It seems the news is mostly good, that manufacturing jobs are coming back, that welders are or will soon be in great demand:
US Manufacturing to Capture Larger Share of Global Market
WASHINGTON — After decades of hollowing out, U.S. manufacturing is overtaking competitors and stands to grab up to $115 billion more in export business from rivals by 2020, a new report said Tuesday. continue reading this article.–>
Energy industry eager to attract more skilled trades workers
With all the new projects planned along the Gulf Coast, the energy industry predicts it will need 500,000 new workers between now and 2020. continue reading this article–>
Tips for Women Welders
So as a reminder, I thought I’d revisit some tips for women welders to succeed in the industry.
1. Welding Education, Welding Education, Welding Education! (not to mention practice, practice, practice) No matter how you do it, whether you go to a welding school, apprentice with a master fabricator, ask a ton of questions, the more you know the more employable you will be in the welding industry. And women welders, this is especially true for you. The better you are at your craft, the less likely you’ll have to put up with guff from your male counterparts. Make it your mission to weld rings around your male counterparts.
2. Always be professional and dress appropriately. Just the other day I was with a friend who likes to wear revealing clothes. She’s beautiful and she can pull it off…. but I couldn’t help but think that in the way she dresses people make assumptions about her that just aren’t true: that she is not too bright (she has a PhD) and that she is a tramp (she is happily married). I wish we lived in a world where people would treat everyone as equals regardless of their looks, their gender and their manner of dress, that people wouldn’t make assumptions, but we’re not there yet. And in the welding industry, on the job site, always err on the conservative side. (and by the way, Arc-Zone carries the AngelFire line of welding wear for women, which looks nice, is professional and is cut to fit a woman’s body– no need to wear over-sized manly welding apparel!)
3. Toughen up. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that guys give each other a hard time making jokes and razzing each other. It’s part of who they are. You have to learn to laugh it off or dish it back. There are ways to do this and still be professional, and be clear in where the boundaries are. I find saying things with a smile or while laughing to be effective. Be known as the best welder in the shop (see tip number 1), the one who is too busy to mess around, too focused on creating a great weld, and you’ll lessen your chances of getting picked on and you’ll improve your chances of advancing in your welding career.
