Landmark Gives Back: Inspiring Students for a Future in the Trades
Over the last two years I’ve taken the time to meet with local students at Milford High School who are taking classes in the trades and are considering a future career working with their hands. We’ve covered a variety of subjects including practical advice on finding and interviewing for a job, how to be a good employee in any career that you choose, how to stay safe on a job site, and that the early stages of a career may be tedious, but the experience gained at each “job” will lead to a solid career.
Real World Experience Takes Time
Entry-level jobs aren’t always fun, but they’re just that: ENTRY. They are the first step towards a real career that pays well and is enjoyable. School and classes like the ones in the Milford High School trade program are an excellent place to start, but it’s important to understand that, once school is complete, your training isn’t. A lucrative, long-term career in the trades always starts with an apprenticeship – starting at the bottom and working your way up slowly, but surely.
We’ve discussed how hands-on experience is really the best way to learn, and that in this day and age of instant gratification, mastering any skill takes a lot of time, generally years. For example, if you’re just staring out with a building crew that’s working on decks, “guess who’s on the end of a shovel to dig the holes? You are. [But] You can’t get all up in your head about it. It’s part of the process…You’ve got to put your time in.”
My Advice: Dedicate Yourself to the Job at Hand and Opportunities Will Follow
No matter what job you have, in any industry, if an employer or supervisor sees that you’re diligent and are focused on the job at hand – no matter how menial – you will rise to the top and opportunities will follow. Having been in this business for so long, I can spot the “up and coming” workers who are destined for more responsibility fairly easily. They are the ones who show enthusiasm for the work and see EVERY job as an opportunity to learn and ask questions.
Over time, each job you have will also give you a better idea of the job you really WANT. You may be on a roofing crew and discover that you don’t enjoy it, but many of the skills you learn driving those nails and putting that roof together may lead you to try rough carpentry and eventually finish carpentry or cabinet making. Using your experiences and taking time out now and again to reevaluate your career in the context of that experience, will guide you towards a career that you enjoy and that will support you over time.
