4 Reasons to Consider a Blue Collar Career

Whether you’re a high school graduate or a seasoned professional looking to switch careers, a blue collar career may be the right fit for you. So forget about the myths you’ve heard and read on four reasons why this line of work is worth considering.

Trade School is Quicker and Cheaper

While many white collar jobs involve going to college in order to get the training they need, in the blue collar industry a trade school education will suffice. Instead of spending thousands of dollars in tuition, books and room and board, a blue collar career offers a cheaper and shorter way to get started. According to Forbes, the national average cost of going to a four-year public college is over $28,000 a year (that means over $112,000 in total to get a degree). Trade schools on the other hand cost $33,000 on average for the entire program and can take between 6 months and 3 years to complete depending on the blue collar profession you choose. Because these programs don’t take as long to finish, you’ll land that entry-level job much sooner than after getting a traditional college education.

Flexible Schedules

If the concept of working 9 to 5 Monday through Friday makes you cringe, that’s a sign that a blue collar career may be right for you. While construction workers and electricians have assigned shifts, they are often outside of the normal white collar workday. Your day can start as early as 7am as a first shift worker or end as late as midnight on a third shift. That type of work flexibility allows you to better schedule your personal life around your work. Speaking of work-life balance, because blue collar work has to be physically done on the job, it’s easier for a construction worker to leave his work at work and not bring it home as opposed to many white collar jobs that can be done virtually anywhere (like your kitchen table).

Have to Stay in Great Shape

A blue collar career requires a lot of physical strength and movement around a job site such as climbing up ladders, unloading boxes off a loading dock, holding up large pieces of glass and painting rooms. Unlike someone with a desk job who has to make a genuine effort to stay in shape, a construction job doubles as a workout session. While this type of work does come with it’s own set of safety issues because it’s so physical, if done so properly you can easily get fit (and stay that way!)

There’s a High Job Demand

Another reason to seriously consider a blue collar career is the wide availability in jobs. Skilled laborers are in very high demand for a lot of reasons. The construction industry is in dire need of workers due to the demand for new homes as well as to replace those workers who left the industry during the Great Recession. The rise in factory building and stricter efficiency standards calls for a lot more plumbers to do the work. Staffing agencies like ours who specialize in blue-collar jobs, are always on the hunt for workers to fill an ever-growing list of job vacancies.

If you’re looking to get your start in a blue collar career, Labor Finders has you covered! Click here to find open positions near you.