When we think of great careers that allow us to work with our hands, we often think of many great trade or service opportunities where we can learn and utilize a skill to get a job done. A few examples of those careers are carpentry, automotive technician, landscaping, plumbing, electrician, and chef, among countless others.
Working with your hands gives you the chance to utilize great hand-eye coordination, focus, and creativity to accomplish your work. An occupation that gives you this fulfillment is welding. The significant advantages of being a welder are being creative with your hands and learning to work with various kinds of metals to build multiple structures, large or small.
Like many careers that allow you to work with your hands, those hands must be trained. Additionally, the employment outlook for welders is vast, and welding apprenticeships needed on the market are great. Then, once you are certified, you will begin to see what you can do with a welding certificate. What’s even more exciting is that you could live anywhere in the world and look for the best cities for welders. This career allows you to work with your hands, it can be lucrative, and it gives you a chance to take care of yourself and your family for years to come.
These days the internet rules over all of us. We all have high-powered supercomputers in our pockets and the information superhighway is always at our fingertips. In fact, experts are saying that most of the younger generations, that use the internet more often, are probably addicted to social media and phone usage. That when someone receives a new text message or likes one of your posts it gives your brain a hit of dopamine.
When you think about how much of our lives are intertwined with the internet these days its really no surprise. Many people have built their livelihood off of the internet. It is considered essential by most companies to have a smartphone just so you can keep in contact with your coworkers.
Workers who stare at screens all day have to be wary of blue light from the computer affecting their eyesight. Some are even implementing standing desks so they aren’t sitting eight hours a day and ruining their spinal collum. But not everyone operates like this. Not everyone was made to be one of the broker dealers.
For some people, this sounds like their day to day. Others might think this whole picture that’s been painted is thoroughly depressing. We’re not all built to sit at a desk and stare at a screen all day. Everyone is built different and some people need a little more physicality to their job.
There are a lot of people on the planet and we’re not all wired the same. If we were, well, the planet would probably get along a lot better. But instead, people have distinct types of intelligence.
Some people are visually intelligent and can imagine a painting and know how to match the right colors to get them there. Some people are emotionally intelligent and can sense other’s feelings through expressions and body language. Others are more logically intelligent, or mathematical with how they approach the world. There are many different kinds of intelligence and different people will use their intelligence for different careers.
Someone with a strong visual eye might become a graphic designer or an architect. While someone with emotional intelligence would be well suited to be a counselor. But some people have more physical intelligence, better hand-eye coordination and potentially a knack for the technical. Some people are more capable of physically doing things and getting work done manually.
With the litany of people working at desks these days, the people who have careers where you work with your hands are getting more and more important. Someone needs to be able to physically fix the things around us that aren’t a part of the internet.
Mechanics
One of the most rewarding careers where you work with your hands is being a mechanic. Mechanics are very important to people’s day to day lives and have a very useful and specialized set of skills. Think of how often we normally need to use our cars. When most people have a car problem they have to call someone else but with the skills of a mechanic, you can handle your car’s keep up on your own.
Some have an interest in the profession from a young age. Many are interested in different cars, how they work, the differences between models and brands. Some get even deeper and start to learn about car modifications, specialty types of cars, muscle cars, sports cars, race cars and more. There is a rich culture of automobile pride and a community within it. This appeals to many people and it helps them focus their life and career.
It is not easy to become a mechanic, one must attend vocational school to learn the ins and outs of automobiles. The complicated mechanics of a car’s engine are not to be messed with by a novice and you will need hands-on training and experience to start working as a mechanic.
It also takes a certain amount of strength and dexterity. So if you’re looking for careers where you work with your hands this may be the career for you. From there you can specialize in other kinds of mechanics. You could learn how to specifically handle motorcycle equipment.
Once someone has the proper skills they will be able to handle any and all damages to a car. From issues with the tires and axels to fixing dents and windshield repair and even the most complicated issues within the engine. All while being one of the careers where you work with your hands. With a specialty set of skills like this, you can make a lot of money. As long as you don’t mind getting your hands dirty.
