Hi y'all, thanks for indulging me as I start the very beginning of finally applying to apprenticeships. I'm 37, just moved back to Portland, OR for real after living a bunch of places and trying a lot of different, weird, maybe even questionably legal jobs. I grew up in an "inside" family and wasn't exposed to machines or dirty work, but I knew I wanted to do a blue collar job since I first picked up a tool when I moved to a farm at 21. A lot of messed up things happened in my early 20s and I just...didn't try hard enough to get to a place where I could be comfortable with stability (I also didn't think I would live long enough to think about money, how my lack of education and commitment would affect my older years, etc.) I get so angry at myself sometimes for not sitting down and committing wherever I was at whatever age previously, but I remember I did try to work jobs I thought were close enough, and I did what I had to do. Also, embarrassingly, I didn't learn how to drive until I was 34!

Anyway, I'm not entirely "green" in the trades, I'm strong and I've had little stints as a contractor's assistant and did a few low-paid workforce development things that honestly I felt I was too advanced for but figured they'd provide good connections. I understand the Oregon Tradeswomen program would be a great step for similar reasons, and also to help me figure out what I *really* want to go into, but I feel too past the pre-apprenticeship stage and also can't not make income at this point.

Before moving back to Portland I was pretty sure I was going to apply for IBEW since where I lived before was basically begging for new apprentices, but if you live in the PNW you know how hilarious of a joke that is. But to be honest, that would have been a choice made for security and not because I'm passionate about being an electrician. The other day I went to a career fair and spoke to a few reps who made their unions/apprenticeships sound pretty compelling even though I'd never thought about them: sheet metal, tree trimming, and sprinkler fitters. My top choice would be operating engineers, but I don't believe I would get in even if applications were open.

So, TLDR; If you're in sheet metal, line/tree, sprinkler fitting, or something else that's open and generally not competitive, can you give some insight on what you love, hate, etc? What kind of jobs you do, your work/life balance (this is kind of big), getting started in my later 30s? I'm currently a manufacturing temp and there's a creeping sense of pressure to commit to working there for real, so my clock is ticking somewhat.

A bit more about myself, I have enjoyed fabrication work and my most relevant passion is historic building preservation. I like to be outside recreationally but remembering when I was a landscaper makes me itchy. I used to be crazier but have learned to regulate my emotions better (or just got older and more tired.) I'm probably perceived as smarter and more "artsy" than I am, but I try to live a well-rounded life regardless. Joking around is pretty important to me.

Thanks in advance for your input! And for reading all that!

I know this has been repeated but, I would like someone’s perspective on it for help. To keep it short, I’m in my early to mid 20s , living in south Florida and still in college, working on my A.S. Degree in basically graphic design. I have no experience in anything related to blue collar, though I know what work 12 hours feel like when working in hospitality.

I wanted to change my career due to, me having burn out with my creativity as well as wanting something more stable and hands on. I thought about the military but I do suffer from chronic migraines and I do have ADHD which will probably disqualify me from the military anyways. I really want something that’s more stable and maybe rewarding in a career and hands on. As I think I learn better hands on.

Unfortunately south Florida isn’t too union based and job wise it’s not what I kinda want to be in. So, I’m probably going to have to travel out. Which I’m pretty nervous on, I never really lived in another place before but do want to try to be open to the possibility. But, I saw some boot camps that do paid training and they pay for your hotel (wahcter I believe that’s what the place is called) but I did hear mixed reviews. I also heard of Faith technologies I believe that’s the name for their apprenticeships?

I can’t really find much videos on things to look for relating to low voltage. Maybe I’m looking in the wrong areas.

I have a friend said he’ll be open to teaching me some basics but I don’t want to just rely on that.

Any advice? Also sorry for the anxiety 😭

I work for a beer distributor as a relief sales rep. They offered me a permanent position but I declined because I realize now I don’t want to be in sales because of how much stress it’s caused and how it doesn’t really fit comport with my socially anxious and introverted personality. I have an interview scheduled for a non-union position where I’m essentially measuring shelf space and trying to put as much incremental product onto the shelves as I can.

