i did the typical aimless white kid in north america thing where i went to university straight out of high school and got a useless liberal arts degree thinking i'd eventually ''figure it out''. now im 30 with no real skills and i want to learn and do something tangible and real. carpentry seems like a decent betpros>probably the single most useful trade you can learn, can literally build your own house with the right skillset and knowledge>seems interesting>can apply my already established physical strength >my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ also held this profession cons>potential for injuries >every carpenter i know complains of back/knee/shoulder pain>starting from the very bottom at 30 fooking years old
op here, im also thinking about applying for an electrician apprenticeship. i read a book called basic electricity by van valkenburgh and it was really interesting. not sure i have the brains for the job though. im pretty low iq honestly
>>2820128You should get into concreting and formwork
>>2820128Our Lord's trade was probably more akin to a general builder, which in that locale was likely more masonry than wood. The Greek word is "tekton".
>>2820128I would highly recommend it mate. I have been a skilled labourer for many years but took up the mantle of chippy when I was around 28 years old. Don't let starting late put you off and it's always down the the quality of the individual. Just be keen to learn and absorb from people who have been in the trade since you were born. I went to uni and failed to obtain anything from my degree other than just being generally smart and understanding concepts. I too am Christian and feel a closer relationship to Christ when I think about the woodwork he'd have done whilst I do the same. Western society is also on the brink of collapse so knowing how to build and rebuild is very important.>potential for injuriesAny (proper man's) job can get you hurt>every carpenter i know complains of back/knee/shoulder painThis is true but again many jobs can cause RSIs. >starting from the very bottom at 30 fooking years oldWhat I said earlier.
>>2820128You have almost no time left until retirement and if you start a trade now you're fucked unless it involves working for an entity which lets you vest retirement early.Get a government job and stay there. About a third of your life will be spend old and fucked up no matter what you feel like today so why repeat your lack of long term planning?Careers are for money, hobbies are for fun, and the more money you reliably have coming in the more fun you can afford. Do not think like a young person as they have no life experience and the ones on 4chan are also frothing asspie ragers and often /pol/tarded, superstitionists and other varieties of nutter. Merchant Marine, military (Space or Air Force because careers are about careers not being dumbfuck trailer trash bullet sponges who destroy their bodies with abusive PT and abusive loads, I see plenty at the pain clinic), LEO, whatever but get a fucking retirement because life without it is insanely horrible and the vast majority of Americans plan little and poorly. Anyone who has not retired knoweth little and should be disregarded. Life is a shit sandwich so the more bread you have the less shit you'll taste. >>2820135>im pretty low iq honestlyIn that case you REALLY need a government job for the structured environment. If you begin today starting at the bottom you don't have enough time for a serious personal nest egg (outliers are exceptions proving the rule).
>>2820128>north america>universitycanadian detected
>>2820135Most electricians are low iq and won't even replace outlets hot now. 30 is an ideal hiring age. You're looking for a career and you're able bodied. Carpentry pays like trash. Maybe union experience or a high degree of specialization makes up for the abysmal pay to some extent. To most employers, a carpenter is a retard laborer. They will pay you like a high school kid for the rest of your life. You will set dozens of $1000 cabinets every week, hang off 40' ladders, and help land steel beams; but to the boss you're too stupid to run a broom and pick up garbage. On top of that every customer will pick every last smallest detail out of your work as if they're experts. Later they will fuck everything up themselves You're expected to know most of every other trade as well as some of the materials science, engineering, tool maintenance, building codes, be competent in design, and have thorough estimation skill. If you don't do all of this and specialize, go back to minimum pay. The only other way out is to field your own company and bids or subcontract.
Be a plumber. I dare you to find a poor plumber (pro tip, you can't).
>>2820128>>potential for injuriesThis applies to everything manual labour>>every carpenter i know complains of back/knee/shoulder painI'm not one and I have back and knee pain>>starting from the very bottom at 30 fooking years oldDon't let this discourage you. The time to start learning something useful is now
>>2821773>I dare you to find a poor plumberpic related is so poor he has to have his kid stand around in a shit stained covid mask worn as a chin strap, because he cant afford to have a wife who watches the kid or child care. this also ignores how beat to shit his drain snake is.
>>2820128Go to airplane mechanic school. If you're smart and graduate top of the class, you can go work for an airline making over 6 figures and get flown around the world for free to fix airplanes in other countries. Most of the time you work in the airport that's near where you live, but sometimes the guy who works in another airport is out sick and they fly people around to cover the shifts. It's one of the highest paid skilled trades, and it has just enough physical labor to keep you healthy but doesn't fuck up your back. I am currently a highly paid software engineer but I am seriously considering a career shift because my job is making my posture look like a goblin.
>>2822058I concur. The background in software will eventually overlap with the hands-on aircraft stuff, so that will, eventually, increase your niche appeal.
>>2822058>Go to airplane mechanic school.Join the Air Force and get paid and get an instant career with retirement benefits. Any career which fails to vest a reliable retirement is a waste of precious time. It's also fun.However if your current job pays better then stick with the money then exercise off-work. Money is everything because without it you'll be felching hobos for a hot meal. Your working life will end sooner than you can imagine. Get the fucking money. Retirement is work killing for. If the only way to retire were to scald and flay infants best ignore the screams and go for it. >>2822198Avionics is fun too and nowadays respectably geeky.
>>2820128same situation except i'm 23
>>2821915Looks like he's eatin good!
>>2820128>potential injury>joint painyes, it's a trade, what did you expect>starting from the very bottom at 30well where else do you expect to start? you aren't getting any younger you know, best start while there's still a crumb of life left in you
>>2820128>>starting from the very bottom at 30 fooking years oldI started an electrician apprenticeship at 32. Stop fretting about if it's too late to do something and just do it.
>>2825145no, his parents couldn't afford formula so they just fed him horchata instead
>>2820128when you say "carpentry" it's kind of a wide field, you have>general framing>timber framing>finish carpentry>furniture makingIn general framing you won't make much money unless you advance to running a crew or start specializing. Finish carpentry (stuff like interior trim, cabinet installation, etc) is alright. Timber framing and furniture are decent money if you find a good company to work withIf you have decent math, geometry and common sense woodwork is a lot of fun. I would highly recommend having your own set of measuring tools (tape, speed square, metal ruler) and a good leather belt when applicable.
