Water and Wastewater Technician

[Scouzer]

Well, I'm 17 and looking to get a career decision down pat. Now I want to do my dad's job, Flight Service Specialist. But I need a backup. So I was thinking that I should get this certification at the local technical college. If my bid for FSS fails, then I could actually pursue the Water and Wastewater Technician as a career. In addition, even if I have totally irrelevant schooling it still puts me a step up over other people applying with only High School Diplomas.

Does anyone have any opinions on such a job?

 

[everman]

What does a wastewater technician do, flush toilets?

 

[gistech1978]

you wanna work at a sewage treatment plant?

my boss took me out to the city's treatment plant a couple weeks ago.

it was interesting, but that smell would take some getting used to.

pretty pungent.

 

[Scouzer]

I've taken a field trip in Junior High. The smell didn't really bother me.

The money is ok...80% of graduates make >$30,000 a year. Seems pretty good for a 1 year technical college course to me.

 

[fredtam]

They make decent money but you may want to look here to help with your decision:

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and here:

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[Scouzer]

wow, good site. thanks for linking me

no canadian sites are quite that good. but i dont think i can figure out anything else as good, i looked around. not gifted in science. not gifted in people skills. not enough money to goto a real university (not the marks, either).

 

[fredtam]

Don't really know anything about the Canadian job market but here HVAV, electrical, utility repairmen (electric and phone), plumbing and some types of welding are some of the best jobs to get into that require either apprenticeships or short tech school training.

 

[Scouzer]

well, there is also Power Engineering. I'd only be able to get into that by a hair if I could, though. seems to pay well, fresh grads are usually paid 40k+

i'm afraid of a lot of stuff you mention. i have -some- mechanical aptitutude but getting into repairmen and such i think would be a little over my head. i will keep it in mind though, and i appreciate the help.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: everman
What does a wastewater technician do, flush toilets?

LOL, a Hydro-ceramic Technician washes dishes, my all time favorite resume padding.

 

[Scouzer]

hey, thats my job right now i'll have to remember that one!

 

[Scouzer]

eh, now i'm looking at power engineering. aka boiler operator. any thoughts on that?

career finding is frustrating.

 

[miniMUNCH]

Welding is where it is at...

One of my friends does manufacturing welding and my cousin has his own business doing architectural welding.

My friend (has B.S. in materials science, no trade school) makes about $40-60 an hour depending on the job (the particular welds he's doing and on what contract...the place he works does contract work for private industry and millitary).

My cousin (just HS and trade school) makes about 120k per year and only works about 6 months of the year.

They both didn't start out that well but worked their way up to those pay levels in about 5-6 years of work.

 

[Scouzer]

wow that is a lot of money!

 

[Juice Box]

this sounds like something out of "In the Army Now"

 

[Scouzer]

why?

 

[rahvin]

Electrician, plumbing, HVAC are good money skills. The work is fairly uncomplicated once you take some courses and learn the basic rules (like in electical you assume every wire is hot until you verify that it isn't), in the states these professions require years of experience before you can be alone, in particular you can't become a journeyman electrician until you have 4 years of apprencticeship with an experienced electrician. With these careers the pay will suck for the first couple years until you are more experienced but once you reach the level where you are comfortable you can become self employeed and make very good money.