I Need Advice/Guidance Please

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Hello allI am a 26yr old from South africa, I have never done welding, i use to work as a technical draughtsman at an engineering company designing transformers and mini sub-stations, now i work in admin in a huge corporate company and really want to get out.I have been doing plenty of research, and have been looking at various opportunities out there. I have browsed through the forum and see that 90% of you guys feel a welding inspector should be a an experienced welder first, as much as i agree with this, i also feel that it would definitely be a great help to first be an experienced welder, but it is not totally neccessary. but this is just my opinion.so im thinking of doing a level one welding inspector course, with SAIW (South African Institute of Welding), their course if internationall recognised as well, its a 4 week long course and cost a lot of money, to put it into perspective, the average salary for someone in admin is about 8000Rands and the level one welding inspection course costs 35000Rands. so it is very expensive.Here is my question, i dont know if there are other south Africans here, but i want the advice of anyone who is in this field, people who are inspectors, who are welders, who are becoming inspectors, etc.Would it be feesible for me to do this course, would it be possible for me to find work once i complete this course, i will have the certificate, BUT, i have ZERO experience. is there much scope for Welding inspectors in the industry, what other courses go hand in hand with this?any advice regarding this would be highly appreciated, Thank you in advance, look forward to hearing from you guys.Nadeem
Reply:Nadeem,Here in the States, welding is just one aspect of inspecting.  There is also certs in concrete, rebar (I think), plumbing, electrical, etc. Some say you should be a journeyman in the particular field you want to inspect, others say it doesn't matter.  To find out if there's a demand in your area, contact private testing firms, and gov't agencies.  Those are the two that employ inspectors here.Good luck in your new venture....and no, I'm not an inspector, but I argue with them all day as I'm a cement mason  One thing I will add:  With no experience, when you're in the field you'll be "book smart", and inspectors who are "book smart" are usually the worst kind.  The reason being that what sounds good on paper doesn't always work on the jobsite; and an experienced inspector recognizes that.Last edited by dubl_t; 04-17-2012 at 09:00 AM.Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....