Looking for advice from pro welders for my son's career

[chopsknives]

Alright my son Dylan is graduating HS and is already certified - what's the best route for him to take? He wants to get into the better paying positions and he's a purdy decent welding student according to his teacher. Lookin for any kind of advice to put him on the right track. Thanx in advance

[Traildust]

Alright my son Dylan is graduating HS and is already certified - what's the best route for him to take? He wants to get into the better paying positions and he's a purdy decent welding student according to his teacher. Lookin for any kind of advice to put him on the right track. Thanx in advance

Certified for what?

[sqiggy]

For single hand, Tig on stainless. This kind of work is 100% travel but that’s where the money is at. Some call it combo welding (carbon and stainless, stick and tig). These are new construction jobs or shut downs/turnarounds.
Another “where the money is at” is being a rig welder. Basically chasing pipelines.
Or he could work in a fab shop or some kind of production shop. Money is usually not any good and will work his butt off. May or may not have some benefits.

[Silvey]

Find a company hiring, and get a test. Certified means little. He will certify the rest of his welding career.
Best advice I was never given, is dont be to proud to ask questions and look over a real welders shoulder will he's welding. And never brag, let your work speak for your abilities.

[Goldeneagle]

For single hand, Tig on stainless. This kind of work is 100% travel but that’s where the money is at. Some call it combo welding (carbon and stainless, stick and tig). These are new construction jobs or shut downs/turnarounds.
Another “where the money is at” is being a rig welder. Basically chasing pipelines.
Or he could work in a fab shop or some kind of production shop. Money is usually not any good and will work his butt off. May or may not have some benefits.

If he can get in with a shop like our's here at Raytheon, it's a decent paying cushy job.

[Buff]

He has two roads he can choose.
He can hire on at a fabrication plant. up side is he will get to go home every night. Down side is he will never make a lot of money.

second road is to become a journeyman and chase shut down work. He will make twice or maybe 3 times as much money. Down side is he will be working 7 days a week an have to live on the road.

[Gumbo Man]

He’ll need field experience first and foremost. Welding shops are the best for that. As said before certification means nothing. He will test on every job he goes on unless transferred over to another job by the same company. Before he rigs out a truck he really needs experience welding downhill with the right rods. What he has learned so far is good entry level experience. Congrats to that young man. It’s a good field to be in.

[sqiggy]

Certified for what?

Find a company hiring, and get a test. Certified means little. He will certify the rest of his welding career.
Best advice I was never given, is dont be to proud to ask questions and look over a real welders shoulder will he's welding. And never brag, let your work speak for your abilities.

Yeah, having papers don’t mean squat really. For every job, he will have to take a welding test unless it’s for the same company he has been working for and his certs will carry over to the next job.

[txchuck]

Orbital welding in Food & pharmaceutical industry. Tell him to keep his respirator on and use the correct lens.

[Gumbo Man]

Also the pipe fabrication shops is where he will get his tig experience on pipe. Tell him that he will always make more money welding in a circle as opposed to a straight line . Combination pipe welders make ALOT more than structural welders.

[chopsknives]

Hey Thanx Ya'll some good info!!

Also the pipe fabrication shops is where he will get his tig experience on pipe. Tell him that he will always make more money welding in a circle as opposed to a straight line . Combination pipe welders make ALOT more than structural welders.

Yeah he's saying the same thing - do ya'll think it's better to learn in shops or go to a trade school and get certified first?

[Mr. Whiskers]

I'd start in a shop and get paid to learn instead of paying to learn.

[Strummer]

Learn to fit too . Most of our welders at the plant don’t do their own fitting . The ones that do make a lot more money .

[Passafist]

Let me try this…. A welder will need to test every time he hires on with a new company. There really isn’t a certified welder until they pass the test to hire on. I served an apprenticeship in local 195 out of Beaumont. Also they may be required to test for every plant or refinery that the company he works for get a contract at. I was a pipe fitter welder for 14 years and it is a hard life with a dangerous surrounding. I was lucky and was able to hire on to a public utility. I had to retest every time I worked at the STNP (South Texas Nuclear Project which was 3 different times

[Gumbo Man]

Schools are fine if you can afford it. But basically they are teaching the student how to pass a test. Same procedures and same positions day in and day out. You will come out with every thing you need to know to be a “Jack Stand Welder” which means that he has his comfort zone established welding in basic positions. Experience to be able to make an xray weld in various positions and not so perfect conditions to comply with certain codes takes considerable time and experience. You can’t rush that. I broke out at 18 years old and could pass a welding test but I did not know how to weld by definition. The first job lasted 2 days before I was fired. The second maybe a week. The third lasted a little longer until I started getting the hang of it. Thank God for the older guys willing to help a young man. To really learn how to weld is kind of like shooting a rifle. You learn the basics and become very successful shooting off of a bench at 100 yards and your the best in your class or group. But now it’s time to enter the show and start shooting unknown distances out to 5 or 6 hundred yards with variable cross winds and terrain changes. It takes experience to become proficient and confident in your ability. I hope this isn’t confusing.