2 answers
Aiden
Student
4
Questions
Asked
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What are traits I need for welding?
I'm not sure what traits are needed for welding. I'm wondering if there's anything that will help, like steady hands? Is there ways to start out other than a trade school? Is there any other way too get my certifications.
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2 answers
Joy Ferguson
Author
37
Answers
Huntsville, Alabama
Updated
Joy’s Answer
Watching a YouTube simulation that teaches welding and they might have a book you can buy welding for beginners but you need on the job training and then you will have experience and might not need to get a degree.
Dave Buchanan
AWS CWI/CWE
10
Answers
Lapeer, Michigan
Updated
Dave’s Answer
Hello Aiden!
Steady hands are a plus for any of the welding processes, but there's things you can do to steady yourself if you're a little shaky. Controlled breathing, listening to music, even singing a song in your head. The ability to handle heat well, mostly in the summertime. If you want to pursue welding as a career, see if any of the weld shops around you are teaching businesses. We are a teaching shop, and my top welder is a young lady in her early twenties. No school. I taught her at work. She came in at $18 an hour, and in a short 4 years she's making over $30 an hour.
One thing I've learned in my area anyway, is that the trade schools are not telling the students that even though they may graduate with a certificate for D1.1, most places are going to put you through qualification tests again. When I interview welders and they show me their D1.1 certificate, yes it tells me they might be able to weld, but it doesn't mean anything past that. Don't get me wrong, there are places that will take a D1.1 certificate as sole qualification, but they will most likely only be Structural Steel fabrication places.
Reach out anytime if you have questions.
-Dave
Steady hands are a plus for any of the welding processes, but there's things you can do to steady yourself if you're a little shaky. Controlled breathing, listening to music, even singing a song in your head. The ability to handle heat well, mostly in the summertime. If you want to pursue welding as a career, see if any of the weld shops around you are teaching businesses. We are a teaching shop, and my top welder is a young lady in her early twenties. No school. I taught her at work. She came in at $18 an hour, and in a short 4 years she's making over $30 an hour.
One thing I've learned in my area anyway, is that the trade schools are not telling the students that even though they may graduate with a certificate for D1.1, most places are going to put you through qualification tests again. When I interview welders and they show me their D1.1 certificate, yes it tells me they might be able to weld, but it doesn't mean anything past that. Don't get me wrong, there are places that will take a D1.1 certificate as sole qualification, but they will most likely only be Structural Steel fabrication places.
Reach out anytime if you have questions.
-Dave