2011 has now come to a close, which causes reflection as we tuck it away and look forward to the dawn of another year: 2012.
And that means it’s New Year’s Resolutions time once again – that time of year when you reflect on the past 12 months and look forward to the fresh promise of a brand new year.
So what are your 2012 New Year’s Resolutions?
Well here are five resolutions for aspiring or established welders:
Launch Your Welding Career
Maybe you’ve just graduated from high school. Perhaps you’ve recently been laid off. Or possibly it’s just time for a new career. Well, a career in the welding trade may just be the ticket for you. Jobs are plentiful and opportunities abound, all it takes is a little training and you’ll be on your way to a great new career.
The American Welding Society’s (AWS) outstanding website offers tons of great career advice and excellent educational resources, including a welding school locator to assist you in finding a community college or welding trade school program in your area.
Earn Your Certification
Let’s say you’ve completed your welders training and you’re on the hunt for your first job. Or maybe you’ve been on the job for a while and want to move up, or you’re considering pursuing a new ooportunity in the welding field. Sounds great, all you need to do now is earn your welders certification.
The increase in the average pay rate and the broad range of welding employment opportunities available to certified welders makes earning your welding certification a no-brainer, not to mention an excellent goal to set your sights on achieving in 2012.
Pursuing New Welding Career Opportunities
If there’s one thing the welding trade offers, its variety in terms of employment options. So if you’ve been working in one particular field for a while and you’d like to try something new on for size, or if you’re in a rut and feel it’s time for a change, with a little bit of training you’ll be on your way to a brand new career in one of welding’s diverse career fields.
Just listen to a few of the outstanding options at your disposal:
- Industrial welding
- Manufacturing welding
- Oil rig welding
- Pipeline welding
- Underwater welding
- Auto repair welding
Become a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)
If you have at least five years of experience as a certified welder, you’re eligible to become a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI). Making this move does require some additional education and another certification exam, but the rewards more than justify the effort, with dividends that include:
- Increased rate of pay
- Greater variety of job opportunities
- More scheduling flexibility
- Safer working conditions
Become a Freelancer or Launch Your Own Welding Business
Whether you’re looking to strike out on your own as a journeyman freelance welder, or you want to realize the promise of the American Dream and start your own welding business, there’s no time like the present.
Many companies are downsizing their regular staff of fulltime welders, opting instead to hire freelance welders on an as needed basis, creating tons of opportunity for freelance welders.
On the other side of the coin, now is a great time to gather a group of welders and launch your own welding business. You can fill the need created by downsizing companies eliminating their welding operations by launching your own welding shop, or hire out welders for large construction and repair projects.