Talk to your school counselor about programs and classes like woodworking that are offered at your school so you can start learning skills that will get you started in this field.

Find a class to jump-start your construction skills.

Gain metalworking experience by taking a shop class at your school. If your school doesn't offer it, try a community college or see if you can intern or interview someone at a local metal shop.

Take a metal shop class.

Search online for how-to videos to see how hard this work is to master--and whether it's something you think you'd like. Does seeing this kind of work in action make you more interested in trying it?

Watch tutorials on how to do this kind of work.

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings.

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Third Interest High-Point

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Second Interest High-Point

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

First Interest High-Point

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Construction and Extraction Occupations

Construction Trades Workers

Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.

Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.

Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.

Fasten structural steel members to hoist cables, using chains, cables, or rope.

Hoist steel beams, girders, or columns into place, using cranes or signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift and position structural steel members.

Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.

Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces, using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment.

Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.

Force structural steel members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, or hand tools.

Pull, push, or pry structural steel members into approximate positions for bolting into place.

Unload and position prefabricated steel units for hoisting, as needed.

Drive drift pins through rivet holes to align rivet holes in structural steel members with corresponding holes in previously placed members.

Assemble hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.

Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors.

Ride on girders or other structural steel members to position them, or use rope to guide them into position.

Hold rivets while riveters use air hammers to form heads on rivets.

Insert sealing strips, wiring, insulating material, ladders, flanges, gauges, or valves, depending on types of structures being assembled.

Place blocks under reinforcing bars used to reinforce floors.

Catch hot rivets in buckets and insert rivets in holes, using tongs.

Adjustable widemouth pliers

Adjustable wrenches

Air compressors

Blow torches

Bolt cutters

Bull pins

C clamps

Center punches

Chalk lines

Cold chisels

Combination squares

Crowbars

Cutoff saws

Decoilers

Drift pins

Ear plugs

Electric drills

Fire extinguishers

Flat head screwdrivers

Forging dies

Grout mixers

Hacksaws

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Overview

Career

What Structural Iron and Steel Workers Do

Other Job Titles Structural Iron and Steel Workers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Overview

Career

What Structural Iron and Steel Workers Do

Other Job Titles Structural Iron and Steel Workers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Majors Related to Career

Related Careers

Related Leaders