The continuing difficult state of the global economy is making many people reconsider once-solid career plans. One interesting trend, as picked up by many major newspapers and cultural commentators, is the trend of young people and other people looking for new careers staying away from the so-called white collar professions that were once supposed to bring a modicum of safety and respectability to one and one's family. Since these professions have become so oversaturated by recent college graduates, many people are turning to blue collar jobs such as home renovation for income.
Many people whose hearts were once set on becoming doctors or lawyers are shocked to hear that many of their high school colleagues who went to trade schools or became journeymen as plumbers or carpenters now make over six figures annually, especially if they are living in large metropolitan areas. The simple reason for this is supply and demand. In the last thirty years or so, the importance of going to college and becoming educated has been drilled into everyone to the point where there is simply an overabundance of liberal arts majors who are competing for the same high-level professional jobs of lawyer, accountant and the like. At the same time, this has shrunk the pool of people who might otherwise look for jobs in the home renovation field, causing salaries to go up there.
As a result, home renovation as a career field contains several lucrative specialties. Plumbers, for instance, know the inside of homes' water and sewer systems inside and out. While many people think that plumbers work primarily in emergency situations, they are frequently consulted during home renovation projects to ensure the homes' water continues to flow during renovation projects and that water usage can be minimized during the process.
Electricians, along with plumbers, might be the highest-paid experts in the home renovation field. Electricians, like plumbers, are generally licensed by states and localities both to protect consumers and to ensure that they are following all relevant guidelines. Safety is particularly relevant to the careers of electricians considering the often dangerous nature of their work, even in residential settings. While many brave homeowners attempt to tackle much of the work of renovating their homes by themselves, even the hardiest do it yourself types generally recognize that electricity is the domain of professionals.
While construction of new homes has largely slowed to a crawl due to the current economic conditions, people such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters are still finding plenty of work since due to the economy many people are still pouring money into one of their most valuable and stable assets: their homes. Because of this, and because of people's constant desire to keep their homes always updated, people working in home renovation do not often have a shortage of work. This can make jobs such as electrician or plumber a great line of work for people who might otherwise end up in something much lesser paying just for the supposed white collar prestige.
Many people whose hearts were once set on becoming doctors or lawyers are shocked to hear that many of their high school colleagues who went to trade schools or became journeymen as plumbers or carpenters now make over six figures annually, especially if they are living in large metropolitan areas. The simple reason for this is supply and demand. In the last thirty years or so, the importance of going to college and becoming educated has been drilled into everyone to the point where there is simply an overabundance of liberal arts majors who are competing for the same high-level professional jobs of lawyer, accountant and the like. At the same time, this has shrunk the pool of people who might otherwise look for jobs in the home renovation field, causing salaries to go up there.
As a result, home renovation as a career field contains several lucrative specialties. Plumbers, for instance, know the inside of homes' water and sewer systems inside and out. While many people think that plumbers work primarily in emergency situations, they are frequently consulted during home renovation projects to ensure the homes' water continues to flow during renovation projects and that water usage can be minimized during the process.
Electricians, along with plumbers, might be the highest-paid experts in the home renovation field. Electricians, like plumbers, are generally licensed by states and localities both to protect consumers and to ensure that they are following all relevant guidelines. Safety is particularly relevant to the careers of electricians considering the often dangerous nature of their work, even in residential settings. While many brave homeowners attempt to tackle much of the work of renovating their homes by themselves, even the hardiest do it yourself types generally recognize that electricity is the domain of professionals.
While construction of new homes has largely slowed to a crawl due to the current economic conditions, people such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters are still finding plenty of work since due to the economy many people are still pouring money into one of their most valuable and stable assets: their homes. Because of this, and because of people's constant desire to keep their homes always updated, people working in home renovation do not often have a shortage of work. This can make jobs such as electrician or plumber a great line of work for people who might otherwise end up in something much lesser paying just for the supposed white collar prestige.