Any of you former white collar workers that transitioned to blue collar/trade jobs.
I want to try something new and one of the things I'm interested in is trade jobs. I hear the work is rewarding and the pay is good and I'm kind of tired of the office lifestyle. At the same time I hope I'm not romanticizing trade jobs and in reality they may be gruelling, low pay with long hours, crazy schedules and I might wish I never left. So have any of you made this switch and if you did was it the right call
I made the reverse switch 16 years ago. I was in a blue-collar, union-shop.I made fair money, sometimes good money on holidays with triple-time, but it was the exception not the rule. I make a lot more in Tech. I don't have to work in the cold, rain, mandatory OT, the blazing desert sun, and clock in and out, or get penalized for a 30 second late swipe. I get more vacation, sick time, and do not have to work under the eye of the floor foreman. I also ran my own business with my wife and the hours worked versus what I took home..forget it. I make more $$ and spend more time with my family. That's just me though.
I agree with James the working conditions are not always so favorable especially if you live in the seasonal colder states. If you're interested though you should look into apprenticeships in your area. It’s a combination classroom and worksite experience and your pay gets better as you progress. The terms are 4-5 years. Do you have a particular trade in mind?