Welding Supervisor Jobs

If you are comfortable in a first line supervision role, then welding supervisor jobs may be up your alley. Not everyone is comfortable in this type of role, so be careful of taking it on just because the opportunity becomes available. For the person with the right personality this is however a very rewarding job and well worth pursuing. Good, experienced welding supervisors are often well compensated because they are critical to the success of most welding based projects.

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Routes to Getting Welding Supervisor Jobs

Most welding supervisor jobs are filled by people that started out as Welders. Understanding the welding world well, and understanding the pressures and incentives on Welders, is very important. It is therefore very advantageous to have the background as a Welder, if you want to get into welding supervision. As a Welder you will also know what resources are typically required for different types of jobs, and how productive you can expect your Welders to be.

While it is possible to get welding supervisor jobs with a background in other trades, such as fitting or boilermaker, you will have a distinct advantage as a Welder.

While it would be possible to become a welding supervisor purely through training provided by your employer, it does limit you in your options if you need or want to change employers. It then becomes very advantageous to obtain a qualification recognized in your country. Some countries like Australia have their own welding supervisor qualification. (Known as “cert 10” – This refers to the requirements specified in the Australian standard AS 1796.) In the USA, the American Welding Society (AWS) also manages a Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS) scheme. It will make you much more marketable for welding supervisor jobs if you do one of those specific qualifications.

Another route to getting welding supervisor jobs is to obtain a qualification that would be recognized internationally. A typical example is the International Welding Specialist (IWS) qualification provided by the International Institute of Welding (IIW) through their local Accredited National Bodies. (ANB)

Additional Training for Welding Supervisors

Besides the technical qualifications and experience, the first line supervisory skills are also very important. Typical additional training required in welding supervisor jobs are typically as follows:

• People skills: There are numerous courses available that are aimed at first line supervisory personnel. These typically focus on communication skills and other “psychology” based skills. Typically your employer will send you on one or more of these courses if you are being promoted into a welding supervisor role. If you want to prepare yourself for such a position without your employer’s help, then please do a search to establish which courses are most appropriate for your area. Most local colleges will provide appropriate courses.
• Health and safety skills: These courses tend to focus on the latest thinking in the health and safety arena. Most local colleges will provide appropriate courses.
• Ancillary industry certifications: In this category I would include things like basic off-shore survival training if you want to work off-shore, or confined space or working at heights training. All of these certifications may be provided by your employer, but if you already have these, then you may have an advantage over other applicants for contract based work.

For many Welders, making the move to welding supervision is a very natural step, and is the usual “promotion” that is offered to Welders in larger organizations. That kind of structured job environment does however only offer a limited number of opportunities for you to get into welding supervision, if that is your aim. Waiting for your boss to retire or get a promotion before you have an opportunity for promotion is a rather fatalistic way to approach life. If you want to become a welding supervisor, then the routes and resources for you to get there, on your own steam, are available. There are also many contract companies that will be happy to give you an opportunity if you come with the right training and good experience. The contract employers do not want to spend a lot of time and money on training up personnel which may only be temporary in any case.

So, the opportunities are there for you to get the welding supervisor jobs, if you are prepared to put in the extra effort under your own steam.

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You can take a look at "The WelderDestiny Compass" back-issues by clicking here.

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