Simply being in manufacturing is a great way to earn a decent living. However, many manufacturing workers find themselves stuck in a particular job and unable to get higher pay. While these manufacturing workers may be good at their job and have many years of experience, they often have a general skill set that doesn’t command a high pay rate.
The best way to land higher-paying jobs in manufacturing is to specialize in a certain area. This requires building up a specific set of skills and experiences. You might be able to gain that by cross-training or taking advantage of other career-building opportunities at your company. But more often, it takes a deliberate approach to build up specialized skills that command a higher pay rate.
Consider the following ways to specialize in manufacturing land higher-paying jobs.
Think About the Kind of Higher-Paying Job You Want
Jobs in management, maintenance, quality control and other areas can all pay more than my job as a general laborer. Landing a higher-paying job that you’ll work for many years should start with thinking about the kind of job you want.
If you like the idea of leading other people and feel like you would be good at it, you should consider pursuing a job in management. If you like the idea of a technical job that involves working on your own, you might want to pursue something in the skilled trades, like being an electrician. When considering these different types of high-paying jobs, it’s also important to research the education or training needed to get there, and the future outlook. The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time training for a job that will be eliminated by automation.
Talk to People Working in the Job You Want
It’s one thing to think about a job you want and research what it takes to get there, and another thing to find out from someone based on their first-hand experience. Talking to someone working in the higher-paying job you want is a great way to get a sense of whether the job is for you. These people should also be able to help you get a sense of how much time, effort and money you’ll need to invest in gaining the essential skills for the job you want.
Get the Skills You Need
Getting the skills needed for a higher-paying job often requires taking training courses or pursuing an educational degree. However, most companies offer free training programs and opportunities to upskill their workers. Some companies also offer fee and tuition reimbursement programs.
You can also try applying for internal job postings. Sometimes, companies looking to fill certain positions will be willing to lower the qualifications for internal hires with a good track record. This is the cheapest way to gain a specific skill set and get on the path to higher-paying jobs, but it requires waiting for the right opportunity and maintaining a good reputation as a general laborer.
We Can Get Your Career on a Better Path
At American StaffCorp, we are constantly helping people get higher-paying and more rewarding manufacturing jobs. Please visit our job search page today or contact us to speak with our recruiters.
