Question:
Does anyone out here own there own a costruction or rehab business? Im
20 years old and thinking about going to a technical school for
carpentry in St.Louis Missouri. I would like to know the pro's and con's of haveing a
constuction business ,or if it's just better to work for somene else.
I'm not sure if i should just get on with a big constuction company and
work my way up from a apprentice ,or go to a technical school and work
for my self. I've worked for a few small construction company's ,and
all i basiclly learned how to do is dig ditches and carry lumber...lol
but i've done some building to and really enjoy the trade. Well any
information would be helpful .
Answer:
The biggest obsticale for kids your age is to realize that you have a
tremendous amount to learn about life and just about everything else. Adopt
the attitude that you don't know anything and you have a lot to learn and you
will go far.
I have hired a few kids out of trade school and have found them to be the least
desirable employees. I have deduced that the main reason for this is that the
school environment is an artificial environment where a teacher takes students
at a slow pace and tries to teach them something. Almost all classrooms in
America end up catering to the needs of the slowest and least talented
students, thus creating an inferior pace and standard of excellence. Kids
fresh from trade school usually have no concept of what hard and demanding work
the construction business is. There experience in school was a cake walk
compared to a real jobsite.
On the flip side, the business world rewards hard work, creativity, and
reliability. If you don't keep up the pace you will be made to feel miserable.
Almost every construction company is looking for hard working, reliable young
people to hire and train. If you are willing to work hard, learn from other
tradespeople, and be reliable, you will find many people willing to train you
plus pay you a reasonable salary at the same time. Experience has taught me
to look at all applicants fresh out of trade school with a jaundiced eye. It
is nice that they have had some exposure to tools and methods but I would much
rather see a willingness to learn and a mature attitude.
In summary, seek a job with a construction company. Go to them and tell them
that you want to be hard working and reliable and learn some trade skills.
Prove to them that you are ready to be an adult and put your childish ways
behind you. You will be much further ahead than wasting a year in trade school.
