Being a carpenter is a noble and valuable career choice for those who enjoy building things with their own hands. It involves skill and intelligence to be a good carpenter and lots of practice to become an excellent one. If you are someone who likes to create things which are both useful and aesthetically pleasing then this could be a good career choice for you.
There are some personality traits which make being a carpenter easier and more enjoyable so before you invest in this career determine for yourself how you rate in the following traits:
- Prefer to be active rather than sedative
- Have a high tolerance for extended physical activity
- Ability to learn new skills quickly
- Able to do basic mathematical calculations quickly and correctly (including fractions)
- Can communicate with others effectively
- Able to visualize three dimensionally
- Can solve problems creatively
To be a successful carpenter you will not need to have all the above traits but the more of them you have the easier and more enjoyable your career as a carpenter will be. Carpenters have a tough job no matter what area you decide to specialize in so be prepared to work hard for long hours throughout your career.
Still want to be a carpenter? Okay here is a 7 step process to break into this career:
Get educated
Education is the cornerstone of any successful career and can come in a variety of forms. Depending on your location you may need formal training from a technology school to work as a carpenter or you may be able to work as a general laborer with a construction company while learning the craft (or a combination of the two).
Although there are many specialties which someone can follow in carpentry there is a base of knowledge which will be required before any specialization is pursued. Carpentry courses can be found in most career colleges and is a great start as they will give you the basics of carpentry and expose you to the various skills you will need.
There is a wide range of what carpentry courses will cost from as little as $1000 to over $7000 in tuition costs. A basic carpentry course will take a year to complete but speciality courses can take 2-4 years to complete. Joinery is a speciality which can take 4-7 years to complete with both formal and apprenticeship (on the job training) requirements.
Decide what type of carpenter you want to be
Just like any general career term, carpentry can be divided into an infinite number of career paths. Do you want to be a framer, finish carpenter, flooring specialist, cabinetry or fine furniture builder. The list goes on and on but each type has some specialized knowledge you will need to know to be successful along with some additional traits and physical abilities which are necessary.
In general there are four basic types of carpentry which you could fit into:
Rough construction
Many people believe that when someone says rough construction there is less need to be accurate or skilled but this is absolutely wrong. Rough construction includes areas such as foundation forms, framing and stair construction. These are the first stages of any large construction project and rather than requiring less attention to detail they require more. Everything else is built on and around this framework and if it starts out with errors the remaining construction will suffer causing every trade who follows to have to make adaptations to the plan.
Traits needed:
- High attention to detail
- Ability to read blueprints and translate them into three dimensions
- Enjoy working outside in all types of weather
- Physically strong
- Enjoy teamwork
- Project oriented
Finish Carpentry
This area of carpentry includes jobs such as door installation, trim and banisters. Finish carpenters are more likely to work inside the building as opposed to outside exposed to the weather. This job is demanding as the work is exposed for all to see and therefore requires a high level of accuracy and precision. A finishing carpenter must take into account utility, aesthetics and functionality of everything they construct.
Traits needed:
- High attention to detail
- Excellent communication skills
- Physically able to work in a variety of postures (standing, kneeling, crouching)
- Project oriented
- Able to work long hours
- Able to creatively solve problems
Finished product Installation
Although this is similar to finishing carpentry it is also entirely different. This area of carpentry involves the installation of kitchen cabinetry, flooring and other finished construction materials. Kitchen cabinetry requires specialized skills to ensure the cabinetry is installed correctly. This means it must be plumb and level, have a standard height and look as the owner imagined. Flooring is similar, requiring minimal alteration of the product to produce the design specified.
There is little alteration of the product except for trim work and countertop fitting but requires understanding of the mechanics of the product being installed, methods of making alterations which have the least effect on the final product and can hide flaws in the product or deficiencies in the building itself.
Traits needed:
- High attention to detail
- Excellent communication skills
- Able to solve problems creatively
- Project oriented
- Physically strong
- Mechanically adept
Joinery
This is a totally different track than the traditional understanding of carpentry work. This form of carpentry requires a different level of commitment to learning, being important to continuously honing skills as well as formal education to learn about the craft. Joinery is used in a wide variety of applications (each with their own specialization). It is used in boat construction, furniture design and building as well as any other wooden product such as musical instruments (called a luthier).
