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What are the downfalls of becoming a carpenter?
#carpenter #construction
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Paul K’s Answer
Jerome, i'd like to change the tone of this a bit and still answer your question. Carpentry is and will always be needed. Technology has enhanced carpentry-- Lots of houses are now made in a jig inside some stamping factory and brought to a job site.... craned into place and secured via nails and screws like a puzzle. The "skill" of carpentry (math, angles, speed, measure twice cut once..... crown moldings and cutting stairs, decks) has been replaced by pre-manufactured panels. Downsides are you cant always work when its raining, sometimes in high places (hanging trusses) and materials are less and less quality. Allot of Trades have become bi lingual so you absolutely need to know more than English, say. The Trades in general (electrical, mechanical, plumbing carpentry, gutters, roofs, and any more -- are in vast need. Young folks today don't want to do manual labor. They want to go to school for 4 years, get a degree, come out with $100K+ in debt and hope to get a great career that will pay them a decent wage and allow them to have a good living. People in the TRADES go to school for 4 years at night and on the job, get paid to go to school and their school is paid for mostly by their employer. You just have buy your own tools. You come out after 4 years with knowledge of code, math, trade skills, business skills, people skills, and a skills you can ALWAYS fall back on. If after you don't like the Trades or a Trade you can switch to another fairly easily because the core skills of the trades are pretty constant. OR- you can get a decent job and then have your employer provide you with tuition assistance towards a 4 year degree and you are all the more the better. I parleyed working as an electrician for a few short years into a Facilities Management career working at mission critical facilities ( Intelligence Agency and Data Centers) now I do more management of Tradesmen, but i make a good wage and i hung my tools up. I still do some side work every now and then..... but I'm behind a computer and desk most of my days now. (I'm 57 years Young) The only other downside i see to the Trades is it is hard on your body over time, but you stay in shape for the most of it. The OSHA regs have tightened so much that it almost hinders work form a ladder anymore and you have to use a more expensive lift in most cases and you have to wear a hard hat on most jobs and an ugly Orange or Green vest........ I hate wearing a hard hat. So take care. I would encourage you to at least learn one trade, then you can always fall back on that when times get tough in the future. Remember, after 4 years in a trade, you have no school debt and you will have made a decent wahe along the way.
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JOAN MANUEL’s Answer
Within the world of construction has no downsfalls, all disciplines are necessary and essential to reach the final product. The carpenter is the one who makes the mold of the elements that are built and without that mold nothing can be done, so encourage and prepare well to be an excellent carpenter.