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welder691

Plastic
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Location
Clarington Ohio
Hello all. I have a question about shop owners/managers hiring someone. I have been a welder for 10 years now, and in the fall I am going to back to school for machinist training. It's a short but good program from what I have heard. I know I'm not fresh out of high school, but if I would come to your shop for an interview, would you frown upon me wanting to enter the machinist side of metal working? What would you expect an apprentice to be able to accomplish? Any tips you could offer would be great as well.

Thank You,
Chris
 
A couple suggestions... Pay as much attention as you can during your education. Read every resource available, (especially machine manuals), and ask your instructors for clarification on anything you do not understand. Don't feel for a minute that you are putting the instructors at any inconvenience. This is your dime, and your time. Make the most of it by demanding an excellent classroom education. Once you're finished with school, be prepared to explain your interest to employers in learning from folks who make a living in this trade. It's a great way to make a living, and congratulations on your choice to pursue it. Once you're in the apprentice job market be enthusiastic in your communications with prospective employers. Convince them that you will make money for them, through constant effort. Don't forget to mention your welding skills, as they are likely a plus, to any business doing welding work in-house. Best of luck.
 
welder691 said:
Hello all. I have a question about shop owners/managers hiring someone. I have been a welder for 10 years now, and in the fall I am going to back to school for machinist training. It's a short but good program from what I have heard. I know I'm not fresh out of high school, but if I would come to your shop for an interview, would you frown upon me wanting to enter the machinist side of metal working? What would you expect an apprentice to be able to accomplish? Any tips you could offer would be great as well.

Thank You,
Chris
Click to expand...

All the above posts are good sugestions, but I've one question... WHY ?? every place I have seen over the last 50 yrs in industry the welder makes more $$ , is treated a lot better than the machinists, and usually has better working conditions, well except maybe in that 100F corner he was in on ocasion... but the machinists in that shop were sweating their you know whats off all day long...
 
Turn this around, if you were hiring a welder and he told you that he had been a machinist for 10 years and took a "very good class" on welding. Would you hire him?
I have hired welders just out of school, a classroom will never replace the workplace. OJT is the best teacher.
 
Timw said:
Turn this around, if you were hiring a welder and he told you that he had been a machinist for 10 years and took a "very good class" on welding. Would you hire him?
I have hired welders just out of school, a classroom will never replace the workplace. OJT is the best teacher.
Click to expand...

Probly not for a welding job...but maybe for the machinist job....

You are making my point, the OP has 10 yrs welding experience, so he's better at that and if things are the same these days as in my old experience, the welder still makes more money... But if the OP's goal is to learn a little about machining so he can leverage this into a managment position and some day own his own shop, sure, go for it...but to just swap jobs by stepping lower?.. nope.. not a good move... all in my opinion of course.

Maybe he should make more than the both of those jobs by geting a hot dog cart. :)
 
There's a guy in our town that is putting his daughter through college by selling ice cream in the summers from a little bicycle ice cream cart.
 
I wouldn't frown on you at all. I would ask why you are changing, and hope it's because you like the work better, or see more room for advancement. Be able to read mics, and dial calipers, know decimal eqivalent of fractions, how to put a collet in a mill or lathe, use a band saw, file, combination square. Know that you MUST wear saftey glasses all the time, and you cant listen to radios or ipods, turn your cell phone OFF during the interview, and look presentable at the interview.
 
Thank you for all of the advice guys! Well I can tell you where I work now there are 4 machinist employed. And they make more then I do. Although the company isn't looking so good right now.

The reason for me wanting to change is I have always wanted to learn the machinist trade. But when I went to vocational school in high school, they closed down the machinist program and ony had welding. But now I am going to be driving about 2 hours each way to learn this, starting next month. It fascinates me. But anyway, thank you for the advice and replies!!

Thanks,
Chris
 
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