Once you’ve got a basic mechanics certification you can specialize your knowledge. You could learn the specifications of fixing the engines on fishing boats. Learning how boats and watercraft work is its own entire branch of mechanics.
There are specialized mechanics who work on airplanes but they require a whole nother mechanical certification. But its good to know that if you want to push your career to the next level there are opportunities available. There are a lot of jobs for a well-trained mechanic, even at a place like an RV park to help people in need of repairs to their RV.
Contractors and Construction Work
Two of the biggest and most important purchases anyone will make in their life is buying their car and buying their house. Both are big investment type undertakings that factor into years of your life. These are not the types of purchases to make lightly. One must be in a reasonably stable situation to make purchases like this.
They are the types of purchases that one wants to keep in good condition. Mechanics are hired to help keep your car in good condition. No matter how well looked after your car is, after a certain number of years and miles put onto a car it’s expected you’ll get a new car. The same can’t be said for your house.
Home improvement and repair contractors are always in need. Another good option for careers where you work with your hands. Contractors have a set of special skills that can be tremendously useful in your day to day life.
Fixing drywall, installing cabinets, repairing your roof, chimney, ceiling support beams, installing a tiled floor, hardwood floor, and bathroom grouting, window replacement, and much more all fall under skills that can be completed by a contractor. The ultimate handyman, and ultimate career where you work with your hands.
Contractors will normally specialize in certain trades as there are so many home improvement projects that can be made. Depending on the focus you chose to take as a contractor your job could look very different from someone else in the same field.
Some will do more physical building work, like construction workers and do more with building the frame of a house. Not everyone builds houses though, some people work construction and build roads and large concrete buildings.
Some will specialize in masonry and learn how to create a stone feature for your home. A stone mason is its own specialized career and can focus on installing granite countertops, or will help with creating a marble floor for your home. Others take the route of being a carpenter and learn how to create furniture and other things made of wood. Carpenters can elevate their skill to be considered a high art form and are highly respected for their ability to craft.
Others specialize in fixing roofs and gutters and have to know all about different types of roofing material. These contractors will know all about the different types of shingles available for fixing your roof. These workers will also know how to maintain and fix any problems you’re having with your gutter. They will also help keep your gutter clean.
Plumbers
There are specialty skillsets within this main career of home improvement like being the local plumber. Plumbers are specially trained to deal with issues related to your pipes and plumbing. They know all about how water pressures work within your house and how to avoid any potential disasters. Plumbing materials are made of heavy steel and it can take a strong arm to torque them apart. Plumbing is the ultimate career where you work with your hands and also combines specialty knowledge.
Electricians
Another specialty skill would be an Electrician. Electrical work requires hands-on experience in the field. This is done after studying under professional electricians and learning how to handle electrical wires. After this, you must get your electrical license, usually by passing an electrical test and getting certified.
Electricians are always in need as their work is very dangerous. Someone unqualified could literally die if they mess with electrical wiring. So this job is not for the faint of heart. And certainly a great option for careers where you work with your hands.
Careers Where You Work With Your Hands
There are so many careers where you work with your hands to choose from. The rewards of careers like this are endless. From workers spreading organic fertilizer to long wire workers climbing telephone poles there are a lot of careers where you can work with your hands. You can go home knowing that people will always be in need of your special skills, making good honest money and on top of it all you don’t have to sit at a desk all day.
Some people are built for that but if you’re not that type of person looking into careers where you work with your hands may be more beneficial. Some of us just can’t keep still for a long time. Some of us prefer using our physical bodies to get things done. This can also be very beneficial for health reasons, building muscle strength and good heart health.
There are potential negative health risks associated with many of these careers. Physical injury is more of a risk and over-stressing certain parts of your body over and over again is never good for it.
But when a technical mind is combined with physical strength there’s no stopping you. The work is always needed and will always have you on your feet. If you’re looking for a more physical engagement with how you work perhaps looking into careers where you work with your hands is the right choice for you.
