Switching To The Skilled Trades

Call_Me_Dave

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I'm thinking of making the move from my office job to a career in the skilled trades. Has anyone ever done this before? What do you think of this kind of move? Is it a good idea? What were your reasons for doing it?
The trades mostly will never not be in demand. Depending on the trade, you can be absurdly successful. A guy I know a few years younger than me became a master electrician young (started right after high school), and is early 40’s, paid off his custom built house, big college funds for his kids, vacation cabin, and lots of toys (atv’s, guns etx...) it comes in waves, I believe based on when the older masters retire and pass the torch. They also have very loyal customers whom you can retain for a lifetime.
 

wallyj84

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The trades mostly will never not be in demand. Depending on the trade, you can be absurdly successful. A guy I know a few years younger than me became a master electrician young (started right after high school), and is early 40’s, paid off his custom built house, big college funds for his kids, vacation cabin, and lots of toys (atv’s, guns etx...) it comes in waves, I believe based on when the older masters retire and pass the torch. They also have very loyal customers whom you can retain for a lifetime.

Yeah, that's what is really attracting me to it. My only real concern is that I'm pretty old. I'm in my late 30s.
 

mako shark

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Yeah, that's what is really attracting me to it. My only real concern is that I'm pretty old. I'm in my late 30s.
With all the youngsters wanting to be computer types, there is a real demand for skilled tradesmen as older guys are retiring... Nobody is filling their shoes and being in your late 30s is not old, consider getting into the trades if you want a raise...
I know a whole bunch of guys that retired well before 65 with pensions that would blow your mind.
 

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With all the youngsters wanting to be computer types, there is a real demand for skilled tradesmen as older guys are retiring... Nobody is filling their shoes and being in your late 30s is not old, consider getting into the trades if you want a raise...
I know a whole bunch of guys that retired well before 65 with pensions that would blow your mind.
@wallyj84 you can still do it. Like @mako shark said, ow is the time. If you have the one and funds, it could be a great time to move into trades.
 
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wallyj84

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@wallyj84 you can still do it. Like @mako shark said, ow is the time. If you have the one and funds, it could be a great time to move into trades.

I'm happy with my current career but would like to make more money and try something different. Especially something a bit more portable than freight forwarding.

The trade I'm looking into is plumbing. That just seems like the easiest to get into. I put in an application and I will see if anything comes out of it.
 

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I'm happy with my current career but would like to make more money and try something different. Especially something a bit more portable than freight forwarding.

The trade I'm looking into is plumbing. That just seems like the easiest to get into. I put in an application and I will see if anything comes out of it.
I work my part time job with a young plumber. He absolutely loves it.
 

Scarletbegonia

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I switched from journalism to medical massage in my 40s.
While I have concern that my body will hold out, especially with as heavy as my workload has been recently,
my plan is to work and teach into my 70s.

I suspect I’ll get to a point where I’ll run an agency like those I currently work with. That will shift how my income rolls.
 

Scarletbegonia

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The trades mostly will never not be in demand. Depending on the trade, you can be absurdly successful. A guy I know a few years younger than me became a master electrician young (started right after high school), and is early 40’s, paid off his custom built house, big college funds for his kids, vacation cabin, and lots of toys (atv’s, guns etx...) it comes in waves, I believe based on when the older masters retire and pass the torch. They also have very loyal customers whom you can retain for a lifetime.
In my area, the older masters are retiring/moving. We need more under 40s entering things like HVAC, fine carpentry, plumbing.
 

thedrainman

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I did this when I was 35 (over half a life away). I taught in a 14-18 Comprehensive school in Croydon, South London. Ater six years of beating my head against a wall, I told the head-teacher to shove his job and left to become a plumber. This was a good move and I am now a consultant engineer (retired). I ended up with a partime job teaching plumbing to apprentices for five years.

If you think you can do it and have the support of your family members, go for it.
 
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DiamondJoe

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I'm thinking of making the move from my office job to a career in the skilled trades. Has anyone ever done this before? What do you think of this kind of move? Is it a good idea? What were your reasons for doing it?
Doing something with your hands, something that a machine cannot (yet) do, is a good way to ensure employability.

So many jobs are being phased out, mechanised that you need to specialise in something mentally creative or working with your hands - that could be from furniture making to baking to hair dressing to graphic design to plumbing.

But yeah. There's gonna be lots of people without pointless office jobs in the coming years.
 
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wallyj84

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Doing something with your hands, something that a machine cannot (yet) do, is a good way to ensure employability.

So many jobs are being phased out, mechanised that you need to specialise in something mentally creative or working with your hands - that could be from furniture making to baking to hair dressing to graphic design to plumbing.

But yeah. There's gonna be lots of people without pointless office jobs in the coming years.

Yeah, definitely. I think the current work from home thing is going to drive a lot of that. If they can have you work from home, then they can have someone do your job in a foreign country for significantly less.

Update, they haven't gotten back to me about the plumbing position. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my degree on the resume?
 

DiamondJoe

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Yeah, definitely. I think the current work from home thing is going to drive a lot of that. If they can have you work from home, then they can have someone do your job in a foreign country for significantly less.

Update, they haven't gotten back to me about the plumbing position. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my degree on the resume?
...and a lot of what "professionals" do can be done easily online - I'm thinking particularly of lawyers and the legal profession - most of that can go.
 

wallyj84

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...and a lot of what "professionals" do can be done easily online - I'm thinking particularly of lawyers and the legal profession - most of that can go.

Yeah. I think AI can do a lot of legal work as well and probably already does. I think the time consuming work that is an attorney's real job is already being moved over to AI.
 
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mako shark

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Yeah, definitely. I think the current work from home thing is going to drive a lot of that. If they can have you work from home, then they can have someone do your job in a foreign country for significantly less.

Update, they haven't gotten back to me about the plumbing position. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my degree on the resume?

Plumbing is very specific and with the use of PEX it has got much simpler to do. You might want to take up a job where plumbing is one of the many skills that are required.
 

sudcalifornio

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I'm thinking of making the move from my office job to a career in the skilled trades. Has anyone ever done this before? What do you think of this kind of move? Is it a good idea? What were your reasons for doing it?
I started roofing at 36, not complaining about the money, if you wanna change work to try something new its ok, if you dont like it you can go back to your old profession
 

DiamondJoe

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Yeah. I think AI can do a lot of legal work as well and probably already does. I think the time consuming work that is an attorney's real job is already being moved over to AI.
They're 99% fucking time-wasters and shysters in my experience. Good riddance. :D

I'd like to see them stacking shelves for a change.
 

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Depends what skill set he brings to the table. If it's a union position, they might have him take some classes or go through their apprenticeship classes.