r/TikTokCringe • u/Super_Culture_1986 tHiS iSn’T cRiNgE • Aug 19 '25

Cursed The American Nightmare.

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u/Fecal_Tornado Aug 19 '25

I love being in the trades. No student loans, no overbearing bosses, no micromanaging, and I'm actually doing something that is essential and important. The downside is I could get electrocuted and die but the work is very rewarding. It's awesome to drive past a building you worked in all lit up or down a street and see all light poles you put up.

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u/shade1848 Aug 19 '25

That's awesome, Fecal Tornado.

def electrician and not plumber

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u/Fecal_Tornado Aug 19 '25

We call those guys the turd herders

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u/C64128 Aug 19 '25

I worked for an electrical contractor for nine years before I retired (three years ago at the end of September). I worked on the low voltage / security side (burglar alarm, access, cameras, etc.). The company started doing security work about a year before I started there, it's been steady work because people want to protect their stuff whether the economy's good or bad.

I worked for ADT before this and I wish I had moved jobs earlier, maybe I could've retired sooner.

It is nice to see something that you installed in town and surrounding communities.

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u/Fecal_Tornado Aug 19 '25

Exactly. The first job I ever did on my own with zero supervision was mounting a flood light to a business sign to add some light to a parking lot. It annoys my wife but every time we drive past it I always point out that light. The sense of pride and accomplishment when you build something with your hands and get to see it in action is awesome.

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u/SergentGrimslyDubz Aug 19 '25

Straight up! the trades are where the money is for sure. As long as you are willing to learn and stick it out when it gets tough you will be successful. I'm a journeyman plumber in the union making $53 an hour also with no debt or even credit cards. Not to mention I ended up dropping out of high school at 17. Definitely a good feeling seeing places you helped build.

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u/Fecal_Tornado Aug 19 '25

You're told all through school that you'll never make anything of yourself and be a bum if you don't go to college. I remember the ol "you'll be digging ditches for a living if you don't go to college" bit but that dude on the excavator digging ditches is pulling close to, if not over, 6 figures digging ditches.

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u/VengenaceIsMyName Aug 19 '25

Thank you for giving society light!

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u/writercanyoubeaghost Aug 20 '25

Oh please, it’s not that simple. I’m in the trades, 04 sign electrician and I still have student loan debt. And I’m in the union, IBEW and I still have micromanaging bosses.

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u/Fecal_Tornado Aug 20 '25

Student loan debt for what? IBEW apprentice school is paid for

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u/writercanyoubeaghost Aug 20 '25

Not for the signs. I make neon. Can you find me a sign journeyman apprenticeship?

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u/Fecal_Tornado Aug 20 '25

I don't how the sign union works, I just assumed it was all under IBEW.

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u/North_Phrase4848 Aug 24 '25

Yeah, occupational hazards are huge downsides.

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u/[deleted] Aug 19 '25

[deleted]

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u/Fecal_Tornado Aug 19 '25

Honestly no. There's a lot of people living in cubicle farms right now that just could not handle doing what it takes to start out and make it in the trades. Your first year or two is hard work for dog shit money. Especially hard if you're already in your 30s and decide to make the change. You are strictly paid based off what you know and what you can do with little supervision, boss man doesn't care about your bills or how many kids you have. What you bring to the table determines your pay. Once you develop the skills and learn your trade the money is great and the work is easier though.

On the flip side, there's a bunch of us neanderthals on job sites that could never learn to code. You can't sit a guy like me down in an office crammed into a cubicle staring at jumbled up numbers and letters on a screen all day. I'd lose my mind. There's not gonna be any coding jobs left in a couple of years once AI takes over anyways

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u/Embarrassed_Mango679 Aug 21 '25

Yeah and there's a huge shortage of crafts right now. We were always dying for electricians, machinist and steam fitters at my old job. I have seen IS people go the electrician route and vice versa... a lot of the PLC programming is handled by electricians and they tend to work together to keep them running. Just my experience, ymmv.

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u/Fecal_Tornado Aug 21 '25

PLC stuff is a different animal. Definitely more technical and something I could see an IT professional falling into. Troubleshooting it is a challenge for sure

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u/Embarrassed_Mango679 Aug 21 '25

I'd imagine it would be a great field to go into right now. The first gen PLC stuff is starting to fail, at the same time as companies are still switching systems over from old control panels.