Displaced worker looking for a new career

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I am a former freight train engineer, but I have lost my job and so I am looking for a new career.  I was jut wondering what some of you professinals would suggest I take into consideration regarding welding for a living.  I am curious if there is a high demand for road guys?  Could I get a job fairly fast and fairly easily right out of school if I am willing to travel?  Thanks, in advance, for any advice .
Reply:Are you not wanting to continue on with the rail road?
Reply:I went to a Regional Occupational Program course in welding here in Orange County. School, helps and its a good place to start, but generally speaking it's not enough to succeed these days. My experience is that school was enough to get me in the door near minimum wage, where I was able to get some real world experience. Generally I don't believe in "cutting rates" but the job I got was a really good opportunity go learn and get in some serious torch time, so I took it. Even then it was tough to land a job, it took a CRAZY amount of work, and literally hundreds of contacts. Nobody else in my welding class had a job out of school, all the promises of easy job pickings and really being in demand turned out to be pretty bogus. Remember schools sell education, not employment.....Still, after a year of school, additional practice at home on my own welder, and practice at a buddy's shop, I've got around 1500 hours of actual torch time and am feeling more confident regarding the opportunities out there.So bottom line? In my experience, I had to really swallow my pride, and work very hard for nothing, then near minimum wage, and now I think I've got a shot at making a decent living,  it's been fun, I've learned a lot, but it's been a very hard row to hoe.
Reply:Having had a lot of different kinds of jobs and having worked for, I can't remember how many,  different employers; I am very reluctant to offer any advice without knowledge of a lot of details.What are the intrests and apptitudes of the OP?  What transferable skills does the OP have?  What are the ciircumstances of his loss of employment?  Heallth and fitness of the OP?  Will the OP work in confined spaces or at heights?  Can or will the OP travel for a job?When face with changing careers, I found a lot of help in the book "What Color Is Your Parachute?"I suggest the OP consider these questions and discuss things with an employment counselor.Last edited by nadogail; 07-02-2011 at 09:15 PM.Reason: syntaxI offer three choices: Good, Fast, & Cheap. You may pick two.Hobart AC/DC StikMate LXHarbor Freight AD HoodHarbor Freight Industrial Chop SawDeVilbis 20 Gallon, 5 HP Compressor
Reply:i have posted on the miller board and this one also about the huge increase in domestic oil exploration and production.  also about the prospect of big moves in natural gas (which is currently in the toilet)  you hear people talking about needing to find good work, but most can't seem to get past the end of their street.   better to take advantage of that 99weeks of unemployment.   that was not directed at you but to many members of the american workforce.orange county, california,  i worked in and out of there for years fabricating and installing industrial ventilation systems.  big ones, i was a layout and field guy.  we serviced other industries.   listen.  they are all gone,  the company i worked for morphed into general contracting and although they still do metal work it is nothing like it used to be.if you want to stay in so cal and compete with a bunch of wetbacks running 251's  good luck to you my friend.   if you want to find work that will lead you some where start where i am about to point you.pull up the skilled trades and crafts link in craigslist..scroll through the first three hundred help wanted ads and find the area of work you would like to get into.   put together some scratch and go there for a few days.  it is booming everywhere there are oil wells old verticals and new horizontals, and oil sands, and oil shale.  look into it.  missippian, bakken, and marcellus plays.here,  read:   http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/danie...122815061.htmli'm even going to give you the link to the tulsa craigslist;  there are plenty of other places like it.  they may not be the places you want to live but they are places you can learn and make a living.http://tulsa.craigslist.org/trd/take some initiative, have an adventure.  go where something is happenning.  or stay in flint, buffalo, gary, or salem.  good luck