Career Field Report: Job Shop Welder/Machinist

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I started out wanting to go into the Air Force and be a pilot when I was younger. I stayed with that plan until I started welding in high school. I found out shortly that I was very good at it and became very successful in a short amount of time. I became passionate about it, spending countless hours in the shop. I have since went off to college and received my welding degree and machining certificate. After my first year of college I decided that I should suffer through another year and get my machining degree. I have known that I love building things and being able to use my head and had to create something. Both my welding and machining can be used to create very complex parts requiring a lot of thinking and this is why I have choose to open a job shop.
I have had a job in the welding industry at a coal mine for the past two summers as a shop welder fabricator with a slight amount of machining involved. This was very monotonous and repetitive work. I knew from day to day what I was going to be doing at work. At this job I also worked a 28 day rotating schedule, which in turn meant that I was only working half the month rotating between day shifts, days off, nights, and then scheduled days off. I have come to realize that this can take a toll on a person’s body and one’s family life “but most job shop atmosphere type jobs aren’t rotating shift type of work” (Woehl). Currently I am making great money and on the path of making close to 61,000 dollars a year technically only working half the month. Taking a pay cut is not a huge concern for me because I know from talking with numerous experienced workers that I will be going from working half the month to putting in a typical 40 hour work week. My main concern is my health care...

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...en give an idea of a work schedule. With that being said it shows that there is still a demand with both types of jobs.
With the above information being put into serious consideration on my part I feel that I am on a solid path to a successful career at this point in my life. With my anticipated graduation this spring I feel that both of my degrees will help me be successful in either or both of my chosen fields and have a quality job right out of college. “I should continue my education no matter if it is on the job or with seminars and class, which will help advance myself in any career” (Woehl). No one knows exactly what they would like to be doing in twenty years but they can tell you exactly what they would like to be doing and this report has helped me decided that I still would like to pursue career as welder/machinist with a focus in the job shop atmosphere.

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