If you are a new welder or are just a few years into your
career, your ability to find a job in the industry looks hopeful. According to
the US Department of Labor, the average age of welders working today is 54.
This means that 200,000 welders are expected to retire within the next ten
years, leaving a myriad of jobs available for new welders. Below are some tools
to help you find welding jobs.
Forums
Welding forums are a useful resource for those looking for
jobs in the welding industry. Most forums, such as Welding Web and Weld Talk have threads that discuss
various jobs. These forums are a great resource for unemployed welders because
they provide an opportunity for you to ask specific questions about your job
search and receive specific information from people who have experience in the
field. If you are looking for specific information like a certain type of
welding in a limited geographic area, your first step should be posting a
question on a forum to get some advice from your fellow welders.
Job Search Sites
Job search sites such as Monster, Indeed and Career Builder allow you to limit your search for welding jobs within certain areas.
Other Resources
While Welding Advisors
does offer some job postings, it mainly focuses on helping new welders
determine which areas of the industry they would like to pursue and walks
welding students through their education and into the workforce. This is a
must-see for new welders.
Anyone who has looked for a job in any field will tell you that the most important thing is having
connections. Keep in touch with your welding teachers, former coworkers and
bosses no matter how connected you think they are – you never know where people
will end up in 10 years. Keep track of your connections through networking
sites so that when you decide it is time for a job change you will have people
that can help you.