Is Plumbing Right For You?
If you are looking for a new high demand career, you may discover that being a plumber is such a career. According to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, they project that this will be a high growth field through the year 2024.
So you may ask yourself, is being a plumber right for me? Do I have what it takes to make a good plumber? Will I like the job? Am I up to the challenge?
The first thing you need is to train, however, before you take the next step as an apprentice, you should review the qualities you might need.
Plumber Qualities
Do you like to know how things work? Do you like to tinker with stuff? Have you ever worked on your own car, or replaced house-hold appliances? Are you good at troubleshooting?
Plumbers work daily with their analytical mind to try to understand problems and find solutions. They must also understand the systems they are troubleshoot. An understanding or desire to learn about the basic mechanics of what makes a water valve work, what type or material of tubing is best for a specific application. These are a few of the many aspects of the concepts involved in the plumbing trades.
Communications Skills
Plumbers need to listen well. This helps them understand the problem. It also make the customer feel comfortable about the plumbers abilities. A plumber be able to communicate to the customer the nature of the problem, the available options, and offer a recommendation.
Good communication from the start sets the proper expectations and reduces the chances of misunderstanding and potential conflict. Both verbal and written communication skills are required.
Do You Think Clearly?
This may seem obvious, However, plumbers must also be practical and apply common sense to their daily work. Did you first shut off the water supply before tearing out the sink or valve? Is this the only leak I’m dealing with? Did you test your solution to ensure the problem was properly corrected? If a plumber does not take all factors of the situation at hand into account, it result in shoddy work. As with any profession, your work is your reputation or brand and the best advertising you can buy is good word of mouth. Many local plumbers depend on referrals from the good work they do. Below are examples of local plumbers.
Are You Physically Fit?
It’s necessary for a plumber to be in good shape. Plumbers often find themselves in tough situations where he or she must exert themselves physically. Plumbers need to be strong and have the right tools. Being a plumber can be uncomfortable, such as, crouching under a sink, crawling under a house, working on top of a roof, plumbers often need to use muscles which many others do not. To minimize injury a plumber should be in good shape.
Dedication To The Work?
Plumbers are dedicated people. If you say you will be there at 9AM you must arrive by 9AM, a little before if possible. A small job to you is often a major issue to your customer. You must be dedicated to your customer and to the quality of work you perform for them. Repeat business and referrals are the lifeblood of this profession.
Real dedication to your work and dependability on your part is the only way to achieve success!
If after reading this article and you think you have the aptitude to become a good plumber, you may be interested in how much a plumber can make? Currently the median pay for a plumber is about $25 per hour. If this interests you, consider a career.