The perception of the plumbing industry is changing dramatically right now. Over the years it had historically been somewhat looked down upon as a second-rate career. This kind of perception didn’t just apply to plumbing for that matter—it was a sentiment people had across all the trades. That’s all finally begun to change, and plumbing is starting to hold more value in people’s minds as far as being looked upon as a promising career. There are some major benefits to learning a trade, and it’s a very viable career for someone to provide for their entire family.
Pros
First of all, plumbing is secure. The reality is, if you have a home, you have plumbing. There will always be a need for those components to be installed, repaired, or replaced. Plumbing is an industry that is nowhere near as volatile as some of the other industries.
Because of the lack of supply of skilled tradesmen, some plumbing companies (like Wisler Plumbing and Air) are paying for the education and training of individuals. In fact, we’re investing large amounts of money into teaching the right people our trade. If you were to compare that to a college degree, it might be a preferable path to consider. Some college graduates end up coming away with a large amount of debt that takes many years to pay back. (I’m definitely not talking down on a college degree, but it might not be the right path for some people.) Remember, there are other options out there.
We’re in the service business, so we serve homeowners and owner-occupied homes. One of the coolest things about going out and repairing or solving someone’s problem is that there is no middleman. In some jobs (like in a corporate office), you don’t directly see the impact that you have on clients. When a service technician goes out to someone’s home, a call taker answers the phone, or a manager interacts with a client, they can directly see someone with a need that needs to be resolved. If someone is desperate to have something fixed, you can go and uncover what needs to be done, provide resolution, and then see the relief that occurs almost instantly. Seeing the gratitude that someone has for the work that you’ve done is very, very rewarding.
Finally, if you’re a trained plumber, you have the skills to fix your own home. For instance, an individual called us looking for a job not too long ago. He said he knew nothing about plumbing but he put in his own faucets and didn’t know if he did a good job or not. I said, “If you come work for us, you’ll probably be able to answer that question in the future.”
Cons
In the service industry, the work schedule is somewhat unpredictable. You can usually have an idea of when you’ll begin the workday, but you might not know when you’ll be finished. We try to manage that as best we can so there is balance. Plumbing isn’t always the cleanest trade, either. There’s going to be dirty and sometimes unpleasant environments.
If plumbing sounds like a career that would be suitable for you, you can find out more information about job opportunities by visiting WislerJobs.com. If you have any plumbing related needs or questions, contact us online or give us a call at 540-483-9382.
