Reasons for being in the building trades.

[bumpyride]

Over the years, at least the early years, I've had several jobs and a college education. I didn't quite know what I wanted to do with the education, but I was rather sure that I didn't want to be a ditch digger. I wanted to be working with my intellect or rely on salesmanship. This led to work being an office manager, and a bank trainee. At the bank I was hired on a Thursday (the bank created an opening for me), started on Friday, and quit Monday morning. Prior to that I sold men's clothing for 5 years while going through high school and college.

In the meantime (after high school and during college) I bought my first house. It was truly a fixer-uppper, and went to work on that. When I quit the bank, I took on my first contracting job, painting houses. As I became more adept and aware of the building trades, I started an unquenchable thirst for finding out how things worked and came together. I became a voracious reader of all things building, and subsequently became somewhat well versed in most aspects of the building trades. I found it a challenge to learn things unknown and implement them in projects that presented themselves, never entering into a project unless I knew how to accomplish the project.

I find it a wonder how mankind has strayed from their path of being somewhat self-sufficient to being completely dependent on others to take care of their everyday living needs. I've also found that by dissecting the processes of building trades that it transfers everyday life, including biomechanics, sports and sporting goods, camping, climbing and just being able to amble about life in general. So I was pleasantly surprised to read the following article in the New York Times. I thought that some of you might enjoy reading what may have led you into the trades in the first place.

Good luck and remember the first rule of a great contractor: "NEVER BULLS**T"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?em

[BobD]

The link wasn't working, but I know one good reason for not being in the construction trades - 50% unemployment in many places :(

BobD

[bumpyride]

When you're working for yourself, versatile, competen. content with smaller projects, and honest, there's generally not too much of a problem, even with this downturn. When you get too big for your britches, don't do the work yourself, or working for a company, then you have a bit of a problem.

Try this link.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?em

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[bigdyno]

I am licenced in two trades and feel that I have a pretty good chance at staying employed no matter what. Things will always need to be built, renovated, torn down or fixed. Same with vehicles, regardless of the economy. All these people who worked in finance and business that have lost their jobs probably don't have transferrable skills for another industry. With so much work be famed out off shore, lots of the jobs they might fill are now gone and they will be forced to retrain.

Sure the money isn't what it has been for me, but it will come back and in a few years when a large part of my trades have retired I will be in the catbird seat. Keep going to university kids, it will only make it better for me.