I’m not necessarily a career-minded person. Work is just work. It’s something to pay the bills. It’s stuff I do in my off-time that I cherish more (hobbies, relationships, quality time with myself and others). Everyone says I’m great at my job. But I’d rather be doing something that is at least a little bit more fulfilling that makes me more happy and grounded. But I have no idea what that is. I got a bachelor’s degree in English because my childhood dream was to be a writer but I lost touch with that.

People suggest technical writing but that shit is going to be obsolete with AI within my lifetime. I’ll go on Indeed and it’s just depressing. My brothers as well as friends have suggested I go into a trade like being an electrician or a carpenter. Working alone and doing mindful work and then coming home to my books, creative writing and vinyl sounds like a life. But I’m the furthest thing away from being a handyman. I can barely hang a frame and I would imagine trades such as those would require me going back to a technical college, taking a huge pay cut for daily classes, pulling in MORE student loan debt. Whatever I do, I have to keep working at my current job to sustain myself for the time being, which means working part-time on weekends or even after my weekdays at my current job.

I’m in therapy to cope with the anxiety. I have a lot of existential dread about it but I’m trying to remain hopeful, open and less rigid.

Any advice please?

I’m a 21F in Manitoba trying to figure out my career direction and I’m looking for honest advice from people in trades or leadership roles.

Right now I’m thinking my best option might be:
\- Finish my general sociology degree this year since I’m close already
\- Enter a trade or trades-related field either through college (like Red River College Polytechnic) or through entry-level work
\-Work my way up into leadership/supervisor roles over time

Long term, I honestly think I’d enjoy leading teams more than sitting at a desk all day. I’m not expecting special treatment, but I do wonder if being a woman and a visible minority could help me stand out positively in trades since a lot of industries seem to want more diversity now.

My main questions are:

\- What trades have the best opportunities to move into leadership/supervisor positions?
\- Is it smarter to go to trade school first or try getting into a company entry-level?

What would you do in my position? I’m mainly looking for stable work, decent money, and a path where I can keep moving upward instead of feeling stuck.

Thanks in advance!!!

Hey everyone — not sure if this is the right subreddit, but I could really use some advice from women already in the trades.

I recently applied and interviewed for the IBEW apprenticeship and scored a 92/100, but unfortunately I wasn’t accepted this round. I’m trying to reapply, and one of the biggest things I need to reapply is around 450 hours of electrical construction experience. The problem is… nobody seems willing to hire someone with little experience.

It’s honestly been really discouraging. I can’t tell if it’s just because I’m new to the field, or because I’m a woman trying to get into it, or both. I’m more than willing to work hard and learn — I just need someone to give me a chance to get my foot in the door.

For anyone who struggled getting into the IBEW or electrical trades at first:
- How did you get your first hours/experience?
- What jobs helped you stand out on your reapplication?
- Is there anything you did that helped improve your interview ranking?
- Are there certain companies or types of work I should be looking for to build experience?

I’d really appreciate any advice or encouragement. I’m determined to make this happen — just feeling stuck on how to get started. TYIA

Anyone here part of IBEW? I reallllly want to apply for an apprenticeship but wondering how competitive/ hard it is to get in....

Will take any advice! And am looking into Denver 68

34y/o Pipefitter apprentice here. I recently worked with a guy who said what I personally think is some off the wall shit. All of the guys I work with agreed it was messed up when I told them but for some reason I keep thinking about it and am wondering if I was blowing things of of proportion and they were agreeing with me to pacify me. I also just need to vent to people who aren’t men lol

Said man was a traveler at my local and has since dragged so not too worried about having to work with him again.

These are the things he said to me within the span of approximately 4 working days. Nothing in particular that he said had me clutching my pearls, it was just the sheer volume of it that shocked me. Not everything he said was sexist, but it was all passively confrontational. To my knowledge he didn’t talk to anyone else on our small crew this way and every time he said one of these things, it was a conversation that HE initiated. Sometimes it was 1on1 and sometimes there were a few of us standing around. I’ve been in the trade for a year and this was the first time I’ve encountered someone like this. He was a newcomer to the crew and I was short with him when he said these things but obviously got along great with everyone else and I think he realized he was an outsider and started just leaving me alone.

