Pursuing A Career In Welding Is A Smart Decision

For those among us that love metalworking, a career in welding is a smart choice anytime.

Why? Well, there are so many industries that need welders, and even with new technology including AI, the welders’ role is not diminishing any time soon. Of course, some of the less efficient, and more labor-intensive machines, and systems will be replaced with robots, however we predict, there will always be demand for welding work.

So where are the jobs for welders?

In the US, most welding work is found in the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing requires production machines, and they need ongoing maintenance and replacement. This report on the statistics of welders jobs is a few years old, however it’s indicative of where the demand is today, and let’s face it, the US prides itself on it’s car industry, so vehicle production, is big employer. In saying that, it’s not alone, there are many other sectors that require the expertise.

Think for a minute, of all the other manufacturing sectors and what it takes to operate them. Their plants and equipment also need welders including but not limited to: agriculture, construction, shipbuilding and aerospace.

Therefore there’s no end in sight for this career of choice. Even with robotics and AI creeping in, there’s still high demand for expert welders. Read on, especially the nerdy among us. 🙂 Here is some more information, for you, and this time it’s on the types of welding.

Welding Types

Here are the most popular welding procedures:

Stick welding

This type of welding is sometimes also known as shielded metal arc welding. It is simple and quite popular since it is easier to do and thus more affordable. Usually, stick welding is used for construction projects.

MIG welding

Metal Inert Gas welding is used for the fabrication of stainless steel, aluminium and steel as well as in shipping and the automotive industries.

TIG welding

Tungsten inert gas welding is a slower process which needs clean metal and which produces high quality welds on virtually all metals. TIG welding is a more complex skill and therefore skilled TIG welders can enjoy more job opportunities.

But is it the right career for you?

Well if you enjoy sitting at a desk in an office environment, then it’s probably not your ideal career choice. Here are some of the key qualities required so you can see if you’re a good fit.

Attributes of a Welder

If you’re determined to become a welder you’ll need to be both mentally and physically fit. You’ll require good hand-eye coordination as well as the ability to stay focused on repetitive tasks for a long time. You’ll also need good motivation since you may need to freelance to find work.

Climbing the career ladder

As the saying goes: the sky’s the limit for anyone, motivated enough to climb the ladder. Reaching the upper echelons in any industry requires further study and qualifications.

A welder earning a relevant Batchelor’s degree, for example, can propel him or her from humble beginnings, to the upper ranks, as an engineer or project manager.

These roles do need years of experience and training and knowledge including the new technologies like robotics.

Whatever you choose to do, you can enhance your skills to take on the world as a pro welder or as a home do it self fixer upper.