress job with long hours that pays a little better than minimum wage. It's really only a small percentage of guys who make bank in this stuff, and they're typically used as posterboys to make the job seem more attractive than it actually is.
>>55286675
I am a plumber of 12 years. One major thing to consider is plumbing has become one of the fastest DIY areas of home maintenance in the past 5 years. So you want to look at the demographics of your area. Are theyre a lot of rich people who wouldnt attempt any DIY repairs. Jews are big on letting someone else do their home repairsas they consider it beneath them. But they do pay, which is more than i can say for fucking street shitters.
Stay away from street shitters at all cost.
And stay away from fucking contractors that will you expect you to plumb their houses for a quarter of what it really costs to do a competent job. Fucking assholes.
>>55286675
Working is always a good thing bro.
>life together
What do you mean.
>>55286675
Do electrical.
>>55286675
I'm in the same boat. Trying to get into a elevator mechanic union as an apprentice. Hvac is going to be my backup.
>>55291299
Very fuckin competitive my man, I wish you luck
> tfw over 500 applicants showed up on day 1 of (2) week opening
>tfw made it to second interview
> didn't get selected
I switched gears and went into HVAC, that was 3 years ago and I'm now making 32/hr..nothing crazy but better than being poor. Once I get my journeyman license it should jump to 50/hr
>>55287057
Would you say being a plumber in India would be in growing demand or declining?
>>55291759
Forgot mfw
>>55286675
El06 (low volt/security alarm/fire alarm) electrician here. Good pay. 30-40 an hour non union after a few short years. Relatively easy work.
>>55288997
I've been unemployed for almost a year now, after losing my job of over 6 years. i was doing just simple warehousing labor and honestly, 6 years of that shit will leave a bad taste in your mouth. I don't want to just "get another job", i want to do something that not only pays well, but something i can enjoy.
But honestly i don't even know what that means desu, i have absolute no clue what i want to do, and since i have no idea i figure i might as well just choose anything and see if i like it. Thats why i'm looking into trades.
>>55288332
I don't know what kind of commie minimum wage you guys have there, or how shitty you pay tradesmen, or why you're apparently upset that the established and experienced guys get payed more.
>>55286675
Pipefitter here. I make alot of money.
>>55288332
Your statement is false. Unless you live in the east coast where trademen get paid what UI from here on the west coast pays.
>>55291858
>plumber
>India
Think you meant street sweeper
I travel all over America and Canada. Two weeks out nine days off--salaried. Work on electronic controls in industrial settings. Your ass will get shocked if you're not careful and 220v can kill if the draw is sufficient.
Long hours, 60k a year plus "OT", plus point to dollar conversion from traveling benefits nets me over 70k a year easy. Not to mention about 8-11k per diem depending how much I'm out so the money that would go to groceries the company pays while I travel.
I'm 27 and meet with chief engineers of all types, but most are mechanical guys. Swear to god EVERY one has stories up stories about guys doing dumb shit on machines and losing fingers, losing hands, dying, not following safety or OSHA to try and get done working an hour early--whatever. Most are exaggerated and maybe total bullshit, but enough to make me realize mechanics need to be ON POINT. Controls are low voltage so the shock will wake you up. Tying onto electric motors means 220/480 so you gotta be smart. If you're good at math and don't buckle under pressure, electrician/controls might be a good choice. If building things and tearing them apart fascinates you then go mechanical.
On the note of pipe fitters...I see these three dudes from Alabama on like 2 or 3 jobs a year (linen industry--everyone knows everyone), and those old boys work ALL fucking day for weeks and months at a time. Jesus fucking Christ don't do pipe fitting, it will tear your back up and fuck your shoulders. Never home. Work all day. They are dumb as fuck which is why they do it, but man they can weld like motherfuckers and their pipe is straight.
Welding can be lucrative given the demographic, like plumbing. Or, it might be s local hobbie of fucking everyone. "If you can't weld in Oklahoma, you ain't from Oklahoma". Heard that in Toledo once.
>>55286675
too much work. Fuck that shit.
>>55287852
>Plumbing or HVAC would be the best idea. People will always have to shit or want heating and cooling.
This. Just started as a toolbitch last month. I make $12hr, but lots of guys are retiring where I live and not enough people are replacing them. I'm more interested in the HVAC side of things, but I might try and pick up my plumbing certs too. Both are good, I like my coworkers, and the bants are pretty great.
>>55293288
Also, I should add these are just my observations traveling and working in industry. I don't know shit about unions and less about trade school.
Op, I will say two more things...
The hard work gives you a sense of importance and I think every man needs that. Maybe they find it in an achievement on steam, or playing catch with a son. The ceo of my company called my boss and asked why the hell every time he wants to get paid he has to send me out. Makes a man feel good. Also with trades, making something work when it's broken, or making it work from scratch is one of the most satisfying feelings.
The other thing is that this is all bullshit. If you aren't smart you're gonna hurt yourself, fuck up your joints or die. Maybe worse, lose fingers and shit. Talked to a 65 year old engineer onsite once, talked about how he was telling HIS boss how "even when I can't lift the pipes any,ore, I can be the parts guy...ill organize everything for you and blah blah..." It's like they married the IDEA of labor, rather than used it as a means to get or do what you want. Again, I can't stress safety and smarts enough. OSHA will protect you.