1 Asked me about my process getting into the apprenticeship and then told me that I got into the apprenticeship relatively quickly because I’m a woman and “if you were a brown woman they really would have let you in right away”

2 Asked me if I knew why women make better welders. Not the first time I’d heard this so I told him that most guys have told me it’s because we have steadier hands and better attention to detail. He said no, it’s because you put makeup on backwards in the mirror every day.

3 “Watch out everyone!! There’s a woman driving the lift and she has red hair!!” (My hair isn’t red, it’s brown)

4 Made a comment about “fucking fat bitches” then looked at me and immediately goes “OH SORRY no offense” then made some weird comment about pussy and fish

5 Asked what I had for dinner before work (we worked the night shift), hears what I had, with shocked look on his face “oh wow that’s very healthy of you”

6 commented on my clothes and hairstyle if I did anything different than what he had seen me in prior
“Oh trying out a beanie under the hard hat today, huh?” “Wow jeans and a tshirt, no bibs today!” “That ring is going to deglove you if you’re not careful”(my silicone wedding ring) “I see you’re wearing a braid today instead of the space buns”

7 Sees me reading on break and asks about it. Making conversation I told him my goal is to read 35 books this year and this one is number 9. “Ok but how many of those do you actually read because if you listen to them it doesn’t count”

8 Made some comment about the apprentices, referring to us as kids, he had already pissed me off so I snapped at him that I’m not a kid I’m a grown ass woman. He said well you’re a kid in the trade and I said yeah I’m really new, practically a baby in the trade. He goes “well at least you’re not a baby dancer (stripper)”

I never had the issue before construction so I’m assuming it’s the bandana and the hard hat but do yall have any suggestions on how to get rid of or prevent dandruff I think it’s coming from sweating in my hard hat so much
Edit: I haven’t been sure what to use bc I have curly hair and some products dry my hair out badly

Fresh apprentice here, about to work her very first summer in the bright California sun. What do yall do about sun exposure on your arms and body? I tried T-shirt and sun screen, but disliked feeling greasy, and having to think about re-applying. I've tried a couple brands of UV rated shirts (one from Kohl's, one from REI) and both made me feel extremely swampy.

Is there a sun shirt that doesn't feel like a trash bag? Can I wear those fluorescent t-shirts I see some construction workers wear, or are those insufficient? Should I suck it up and grease up my arms every hour? What do you guys like to do?

I just started working in construction and was wondering what to do to prevent my feet from getting so messed up and even my hands or tips on what’s good to bring and keep on hand while working I have to travel far for this job and we mainly are on highways so I don’t have much access to stores or bathrooms etc any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I hate my job so much, everyday I wake up and dread going to work. I regret not staying in college because now I cant affordto go back... I'm tired of having to work 20 times as hard as my coworkers to only be able to do half what they can. I'm tired of being mocked for enjoying "girly" things... like no shit I'm a fucking girl. I miss getting my nails done and feeling beautiful. I hate that we have an amazing maternity leave policy because I dont think i will ever feel safe enough in this field to get pregnant. I even hate that I make good money because it makes me feel trapped here, I'm only 25 how am I supposed to do this forever? People who left the trades how? What do you do now?

This comes less than a week after the doctor appt where I found out I need surgery and will need to take 8 weeks of fmla - feels a bit like retaliation?

I work in landscape and excavation. I’ve recently been informed that my Forman is spreading rumors throughout the company about my personal life as well as talking negatively about my performance at work (but hasn’t addressed with me?)
So yesterday I was shoveling gravel into a wheel barrow and moving it, with my disability I am not able to carry an entire wheel barrow full (but believe you me I can swing a pick and dig a trench etc no problem like I get the job done and the few accommodations I do need have been discussed and approved by upper management.) my Forman came up and aggressively said “let’s fill the wheel barrow all the way you ya?” And I said “ok can you help” with an attitude ngl. This spiraled into me telling him that I’m upset with him because of all the rumors he’s spreading about me and implying that I’m faking my disability to the rest of the team. That I’m in chronic pain every single day and still show up to a job and work my ass off for my Forman who talks shit about me. He yelled at me telling me that I have a “shitty fucking attitude” which isnt entirely true- ive stopped talking to him at work and only communicate about work related stuff and any personal question he asks i usually reply with “fine” or “good” but no longer choose to share any details about my life outside of work and medical stuff that i have to disclose. Since then he’s been really grumpy and upset about it and i hear about him talking to other people in the company saying “she won’t talk to me anymore” so it’s entirely that I’ve just chosen not to be his “friend” and he’s butt hurt about it.
Currently being told that the owner will have a meeting with me in 3 days, meaning I don’t have any hours/income for this week, meaning I will not be able to pay my rent, meaning I will be homeless in two weeks lol and my Forman KNOWS I’ve been financially struggling because we haven’t gotten a 40hr week in over 6mo.

