Also that construction worker: has bad back, bad knees, arthritic hands and skin cancer at age 42
Don't get me wrong the trades are amazing for a kid to get into right out of school, and they're critically necessary. But don't be expecting to make a lifelong career out of it, because it is absolutely hard on your body. Do it for 5 years max and move up to management.
There are less intense trades. Sure, a bricklayer and drywaller is gonna be hurting after ten years, but telco, electronic security, automation, and fire alarm trades are quite sustainable and offer technical challenges often to keep things interesting. You just need to be okay with heights. We use scissor lifts quite a bit.
Ya lost me at the height part, I had to go up the roof of a not-quite-finished building once to cover the "highest bit" ceremony, climbing the last floors on some shitty ladders on the side of the building, I thought I'd pass out lmao.
Yeah, there's nothing wrong with being a construction worker. It's a super important and useful career. But it is hard work and it'll chew you up, then you're left not being able to work at all.
Bad back, bad knee, arthritic hands, missing the tips of 2 fingers, bad wrist, a lot of scars, pulmonary fibrosis (Scarred lungs from working in dusty environments) at 50 yrs.
But thankfully no cancer yet lol
Nah, my body is just like that old truck you see once in awhile in traffic... old, rusted, worn out, full of dents, but by some miracle it still runs even though it burns a lot of oil and the steering wheel wobbles a bit between 20- 45 mph.
This is one thing continually overlooked when people bring up trade careers.
I agree, it's solid (and for me) fun & gratifying work. I really enjoyed my time in the field and wouldn't trade it for anything.
If it's a skilled trade you can make more money than a lot of recent college graduates as well.
But to your point, it WILL absolutely chew your body up over time and construction sites are an exceptionally dangerous work environment. You can do everything right and some asshole not paying attention can cause life changing injuries to occur.
My advice for anyone looking at going into the trades is to get a few years under your belt, get some certifications and then find your way into an office management position.
I'm not in construction per se but I do make my money with tools and my hands. I keep it mostly to interior work and don't find it negatively impacts my health. Very glad I swapped to this when I did...
All those having a seated job programming at home "so no difference and all the same problems + mental breakdowns and psychological problems"
The implication is not that it doesn't pay well, it's that it's dangerous and very hard on your body. Work as a construction worker till your 50 (if you don't die in an accident before then) and your body will hate you for it
University educated. Changed careers at 29 and did tech college and got a diploma.
Now I paint and fix shit for a rental company and I make 4x what I used to make. No papers required. It's wild.
Got a degree in IT, just got a job as a apprentice plumber. Everyone is making 2-3 times what I was making with way less job stress.
I'm a teacher, and I push for kids to consider the trades on a nearly daily basis. Find a job that other people can't, or don't want to do, and you can get paid!
Thanks. I'm 37 now and got pressured to go to college. I'm kinda glad I have my degree as it has opened some doors, but literally nothing I learned there applies to any of my higher earning jobs.
I would've been better off not being saddled with debt (still am)
The real money is in being a plumber, electrician, mechanic, or what have you. As soon as you upskill a little bit, you're golden.
If you upskill just a little more to engineer, it's less manual labor. Just don't go too far into a niche or employment gets harder.
Yeah, sure, destroy your body for $75k. Hope you like working with drug addicts, and I don't mean the good ones; poor people have cheap drugs
Meanwhile, other people are making $120k using Linux, and without having a degree.
Rolling out of bed can be dangerous if you WFH. Make sure you don't log into your work PC during the first hour after waking up. Go for a walk around your neighborhood first.
