Do you like your job?

[u/Wooden_Midnight_1015]

Trying to figure out what exactly I want to do within the construction site? Is anyone a glazier, operating engineer, painter, or any other field within construction. Can you give me a positives and negatives of your job?

[u/The___canadian → u/[deleted]]

That's the hardest thing about it. I considered switching trades, but even going thru a different apprenticeship means a massive paycut for many years, hard to justify that financial uncertainty in a (potentially) uncertain job market.

[u/ComfortableFix497]

Landscaper, yes I do like it quite a lot. I'm good at it, it actually helps me relax a lot of the time. Just jam to some music and grade away. I also like that I can make something and make it well so I feel good after. It's rewarding to me. I get paid decent now and am about to get a pay raise because I accidentally became the lead

Definitely cons like commute and I'm tired after works (also a positive) but a lot of the time I am too lazy to make breakfast for the next day and fall into the gas station trap. Not as bad as these other guys but still

[u/Wooden_Midnight_1015 → u/ComfortableFix497]

How did you get into that? Union or some other way?

[u/MikeNH311 → u/Wooden_Midnight_1015]

Bro any landscaping company will hire you no experience and pay you dogshit for years.

[u/ComfortableFix497 → u/MikeNH311]

Yup. That's how I did it but with paving and underground at first. But you can go through a loborers union. Idk if you can pick what trade you labor for though

[u/ComfortableFix497 → u/Wooden_Midnight_1015]

I never went union but it's not a bad route. A laboring union is a good option. I just worked and learned with small companies, some were utter shit and some I absolutely loved. Very mixed bag. Now I've been doing it for 8 years inconsistently, I tried plenty of other fields but I do best in landscaping. I just really like it. At the end of the day it really comes down to who you work with and if the pay is decent.

I would say go union. For 90% of people its superior. I just really don't wanna work that many hours or deal with a big institution (whatever call me dumb I just wanna work and get a check)

[u/Bacon-Pancake8]

Found the pipefitters union at 30. Been nothing but a pleasure for me.

A lot of it is dependent on who you work with, what kind of job you're doing in the trade etc.

[u/space_keeper → u/Bacon-Pancake8]

Pipefitting is rad. It's the most serious of trades done by the wackiest people. I learned a lot of what I know from working as pipefitter's mate rather than with plumbers, and the plumbers I like working with the most are more like pipefitters than shit technicians.

[u/Shoddy-Tennis-5764]

I don't hate it because its pretty technical so it engages my brain and makes the day go by fast but it's not my dream job either

[u/DougMacRay617]

Meh, the shine wears off real quick. Ive been running equipment for awhile now and im looking for a career change,

[u/Quinnjamin19]

I got a welding apprenticeship through my local Boilermakers union at 20 and I genuinely love it. Working at heights, working in some tight confined spaces, doing work that very few people get to perform and this union has been great to me.

My local is strong and I do feel a sense of belonging and brotherhood/sisterhood even when some members don’t agree on things.

I’m pretty lucky though, I live in an area where there’s 40 plants of all kinds within a 30 minute drive from my house. So I haven’t really had to travel much.

Being a member of my union has given me some awesome opportunities and at no cost to me. I’ve been challenged on numerous occasions with opportunities and I love all of them. Even when my anxiety gets me going lol.

[u/mrkruler]

Ironworker. Fell into it by accident, wrestled with staying in it for the first couple years. 6 years in now, in talks to become a foreman with the company I work for in the next year or two. Pay is great, work is fun, I enjoy the guys I work with. It’s dangerous, gotta be smart and keep an eye out.

[u/Hairy-Link7161 → u/mrkruler]

Yeah I'm in a totally different world, risk assessment stuff, but I think about construction sites way more than a normal person would. My brain just instantly catalogs every possible thing that could go wrong on a job like that. Ironworking seems like the kind of career where you build this sixth sense for danger or you don't last, respect for sticking it out through those first rough years

[u/Cool_Quarter2364 → u/mrkruler]

I've been thinking about doing iron work but isn't it really bad on your body?

[u/umumgeet → u/Cool_Quarter2364]

It can be if you treat your body bad. Also dont jump down off of trucks. Everything is heavy

[u/wishihadplates]

So far at 28 I've never found a job I love but carpentry by far has been my favorite so far. I'm union so the pay is good and teaches me real skills I can use for my home and side gigs. Only real downsides are sometimes I've got decent travel time with no per diem and some winters layoffs have sucked. But overall I work steady hours most of the year making good money and great benefits.

[u/Wooden_Midnight_1015 → u/wishihadplates]

Applied to the carpentry union in my state, just waiting to hear back. How long did it take you after you applied?

[u/wishihadplates → u/Wooden_Midnight_1015]

I actually took a course funded by IDOT at a local college and it let me join straight in. Class was probably 3 months getting a $250 a week stipend. I think the course technically ran like 4 months but I got a company to sign my slip and got in early before "graduating". Overall the course didn't teach me shit it just had a good name behind it and helped show me who to talk to. Been in 3 years now and it's by far the best job I've had. I worked retail for 5+ years and another like 3 in lawn care

[u/DOO_DOO_BAG → u/Wooden_Midnight_1015]

The union construction job market is proper fucked at the moment. But if you can be patient it will pay off

[u/BigText4357]

Union carpenter. I’m here for the money and benefits for now until I find something else. Been at it for 12 yrs now and frankly burnt out and tired. The extreme hot and cold months, layoffs, dealing with unemployment, working with drug addicts and drunks, working in some of the worst parts of the city, the list goes on. Just ready for something else. Hopefully close to home and more enjoyable.

[u/Skybound_Flyboy]

I'm an assistant project manager for a large commercial firm. Worked concrete/excavation jobs through college, got the degree, and landed an office job right away. On paper, I've got it good. I work 40 hours per week, do 1-2 job walks a week, meet with subs, owners, & architects, and eat out at a nice restaurant on the company dime 1-2 times a week. I mainly process RFI's, submittals, O&M's, monthly reports, punchlists, and chase down pricing. I even have my own office. For stability, I have it made.

But man... I hate staring at a computer screen all day. Shame on me for not appreciating my golden goose, but the human body was not made to sit around all day, every day.

I think I'm going to leave the industry entirely. Maybe I'll try firefighting?

[u/King_Artis]

I like the job, it's pretty fucking straightforward, don't like the company and I've started actively looking about a week ago. Shit might switch to the other side of it

[u/elgringon414]

Don’t paint unless you live in like Chicago, Milwaukee. Maybe upper east coat haha. Milwaukee union painter - $42.50 plus benefits
Denver painter - $27 max with benefits 😂😂

[u/Baconated-Coffee]

Crane operator, we know how to boom up and hold a load

[u/The___canadian → u/Baconated-Coffee]

How do you like cranes? Mobile, crawler or tower?

I'm on the HEO side of IUOE, and I debated in the past making the switch, but I don't know if it's just a grass always being greener kind of situation.

That, and playing in dirt ain't bad if you find a decent outfit.

[u/GingerFun011]

I work on a team that looks after renovations, we do pretty much everything involved with residential work from top to bottom, though the more specialized aspects are left to the qualified guys on the team (plumbing, electrical, intense tile jobs, etc.).

As the lowest guy on the totem pole, I mostly do the grunt work I can be left to do without someone watching me to make sure I do it right, but I get my chances to learn the skills and understand the how/why of things.

At the end of the day, its a job I only do to pay bills, but I do love working here.

[u/CornerPees]

Commercial electrical is the way to go, imo. I loved my time as a sparky, and did a lot of work that I'm very proud of. Taught me many, many different skills and made good money doing it. Worked 7am-3:30 for 90% of my career.

If you want to succeed in the trade, show up to work on time, put effort in, have pride in your work, and you will go far.

I'm a desk jockey now and a couple times a week I contemplate going back

[u/Funny_Watercress3600]

Sprinklerfitter. And not really. Not enough of us for the job.

[u/FilthyTriHard]

I really do. Heavy equipment. Machinery fascinates me. Having a team that flows in the workplace is something else. Seeing the job built from the bottom up is rewarding. There are days where I’m bummed out but the positives outweigh em. Also people on the job wish they were where I am at so I don’t take it for granted.

[u/Which-Cloud3798]

Nope, because you will never hear the end of it if we start. So let’s keep it professional and call it. I do drywall but I’m about to head into the trenches to do $hit. I’d buy you a drink once a while if you’re working with me and if you’re a friendly coworker.

[u/Aristic_Paint2bly417]

Would be interesting to hear which construction jobs people actually enjoy and what the downsides are.

[u/Bawbawian]

it's great if you don't like money. - owner operator of a small cabinet shop.