Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-In-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle (15 page)
Authors: Joe Lamacchia,Bridget Samburg
Tags: #Business
For jobs that involve dealing with the public, such as grocery store stockers, interpersonal skills go a long way. As with many other industries, technology is revolutionizing all machinery, including the equipment used for material moving, so a familiarity with the new upgrades is extremely useful.Refuse and recyclablematerial collectors—or garbage collectors—also fall into this category. Most everyone is familiar with how hard they work to haul and empty garbage, all while sticking to an assigned route and sometimes a tight time schedule.
Work Setting
Material-moving work tends to be repetitive and physically demanding. Some people in this field work at great heights, and some work outdoors, regardless of weather and climate. These jobs can expose workers to fumes, odors, loud noises, or dangerous machinery. But for the most part, the jobs are less dangerous than they used to be, thanks to safety equipment and regulations. Material movers generally work eight-hour shifts, and some work through the night depending on the company and need.
Training and Certification
Most training for this occupation is done on the job. Some employers may require that applicants pass a physical exam due to the amount of physical lifting that is sometimes involved. Material movers generally learn skills informally from more experienced coworkers.
Workers who handle toxic chemicals or use industrial trucks receive specialized training in safety awareness and procedures. For some of these jobs, such as crane operators, there are training and apprenticeship programs available. Some states require crane or other heavy equipment operators to be licensed. You can find out more by checking with your state’s motor vehicle licensing division.
The Numbers
Despite little change in employment projections, job openings should be plentiful since there are somany of these jobs and turnover is high. In 2006, materialmovers held 4.8million jobs.Out of those jobs 2, 416, 000 were laborers and material movers while 637, 000 were industrial truck and tractor operators. Hourly earnings of material movers vary significantly, but wages can be low to start. In May 2006, median earnings for gas compressor operators were $21.83 and $18.77 for crane operators. For refuse and recyclable material collectors, it was $13.93.
GROUNDSKEEPER, LANDSCAPER,
AND
ARBORIST
First impressions are everything. When you drive up to a friend’s house or walk past a nearby business, one of the first things you may notice is the lawn, the landscaping, the bushes, the trees, or maybe the lack of anything green. If you’re looking for a new condominium, you may immediately notice whether the grounds are well maintained. A well-cared-for lawn says a lot. Landscapers, groundskeepers, and arborists—or tree experts—are the ones responsible formaking sure that first impression is a good one.
Nothing relaxes me more than a perfectly cut lawn, a well-shoveled walk, and a newlymulched garden. I guess that’s because I’ve been in the landscaping business long enough that I can spot a blade of grass out of place like a barber sees a single strand of hair that is too long. I enjoy driving away from a customer’s house knowing that my crew has created something beautiful, hasmaintained something the owner can enjoy, and has added value to a neighborhood.
I got lucky when I started my business almost thirty years ago. That’s when more and more women started working out of the house. That meantmore takeout dinners, less time tomow the grass, andmore landscaping business for me. As women found themselves with less time to garden, weed, and generally tend to their lawns, we landscapers found a ton of business. And now, people are busier than ever, so you can be sure there is still plenty of work available for professional landscapers.
The Work
A groundskeeper typically refers to someone who tends to the lawns, shrubs, and flowers on residential and commercial property. Some work at estates, college campuses, and private parks. Landscapers tend to have multiple customerswith different tasks or duties at each location. I always thought itwould be a blast to be the groundskeeper at aMajor League ball field. For those who go in this direction, it’s important to understand artificial turf while knowing how to maintain the underlying soil and achieve proper drainage.
Landscapers and groundskeepers use tools ranging frommowers and shovels to bush trimmers and chain saws. Some rely on larger equipment such as tractors. Landscapers generally install and maintain plants and trees as well as tend to lawns with fertilizer and irrigation systems, for example. They grade property and build walkways, patios, and decks. Groundskeepers usually to maintain larger properties, such as athletic fields, cemeteries, and golf courses.
Tree trimmers, pruners, and arborists are charged with caring for trees, cutting away dead branches, and clearing pathways for roads or sidewalks. Specialized arborists often have advanced degrees in tree care. Some groundskeepers also have degrees in botany, the study of plants. Many arborists are employed by cities to improve urban green space or by parks to maintain healthy growth.
Success in the Real World
Blair Glenn, arborist, Los Gatos, California
“Manwas notmade to sit at a desk, ” saysBlairGlenn, who has found away to spend hisworkdays outside, often climbing trees.This arborist and owner of Saratoga Tree Service in Los Gatos, California, knew he didn’t want to end up at a desk job. Although hismother was a teacher and his parents felt strongly about their son getting a college degree, they were supportive of Glenn’s desire not to go that route. They even gave himthemoney they had saved for college to buy his first work truck.
“I didn’t want to get stuck working indoors, ” says Glenn of how he ended up becoming a tree expert.Hewas an avid rock climber and started working for a tree expert long after graduating from high school. Glenn says he was fortunate to find a mentor who taught him the ropes, something he says remains invaluable to people just starting off in the trades. “The world is full of older people like me who want to give back.” Now fifty-five, Glenn regularlymentors younger arborists and kids who show an interest in the field. As an arboristGlenn says being outside and climbing trees is what he loves, and in turn he enjoys sharing his passion.
“You have to have the desire to learn a new tree every day, ” he adds. Although Glenn ultimately went back to school for his degree, he spent years learning on the job while being willing, if not exuberant, to climb and work hard. “We know an awful lot about the human body, but not as much about treemanagement.” He watches trees go through life cycles as well as seasonal changes, and he considers specific trees that he’s worked on to be his own personal accomplishments. “My business is a craft. It’s very creative, ” he says.
Glenn also enjoys the fact that on any given day he will havemultiple jobs, each with its own challenges. “I enjoy spending the day at people’s properties, ” he adds.Glenn acknowledges that this can be a tough job to sell, what with the physically demanding nature of the work and sometimes harsh weather conditions.But for Glenn it’s all worth it.He doesn’t need a gym membership and spends his free time hiking, fishing, and backpacking.Plus, he credits his active job for why he rarely gets sick.
Despite the fact that none of his five grown children want to take over his business, Glenn remains optimistic that his craft and trade will be passed on through generations to come. “When you step back you have job satisfaction, ” he says.It’s something thatwill always appeal to people. What does he suggest for those who want to make a go at it in the trades? “Find what you love doing andmake that your personal college education.”
Work Setting
If you absolutely love to be outside, this could be the job for you. Much landscaping and groundskeeping work is seasonal, depending on what part of the country you are in, and it can require working throughout the colder winter months. The landscaper who was mowing grass and moving trees in the summer may end up shoveling and plowing snow come winter, if you live in a place where it snows.
Almost all of this work is performed outside, which means dealing with the elements.You experience the changing seasons firsthand, which is something I’ve always enjoyed. It can be physically demanding, and sometimes there is time pressure if you’re racing against a coming storm ormaybe a customer’s big event. But I think the satisfaction of a job well done is worth the hassle of occasionally being drenched in a downpour.
Training and Certification