Anonymous A started this discussion 2 years ago#113,074
Only problem is, I've literally never worked a job in the trades before.
My uncle might have an opportunity for me and he travels and paints big box stores. I don't know a shit about painting, but I want to learn and become a blue collar man.
Anonymous D replied with this 2 years ago, 8 minutes later, 19 minutes after the original post[^][v]#1,252,885
@previous (A)
You don't need an "in" to the trades. They're overworked and underpaid, so there's no shortage of jobs. Just go to literally any community college, close your eyes, point to any of their trade programs, show up, finish, get a job, ruin your body with decades of manual labor, retire at the age of 85, die. Couldn't be simpler.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 2 years ago, 1 minute later, 21 minutes after the original post[^][v]#1,252,888
@previous (D)
When you live in a small, economically-depressed town like mine, and you have no means to get an education, trades are about the best you can do. I tried to go back to school and it backfired.
Plus, the idea with trades isn't to do the work yourself forever. It's to get good at the work and then start your own business and pay people to do all the hard work. Work smarter, not harder.
Anonymous C replied with this 2 years ago, 42 seconds later, 22 minutes after the original post[^][v]#1,252,889
@1,252,885 (D)
That's thousands of dollars in tuition, getting your job to work around your schedule, and then investing thousands more in tools and a work vehicle.
Once you're in there's a hazing process. Apprentices do the grunt work, and journeymen/masters can hold you there for as long as they want.
Anonymous C replied with this 2 years ago, 2 minutes later, 37 minutes after the original post[^][v]#1,252,900
@previous (B)
Tell the trade commission you knocked your master out cold and want your journeyman upgrade, surely everything will be smooth after that.
> When you live in a small, economically-depressed town like mine, and you have no means to get an education, trades are about the best you can do. I tried to go back to school and it backfired.
I'm not talking about doing an associates degree. Most community colleges have trade programs. Like automotive tech, pharmacy tech, and shit like that. Do that. It's not that expensive and they give loans to everyone. You can pay it off in no time if you aren't a complete jackass about it. Almost no matter what you do, you'll start out a lot better than the random jerk-off who shows up with a GED to whatever it is you go for.
> > Plus, the idea with trades isn't to do the work yourself forever. It's to get good at the work and then start your own business and pay people to do all the hard work. Work smarter, not harder.
Yeah. I'm well aware. Maybe try talking to some of the older guys in these professions. See how well that dream worked out for them. I mean, just think about it for a second. How many entry level people do you need to run a small trade business? 3? 4? 5? You think they want to be doing grunt work for the rest of their lives? No. They all have the same plans as you. It's not all that different from a pyramid scheme. There aren't enough spots at the top for everyone.
It's the same issue that so many fields have, from blue collar to white collar. Talk to any PhD student what they want to do for their career. 95% of the time they'll say they want to be a professor. But how many PhD students does a research professor train in their career? Far more than will ever be professors, that's for sure.
Maybe try to find a trade that you can imagine yourself doing for life. Because you very well could be.
If I were in your predicament, I'd much rather be a pharmacist tech or similar than a painter. But that's just me. The economy is run by impossible to fulfill hopes and dreams.