I'm exploring career options and am curious about the trades. What kind of jobs are considered 'trade jobs,' and what do people in those roles typically do? I'd love some insight into this field!
Trade jobs, also known as skilled trades, can be a great career route if you're interested in hands-on, specialize work. Not only are they often high-paying, but they also usually require less schooling than a traditional four-year degree. Here are a few of the most common types of trade jobs:
1. Electrician: Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical systems in homes, businesses, and factories. They ensure these systems work safely and can also troubleshoot any issues.
2. Plumber: Plumbers install and repair pipes that carry liquids or gases. This might mean fixing a home's plumbing system or even working on larger infrastructure for cities.
3. Welder: Welders use heat to fuse metal parts together. They often work on construction sites, but also in manufacturing or automotive repair.
4. HVAC Technician: HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Technicians in this field install, maintain and repair these kinds of systems in buildings.
5. Carpenter: Carpenters work with wood to build and repair structures and furniture. They also can specialize in areas like cabinetry or framing in construction.
6. Automotive Mechanic: Automotive Mechanics, or service technicians, inspect, maintain, or repair cars and light trucks. With vehicles constantly changing, many mechanics are now required to understand complex computer systems along with traditional mechanical work.
7. Mason: Masons work with bricks, concrete blocks, and natural stones to build structures. This could be anything from walkways to walls.
8. Lineman: Linemen install or repair electrical power systems and telecommunications cables, including fiber optics.
These are just a few examples off the top of my head, but there's a wide variety of careers in trade industries. It’s definitely a field worth exploring if you're interested in work that's physical, practical, and highly skill-based! Remember that every job requires a different set of skills and training, so it'd be a good idea to look into each of them more to see what might align with your interests and long-term career goals.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.