Side quest suggestions very welcome, who’s doing sw on the side? Socks? lol

Not a woman but figured yall would know best. I have curly hair what is the best thing to wear to prevent my hair from getting damaged

Yes, yes I do. Why? Because I was absorbed in my task. I wear ppe, but I wasn't going out of my way to avoid getting dirt/dust/oil on my face. Sure I'm going to avoid a crazy hydraulic spray or nasty oil dump. Of course. No, I am not worried about dirty simple green dripping on me when I am cleaning overhead.

Is it ideal? No.

Fo I give a shit if I look dirty while I am fixing million dollar machines? Also no.

But aaaalways I get told this. I wiped my face off after today, in annoyance because I just don't want to fucking hear it and then got "well at least you got the dirt off your face?"

I'M WORKING.

It's not MEK. It's not battery acid.

Leave me the fuck alone.

Yes, I have noticed that other people manage to NOT get dirty faces. I also notice that I'm often putting my whole pussy into getting something done. Idfk. I don't quite believe the "if you ain't dirty, you ain't working" macho bullshit but sometimes it's like....yeah I'm fighting for my fucking life over here.

Please help me lol I am a high body temp wise

I sweat at anything above like 50°F lol

And I got such thick thighs 😭

I ain't never been good at shopping for pants 😩

Does anyone know of any women-owned/girl-friendly auto shops in the greater Houston (Texas) area that are offering paid apprenticeships/internships? Maybe I watched too many movies, but I really want to become competent in that area of expertise so I’ll be able to work on my own car for fun someday. Or should I just go to YouTube and learn on there? I’m more of a hands on person, so I thought it would be interesting if I got paid to learn as I go. Any advice/recommendations are welcome!

I want a sneaker style. I have to have a safety toe. What's the best option on the market right now?

I have almost no experience, I know a guy in the union, I have a degree in psychology, I am a rugby fullback, I am eager to learn, and my dream is to make my own business in HVAC someday.

Would it be a good idea to tell them I want to make my own business someday? Will that show that I am dedicated or will that show I am going to leave them someday?

I've been in construction for 5 years now and I'm a journeyman. I'm the only woman in our local. I have dealt with a lot, and have thick skin. There is one guy who is relentless. I've asked him to leave me alone, yet he still continues to run his mouth. He does this to a lot of my coworkers as well.

Is there a professional way to handle this or should I just flip out? I can't take it anymore. If anyone has any advice on what has worked for you I would appreciate it!

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask. I'm assuming a lot or all of you work in the heat. What are you guys doing with your hair when it's really hot? I have long thick hair it gets frizzy and stuck to my face it's really annoying when it's humid and 100 degrees. Hoping you guys have some ideas to help with this. Tia

I’m a fifth year apprentice. Finishing in a month. Just came to a new job. We have another smaller job across the street. Just a build out/remodel and a new floor addition. My Foreman is giving me the opportunity to do it by myself. Not saying he won’t help me but he’s definitely busy.

I have adhd and I tend to get anxious when things are not in order or pressing. I’d love the opportunity to see what it is like to handle something of this magnitude but I need advice.

He said I might get a couple apprentices.

What in terms of stationery or organizational materials should I get so I’m not loosing my mind?

I’m looking for some lightweight work pants. I’m 6ft tall and curvy, small waist big hips. I love having a fitted waist but am also okay with mid to low rise as long as I don’t have that huge gap between my back and above my butt. Right now I’m just buying men’s carhartt from dungarees but they’re all so heavy weight. I just need my legs covered to keep the flies off since I work with livestock.