Choosing your career is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your lifetime. To ensure you find a job that matches your skills and interests, it’s important to explore all your options. Have you considered HVAC or another skilled trade?
A skilled trade is any job that requires a specific skillset or ability. These include careers in agriculture, construction, transportation, service, and manufacturing – all of which are industries that make up our essential workforce. Our society needs basic commodities to thrive. Therefore, working in a skilled occupation (such as an HVAC installer or service technician) offers job security, above-average wages, less student debt, and other benefits.
Despite these perks, many skilled positions remain unfilled as older generations retire and younger people pursue four-year college degrees. Since 2020, however, studies show the tide is beginning to turn. As student debt reaches record levels, more young people are considering trade school to avoid taking out large loans.
This is encouraging news, but more people need to actively pursue these professions for the trade worker shortage to end. Will you be one of those people?
As a commercial HVAC company, Custom Aire is part of the construction industry. Keep reading to learn how to determine if HVAC (or another job in construction) is right for you. Let’s dive in!
How to Explore Careers in the Skilled Trades
Reflect on Your Skills & Interests
Are you interested in working with your hands every day? Do you want to work on different sites, or even travel to different cities? Do you like solving problems and seeing a project from start to finish? These traits are all exercised in a variety of positions in the construction industry.
If you have any of the following skills, a career in construction could be a good fit for you:
- Problem-solver
- Self-starter
- Like building or assembling things
- Enjoy working with hands and tools
- Detail-oriented
- Eager to learn
- Like physical activity
- Team-oriented worker
- Enjoy repairing or troubleshooting
- Love working outdoors
As you contemplate your career options, make a list of your top skills. Then, talk to your school advisor or a professional in your desired industry to see how you can apply these skills in a career.
Look Into Earn & Learn Programs
Another way to explore skilled jobs in construction is to check out programs that pay you to learn the trade. At Custom Aire, we have a Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Program that gives you hands-on experience in HVAC while you earn a paycheck. When you complete the program, you receive a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship and progress to journeyman. We welcome applications year-round, and no previous experience in sheet metal is necessary.
Attend a Career Fair
Our last tip to explore careers in construction is to attend a career fair. These events are a great place to explore construction as a career choice in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. In addition to hands-on demonstrations, career fairs give you the opportunity to network with area professionals and ask them questions about working in their field.
Many career fairs in our area are posted on the ND Job Service website and Facebook page. Custom Aire attends many of these events, so be on the lookout for information!
We’re always happy to chat with students who are interested in launching a successful career in the construction industry. To learn more about open positions, our apprenticeship program, or job shadowing opportunities, contact your school career counselor for further information!
