Have you ever heard the expression: Success Breeds Success? What does that phrase really mean? It’s kind of like a hit song or blockbuster movie. Regardless of how good a song or movie may be, they’re not born in the public’s collective consciousness as “a Hit.”
The first ten people who hear the eventual hit song or see the future blockbuster movie each tell ten friends about their experience, and each of those people tells ten friends, and so on, and so on. From there, the media picks up the buzz, publishing review and articles in print, and inviting the musicians or filmmakers to appear on television shows, and so the attention frenzy grows – and BAM it’s a hit!
Each success builds to a new success – the more you win, the more you keep winning.
This same concept is true in almost anything you do in life, whether in your personal life with the relationships you maintain and foster, or in your professional life with the development of your career – each success is a bridge to a new and greater success.
But for you personally, where does this winning attitude come from? It can all be summed up in one word: confidence. Nothing breeds success more than confidence. And confidence starts with knowing, inside and out, that you’re prepared to do your very best in tackling the task at hand – whatever that task may be.
In the welding trade, that comes down to four key components:
Education and Training
A solid foundation in any career begins with education. If you have the right education and thorough training, you know you have the fundamental tools to address the job at hand. That’s why every aspiring welder’s career must begin with education.
There are countless posts on this blog that are chock full of valuable advice on welders education and training, in addition to tons of resources across the web, not to mention all of the great resources available from the American Welding Society (AWS) and their fantastic welding school locator, which can point you toward a top-notch welding school near you!
Know Your Tools
If you hope to be successful in any job, you must be knowledgeable, comfortable and ready for action with the tools of whatever your particular trade may be. This goes double for welding trade, as the tools of the trade are incredibly dangerous.
Second only to education, knowing your welding tools – in terms of both proper, effective function and overall safety – is as tantamount to the success of your welding career.
Oxy-Acetylene Gas Welding, Stick Welding, MIG Welding and TIG welding – whatever the particular process may be, a clear understanding of how the welding machine works, and how best to apply the process to the welding project at hand are imperative to effective welding.
You would never go into battle without an firm understanding of how to use your weapon – the same goes for welding: Know Your Tools!
Safety
As important as knowing your tools – safety is key to not only success as a welder, but also longevity, because any mistakes you make when it comes to safety could not only yield serious injury to you and others working around you, it could also mean your life.
Welding is SERIOUS BUSINESS – this is no joke! The more you learn about safety, in terms of practice, procedure and equipment, the better welder you will be, and the longer you’ll be around.
Always remember: SAFETY FIRST
Practice
Michael Jordan wasn’t born a superstar basketball player, he made himself into one. He knocked down countless game winning shots under pressure with effortless ease because he took tens of thousands of practice shots, locked away in a gym – all by himself.
Confidence is born from knowing you have honed your abilities to a razor sharp point – through hours and hours of practice. It’s also known as the 10,000 Hour Rule – to master a skill, whatever that skill may be, requires 10,000 hours of practical experience.
Great welders aren’t born either. Just like Michael Jordan – they’re made. Becoming a successful welder who can consistently deliver top quality work requires a lot of confidence, and confidence is the result of a great deal of practice.