Before taking up a welding job, welder should properly understand the safety techniques and procedures he needs to follow. While welding, sparks and spatter can easily burn your skin. To protect yourself from it, you should always wear safety equipment. Gloves and proper clothing should always be worn. Always wear welding helmet which has proper welding lenses so that you can protect your eyes and face from ultraviolet and infrared rays. Before and after welding, make sure that you clear the flammable materials.

Risks that are associated with welding are ultraviolet light, electrical or chemical fires and long-term negative effects from fumes. Sparks, arc and UV light are one of the dangerous aspects of welding. But if you wear auto darkening helmets and thick gloves your problem will be solved.  Certain metals like stainless steel, copper, zinc, manganese should be welded with caution. Find out what do they contain and weld in area with a lot of circulation.

There are plenty of job opportunities in this sector. You can get a welding job in repairing aircraft, ships and even in military and defense agencies. Other job opportunities are available in underwater constructing or repairing bridges. Demand for all types of welders will increase by next decade. American Welding Society (AWS) estimates that the number of vacant welding jobs will soon surpass the available pool of skilled welders by at least 200,000 workers in the United States alone.

Many welding schools are recruiting new students to meet the demand. Many welding schools do offer tuition scholarships, reimbursement programs and guaranteed job placement services. There are endless certificates that a welder can obtain. Many welders possess multiple certifications, which creates greater opportunities in terms of job advancement and salary range. Advanced welding careers include programming lasers, robots and other computer-controlled systems.

It is important to remember that a welding career is filled with risk and injury. Possible hazards include burns and exposure to chemicals or gases. Certain precautionary methods like wearing protective clothing and adequate ventilation should be provided to minimize these risks.

Welding is nothing but joining of materials with or without the application of heat, filler material and pressure.

Who should go in for welding profession?

• Who wants more job opportunities
• Want high wages
• Who loves challenges
• Wants diversification in his work
• Has a dream to travel in U.S. or abroad.

The basic skills required for welding are good eyesight, good eye-hand coordination, be able to work for longer period of time, have patience, manual dexterity etc.

There are many institutions who will teach you both latest and traditional welding skills. Other subjects like metallurgy and blueprint reading will also be taught. Much importance will be given to safety throughout the program.

There are nearly half million people in U.S. who are working as welders, cutters or welding machine operators. In that nearly three fourth work in manufacturing and service industry. If you also include boilermakers, ironworkers and pipe fitters the total would come to nearly 2 million or 10% of national workforce. Welders are needed in manufacturing sector like transportation equipment, industrial machinery and fabricated metal products.