In some career fields, the tradition and prestige affiliated with a college often determines which companies hire its graduates and which ones do not.

A law degree from Stanford, for example, is likely to gain a recent graduate more job offers from a business than, say, a degree earned one from the University of Texas. The law school at Texas might be a fine program, but it’s not as recognized or respected as the one Harvard has run decade after decade.

Given that prestige and other factors like that play a role in other career fields, you’re probably wondering: Does it matter what welding school I go to?

The welding field is somewhat more complicated, though, that other fields. Companies hire certified welders and welding program graduates for a variety of reasons – and their choice of school is not always the No. 1 factor. But … your choice of welding school is often extremely significant, and you need to make sure you enroll in a program that has a solid reputation, no matter if you’re pursuing a degree or certification.

Let’s see if we can help you sort this out. Here are five reasons why your choice of welding school matters:

• Résumé Selection – Competition for good welding jobs is extremely high, so when you submit your résumé to employers, you want to be sure yours stands out as much as possible. One of the best ways to achieve this is to ensure your résumé carries the name of a school that is easily recognizable for the quality of its graduates. You want your résumé to “pop” – to catch the hiring director’s eye. The first step is the name of a reputable school at the top of your application.
• Employer Preference – Your future employer probably already has experience with welders from the school you’re considering. The hiring person already knows which schools turn out quality welders and which ones do not. When applying for your welding program, ask the school’s admission office what local companies have hired their graduates. Once you have a few names, you can call those companies to see if they would recommend the school based on their past experiences.
• Lack of Experience – What experience do you have in the welding field? Some welders can attract companies’ attention with the hours of experience they have in the field and the welding projects they’ve completed. If your background includes three or more years of welding, then the odds are you have enough experience to bypass a welding certification. If not, you need schooling from a reputable source.
• Salary Considerations – Who doesn’t want to earn a decent salary? Just like many other fields, degrees and certifications are going to increase your earnings potential. Qualified instructors at reputable welding schools can help you earn the skills you need to graduate and then enter the field with the prospects for a long – and profitable – career.
• Confidence – Think about this for a moment: How confident would you be walking into an HR office and interviewing for a job when you have no direct experience, either in the classroom or in the field? The chances are you aren’t going to be real secure in your own abilities – especially when the interviewer asks, “What actual experience do you have?” By completing a welding program, you’ll be able to share what you’ve learned with prospective companies and show them that you have the basic skills to get started in the field.

Earning a degree or certification is the proof your employer will want to see to verify you can do the job. Where your education comes from is hugely important for you to have the best opportunity to be hired by an ideal company. Invest the time to find a solid institution. Your choice will continue to pay dividends, again and again, for years to come.

The Imagine America Foundation has been partnering with Tulsa Welding School for the past 15 years. This partnership has resulted in over 5,000 graduating high school seniors receiving not only a scholarship to attend their school, but a quality education as well.