My son graduated last year, but this is a pic of him w his girlfriend at senior prom Saturday. He is a good kid. Holding down 2 jobs. Learning a trade, and has his own apartment w a roommate. Very proud of him. View attachment 60452
You should be proud! What a good looking kid. He sure does look like you. What trade is he learning?
Thanks
He's going to be a welder
My husband and his family are pipe fitters. DH has done his fair share of welding in his career, including teaching. Good luck to your son. It's a good skill to have.
Nice that’s what I went to school for, it ended up taking me down a great road. I feel like a trade is a great alternative to a four year school. I wasn’t cut out for college, tech school yes.Thanks
He's going to be a welder
Nice that’s what I went to school for, it ended up taking me down a great road. I feel like a trade is a great alternative to a four year school. I wasn’t cut out for college, tech school yes.
So a little history and my journey, started as a production worker, went to tech school learned welding and machining. Took a job tool building, got promoted to tooling manager, then preventative maintenance manager. Then Took a plant superintendent position . It took 23 years to achieve all of that but worth it, tell your son to hold his head high. Oh the 23 years were with the same company. Even with a degree a lot of employers won’t give you the good job without experience. Now my daughter is attending a four year school for teaching, her starting salary will be around $40,000. I guess it is what makes you happy in life.
So a little history and my journey, started as a production worker, went to tech school learned welding and machining. Took a job tool building, got promoted to tooling manager, then preventative maintenance manager. Then Took a plant superintendent position . It took 23 years to achieve all of that but worth it, tell your son to hold his head high. Oh the 23 years were with the same company. Even with a degree a lot of employers won’t give you the good job without experience. Now my daughter is attending a four year school for teaching, her starting salary will be around $40,000. I guess it is what makes you happy in life.
You are spot on Tyler, while I am salary, I have guys with O/T making $115,000 a year. This is a lot of away from home time though. I paid my dues doing that. I know of people with degrees struggling to find something as well. One employer says we want the degree, but with experience. It seems it’s a catch 22. Even with my experience I get recruiters calling me, when they find out I don’t have a four year degree, it’s okay we will talk soon.Awesome, that‘s definitely an impressive resume. Unfortunately, luck, knowing people, and being in the right place at the right time make a big difference too (in general not relating it to you). I know manufacturing workers with high school diplomas who make close to $100,000 a year, and I know people with master‘s degrees who barely make $50,000 a year. From an earnings perspective, manufacturing is extremely lucrative. I don‘t regret the completion of my four year degree, but so far, it hasn‘t paid off financially at all. I wouldn‘t focus too much on the type of degree, as this is something that always can be added. Learning a trade first makes total sense to me. Most college graduates have no clue what "real work life" actually looks like.
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You are spot on Tyler, while I am salary, I have guys with O/T making $115,000 a year. This is a lot of away from home time though. I paid my dues doing that. I know of people with degrees struggling to find something as well. One employer says we want the degree, but with experience. It seems it’s a catch 22. Even with my experience I get recruiters calling me, when they find out I don’t have a four year degree, it’s okay we will talk soon.
He is currently working at a car wash making $12 an hour, and then on days off and weekends he works for a man who owns his own construction business. He makes $15 an hour w him. He does everything from carpentry, to running backhoes ,fork lifts, bush hogging. etc... He wants to learn to run the crane next. He is gaining a lot of experience, and he really enjoys it.
That's great! So many young people have no direction in life. Not the case with your son. And you should be proud and brag about him.... That's what mom's do. Especially when your son has that drive to make a good life for hims self, and you my dear should be proud of yourself..... It's because of your parenting that his going in such a positive direction
I’ve hired people that do what your son is looking to do for a living , for the last 20yrs , I would tell your son to have an understanding of math to trig level and take some technical drawing / autocad classes along the way , a 2yr degree from a community college in mechanical engineering can be done part time pretty easily at some point ……….. proficiency in math and reading drawings is very helpful …… he sounds like he has the common sense and work ethic going on …….. that in itself sets him apart from the young folks I run across today …….. they act like they are owed something , they lack an understanding of how the world really works , the more you can do well , the harder you are to replace , the better off you are , participation is not enough , you need to be good at it ………… common sense is a very marketable asset today in a young person ………. Add reliability , responsibility and accountability to common sense , that’s a teachable person , I’d take that over experience all day long …… you and your husband should be proud of raising a kid like that ……