Where should I go to grow?

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Hi folks. I am going to be starting school in the next month or two depending on openings in the classes. Anyhow I am thinking about what kind of place I want to work at once I get out of school. I know this is wishful thinking and I may have to take anything I can and if that is the case I am willing to do so of course. The school that I will be going to gets visits from recruiters for the local shipyards and the money is good and it seems like a great opportunity if I'm lucky enough to score it. My concern is though, that from what I understand about shipyard welding is that it is hazardous, fast paced and has a higher degree of difficulty than some welding jobs. I'm not afraid of that but I am afraid of blowing a good opportunity because I am still wet behind the ears in an environment like that. I was wondering if I should be looking to start out at a smaller shop maybe doing fabrication or something that will nurture my desire to learn and work with me and help me to become a reliable and valuable welder even if I am making less money. I really want to get off on the right foot with welding. I don't want to follow the dollar signs and end up biting off more than I can chew on the job.Also if I have offended anyone by thinking that one kind of welding is harder than another or that one is easier please forgive me. I don't have the experience to know what I'm talking about. I am getting all of my info from the internet so take please keep that in mind. Thanks.PS the coursework I am taking will cover all kinds of welding, tig mig stick and others and I have not settled on what kind of welding I want to do. TIG stands out right now because it seems to be in demand and the pay is good also. I am hoping to become proficient in more than one kind of welding but I will have a better idea of what I like when I get out of school.
Reply:Obviously if they continue to recruit at your school then they have had some good welders come from it. That would lead me to believe that they are willing to take on younger welders so that they can teach you to weld how they want you to weld. If they recruit and decide that you are the welder that they want then I'd go for it. The worst that can happen is they tell you you're not good enough and then you can go for plan b at your local fab shops.I'm a very new welder as well, only have a few days of welding under my belt, but that's my opinion for what it's worth. Also welcome to welding web! A lot of knowledge and experience is located here, it's a great resource for learning. Don't be afraid to take pictures of your welds in school and post them here if you're having trouble. A lot of these guys will be able to point you in the right direction.Craftsman 90 amp Arc welder
Reply:Originally Posted by lighttekkuObviously if they continue to recruit at your school then they have had some good welders come from it. That would lead me to believe that they are willing to take on younger welders so that they can teach you to weld how they want you to weld. If they recruit and decide that you are the welder that they want then I'd go for it. The worst that can happen is they tell you you're not good enough and then you can go for plan b at your local fab shops.
Reply:The big ship yard all have their own welding programs , and you are worrying about the future that hasn't come yet , do your best in school and you will succeed . and if you are so worried about the hazards involved with welding in a fast paced environment , you should look to art school or the fast food industry .gxbxc
Reply:Or get a respirator. The fast food industry is awesome. I got 50% off their already awesome prices. Of course my heart probably didn't appreciate it muchCraftsman 90 amp Arc welder
Reply:Thanks for all the advice. As for worrying about hazards in a fast paced environment I think my concerns are justified http://www.iww.org/unions/iu510/yard...rdbird10.shtmlhttp://www.wafb.com/story/5743203/we...yard-explosionhttps://www.osha.gov/video/shipyard_...ranscript.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/ny...ards.html?_r=0http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.c...tally-burned-2I could go on because there is no shortage of these kinds of stories but I've made my point. Anyone considering employment in a shipyard and who has also done their research and yet has no concerns about these hazards is probably not going to survive in such an environment.
Reply:Then why do you want to weld?
Reply:Originally Posted by johnrbauerThen why do you want to weld?
Reply:The over all responsiblity  for safety rest with You the individual . You have to make the decision to do it safe or not .If you ignore PPE requirements  who is to blame "YOU". If you work unsafe you endanger you'r self and others . I read over your accident reports and any one of the could have occurred  in any industry or construction operation ..I know a guy who went to weld on his truck in a warehouse ,he didn't know that they had been spray painting earlier  in there and the building was full of fumes  when he started welding the entire warehouse turned into a fire ball.  he escaped with burns ,but the 10,000 sqf building and contents were lost.gxbxcLast edited by gxbxc; 10-27-2014 at 11:53 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by gxbxcThe over all responsiblity  for safety rest with You the individual . You have to make the decision to do it safe or not .If you ignore PPE requirements  who is to blame "YOU". If you work unsafe you endanger you'r self and others . I read over your accident reports and any one of the could have occurred  in any industry or construction operation ..gxbxc
Reply:You have to make up your own mind about what you want to do we can't do it fore you. So what ever you decide go fore it 100 percent and don't look back.
Reply:The reason people get hurt welding is complacency. And that happens in every sector of industry. As far as your tattoo comment is concerned, the first thing you should learn, regardless of what job it may be for, is SAFETY so if this was a tattoo forum the advice would be, learn how to tattoo but whatever you do, always wear protective gloves and always use fresh needles, be sure you throw the used ones into a a hard plastic container that will not break open (I.e. NOT garbage bags). People get hurt because they aren't aware of their surroundings or become complacent. Of course there is going to be more injuries in a shipyard, there's way more ways to get injured there than in other areas of welding, but I would be willing to bet that all the people that got injured in your articles were people that had worked there for years, or someone who just wasn't paying attention.Again. The take away point is that if you pay attention, don't get complacent, and follow safety procedures (which are there to keep this kind of stuff from happening) you will be fine.Craftsman 90 amp Arc welder
Reply:In many factory's the air quality is just as bad or worse then welding. Many have a for from the fumes. Your lungs hurt when you leave work and these are clean places.
Reply:Fog.........
Reply:Thanks for the advice everyone. I keep what you've said here in mind and try to be vigilant on the job (providing I get certified and can land a job) when it comes to safety no matter where I end up.