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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Plumbing Questions >> Plumbing or Construction?? https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1084282911 Message started by warreng on May 11^th, 2004, 2:41pm

Title: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by warreng on May 11^th, 2004, 2:41pm

Im thinking of starting a course on one of these two but i dont know which one to choose. I have already applied for a plumbing course but i have heard that builders get more pay. Im currently doing some research on the internet as well but i thought i might as well try this forum.....

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by coggy on May 11^th, 2004, 2:58pm

Hi Warreng
Ive sent you a PM, but will post on here.

Ok plumbers, i have asked Warreng to come over from another forum we use, to get some advice from you so please post any advice etc, ive told him how helpful you all are ::) but not as helpful as chippies ;)

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by Plumber on May 11^th, 2004, 6:52pm

warreng

Builder is a very general term, you do not train to become a builder, you either train to be a bricklayer, plasterer, carpenter etc, etc, all these trades together make a builder, if you don't mind me asking, what is your age?

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by HandyMac on May 11^th, 2004, 7:17pm

wrote on May 11^th, 2004, 2:41pm:

If your primary motivation is how much you are going to get paid then I fear that plumbing is not for you.

At the moment plumbers appear to be earning good money. But because of media hype and interest many, many people are looking to leap across to that trade.

Good money comes with rareity of skills. If there were more plumbers than jobs then it stands to reason that rates would fall, because plumbers would undercut each other in order to find work.

It's the same with builders etc. If you are motivated by money then I'm afraid the pot at the end of the rainbow is not going to be found by trying to identify which trade or career provides you with most income.

Andrew

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by Mud on May 11^th, 2004, 7:46pm

Absolutely - Don't just look for the seemingly biggest pay packet. �I tell you, its not worth a penny if you hate the job you've invested years of your life to work in.

You want to look for a career that best utilises the skills you have, that inspires you to get out of bed in the morning and that you enjoy enough to not only succeed in but to continue to learn about in the coming years.

(My God, what the h*ll am I doing in plumbing then. . . ?) ;D ;) ;D

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by woodsmith on May 11^th, 2004, 7:53pm

Warreng, following on from Plumber and Handymac's good advice.

Rather than try to second guess what may be the best paid trade, find out;

a. what trade are you best at?
b. what work would you enjoy doing?

These are probably going to be the same as you won't enjoy a job you are c**p at.

It's no good earning good money if you hate your job, as many of us here can attest.

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by warreng on May 12^th, 2004, 1:40pm

"Warreng, following on from Plumber and Handymac's good advice.

Rather than try to second guess what may be the best paid trade, find out;

a. what trade are you best at?
b. what work would you enjoy doing?

These are probably going to be the same as you won't enjoy a job you are c**p at.

It's no good earning good money if you hate your job, as many of us here can attest. "

Ok, so there is no point in me starting a course just like that because im not sure if i will like it or not. Thats what im trying to kinda find out now. So whats the best way for me to get a taste of what the "actual" job is like? so that i dont end up starting a 2 year course or something and i end up dropping out after a short while.....

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by Dewy on May 12^th, 2004, 4:42pm

Job satisfaction & enjoyment are far more important that getting the highest income.
My youngest son was doing a plumbing course so I thought he would later earn good money.
He walked out before the end of the 1st term because he hated it.
I was under the impression that he only left to earn money til he later told me that plumbing wasn't for him. He got a job in a small factory making glass fibre vessels & comes home with the resin stuck on his hands but loves every minute even though the pay isn't brilliant.

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by HandyMac on May 12^th, 2004, 4:55pm

I gave up a career in IT which paid 4 times as much as I get now as a general handyman.

It's no contest - my job satisfaction is so much better these days, I can sleep at night, the stress has gone. And perhaps the best deal of all is that I'm now friends with others of a practical disposition for whom I have utmost respect (rumours that the IT world is full of prima donnas won't be commented on).

Andrew

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by ROBBO on May 23^rd, 2004, 12:59am

Plumbing , Spark , Chippie any of theese if you want to go into the trade...... Just dont be a plasterer its a S**t
trade, I have been doing it for twenty odd years and I hate it.

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by supersparky on May 23^rd, 2004, 11:45am

ah, yeh looks boring, but people need good plasterers...

now if you were to train as something else now, say a spark, you would be well and truly sorted...you could do your own plastering lol

ss

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by ROBBO on May 23^rd, 2004, 12:47pm

To late to change now supersparky with 3 now and one cooking, have to keep the pennies rolling in.
Luckily enough I do alot of building work and slate/tile roofing so do get a bit of diversity, though when you get a good reputation for one thing its what mostly comes in. If I had to Plaster day in day out till I retired I would go up the wall.
When I left school I went to work for my dads building firm and he made me take on one specific trade as well, and the muppet that I am I went for plastering, now I look on at the sparks & plumbers covered in s**T, sweat, aching like a b*****d & bloody knackered with great admiration and think that could have been me !!!! SIGH :'(

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by supersparky on May 23^rd, 2004, 1:22pm

lol, oh well, you could always do evenin' classes @ collage for plumbing/ leccy, plumbing being easyer as the evening classes dont take so long and ya dont need to qualify on so many different courses ;)

ss

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by ROBBO on May 23^rd, 2004, 5:09pm

Last thing I need after a hard days graft is to be off out to night classes mate, No I am content enough with my lot as it goes, just having a moan, unless of course there are lots of foxy ladies at plumbing night school... perhaps Yoga would be a better option... ;)

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by HandyMac on May 23^rd, 2004, 5:18pm

wrote on May 23^rd, 2004, 5:09pm:

You could always consider becoming a life model for an art course..... ;)

Andrew

Title: Re: Plumbing or Construction??
Post by supersparky on May 23^rd, 2004, 5:38pm

or a close protection guy....then only take on work from female 'vips' lol
sounds like a plan to me
bugger the sparkin...im off

ss