How to Become a Carpenter with No Experience

How to become a carpenter with no experience is not as daunting and impossible as you might have thought. Today you will get to know all the details of becoming a carpenter without experience, its prerequisites, and how to get a job without experience.

For thousands of years, woodworking has been an important profession. The woodworkers or carpenters have made our life easy with their intricate patterns, beautiful pieces of furniture, and awe-inspiring designs.

You might have heard people saying that the right attitude is what determines your success in a profession. However, for learning to be a carpenter, the right attitude might not be the only ingredient; skills are also a must.

Becoming a carpenter without experience does not imply embarking on this profession without skills or knowing about its ins and outs. 

Looking at all these ambiguities, we compiled this article to help all of you think about shifting to becoming a carpenter and the right way to do that. Below mentioned is the path you can take for getting into carpentry without having prior experience.

The first path you can take is finishing an apprenticeship program: This program can be the start of your path to learning to be a carpenter. The Apprentice program is the most effective way of learning from experienced workers. You can never compare the carpentry learning and skills you get from a professional person to any other way.

The hands-on experience of working with a professional carpenter can help you learn skills that might take years otherwise. Instead of asking how to be a carpenter, a better question is knowing how to become an apprentice carpenter first.

How to become an apprentice carpenter?

The apprentice program typically takes three to four years in total at a contractor or a trade union. There you learn from journeymen and experts who have spent your life in this field. This way, you are learning to practice a lot of skills at the same time.

We all know carpenter is not the kind of craft to master in days or even months, but an apprentice program can speed up this process for you.

Is becoming an apprentice carpenter the only way to become a carpenter without experience? Of course not.

Find work as a laborer

Another way is to enroll yourself with an experienced carpenter as a laborer and learn to become a professional along the way. This can be the first of the steps to becoming a carpenter for many of you. In this way, you will learn about the technical skills of becoming a carpenter.

While you work with the experienced ones on their projects, you can learn how to be a good carpenter. Working as an assistant, you can also enroll yourself in a carpentry training program simultaneously. This can be one of the high-paced ways of climbing the ladder of becoming a professional carpenter from one without any.

What are the duties of a beginner carpenter?

A new carpenter or a trainer carpenter is much like an apprentice one. You learn the trade of carpentry and help your experienced supervisor.

You might be working on tasks such as accurately measuring wood pieces, holding the parts while sturdy power tools are used. Simultaneously, you also learn how to use these tools and what to avoid.

Sometimes, the carpenter might ask the new trainer to repair old wood structures and install them in place.

This is the most crucial time as you learn the nitty-gritty and delicacies of the job. At this stage, as a beginner carpenter, you will also learn about reading and following the blueprints and following the directions, etc.

You might have already made one conclusion from the work of a trainer carpenter that being one, you will not be earning much yet. It is always less than the experienced ones, and this seems justified too.

Formal carpentry training

You can also learn how to be a carpenter by enrolling yourself informal training and courses. Many community institutions and technical institutes in the area also offer training courses about learning to become a carpenter.

The school offers you training related to the safe use of power tools; they also guide you through the proper use of user manuals of power tools like saws, drills, sanders, etc. The training lasts for several weeks. This training may look like an introduction to a carpentry course.

All these trainings require dedication and passion for learning about carpentry. Without that, there might be no point in spending money or time on these courses. There are also specific prerequisites to these courses; following them must enroll in these carpentry training courses.  

Educational prerequisite to enrolling in the fundamental carpenter training program

Before enrolling in training courses, there are specific educational requirements that you need to fulfill for a beginner carpenter. The training for the carpentry profession is based on previous primary education. A formal training program or apprentice program for this profession requires the candidate to have at least a high school degree or GED.

Regardless of your prior education, another prerequisite is your math skills. Make sure you can do quick math as you will be using this skill frequently in this occupation. As a beginner carpenter, you might need to refresh your prior knowledge of numbers geometry, angles, finding the area, etc. are the necessary skills.

Requirements to become a carpenter

Apart from the skills and requirements mentioned above, there are specific other requirements that you might need to gain experience as a carpenter. Below mentioned are some of the soft skills you require when embarking on your carpentry career.

