Hello All,
I have been considering going back to school to get my electrian’s liscence. I am 33 and run a small remolding business. I usually work alone, and when the job calls for it I hire out skilled carpenters and laborers. I have found that most customers want to deal with as few contractors as possible. It is not that they are looking for a cheaper alternative, they just like dealing with someone they trust. It seems that the extra time in school and inthe field would be well worth it in a few years. Have any of you gone out and mastered other trades besides your first love?
Thanks,
Mike
Replies
I'm 63 and have re-invented myself several times over the years in fields from operating heavy equipment, to engineering (three kinds), to contracting, to working cowboy. Some of my training was in school and some was OJT. All of it has paid off somehow and some way. You can't go wrong!!
I think it's an excellent idea. The licensed trades have consistently outperformed the non-licensed trades, income wise, as long as I could remember.
if my kid(s) want to get into remodeling it'll be behind a license in a mechanical trade. Wish I'd done the same. I love remodeling kitchens and baths ...
a carpenter can't run electric or handle the plumbing ...
but an electrician or plumber can certainly run a remodeling job!
I say best of both worlds ... hands on remodeling experience with a licensed trade to back it up, get things started and keep the cash flow flowing.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Just do it. Never stop learning & let your gravestone be your graduation diploma.
Huh. I keep having this feeling like it's crunch time, time to really buckle down and come up with a clear plan for my career, set some direction and some clear goals. Like I've let so much time slip through my fingers and I have some real urgency now!
And I'm 5 years younger than you. Maybe I need to chill out, 'cause 33 isn't sounding all that old to me.
I find your post highly encouraging.
Biff,
I grew up remodeling with my Dad. Had a coupla filler jobs then got a real job. I was in sales for a coupla years till I got burned out. Decided to do what made me happy ... decided to get back into remodeling.
So at 29 yrs old I went to a trade school to learn exterior and structural work.
Left my new bride and lived 3 hrs away M thru F for 15 months.
turned 30 when most of my classmates were turning 19 and 20.
at 42, I can say it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
My youngest son starts HVAC school in September.
stephen
Good choice, of all my subs the HVAC always has something going on.
Gotta have heat.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
smart kid ... he probably realized the ladders are shorter!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
This was a classic "Dear Abby" letter many years ago - the punchline is, You're 33 now, How old will you be in 5 years if you DON'T go back to school ?
Greg
Education is key.
No matter how you get it, as long as your learning.
Whatever you choose, go at it 100%. Dont look back.
No regrets.
My method - Library and hands on. Cheapest but most difficult
Greg, I can tell you for definite sure.
in 26yrs, you'll be 59.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
OK, so you been to school, and you gotta show off your math skills ! Ha !
Too bad the OP hasn't been back, he'll never know how old he'll be in 5 years !
Greg
I just hope he can remember what he may have missed and piss'd away in 26.
Repetition, the art of faking a good education.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Mike, I'm 35 and after a short but satisfying carpentry career I'm back in school to get an architecture degree. My undergrad degree was similar but not a professional degree, so I only need a few classes, and I've been working as a designer for a while now so I know what I'm getting into. But I am fricken excited to have found a new old love.
I'll always love woodworking too but there are many other challenges out there. I have also considered doing what I need to so I can get an electricians license. Dabbling in electrical work is fun, and I spend a lot of time on site solving problems with electricians. And they certainly seem to get paid better than most of the other trades.
Had a classmate in arch school who was in a similar situation. Carpenter, about 20 years older than the rest of us, good guy. He had some rough going at times (almost punched out a design prof during a critique once, others stepped in before he could reach him . . . i wish he had done it). But his was a real world skill that should be a requirement for graduation.
Education is always good. Whether it is formal or informal.
But I suggest that you first learn the licensing requirements in your area. In some cases it requires a number of years of school and work experience under licensced people and maybe a couple of different levels of license to be able to pull your own permits.
Other areas don't have any licensing at all and others have restricted residential licensing which I suspect is easier to get.
If that is the case then while you might want to do it as a new career it would not be practical to do just to add an additional trade to your current work.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe