There may never be a better time to get into a skilled trade.
Skilled trades have taken an educational backseat in the face of modernization. Yet skilled trades have quietly remained relevant even as unskilled college graduates struggle to find jobs to match their expected earning potential.
Here are five excellent reasons to get a career in a skilled trade.
1. They’re Always in Demand
Skilled trades are some of the oldest professions around. Although there weren’t a lot of electricians in ancient Assyria, their equivalents were the foundation of civilization.
While jobs disappear every day due to automation and AI, skilled trades represent the kind of tasks that robots aren’t going to take away. Skilled trades don’t just require knowledge, but also human skills like diagnosis and creative thinking. These are tasks that are still in the distant future of automation.
The skilled trade jobs in demand haven’t changed much for decades, and demand for skilled workers is only increasing.
2. You Get Real Job Satisfaction
We live in an abstract world, now. A worker can pull the metaphorical levers of their day-job and never see the result—they’re part of a long chain of processes.
In contrast, skilled workers still get to apply their knowledge to a project and see it develop. Even when they’re part of a larger project (say, building a house), they still get the job satisfaction of owning their stage of the process. That makes skilled tradespeople part of a small group that can still step back, dust off their hands, and smile at a job well done.
3. You Can Master Your Craft
There’s a satisfaction to knowing for a fact that you’re good at what you do.
That’s another thing that skilled workers get to enjoy. With time and experience, you’ll excel at what you do and will know that it’s all you. Most tradespeople enjoy what they do, so improving your skills and your wellbeing go hand-in-hand. In short, it feels good to be great.
4. Excellent Salaries
Wages for skilled tradespeople are often strong even at entry level. A skilled worker gets paid for their experience, not just the hours they work.
On top of that, skilled workers also have their pick of employment options and employers. That allows you to maximize your earning potential but switching track if you aren’t satisfied with your current earnings. As your level of skill is something you take with you, you likely won’t have to start from the bottom in a new role.
5. Lower Fees
Sometimes, it feels like everyone wants to tell you about their student loan debt. Everyone except skilled tradespeople, that is.
While learning a skilled trade isn’t usually free, it does often cost less than a degree. And thanks to its hands-on nature, training to develop professional experience often allows you to earn money at the same time.
With such good job security and earning prospects, you can also earn money more over time.
Excellent Reasons to Work in a Skilled Trade
These five excellent reasons to get a career in a skilled trade should be everything you need to hear. With so many people competing for low-skilled post-college jobs and so many older tradespeople retiring, there’s a huge gap in the industry ready for new skilled workers.
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