Women in the Trades
By Amber
@AmbiePam (120987)
United States
September 4, 2007 9:43pm CST
I read part of a book once about women in the trades. Some were divorced and a secretary's job wasn't enough to feed the entire family. They didn't have the education to be a teacher, and they didn't know a speciality like cosmotology. So these women looked into it (this was a couple decades ago and jobs for women have surely changed) and learned they could go to city hall, takes tests, see what they were good at, and then they would be trained in the trades, then, mostly seen as men's jobs. One woman become a welder, one an electrician, and another a steel worker. One even went to work in a coal mine.
If I were to work in a trade in the same vein, I think I would be install telephone lines. Sure, it would be dangerous, but I'd get to be high in the air, and I'd really have to be able to focus, and I'd learn something that I think would give me a lot of confidence.
So if life were to take a different turn, which job in the same area as I discussed above, would you choose to work in? Perhaps some of you already do or have worked in these areas. I'd love to hear more.
*I don't mean to be rude, but if you just want to say you'd never work in a trade, please just pass on this discussion. : )
2 people like this
7 responses
@theprogamer (10532)
• United States
6 Sep 07
Welding and carpentry. I know some of the basics (a bit of a stretch in the latter, but I still count it ,
1 person likes this
@theprogamer (10532)
• United States
6 Sep 07
I believe my stalker or stalkers have caught up with me. Or I gained new ones.
Either way, I did have an 8 like 48 hours ago, now I'm a 5. It happens, I do comment on other threads that aren't for the faint of heart, but I always respect opinions and even defend people's right to say things. Still, it seems unavoidable to have enemies at this stage of the game.
Either that, or maybe I'm still being newbie hazed.
1 person likes this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
5 Sep 07
My husband works in a steel mill as an electrician. There are women working there too. I wouldn't want to work there, because it's such a stinky, dirty place, also noisy and hot because of the molten steel. The women who do work there like it because the pay is good. Many of them started out as general labor, and bid for better jobs as openings became available.
I used to work for the phone company, and I was one of the first women to work on the frames. That's where the phone wires all come in to the building, and are soldered onto numbered frames I wore a tool belt, and soldered wires to connect, or if a person was late on their payment or moved, we would disconnect their line. I loved that job. I used to wish I could work on the outside lines, but at that time they didn't have any women doing that.
I've always wondered what it would be like to be a truck driver. I would love to travel around the country. There are a lot of women truck drivers now, and some work in teams with their husbands. I don't think I would be able to drive one of those big trucks in a crowded city, or back one up into a garage, but if I was more skillful, I might have tried doing something like that.
1 person likes this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
6 Sep 07
The guys I worked with accepted me as one of them. It was funny when I first started working with them though, because they would try not to swear when I was around. They used to hold doors open for me, and little things like that. They were nice guys, and after a while they got used to me,and just acted as if I was another guy. We had a lot of fun playing tricks on each other,and goofing off.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169505)
• United States
5 Sep 07
I would want to learn carpentry, I love wood. I would probably be a cabinet installer, but I would really enjoy furniture construction and refinishing. If I ever get the chance I will take an evening class along this line. I own probably every type of sander you can think of and lots of other things that are supposed to make it easy to finish wood. To me wood is an artistry,a craft, just like home decor. Good question.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (120987)
• United States
5 Sep 07
Now THAT would be fun to do. And you wouldn't even have to furnish your home, you could make your own furniture. I remember of hearing about a man who worked hard to save until he was 55, and then he opened his own furniture shop, where he feautured all the things he had made over the years.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
6 Sep 07
No doubt in my mind, I would go into fine carpentry, building furniture or making and installing crown moulding.
I love the smell of wood beign cut on the saw. I have my own scroll saw and table saw, as well as a drill press and many other tools.
Yup...carpenter for me.
1 person likes this
@LittleMel (8742)
• Canada
6 Sep 07
I would work in manufacturing as light assembler or inspection. I've worked in manufacturing plants before, both office work and labour so I've seen how they do the jobs above and I know I can do it if given training and instructions. The only thing I hate about employment is the politics and backstabbing. I have found a place that seems better, but I'll give it a benefit of doubt for now.
@Flight84 (3048)
• United States
5 Sep 07
I think I would like to be a welder if I ever had to work in trade of that nature. My friend and I thought about taking a few welding classes a few years ago, but we never did. I think welding would be awesome because I love the look of metal for many things. Even if it wasn't my career, I could make some killer statues or something.:D
