Thinking of what career to take in life is one of the most difficult decisions you’ll ever make. If only it were as easy as the future depicted in the TV series Futurama where everyone is assigned a job. As children, we dream of being policemen, firefighters, or doctors. As we grow older, we realise that lawyers or engineers may be more interesting jobs. Although, we all still want to be rock stars or astronauts. What can you do with a high school education? What can you do with a university degree? Well, what about welding?

Today, there’s a chance you’ve used something that was put together with welding. It’s an industry that spans the globe and can be applied to a variety of different sectors. And if you play your cards right, welding as a profession can also be quite lucrative. It’s also a job that’s easier to pick up than people realise, but you do need an eye for mathematics and carry a supply of an extensive range of welding equipment.

Here are a few points about welding as a career.

You don’t need a degree

Unlike a lot of career paths, you don’t need a college degree when it comes to welding, but you should take a course in the trade. A welding course will ensure you have all of the required hands-on training you need and you’ll be taught be a professional welder. It’s also worthwhile to take up an apprenticeship in order to understand and hone all of your skills – quite a few companies will send new hires on these courses. After all, where’s the best place to learn welding from than a master?

Your welding certificate can be completed in as little as seven months, after which you’ll usually complete a practical exam. Once you’re done, it’s time to join the working world. Of course, you can also study the trade yourself by experimenting with welding projects and playing around with the necessary tools.

It’s not just about welding

Taking on welding as your primary profession isn’t just about welding bits of metal together. In fact, there’s a wide range of skills and duties that are involved. You’ll be studying blueprints, doing calculations, maintaining projects, and inspecting structures and goods. Welding gives you the opportunity to learn a range of new techniques and abilities that you would otherwise not have access to.

There are lots of opportunities

Welding is the kind of broad job that can be applied to many industries. You could create furniture, custom vehicles, or fix rigging equipment. Quite a few welders go on to work on oil rigs for several months at a time which affords them major financial rewards and sometimes interesting travel opportunities.

Depending on how good you are, you’ll be able to specialise in a range of different areas of expertise. For example, military support helps to build structures and infrastructure, while underwater welding allows you to repair the item at the bottom of the ocean.

It’s timeless

As technology progresses and the world changes the way industries work, welding stays the same. It’s a job that has been perfected to where it is today. Humanity may adopt solar farms for electricity, but welders need to help those plants. The same can be said for electric car charging stations, or water-saving houses.

While AI and robots are starting to replace humans in a range of jobs – look at car manufacturing – it’s far more difficult for general welding. For now, at least, robots aren’t able to handle the complex welding jobs that humans can, which puts professionals in high demand.

Travel opportunities

Welding might not sound like the most glorious or life-altering job, but it does come with a few perks. One of these is the opportunity to travel. As mentioned before, welding can be used in almost any industry or sector to build and maintain a variety of things. Those wanting to will be able to help lay oil pipes across great distances, construct and repair NASCAR vehicles, or work on ships that need repairing at sea. The most specialised jobs will net you some decent pay, as well.

Why not look at welding as a viable career path? It’s relatively easy to pick up the necessary skills and you’ll be in high-demand. And if it’s not for you, there are plenty of other jobs out there.