Reply to 2024 College Graduates, how’s the job market?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A plumber yesterday told me they charge $420 per hour.  I was shocked inflation drove plumbing service to $420 per hour!  Now how many college majors offer $420 per hour, even ten years post-graduation?   And the icing on the cake is AI will not replace residential plumbing maintenance jobs![/quote]

Yep. And if you try to negotiate, they will look at you with a - I just F cleaned up your shit in the bathroom - look and say "don't disrespect the trade." Lesson: Send your kid to trade school? [/quote]

Go ahead and send your kid then. [/quote]

This easy glorification of "the trades" as this great solution--always rubs me wrong--I have many tradespeople in my family, grew up around them, respect them plenty.  It can be a viable option for some people, but there are lot of downsides that you don't see if you only talk to the middle-aged person who has sustained it all and now runs a business.  Sure there are success stories like there are in any profession, but most don't own a successful business--you're seeing the businesses that made it, not all the ones that failed. It's generally a hard life, you get physical injuries and just run down with time. A lot of the smart talented tradespeople I know, who worked in well-off areas, had businesses that never took off, or did okay for a time then were hit by changes in supply costs, labor costs, demand, competition, injuries/chronic ailments etc.  There are a lot of famines of work and there's a natural cap on how much you can take advantage of the feast.  These days with all the social media ratings etc. residential tradespeople are especially stressed because they have to manage reviews (and there are some unethical people who will use reviews/social media to blackmail tradespeople).  As for going back to college after starting a trade (often to pick up the business skills needed), a lot of them find it very rough after not using their brains in that way for a several years even if they were once more academically inclined. [/quote]

I think there is also too much emphasis on residential trades people, while there are many welders, electricians, etc working for large companies and working 9-5 (+ overtime) jobs.

Going the small business route may be very lucrative for a very small percentage…but it’s not great for most.[/quote]

Nephew is going the welder route working for a large company.  It is hot as Hades this time of year, benefits are meh and they really make you earn your vacation slowly over time. It is a physical job that takes a toll.  As others have said, trade jobs are hard on your body. [/quote]

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