TIG Welding Career without experience

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So I'm finishing up getting my A&P license and I've gained interest in a welding career. I took a basic welding course back in community college. I have fully functional welding shop at school with TIG, stick machines and torch welding set up. I've been spending about 1hr every day after classes TIG welding. Mainly thin aluminum and stainless steel sheets and tubing. I have also been learning how to read and interpret shop drawings.What are the chances of finding a entry level TIG job with no job experience/certification? I have no issues moving or with low starting pay.All the job offerings I've seen require multiple years of experience. I've heard people going to welding school and still having a very hard time getting into the field afterwards, do I have any chance, or will it be luck if I get something?Last edited by Woogies; 08-02-2012 at 12:35 PM.
Reply:Where are you located? Lots of shops take newbies @ training wage.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Right now I'm located in Lynchburg VA, however in December I plan on moving back to IL (1 hr north of chicago).  Like I said though, I'm pretty open moving anywhere there is an opportunity I'm not concerned right away with fantastic pay, I feel like I'd be lucky enough to get job without any real world experience.Where would you suggest starting my search?
Reply:Well if you want to add tig to your A+P arsenal, some sheet metal shops and machine shops do tig work. If they have a need for a weld prep, tacking person, you might find something. Most any shop will let you fill out an application for weldor helper. And if they let you practice on their machines after your work shift is done all the better.Go to the trade schools, and community colleges talk to the instructor if they have any jobs board. My second job tig welding was off the job board at my community college.Most any shop worth a darn will insist in paying you. And I don't want anybody working in my shop for free. The expectations on both sides get warped.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:And Woogies, stay on this forum and pick it apart.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.
Reply:Hmmm...I started out taking A&P classes in high school, and stuck with welding. Made a career of it for 30 years now. Go to your local welding shop & pester them for a job. :NICELY!
Reply:A&p?  What's that mean,airframe and powerplant?
Reply:Anatomy and phsyology?
Reply:Haha... No its Airframe and Powerplant. Essentially an aviation mechanic.I've been looking at apprentice jobs. They seem like the most likely way I can get a job without experience. The challenge now is finding a paid apprentice program..........Last edited by Woogies; 08-03-2012 at 08:43 AM.
Reply:Woogies,Most of the "entry level" welding jobs around here that I've seen lately look pretty rough. I'm in southeast/central Michigan and recently finished a 2 year advanced welding program at a CC so I've been looking recently at a lot of different options. There are also a few decent opportunities but you really have to hunt to find them. Most of the stuff I see on CL and the other popular job boards involve something like this:$9.00 - $12.00/hr, ten to twelve hour shifts (mandatory) 5 - 7 days a week. Maybe that sounds like normal job to some but I think its bullsh!t myself. Most of these "opportunities" are through staffing agencies so they get the contract to supply workers at a better pay rate and then put that money in their pocket. The worker gets slave wages for a 70 hour work week, few if any benefits and very little chance to advance. It is true that some companies will direct-hire a temp employee after 90 days if they like what they see. But, I've also heard a lot of cases where the contract ends and that worker gets to get at the end of the line for the next assignment. Some might say that this is a good way for a person with no practical exp. to get into the business and perhaps that's true. At 49 I'm not going to bust my *** that bad for anyone unless I'm starving. Code-quality welding is an extremely high-skilled trade in my opinion and an offer to do it for that kind of $$$ is a slap in the face to you and those who have already put in serious effort to perfect their craft.I'm fortunate in that I have the financial flexibility to be very patient and selective about where I choose to work. I actually found a very good job with a co. that makes jet engine parts, decent starting pay, a great benefits package and a reasonable work load. I believe my college welding training and the AWS certs that I pursued on my own made the difference in getting me this position. To answer your question about your chances... Yes, you can probably find an entry level TIG postion but you're going to have to really search for it. You will be up against other candidates that either have formal training or experience and that's going to put you at a disadvantage in what we have now which is an employer's market. Lots of people looking for a few jobs so they (companies) can afford to pick the ones they want and pay very little.You should think about getting some documentable training at a CC. Its worth the investment (IMO). Companies that offer entry level TIG work at $9.00/hr are probably not all that concerned about your future or about getting you trained for a career. They are only concerned about meeting production schedules and after they burn you out they can just replace you with the next guy in line. That's the way I see it and the end of my rant.EricAWS D1.1 Certified SMAW 3G Unlimited, Open Root                             FCAW-G 3G Unlimited, w/BackerCellular Tower Reinforcement Welding on the frozen tundra of the greater Mid-West
