Carpentry happens to be one of the oldest professions in the world. Without these individuals, it will be impossible for people to have homes and construct massive buildings. It may sound nice but it is a blue collar job. So should you still pursue a carpentry career?
Why not? There is nothing wrong being a carpenter. How many people do you know can say to others that “I helped build that”? Surely not that many and what you do lives on even after you are gone unless of course they decide to tear the house or building down and then make something new from the ashes.
Two good reasons why a carpentry career is a logical choice are it is outsource proof and recession proof.
It is outsource proof because you need people on the ground to build the structure from the ground up. It will be crazy to build something in another country and then ship it back the mainland as the transportation costs will be way beyond the budget.
Carpentry is also recession proof because even if the housing market is done, carpenters can find work elsewhere like help out in building non-residential structures such as bridges, highways and tunnels. Carpenters also have to be on hand to upgrade, maintain and repair such facilities so it is safe for the public to use.
But before you become a full-fledged carpenter, you have to go to school and also develop your skills. High school introduced you to shop class but a community, technical or vocational college can teach you more and make you a better person. An apprenticeship does more because you learn better from experience rather than the classroom.
The more you learn the better because experience and your familiarity with the various tools mean an increase in your salary. This could also move you up the corporate ladder from doing the leg work to being part of management.
Some have even left their employers to start up their own constructing firms. People who do that are aware that it is a gamble but it pays off when they are able to satisfy one customer who will refer them to their friends and family.
Until that day comes, just do your best when given a job because your reputation will spread by word of mouth. You have to remember that you are not the first carpenter that the foreman or the client has encountered.
But should you still pursue a carpentry career despite the economic conditions now affected the US? The answer is yes because this too shall pass. The government just approved the bail out and in the long term, everyone believes that this storm will blow over and the economy will once again be on the right track. Homes will be built and buildings will be constructed.
Experts believe that there is a steady growth in this profession until 2012 so it is not too late for you to get in right now because by the time you finish school and your apprenticeship, carpenters who have been doing this for years will already retire and the industry needs new blood like yours to take their place.
You just have to ask yourself if you are up to the challenge to pursue a carpentry career.