The level of skill necessary to become a joiner requires commitment and high intelligence. You will have to be able to visualize a finished product prior to its construction at a completely different level than any other form of carpentry. You will have to take into account the strength of the material, visual characteristics, stability, density and its ability to take a finnish. How the product will alter over time is also important, whether it will swell in humid conditions, how the coloring will change when exposed to sunlight and a host of other conditions.
Traits needed:
- High intelligence and ability to learn new skills quickly
- Unparalleled attention to detail
- Visualization skills
- Able to solve problems creatively
- Able to work alone and with a team
- Able to spend extended periods of time performing repetitive and boring tasks
- Willing to accept criticism and make alterations without relationship damage
Practice your craft
Carpentry is an interesting combination of knowledge based learning and physical skill based learning. Both are required to be a valuable carpenter. You will have to know and understand the reason for your local building codes, how to add and subtract fractions, calculate radii and how your equipment works to name a few.
You will also have to be able to cut material accurately and with precision with a variety of tools (saws, chisels and powered equipment) and be able to assemble a project using a variety of fastening tools and products (drivers, hammers, adhesives). You will also have to know when you need to use one or more forms of fastening and what the effect it will have on the finished product.
This requires practice and dedication. You can do this in many ways but at the beginning you will most likely have to practice on your own. During your formal education you will be exposed to some practice but it will be limited due to time and financial restraints. To get the most out of the theoretical knowledge you acquire during formal education, practice the attending skills to reinforce the learning.
Start building things with the skills and knowledge you have no matter how rudimentary. This is the only way of improving your skills. Start small and short term and as you learn increase the complexity and time a project will take and you will soon look back on your first projects and be able to see the difference practice makes.
Build a portfolio of projects
A portfolio of projects is the equivalent of a resume or CV for a carpenter. It shows the level of skill you currently have as well as the progress you have been making. This is important especially for prospective employers because it shows them your progress as time passes, an indication you are a fast learner and are committed to building a career as a carpenter.
You can start by doing projects around your house, for friends and relatives. When showing prospective employers or clients your portfolio they do not need to know if you were paid or for whom you did the work for. They just need to see what your skill level is currently.
To build a portfolio take pictures of before and after and if you did something you feel is valuable. Place them online where you can point people to or Have the pictures printed and placed into a binder. Provide a little explanation of what the project was, how long it took and what you did.
Learn good communication skills
Communication is important in any career but carpentry takes it to a new level. To be successful you will have to listen and understand what is required, communicate any concerns you have which may include an explanation of what is legally required or even possible. When problems arise you will have to be able to guide the conversation to solutions rather than disagreement.
Without good communication skills success as a carpenter will be hard to achieve as miscommunication leads to a poor relationship with employers or clients, wasted materials and time and difficulty in getting reimbursed for your efforts. When everyone understands your skill level, what is expected of you and how long something should take, the job will go much smoother than if everyone has unrealistic expectations.
Introduce yourself to General contractors
This is where your public speaking practice will come in handy. General contractors are busy people and don’t tend to spend time posting positions they are looking for online or through social media. The contracting game is still a person to person exchange. To land a job or gain a client you will have to go and talk to general contractors personally.
Look for new construction sites with more than one build occurring. Ask other trades regarding who is in charge. When you get to talk to the person in charge, be honest about your experience and what you are looking for. Have your portfolio ready to show if they are interested or are looking for additional personnel. If they are not interested, ask for a referral, the construction industry is a close knit group so they may have a lead for you.
Set yourself a goal of contacting a specific number of contractors a week until you find a position. Everything is a numbers game. At the beginning of your carpentry career the number of people you need to talk to is higher but there is always someone looking for help which you can provide.
Continue learning new skills and keep up to date with current regulations
Like anything in life things change and to stay competitive you will have to continue to learn new things, develop new skills and stay up on regulation changes in the industry.
Do this by reading industry publications, talking to fellow carpenters and contractors. Find the government’s source for code rules in your area and look for amendments which may affect you.
Once you have landed a position, continue to develop your portfolio. This will come in handy when you are either looking for a new client of another employer. Carpentry is a very competitive business and general contractors are always looking for trades people who can do a job faster, better and/or for less money.