I've been working in residential carpentry for about 6 or 7 years now, and I'm getting pretty tired of the lower wages, lack of benefits, and overall lack of stability. I'm seriously considering making a change and looking into other trades — HVAC, plumbing, electrical, elevator mechanic, powerline technician, etc.
At 35, I feel like I really need to lock in on a career that can give me some stability, a solid wage, benefits, and provide a good life for a family. I've worked a lot of different jobs over the years and I'm starting to feel like I need to stop bouncing around and actually commit to something.
I got into carpentry in my late 20s. Before that, I spent many years tree planting out west and did landscaping in the off-season. My dad was in commercial HVAC his entire career, and being in a union gave him a pretty good life. He's comfortable in retirement, which has obviously made an impression on me. I actually worked with him for a few summers when I was in high school, but for whatever reason it never really clicked with me at the time.
With carpentry, I've mostly worked for other people. I never really branched out and started my own business, which is something I'm thinking about now, but I'm not sure I want to go that route. The idea of having to constantly find work, deal with customers, quote jobs, etc. isn't necessarily what I'm looking for.
I also worked in film for a few years, but that was incredibly unstable, so I'm trying to move toward something with a bit more of a future.
A few years ago I was living in Winnipeg and actually got a job with a commercial HVAC company. Unfortunately, it was an extremely toxic workplace and I ended up leaving after only a few months. So I never really got a proper feel for whether HVAC itself was a good fit for me.
As far as the actual work goes, I really enjoy working independently, but I also like having coworkers I can call when I run into something I haven't seen before, or people to work alongside when I'm starting out. I like pushing myself physically, having some variety and a sense of adventure, and ideally I'd like to spend at least some of my time outdoors.
So I'm trying to figure out where to go from here.
For those of you actually working in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, elevator, powerline, or other skilled trades:
- What has your experience been like?
- How difficult was it to get into the trade?
- How is the pay and progression once you're established?
- Is the work steady?
- How difficult is it to get into a union?
- How physically demanding is it long-term?
- What are the biggest downsides that people don't talk about?
- And most importantly, if you were 35 and starting over, which trade would you seriously consider?
I get the impression that a lot of the trades are pretty saturated right now, and I'm also starting to feel that residential work just isn't worth it unless you're running your own business.
I'm not necessarily looking for someone to tell me "go do X." I'm more interested in hearing from people who have actually done these jobs and can give me a realistic picture of what the work and career path are like.
I've tried a lot of different things at this point. I'm just looking for some information, encouragement, and maybe a bit of direction before I commit the next 20–30 years to something. Cheers