Trades and how to get started (carpentry)

Is there anyone here in the trades? More specifically carpentry? If so how did you get started? At 31 I finally realized how important college is and being my position at work is being eliminated I’m trying to actually start a career instead of just getting another job. I’ve always been interested in the trades and always hear about how they can’t hire workers fast enough with all the baby boomers retiring, but I’m finding it hard to get into them being experience is usually required. I know there’s apprenticeship programs but with the 322 carpenters union (twin cities) you have to get hired 1st (sponsor) and then you start the process. Just finding it really discouraging but trying to keep the glass half full mentality. I’m just trying to cover all my bases and who knows maybe someone on here will have some valuable info or know of a general contractor looking for apprentice and I’ve been scouring the web and filling out applications. I’m not stuck on just carpentry either but really like the creative part and how broad it is. I am in the IBEW 292 hiring pool but with 250+ candidates ahead of me I’m not just going to sit around and wait trying to be proactive not reactive. Thanks for and input or info.

Sent you a pm

Carpenter? Seriously, so do you only have like half a brain? School? For what? How to learn to use a speed square so all your ins can be 45deg + or – 7deg, how to nail a 16 penny, or maybe how to cut with a circular saw within 1/2″? Few YouTube videos should teach ya that easily enough with fraction of the cost because you will have to save up for that new truck because all your tools piled up under your sun faded box topper is needing an upgrade and you’re too old to be crawling in and out everyday looking for those dammed good pencils ya bought at the millshop last week. (And you swear the tilers or even worse yet, gasp, the wood floor guys stole your last ones). And forget going out to eat, it’s nail bender law to bring a box lunch every single day. Carl budig meat on plain white bread(wheat for those healthy wood butchers), no mayo, maybe butter. With an old coffee flask that looked to have rolled down a mountain.

Dude, you don’t have to be rude.. Why do you think I’m trying to get into apprenticeship programs? I want to learn and I want to learn how to do it right. You know maybe I’m not in a situation in life at the moment to go college not that you care or should. This is one of the things that stops me from posting on this forum fishing related or not is when people are clearly seeking help and get smartass respones instead.

Ignore Beads McCrappie, what he is really saying is he works with carpenters regularly, gives them a ton of crap and didn’t really understand what you were asking. ;-P I know a few non-union builders and carpenters that are always looking for laborers. If I were you I’d do some calling around, and start as a laborer to get your foot in the door somewhere. Also, if I were in your shoes, I’d be looking at welding.

Wow, thought the sacrasm was thick enough on that one. . . you’ll need thicker skin(literally) than that to be in the trades. I have nothing but the utmost respect for every one of my trade brothers but we all give each other $hit a bit here and there and it makes work dang fun at times.

Good luck man.

McC, I sent you a PM.

Deuces wrote:

Wow, thought the sacrasm was thick enough on that one. . . you’ll need thicker skin(literally) than that to be in the trades. I have nothing but the utmost respect for every one of my trade brothers but we all give each other $hit a bit here and there and it makes work dang fun at times.

Good luck man.

I got it. Funny as heck.

Mike W wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mr.Beads wrote:</div>
Wow, thought the sacrasm was thick enough on that one. . . you’ll need thicker skin(literally) than that to be in the trades. I have nothing but the utmost respect for every one of my trade brothers but we all give each other $hit a bit here and there and it makes work dang fun at times.

Good luck man.

I got it. Funny as heck.

Have to say I got a good laugh also. Definitely accustomed to the sarcasm and jokes between trades after 20+ years around construction.

I got it to, that is light compared to what you will get on the site. Maybe call the cosmetology school and see if they have any openings. Lol

And just because I used to install wood floors doesn’t mean I stole everyone’s pencils, I never took more than I needed.

McCrappie wrote:

Dude, you don’t have to be rude.. Why do you think I’m trying to get into apprenticeship programs? I want to learn and I want to learn how to do it right. You know maybe I’m not in a situation in life at the moment to go college not that you care or should. This is one of the things that stops me from posting on this forum fishing related or not is when people are clearly seeking help and get smartass respones instead.