Healthy physic: The job of a carpenter requires you to be physically fit all the time. You will be dealing with heavy stuff, shifting logs, carrying power tools, etc. The strength of carrying out the job duties will require you to have a strong body.

Attention to details: In the profession of working as a carpenter, you will have a lot of minute details to follow. So, attention to detail is an important skill.

Problem-solving skills: Another skill is your quick problem-solving and decision-making ability. As we mentioned, math is an essential skill in this profession.

Eye condition: As a carpenter, you need to have good eye condition to focus on small angles and lines. Additionally, having good eye-sight is also essential to avoid any hazards with power tools.

Safe use of tools: In a carpenter’s shop, you will be working with power tools like miter saws, jigsaws, and much more. So, you must have the ability to use these tools safely. You can also read detailed articles about power tools.

Communication skills: Having good communication skills is the key to excelling in most careers out there. Being a carpenter, you need to understand the requirements of the projects, its requirements. Additionally, you need to have skills to communicate with clients, customers, peers effectively. You must know the language of carpentry, jargon, and terms to look qualified.

Is becoming a carpenter right for you?

Becoming a carpenter is not only rewarding from monetary terms, but it can also give you the satisfaction of work. The scope of the work is not going to drop anytime soon. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS), a carpenter’s job is one of the most in-demand jobs for a decade to come.

According to the prediction of the department, the industry will generate approximately 50000 new carpentry jobs between 2018 and 2028. Though the trajectory looks promising but is it the profession, you want? Or is it the right occupation for you? To know that, you need to understand various facets of this job.

Physically demanding tasks: As you know, this is a physically demanding job. You will be carrying logs, machines, and tools around the workshop. On the project’s sites, you will adjust floorings, stack panels of wood, and much more. Make sure you are ready for such demanding labor.  

Generally, the job requires you to be on your feet all day long as you cannot operate the machine while sitting. Before opting for your career, ask yourself if you are ready for such physically demanding tasks.

Work with wood: Get ready to learn about changing the logs of woods into something meaningful. Depending on the type of workshop and supervisor, you will work on making cabinets for home projects. On construction sites, you will learn to see things, make panels, and much more.

Be creative: A carpenter’s job requires you to be creative in your projects. You must have problem-solving skills, so much so that you can create new out of something old. Additionally, you should be able to take precise measurements with utmost accuracy as more minor changes can cause significant problems in the end.

The points mentioned above may keep you on your toes while joining this profession. There are certain aspects of this profession that make it highly enticing for the beginners

Booming construction market: The world is witnessing a boom in the construction industry, and there is always a shortage of skilled labor. It implies that you can always bring new skills and expertise into this field. As you look at the salary, you can expect $60000 yearly from this job.

If you like working with wood and showing your creativity, you should always go for this profession. Make sure to base your decision according to what you want instead of money only.

How to get a job when you don’t have carpenter experience?

Prepare a resume: The starting point of your job with a carpenter is making a resume. Like all other jobs, you should tailor your resume according to the requirements of the job.

Here you can mention your carpentry training programs and courses as an apprentice. You should also mention your soft skills that can enhance your chances of getting a job.

Look for the right people: Having the network of the right people can never fail you when it is about finding a job without experience. Ask around the people to know about job openings in construction companies.

Job placement consultancies: One of the ways to land your dream job is finding them through consultancies. The companies and these agencies always have a connection, and they help people land the right positions.

Have your certificates and file ready: You might meet an employer who does not believe that you have the required training and skills. Always make sure you have all the certificates and your file ready to show them the proof.

To make a finalization

If you had made up your mind that taking up the profession of a carpenter without experience is impossible, you must correct your thoughts now. Taking up the job of a carpenter is possible and achievable if you take all or most steps mentioned above.

Make sure you have the essential education requirement, have enrolled in some training or apprentice courses.

It might be difficult in the beginning when you are making space or developing rapport with your professional woodworking supervisor, but it gets better with time. Ensure perseverance, passion, and love for this profession to excel and reach the pinnacle of success. Once you have the prerequisites, the job outlook for this occupation is good. You can find lucrative work on construction sites or big companies employing skilled carpenters.