The world is filled with different occupations, and choosing a career is an important step in your life. Whether you're just entering college or are thinking about returning to school to start a new career path for yourself, welding is one of the most reliable and versatile occupations that you can elect to enter. Since half of all products that make up the GDP contain a weld of some form, and since countless construction and industrial industries rely on welding, there's no shortage of welding jobs out there for qualified graduates. If you're considering a career in welding, you'll have plenty of career opportunities to select from

There are over fifty different job titles that graduates from a welding program can have, and hundreds of different specialties beneath those various job titles. Certified welders and welding engineers are the most common, and the welding jobs that these individuals can take will include a large number of jobs in the construction industry. Steel construction has been used for years and is only growing in popularity. Welding together frames of skyscrapers, warehouses, commercial buildings, and even residential homes is a common occupation for welders and one that never seems to lack in need. From big cities to smaller communities, construction welders are relied on constantly.

The industrial and automotive industries also need welders on a regular basis. From welding together car components or parts for heavy machinery, there are plenty of welding jobs available here. In many cases you may find yourself serving as a robotic arc welder, controlling the robotic processes that complete most common welding tasks in factories or other industrial settings. There are scores of fabrication tasks that require a welder, and after graduating from a quality welding class and gaining your certification you will be qualified to work in any of them.

There are also a number of welding jobs that are a bit outside the norm, as well. Ship repair, oil derricks, and other operations often require underwater welding to take place. You may need additional training to work in these environments, but they're among the most exciting and unique jobs in the world. Of course, many people turn their welding skills into art and run their own metal fabrication and welding shops, creating everything from barbeque smokers to steel works of art. It may be more difficult to make a steady income through this, but for those with a creative streak it is a very viable career path.

To qualify for most welding jobs you'll have to graduate from a welding program at a respected college and then earn welding certification. Most college welding courses can be completed relatively quickly and will give you all of the skills that you need in order to earn the needed certification. Specialized jobs like robotic welding, welding educator, and welding inspection will need additional training and additional certification but can be much more interesting, lucrative, and stable. Simply put, there are plenty of jobs to select from if you decide that the welding field is the right one for you.