Dude, you won’t last a day on a construction site not being able to take and give some (a lot) of shite

Sent you a PM as well.

Proud to be a union member. Union jobs are the safest that you will work on. You will see lots of shady techniques on non union jobs.

If I was a young man I would look into a Utility Linemen apprentice position. You have to have a good head on your shoulders, you’d make a good living if your willing to work. DK.

Ripjiggen wrote:

my buddie that is a welder does quite well financially.

Best welder meme:

-J.

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Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
my buddie that is a welder does quite well financially.

Best welder meme:

-J.

Like-a-stack-a-dimes

Using the meme as a guide, I’d get paid $16.25 an hour

Look I’m all for a good joke and giving/taking crap, but when someone at a low in their life and trying to better their situation and asking for legit help and info and in return you get sarcasm and assume one is to understand it as sarcasm that’s when you make an ass out of you and me. Maybe I will check out cosmetology… not really though and thank you everyone for the info and help and too the ones giving me crap hopefully I get to know you better through the forum soo someday maybe I get to dish it back out. No hard feelings here just a fellow angler trying to do better in life.

My kid is in the trades.Makes good money, works hard. Get yourself started however you have to. Everybody has had to lug material on the job site. It’s how you start. Work hard, learn and be on time each day. Good help is hard to find, slackers are a dime a dozen.

Chin up, things will be good soon enough.

Pipefitters
Electricians
Plumbers
Insulators
Roofers
Look into these union trades if you want good steady employment. Look up the locals in your area and call them with questions. All trades are looking for good people that can show up, listen, do good work, and PASS A DRUG TEST.

If you have and can find the opportunity go Union. Good training and benefits. Nothing against the non union at all a god boss is a good boss or a good company to work for is a good company. But with the union even if you change employers you take your benefits etc with you not leave them behind. Just my opinion and I have been on both sides of this discussion. Good luck to you!!

Don’t overlook other unions too.

I’m a 563 Liuna (Laborers International) member. There is a lot of opportunities out there in all sorts of laborer highway heavy trades. The term “laborer” doesn’t mean you will be swinging a 14lb sledgehammer all day lol

Some companies build bridges. Some companies build roads. Some work with utilities.

The company I work for rehabilitates existing pipes with cured-in-place lining technology. We have some guys that spend most of the day running robotic cameras and cutters in a climate controlled mobile office. Not exactly what you think of when the word laborer is used.

You might start out doing a lot of actual labor depending on what the company does, but there are a lot of opportunities to be taken. Including non-laboring or less laboring roles like being a foreman or superintendent. You won’t get there on day one, but if you’re smart and have leadership skills you will when a role opens.

A lot of companies will hire you on and pay journeyman wages, even though you’ll start as an apprentice. The majority of highway heavy guys are making $30-$35 an hour with good health benefits/pension on top of that. Supervisors obviously can/do make more.

A lot of companies go like hell in the warm months and take the winter off. $70,000-$90,000 a year is pretty common. I know laborers in non-leadership roles who have broken $100k (working most or all of the year).

The downside: many companies pay you for what you work. No vacation pay. No sick pay. No paid personal days. No HSA. Etc. Your retirement is your pension. You have no control over it.

If you want eggs in a different basket you have to do it on your own. No company matched 401k/Roth etc.

Most will let you take some days off (unpaid vacation), but some will run a guy into the ground, especially paving and dirt/pipe companies. “Your vacation time is Winter….” Lol

The upside if your company does seasonal work is unemployment (I kind of miss having the entire winter off)….. $700 a week to go ice fishing until your company calls you back isn’t exactly a bad thing

McCrappie. I was pretty much in the same boat as you when I was 32. The factory job I had was being eliminated and with only a high school education I didn’t know what my next step was going to be. It was a bit disconcerting to say the least so I understand where you are coming from.

