Where there are people, there are dwellings. And where there are dwellings there are opportunities for tradespeople to work and earn a living. The mobility of building trade skills and general knowledge is an aspect of our work that while discussed on jobsites among veterans comparing stories, it is a benefit of the job that does not get the press it deserves outside building trades.
I do not consider myself a world traveler, but I have earned a carpenter’s paycheck in four different states. More importantly, when I made the move from Wisconsin to New York 13 years ago I did it knowing that I would be able to find work quickly. In 2007, though I was a member of the Carpenter’s Union, my Midwestern proclivity for self-reliance caused me to send my resume out to 30 contractors that hired from the Union in the area I would soon live in. On the Friday of Memorial Day weekend in 2007 I moved to New York. On that Tuesday I reported for work as a foreman for a company that I stayed with for 2 years. Cross country move, no work missed.
Many working class professions across the country are in need of skilled workers. Few, however, offer the level of independence that the building trades can offer. Once you learn the foundational skills you can hook up with an employer, freelance or set up as your own one person show.
And you can do this anywhere. Somewhere warm, somewhere cold, bustling city, remote countryside. People who can build, and more importantly repair and maintain, will never be left wanting for work by a corporation’s decision to move. Sure, you may take on the role of itinerant craftsperson and travel the globe plying your trade only to find out that the hourly rate commanded in Texas is nowhere near what you commanded in Washington D.C., but the work is out there for the taking.
During my apprenticeship, work opportunities were advertised from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf Emirates. At the time I never thought I would leave the Milwaukee area until life took me to the Northeast. Truth be told, once I settled in I never thought I would leave the Northeast (old houses, moneyed clients, cutting-edge work, peer groups like NESEA, and such were new experiences) until we decided to put our house up for sale and return to Wisconsin.
Am I nervous about the move? Absolutely. Do I wake up in the middle of the night weighing the options of going the self-employed route or finding a company that is a good match for me culture and workwise? Absolutely. Do I worry about finding work? Not in the least.
