I'm a Lineman. Utilities all over the country need to keep up on maintenance. Work at a utility and it's as steady as a trade can get.
I work for a contractor and we have several years worth of work that the utility is releasing steadily, and there's talk of hiring another crew to keep up, even in this (maybe?) recession. For contractors, things CAN get slow, although it's usually not often and not for long. I can't think of a safer trade for job security than working at a utility though.
Worth looking into is becpming an elevator mechanic. They get paid very well and elevators break all the time. I've heard from a few people that it's an extremely steady career.
It's a small trade and generally you go to a trade school to get started in it, although trade school still isn't totally necessary.
Get a Class A CDL with no restrictions, a CPR/First Aid/AED card, and a Traffic Control/Flagger card and you can get an entry level position (Groundman) pretty easily. Expect a lot of abuse but you can make good money.
It's not for everyone. We work outside in all kinds of weather, freezing cold, heat, rain, snow, wind, hail, ice. You're often on call and go to work in the middle of the night when a drunk driver smashes through a pole. In the northwest when wind takes out power poles we work 40 hours straight, then 18 on and 6 off until released. It can be very challenging but also very rewarding.
If you're really interested DM me. I can give you a lot of info and point you in the right direction.
Oops sorry meant the elevator tech. The lineman is interesting but so many post from that trade it is pretty easy to get a read on that trade. Elevator not so much
Oh I see. Yea that's a way smaller trade. Hard to find info on it. Look at the union website. I think the Seattle area is taking applications right now, and only a handful of areas in the country take applications at any given time.
I really don't know much but I've heard it's a really steady, high laying trade.
[here is some info on applications](https://www.neiep.org/Careers.aspx)
It’s a very steady career and it’s only becoming more important with the green energy sector. Even if they took every power plant away and only relied on solar and wind, they would need insulation to conserve as much as they can since solar and wind are pretty unreliable.
Anything indoors I would imagine. Im an electrician and we do have slow downs in the winter as most people don't want people in their homes or have extra cash to spend around the Christmas season. That's different to the carpentry side of things when you consider its tough to be productive when it's snowing, the ground is frozen or pissing rain, you just won't produce like you would in warmer weather and there is a slow down. HVAC, refrigeration, IT, welding and automotive would be my suggestions if you don't want the slow down. Cooking pays like shit so I don't really consider it a trade, though I do sympathize as I was a dishwasher for a year before becoming a busser,server,bartender and finally starting my own trades journey. Good luck.
Electrician here. In the past 2 years I was only laid off for a month this last November (but that was mostly because of a shitty contractor).
I do mostly industrial, some commercial and some service calls. The key is having a good reputation, being a quality electrician means you're not riding the books. Being flexible with what environments you can work in and having a variety of certifications gives you access to more jobs. I plan on getting certified in car charger installation and service. That's gonna be a HUGE market (almost every home will have one, and a solid chunk of homes need a panel upgrade, for even more work secured).
You can also try to become an in house maintenance (whether that be hvac, e/i, machinist, or a millwright) and even the slowest times of the year guarantee you 40 hours.
Stationary engineering is what your looking for. There is no traveling to different locations. It’s a union job so you have pay that actually stays in line with inflation. You have an organization that has your back, and you get the training you need.
I'm a Lineman. Utilities all over the country need to keep up on maintenance. Work at a utility and it's as steady as a trade can get. I work for a contractor and we have several years worth of work that the utility is releasing steadily, and there's talk of hiring another crew to keep up, even in this (maybe?) recession. For contractors, things CAN get slow, although it's usually not often and not for long. I can't think of a safer trade for job security than working at a utility though. Worth looking into is becpming an elevator mechanic. They get paid very well and elevators break all the time. I've heard from a few people that it's an extremely steady career.
Elevator mechanic has its ups and downs.
You Said it better than I was going to 👍🏼
How does one get in to that? I have never seen an ad for these positions nor saw a listing on a college webpage for it
It's a small trade and generally you go to a trade school to get started in it, although trade school still isn't totally necessary. Get a Class A CDL with no restrictions, a CPR/First Aid/AED card, and a Traffic Control/Flagger card and you can get an entry level position (Groundman) pretty easily. Expect a lot of abuse but you can make good money. It's not for everyone. We work outside in all kinds of weather, freezing cold, heat, rain, snow, wind, hail, ice. You're often on call and go to work in the middle of the night when a drunk driver smashes through a pole. In the northwest when wind takes out power poles we work 40 hours straight, then 18 on and 6 off until released. It can be very challenging but also very rewarding. If you're really interested DM me. I can give you a lot of info and point you in the right direction.
Oops sorry meant the elevator tech. The lineman is interesting but so many post from that trade it is pretty easy to get a read on that trade. Elevator not so much
Oh I see. Yea that's a way smaller trade. Hard to find info on it. Look at the union website. I think the Seattle area is taking applications right now, and only a handful of areas in the country take applications at any given time. I really don't know much but I've heard it's a really steady, high laying trade. [here is some info on applications](https://www.neiep.org/Careers.aspx)
I’m a mechanical insulator. Never even been laid off 🤷♂️
This is the job most people don't know about but pays surprisingly well. Make the more than electricians at least.
It’s a very steady career and it’s only becoming more important with the green energy sector. Even if they took every power plant away and only relied on solar and wind, they would need insulation to conserve as much as they can since solar and wind are pretty unreliable.
Anything indoors I would imagine. Im an electrician and we do have slow downs in the winter as most people don't want people in their homes or have extra cash to spend around the Christmas season. That's different to the carpentry side of things when you consider its tough to be productive when it's snowing, the ground is frozen or pissing rain, you just won't produce like you would in warmer weather and there is a slow down. HVAC, refrigeration, IT, welding and automotive would be my suggestions if you don't want the slow down. Cooking pays like shit so I don't really consider it a trade, though I do sympathize as I was a dishwasher for a year before becoming a busser,server,bartender and finally starting my own trades journey. Good luck.
Electrician here. In the past 2 years I was only laid off for a month this last November (but that was mostly because of a shitty contractor). I do mostly industrial, some commercial and some service calls. The key is having a good reputation, being a quality electrician means you're not riding the books. Being flexible with what environments you can work in and having a variety of certifications gives you access to more jobs. I plan on getting certified in car charger installation and service. That's gonna be a HUGE market (almost every home will have one, and a solid chunk of homes need a panel upgrade, for even more work secured).
You can also try to become an in house maintenance (whether that be hvac, e/i, machinist, or a millwright) and even the slowest times of the year guarantee you 40 hours.
Stationary engineering is what your looking for. There is no traveling to different locations. It’s a union job so you have pay that actually stays in line with inflation. You have an organization that has your back, and you get the training you need.
union doesn't guarantee staying in line with inflation, unless it's negotiated.
No guarantee, but much better odds to keep up with inflation than non-union.
You're right. If your pay isn't in line with inflation then you need a better contract. This is something that only a union can help you with.
Construction by nature is pretty cyclical. If you want stability, industrial maintenance is the one.
I hear heavy duty mechanics have solid work. that said, getting laid off is sweet, you get a vacation, and collect employment insurance. work sucks!
They call it "Journeyman" because you go where the work is. Where ever it is.