I ended up going with a non union asphalt company. I did that for about 4 years then hooked up with a union outfit and started in the laborers union when I was 36. A year after that I was in the Operators union running asphalt paving equipment.I retired last January at 58. Great pay,great benefits, a very good pension plus I got to work outside.
The downside is I missed a LOT of family stuff all those years. Kids ball games/school events etc. No summer vacations at all and I didn’t get to fish near as much as I wanted to. lol But my goal going in was to be work optional by the time I was 60. Mission accomplished. In the event that things don’t work out for me and I need to go back to work I could easily find another job doing the same thing if I wanted to.

ANYHOW, I too would suggest looking into the Laborers Union. With the current labor shortage (around here anyways) you may be surprised by the job options that may be available to you.

Best of luck in whatever choice you make.

In 2019 all you had to do is PASS A DRUG TEST. Evidently that is tough for a lot of people so if you can do that, you already have the upper hand.
Go to your nearest Carpenters local and ask all the questions you have. I think your best bet is to start out as a laborer, then bust your tail for a handful of years and hopefully you can get in with a Contractor and go from there.
Not sure how non union works but you will be looking at trade school for most if not all the trades.
you want brainless work, be a laborer or painter, if you want to work with your hands and head , try the others.

Before all you laborers and painters get butt hurt, this is my attempt using the sarcasm font

There’s a treatment for that now eyeguy

For Carpenters and Laborers, the best thing to do it contact the union locals (563 for the laborers, 322 and 68 for the carpenters) and get on their lists. Better yet, drive to their training centers and talk to them in person.

Carpenters: 740 Olive St., Saint Paul
Laborers: 2350 Main St., Lino Lakes

Also, and maybe more importantly, ask for a list of their signatory contractors. Call the contractors and tell them you want to become an apprentice. If you have any experience at all, talk about it. If you can pass a drug test and will show up 15 minutes early to everything, say so.

Carpenters and Laborers are among the largest and most diverse trades in terms of what they do. But there are lots of good trades in the twin cities.

If I could do it all over again,I would go for an apprenticeship and be a sparky,or something to do with heights.I tried the railroad when I was young,it was nothing but furloughs or way too much time rotting on the extra boards.

Machining is a poor choice,way too many companies don’t pay well as I found out.

I know your post was on carpentry but:
I am a general Contractor and from my experience, Electricians and plumbers are the ones that are shortest on help. Like said, work on your apprenticeship and if you are a self motivator, start your own business. You will never look back!
Foundation company seems to have the biggest mark up in costs, once you get your Pans and misc. paid for your golden! They come on site for 2 days, make their money and move on. Ours owns his own pump, waterproofing co. and has his fingers in the concrete co.
Glad to see someone out there that wants to improve, that is what the good old USA is all about!

Good luck

Residential carpentry is mostly nonunion commercial is the ticket. You’ll learn alot in apprenticeship program. But you have have to beat the streets to land a job. Go to construction sites and ask about employment. Talk to the job superintendent. It worked for me was a carpenter for 11 years then a superintendent for 17 years.

kidfish wrote:

Sent you a PM as well.

Proud to be a union member. Union jobs are the safest that you will work on. You will see lots of shady techniques on non union jobs.

whatever

I’ve had to fire union guys for the terrible work they did.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>kidfish wrote:</div>
Sent you a PM as well.

Proud to be a union member. Union jobs are the safest that you will work on. You will see lots of shady techniques on non union jobs.

whatever

I’ve had to fire union guys for the terrible work they did.

Every profession has bad people there are more hack carpenters that are nonunion than union. In my experience union job sites are way safer than nonunion.

Union guys
Safer job sites, yup 25 years ago. It is pretty even in today’s world. Quality as slayer said, there are hacks in both worlds and freakin phenomenal talent as well.
My opinion is residential is the better path. You will have both new construction and remodeling. Start with new construction to learn the anatomy of a home. Then start your own biz and go to where the money is “remodeling”.

Union has it’s good points but I’ll take residential any day.

If I had to do it all over again that’s the way I would do it.

Whatever you do, work hard, ask questions, be safe.

Full disclosure – I have been a Carpenter as a Union member and Non-union. Been in the construction field since 1987.