Reply:Originally Posted by Welding_SwedeWoogies,Most of the "entry level" welding jobs around here that I've seen lately look pretty rough. I'm in southeast/central Michigan and recently finished a 2 year advanced welding program at a CC so I've been looking recently at a lot of different options. There are also a few decent opportunities but you really have to hunt to find them. Most of the stuff I see on CL and the other popular job boards involve something like this:$9.00 - $12.00/hr, ten to twelve hour shifts (mandatory) 5 - 7 days a week. Maybe that sounds like normal job to some but I think its bullsh!t myself. Most of these "opportunities" are through staffing agencies so they get the contract to supply workers at a better pay rate and then put that money in their pocket. The worker gets slave wages for a 70 hour work week, few if any benefits and very little chance to advance. It is true that some companies will direct-hire a temp employee after 90 days if they like what they see. But, I've also heard a lot of cases where the contract ends and that worker gets to get at the end of the line for the next assignment. Some might say that this is a good way for a person with no practical exp. to get into the business and perhaps that's true. At 49 I'm not going to bust my *** that bad for anyone unless I'm starving. Code-quality welding is an extremely high-skilled trade in my opinion and an offer to do it for that kind of $$$ is a slap in the face to you and those who have already put in serious effort to perfect their craft.I'm fortunate in that I have the financial flexibility to be very patient and selective about where I choose to work. I actually found a very good job with a co. that makes jet engine parts, decent starting pay, a great benefits package and a reasonable work load. I believe my college welding training and the AWS certs that I pursued on my own made the difference in getting me this position. To answer your question about your chances... Yes, you can probably find an entry level TIG postion but you're going to have to really search for it. You will be up against other candidates that either have formal training or experience and that's going to put you at a disadvantage in what we have now which is an employer's market. Lots of people looking for a few jobs so they (companies) can afford to pick the ones they want and pay very little.You should think about getting some documentable training at a CC. Its worth the investment (IMO). Companies that offer entry level TIG work at $9.00/hr are probably not all that concerned about your future or about getting you trained for a career. They are only concerned about meeting production schedules and after they burn you out they can just replace you with the next guy in line. That's the way I see it and the end of my rant.Eric
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonI understand your frustration, but "entry level" in my book is ZERO experience and needs a lot of supervision. So paying to learn and then getting paid to learn more is a problem for you?Let me put it in this context. My shop rate is $80 per hour. That is roughly 4 times the median wage I can afford. So if I pay $20 an hour in wage, I expect $80 an hour in billable sales to cover expenses. Most entry lever tiggers that I pay $10 per hour can barely bring in $40 an hour and wastes a ton of his supervisor's time. If his supervisor gives up, then I have to go coach is azz, and determine if he needs to be let go and we find another "entry level" tigger.The big difference in my shop is we kick their azzes to learn. If they can't learn to be self starters, take direction and pull their weight, out they go.In conclusion, if you work hard, learn, market yourself, then the trade will pay off. I don't care what you do on your own. That may get you in the door. It is what you do in my shop is what counts. And pulling certs on your own is commendable, but don't work with aerospace. Those certs have to be pulled in my shop, under my conditions, and are only good in my shop, so I pay for them and I own them. It is not to say that I own you, because you can take the experience I gifted you and hit the road, or start your own sweatshop.You yourself proved that you can make it. I would not discourage anyone from taking an entry level welding job at minimum wage. That is the stepping stone we all had to take.Sorry for my rant.