Ideal career path (location, Union/non-union, pay rate, certification/coding etc)

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Hello everybody.A little background about me:I am based in Great britain. So i currently am a apprentice fabricator and welder for a local fab shop.I will be joining Tata steel soon and will be an apprentice fabricator/welder and i have looked at my training plan and will be doing coded welding. I wish to learn how to become good at stick and tig. I hope to stay at this company but with this industry i feel jobs can be lost or created very quickly.Anyway, so what i wish to know is:Should you join the union if possible? Is there any pros and cons to joining one?Where are the best job locations at for a fabricator/welder? What is the pay rate can i expect? I have heard of many of my friends say that they know 'someone' who is earning 200 grand a year. (In british pound). What is the realistic pay rate you can expect?What are the main types of coding/certifications? I have heard lots on asme 9 6g. Is this only the one you need? Is there not a coding that allows you to weld the majority of things?What are the type of tests involving in a test? Nick break?With coding , do they all expire if not in job? Is there some coding where it doesnt expire?Lastly, i have a co worker who has the asme 9 6g and he said he says there are two types. I cannot remember the specific word for it but with one you can keep the certification and for the other, it is only held by your company and not transferrable. Are you aware of this?ThanksLast edited by wong95; 07-19-2015 at 08:43 AM.