It’s this time of year when Year 12 students are figuring out what career they want to pursue. Some have it figured out while others have no idea. There’s nothing wrong with either scenario.
Or maybe you finished school years ago and you are thinking of changing careers in 2015. Whatever your background, I thought I’d give ten reasons why you should consider plumbing as a career. Now is the time to start researching for plumbing apprenticeship opportunities. Many firms start their apprentices before Christmas because that is when work really ramps up and it’s always good to have an extra hand in the form of an apprentice to help get those jobs completed before the holidays.
Ten reasons why you should become a plumber
- There’s a change of scenery every day. Even if you are working in the same building, there is always a different floor or area that will need to be worked in. In maintenance plumbing there is a change of scenery at every job making no day the same.
- You get to work with your hands. If you like building things together, you will enjoy running pipes and connecting them together. Plumbing is a hands-on job.
- You get fit while you work. The hands on part means you do work up a sweat and some muscle when completing jobs.
- You can choose to work in a team environment or independently. Not many jobs can offer that choice.
- There are early morning starts which might sound like a bad thing, but you get to finish earlier in the afternoon meaning you’ve got more sunlight hours to enjoy as opposed the 8am to 5pm workers.
- Becoming a plumber is a bit safer than becoming an electrician. Electricity kills once. Water and sewerage just gets you wet and sometimes sick if you’re not careful.
- Plumbing (and electrical) is a licensed trade so the only competition is from other licensed plumbers, not DIY tradies. The law protects you when doing your work.
- You get to meet new people all the time. No construction site will always have the same workers and clients are always different.
- You get to help people in a practical way. You can be someone’s hero, despite having their shite on your hands.
- There are unlimited job opportunities. Many see plumbing as a one way career, but there is so much more that can be achieved once you’ve finished your apprenticeship. You could become a Hydraulic Engineer, Plumbing Inspector, Workplace Health and Safety Officer, Project Manager, Plumbing Tafe Teacher, Business owner or a plumbing blogger like myself. 🙂
Other benefits can be a high earning potential but I didn’t include that in the list because a job shouldn’t be pursued for money.
If you were given the opportunity to learn a trade, would plumbing be on your radar? Can you think of any other good reasons to become a plumber?
