I graduated last May in Finance/Marketing and have been working about a year now, and am realizing that I am miserable working in an office (great time to come to this conclusion..). I was thinking about going the route of getting a contractor's license in the near future and getting some hands on experience in the process. How difficult is it to get licensed and also I would assume I need to work under someone for a period of time before I become proficient enough to bring in my own business. As of right now I am not even sure what type of contracting to get into, so if there are any ideas as to what is more satisfying and/or lucrative that would be awesome too.

5/5/2008 6:00:28 PM

GOOGLE

http://www.contractors-license.org/cna03.htm

[Edited on May 5, 2008 at 6:22 PM. Reason : asdf]

5/5/2008 6:21:50 PM

Thanks, I went there already but was wondering what people that have experience in the field might have to say

5/5/2008 6:51:38 PM

you're going to have to pass the written test in whichever state you want to be licensed in, so you definitely want some general construction experience...lots of the minimum requirements for building certain things are specific, but working in the field again and again will make lots of them 2nd nature

how much experience do you have in the construction industry?

5/5/2008 6:51:38 PM

absolutely none, so it sounds like quitting my job and working construction would have to be the next step

5/5/2008 6:53:47 PM

well you definitely want a good understanding of the industry before you go out and start your own company...quitting your job and working construction could certainly give you an idea of that, and also let you know if its something you want to do for a living...but like many jobs, experience is the best teacher, and working your way up is the best way to do it...theres definitely some money to be made though, in all facets of construction

for example, maybe you work for a GC and find some things you like and some you dont...maybe you really like framing or roofing or something...you could then concentrate on that...big industry though...lots of opportunities

5/5/2008 6:56:06 PM

similar thread from last week.

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=524297

5/5/2008 7:04:24 PM

how do you feel about wasting money on getting a degree in Finance/Marketing and then choosing a career path that requires 0 education and 100% experience?

(no troll, real question)

5/5/2008 7:20:09 PM

Quote :

"a career path that requires 0 education and 100% experience?"

Quote :

"no troll"

Does not compute

5/5/2008 7:23:25 PM

^how does that not compute. General contractor requiring a 4 year degree? really?

5/5/2008 7:26:08 PM

Quote :

"How to Become a General Contractor If you wish to become a general contractor, it is important to receive the proper education and training. This can be achieved two ways. One is by hands-on experience in the construction field. Many times a prospective employer will hire someone to be a General Contractor if they have extensive experience and are willing to take college or vocational classes while in training, such as math, drafting and business management, to name a few. Most prospective employers, however, prefer to hire someone who has a bachelor's degree. If you decide to pursue a degree with the intention of becoming a General Contractor, it is a good idea to get your degree in construction management, construction science, civil engineering, operations management or some other related field. Once hired, the General Contractor usually starts by going through an apprentice program, sometimes in a part-time position, working toward full-time. Union shops, especially, offer on-the-job training while teaching the apprentice general construction trades, such as carpentry, plumbing and operating heavy equipment."

5/5/2008 7:29:58 PM

Quote :

"This can be achieved two ways. One is by hands-on experience in the construction field. Many times a prospective employer will hire someone to be a General Contractor if they have extensive experience and are willing to take college or vocational classes"

sounds about right to me.

5/5/2008 7:37:48 PM

You need hands-on experience?! Isn't that the case to get a job in any field?

It helps to read the entire post.

Quote :

"a career path that requires 0 education and 100% experience?"

Quote :

"Most prospective employers, however, prefer to hire someone who has a bachelor's degree."

No one is comparing general contracting to neurosurgery. It's a respectable field, nowadays you need a four year degree in CE/CM to get started, you aren't going to make it as a high school dropout. And this guy can make a shit ton more than if he were an office drone. Stop being a douche.

[Edited on May 5, 2008 at 7:43 PM. Reason : ]

5/5/2008 7:42:04 PM

i read the entire post and my point still stands. he has 0 experience in a field that looks at experience before anything else. He could have spent the last 4-5 years getting experience before dropping a boat load on a finance/marketing degree (which is a great degree to have but not for this)

no ones being a douche here...if you read your own post you'd know that without experience he's got a steep hill to climb.

[Edited on May 5, 2008 at 7:44 PM. Reason : .]

5/5/2008 7:43:52 PM

Your point still stands that general contracting is a field that requires zero education?

I didn't say he didn't have a steep hill to climb. He has no education, no experience, he's at the very bottom. My post was in response to trying to piss on this guy's thread.

[Edited on May 5, 2008 at 7:49 PM. Reason : ]

5/5/2008 7:47:41 PM

I know several GC's in the Greensboro area, off the top of my head 6 of them are State grads (1 in philosophy and another in business, the rest in const. mgmt) 2 of them are UNC guys both with Econ degrees. They're all very successful and live in huge homes, have great lifestyles, etc. So having a degree in finance, although might not be prime material, will give you an advantage in that area. I say go for it, it might take you a few years to reap real rewards, but if you like being active and doing construction work, it's a great life.

5/5/2008 7:49:15 PM

Yes, you can make it as a general contractor with zero formal education. I'm a superintendent with a custom home builder and regularly meet with my boss (the owner) and several other GC's of other custom home builders and I'm the only one with a college education. Every time they see me doing something the always tease, "so did your degree help you with that college boy?"

It's all in good fun. A degree never hurts, but its def not neccessary

5/5/2008 9:11:54 PM