
You've been reading my newsletter since last year. Thanks!
And......it's got you thinking consistently and often about how to Get to a Career You Love and now you’ve decided that 2025 is your year to make the career change you've been dreaming of!
Finally! You've reached a point where you're determined to take back control of your life and career.
X No more working at a job that you barely tolerate.
X No more complaining about being passed over for a promotion.
X No more putting up with a toxic boss or colleagues.
You sit down to actually plan your exit strategy, and........ you realize that any job or career you want to switch to will require a considerable investment of your time and money to gain the necessary skills. 🤦🏾
For some jobs, you have to go back to college to get another 4-year degree just to get started. You're not even finished paying off your first set of student loans, now you have to get another one? Uhhh yeah no.
Other jobs require a costly certification or training for you to get a license to practice. Also, um no.
All of this would be fine if you had all the time and patience in the world. (Because we all have that right!) You've already spent so much time dreaming and thinking about switching careers. Waiting a few more years just isn't going to cut it.
If only there was a career you could transition to that would give you high levels of satisfaction and a plethora of job opportunities that could pave the way toward career advancement.
What if you found out that such careers exist in Trade? Here me out! 🗣️
Benefits of Trade Jobs
It may surprise you to learn that all your career dreams have the potential to come true in trade.
In fact, there are many reasons to consider a job in trade. One of them is the fact that many trade jobs do not require an expensive degree for you to practice or get hired.
Rather, more cost-effective educational routes, such as training or apprenticeships, satisfy the minimum requirements in most states. This means you won't be bogged down by enormous student loans upon the successful completion of your program.
Another benefit to working in trade is the job opportunities. Currently, there's a huge shortage of skilled tradespeople. The construction industry, for example, has a labor shortage of about 650,000, which in 2023 was at a four-year high. This statistic is only expected to go up in the coming years as the median age for construction is over 40. With no one coming into the industry and current employees aging out, a labor crisis is bound to happen in the near future. This as you know, will only drive up the cost of construction.
Additionally, a survey of 800 trades professionals, conducted by Thumbstack revealed a little-known benefit of working a trades job. And that would be its high job satisfaction. According to their survey, 87% of skilled tradespeople are happy with their jobs. In fact, they're so happy with their jobs that 94% of them would encourage their children or family members to pursue a career in trade.
You might be wondering what makes tradespeople so happy with their roles. Below are a few of the reasons the survey highlighted:
● 95% are optimistic about their job security and believe they won’t be replaced by AI.
● 95% are optimistic about their potential to make more money.
● 93% are optimistic about exciting career growth opportunities.
● 92% are optimistic about learning new skills or technological advancement in their trade.
With conditions like this, wouldn't you be happy in their shoes if it were you?
Women in Trade Jobs
For women, specifically, a job in trade might be the career transition of their dreams. According to the Global Industrial, women make up only 4% of all trades workers. In construction, women are about 9% of the workforce. While fewer than 2% of pipe layers, plumbers, and steamfitters are women.
With trade jobs on the brink of a labor crisis, there is room for women to step in and fill these employment gaps.
If the job opportunities don't provide enough of an incentive for you to consider a job in trade, would the increased earning power sway you? Women in skilled trade jobs make 1.5 times more than women in more traditional career paths, with their average salary being $47,146 while the salary for a traditional career is $31,426.
In some industries, the potential to make a lot of money is due to the constant supply of work. According to Brian Turmail, for people seeking construction jobs, "It’s a workers’ market.” In fact, the vice president of public affairs and strategic initiatives at Associated General Contractors of America said, “The construction industry is now paying 80% more than the average non-farm job in the United States.”
The best part is, to get on the career path for many of these high-paying trade jobs, all you need is a short skills-based education, which is usually also far cheaper when compared to what is needed for more traditional roles.
What You Need to Succeed in Trade
Now, a job in trade is not the typical office, 9 to 5 job. It requires some unique skills, aside from technical on-the-job skills.
As lucrative as a trade job may be, it's an opportunity that may not be for everybody. Some people are just better suited for the typical office job and there's nothing wrong with that. But before you make the leap to trade, make sure you have what's needed for success.
Below are the skills you'll need to be successful in whatever trades job you decide to get:
1. Physical Strength & Endurance
Many jobs in trade require a certain level of physical strength and endurance. And that's because you're not likely to be sitting at your desk behind a computer all day. Oftentimes, during your day, you'll be required to stand, lift, carry, bend, or do any number of other physical activities.
In certain industries, the majority of your day could be spent outside. As such, you need to have physical strength and endurance to carry out your duties in a variety of weather conditions.
Can you handle a physically challenging job? Do you have any body aches or pains that would make the physical aspect of the work all day long unbearable?
2. Communication Skills
There is no job role where good communication skills are not necessary. But it's especially required in a trades job. In a typical trades job, you'll be liaising with people from all walks of life and various educational backgrounds. You need to be able to communicate with everyone you come in contact with during your day.
This is especially important in roles where there are safety concerns. You may need to communicate safety requirements to various people to avoid injuries and mishaps.
Are you able to communicate technical terms in an easy-to-understand manner? Do you ensure the people you're talking to understand what you've said?
3. Attention to Details
For many roles in trade, a keen attention to detail is necessary. Not only will this skill impact the final project output, but it may also impact the safety of the project. For example, an electrician or construction worker who overlooks important details will cause damage that cannot be overlooked. This may end up causing irreparable damage and/or the loss of lives.
Do you notice details that others overlook? Can you spot a potential problem before it emerges?
4. Problem-Solving
Many tradespeople are called in to use their expertise to identify and fix problems for others. A critical skill that's required for success in trades is the ability to solve problems and think outside of the box. You may encounter problems you've never seen before; however, you'll still be expected to proffer solutions.
Sometimes, this skill will be required during high-pressure situations (e.g. broken pipe with water gushing out). Can you think on your feet? Or do you tend to shut down when the pressure is on?
Are Trade Jobs for You?
Trade jobs offer a lot of potential for the person looking to make a career change. The bar for entry is low when compared to more traditional roles, the job opportunities are high due to the lack of trained personnel, and the earning potential is huge.
And these are just the most obvious benefits of a trade job.
Other lesser-known benefits include increased job satisfaction, the potential for entrepreneurship, career advancement opportunities, and more.
But despite all of this, if you're still skeptical about the potential in a trades job, think about the last time you needed a technician for a job. Perhaps you needed to fix an electrical problem at home. Did you have any issues with the service? What about the cost?
Have you ever wished to find a good {insert technical job}?
Now, imagine how many other people encountered the same problem or challenge you did when they needed that service. That should give you a good idea of the potential for growth in just one area of trade.
If 2025 is truly the year you make the leap to Get to a Career You Love, a job in trade might be your dream come true.
At AEJ Consulting - Career & Leadership Development: Our goal is to help leaders and teams get better one day at a time! We provide guidance on careers, AI and it's impact on jobs, the future of work and more. We specialize in leadership coaching and team development. Interested in how we can help you or your organization? Let's chat: info@ayannaejackson.com

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