advice

[rebus1150]

Need candid opinion. I've a new born am a healthy 56 and need to return to the permanent work force. I've in the past had 3 semesters of welding training.I'm looking for a stick tig combo welder to familiarise myself and believe will pass 4g +6g certification. Is it realistic to believe that I can get a job? Any advice is appreciated.

[aametalmaster]

Sure you can. But depending on your part of the country it may only be 12 bucks an hour. 25 welders just got laid off where I work. The shale gas industry died real quick...Bob

[MMW]

Best to check the local want ads, Craigslist, etc, etc. This will give you an idea of some jobs that may be out there in your area. If you only find one or two ads then maybe your area is not so good. Some parts of the country are better than others. You can also take a ride to your lws & ask them about companies they service & who is busy vs. who is not.

Edit your post to give your location.

[xryan]

CANDID OPINION:

Depends on your location, but there is always work for welders who want to work. Though you might not like the pay available which Bob said. I just yesterday sat down to discuss taking a job for someone else doing fabrication in the shop and running the job sites (marine construction) for someone I know locally (western NY) I have held numerous welding certifications and have a Merchant Mariner Master licence (boat captain), college education and have been around the block a few times. I've been a project construction manager & facilities manager for big commercial real estate, built big money prototype machinery for industry and made a lot more money than currently. Basically I would be running his crews and overseeing the shop doing most of the fab work, while he tries to concentrate on the business end getting more work lined up. I'll be lucky if I can get $20/hr, although I would also try and drum up fab work to keep the shop busy and get a percentage so it "could" be beneficial for me in the long run as we and shop guys would benefit with more work and profit/bonuses for everyone.

I was making more than $20/hr just being a shop guy with 5 years under the hood welding 20 years ago...Welcome to the new American dream.

If you a union guy you're going to get more per hour, LOTS more on prevailing wage jobs, but good luck with that. You also get laid off routinely and have to start out as an apprentice's helper basically working for free before you can even get into the apprenticeship which still pays peanuts for 4 years. Back in the late 90's I finally had some of the local's call me in and offer $6/hr. I politely told them to pound salt, I'm already making $16/hr, married, have a mortgage to pay and I can get more than $6 flipping burgers.

Cheap oil being sold at a loss by the arabs is not helping any of us. North Dakota is hurting. Ship & rig building isn't really doing much better. Big manufacturing, eh.

BUT you got to do what you got to do, and if you like what your're doing it's not really a job anyway.

If you can weld you will never starve, but you might not be buying a new truck either, at least not currently.

[fabricator]

Shipyards around here are always looking to hire, although I would never work at one.

[griff01]

Need candid opinion. I've a new born am a healthy 56 and need to return to the permanent work force. I've in the past had 3 semesters of welding training.I'm looking for a stick tig combo welder to familiarise myself and believe will pass 4g +6g certification. Is it realistic to believe that I can get a job? Any advice is appreciated.

Hard to find someone to help you when no one knows your location.

Griff

[shovelon]

Hard to find someone to help you when no one knows your location.

Griff

Yes. What pacific island do you live on?

[griff01]

Yes. What pacific island do you live on?

If you can read in my profile you will see that I live in (near) Ardmore Oklahoma, not in the Pacific Ocean.

Griff

[Phewzer]

Sorry to say but in the welding industry age discrimination is running rampant.

['Stang]

It depends on your area. I came right out of welding school and hired on at my present job. I was 54 years old at that time! I work at a plant that builds petroleum tankers. Most of our work is aluminum mig and tig. The company has no problems with older people, because we are coming to work on time, and being there every day. The younger workers are partying and calling in with hangovers, or whatever! My advice is to go for it!

[shovelon]

If you can read in my profile you will see that I live in (near) Ardmore Oklahoma, not in the Pacific Ocean.

Griff

Ok, I just don't know how to get to the profile yet. Don't know why they prohibit from listing below our avatar.

[griff01]

Ok, I just don't know how to get to the profile yet. Don't know why they prohibit from listing below our avatar.

Yeah, ones location used to be shown by the avatar/user name but I guess that went away with the new, improved site. I thought is was a good feature.
If someone did not want their exact location used they could just post a general area.

Griff