As someone who’s owned a welding business for over 10 years now, I can tell you there are certain personality traits I look for in a good welder. You might think it all about how well you can lay down a bead but you’d be wrong. It goes way beyond that. So what are the personality traits I look for in a quality welder?

A good welder will take pride in their work and what they do, and keep things clean and looking good. They will show up on time and are never late. Finally, they carry a good attitude, help people out, and are not afraid to take advice from their coworkers or boss.

To really understand how you need to act and perform as a welder, let’s break down what each of these personality traits looks like in greater detail. They will show up on time and are never late.

As you will soon see, some traits have much more meaning to them than what is presented at face value. Embracing and implementing these traits into your lifestyle and work will see you becoming the best welder you can possibly be and most of all help you land that job you want.

What Personality Traits Are Needed for Welding

To be the best welder possible, you need to have skills that reach beyond how clean of a weld you can produce.

Delivering work with the right level of detail and the right attitude are both equally important in a field where customers often need very specific work done.

While we will be highlighting 5 of the most essential traits for a welder to possess, this should just be the first stepping stone for your welding development.

#1 Pride in their work

Pride in your work should be at the heart of everything you do as a welder because it reflects on who you are as a person.

A welder can deliver work that may appear to be good, but a lack of pride in what they do can often speak volumes about how much better they could have done.

A good welder always wants to do the best they can so they are as happy if not happier than the customer with the level of work they deliver.

On the surface level, a welder who takes pride in their work will create consistently excellent work that are impressive to both the naked eye and the experienced professional.

The prideful welder makes sure every weld they make looks great and was down to the best of their ability. A welder should be able to step back and smile at their work as they feel they put their everything into their work.

Pride in one’s work is also reflected in how they approach new opportunities and customer interactions from the get-go.

You can tell a welder is proud of their work when they are eager to share their work with others and highlight the meticulous detail they put into their work.

When you take pride in your work as a welder, others will be able to sense that and be eager to work with you in the future.

#2 Cleanliness

When most people picture a welder in their mind, they picture a worker covered in dirt and sweat who is working in dirty conditions.

While it is true that welding can be a dirty job under certain conditions, it does not have to be that way in your case.

Working in a cleanly matter with everything you do can help show others that you put as much effort into your space and appearance as you do into your work.

Being clean in the welding field all starts with wearing the proper gear to get the job done. Necessary safety equipment aside that should always be worn, what you wear to cover your body often determines how you look coming out of the shop.

You will want to wear clothes that protect your body from debris and allow you to look great coming out of the workplace.

The most important time to look clean is when you are going for an interview for a welding position. Just because the job doesn’t require you to look your best doesn’t mean you should put no effort into looking good for the interview.

You don’t need to show up in your best suit, but you want to present the best version of yourself that aligns with that welding companies culture.

Aside from how you look like an individual, you clean you keep your space and tools often speaks volumes about your performance.

The best welders keep their spaces in mint condition and their tools always look like they just came out of the box. Having respect for how you and your gear looks will immediately give off the impression that you know what you are doing.

#3 Ability to Be on Time

The value of time is something most people often overlook. Being on time as a welder is often more important than producing the cleanest welds possible.

The earlier you show up for a job or interview, the better chance you have of impressing your employer and taking the time needed to produce the best work possible.

Most business owners who need welders are on a tight schedule and have no time or patience for slackers. Showing up early to do your job shows other that you are ready and willing to give your all to whatever project you are assigned.

The way you respect the time of others and how you use your time often speaks volumes about your personality and willingness to work.

Someone who is showing up late and leaving early clearly is not sending a message that they care about their work.

#4 Coachable

One of the worst attitudes to have after graduating from welding school is thinking you know everything and are done learning.

The reality is that you are now really beginning to learn what welding is about once you graduate from welding school. No company wants to hire a welder who just graduated and thinks they know everything possible about welding.

You may think you know the best way to approach a weld on a certain project, but customers like things done certain ways and you will often need to adapt.

It’s perfectly ok to not know everything that an employer asks of you, but not asking for help or reaching out to a more experienced welder will just set you up for failure.

For example, say you are asked by a customer to do a vertical down weld for their job. If you go in there and decide that you want to do a horizontal flat weld because you just graduated and think you know it all, you are in for a sore reality check.

Listening to what is asked of you and being willing to always learn more is what will set you up for a lifetime of learning and improvement of your welding skills.

#5 Good Attitude

When it comes to important personality traits, having a good attitude is essential for almost any job. If you bring a bade attitude to work, very few people will take the time or energy to work with you unless you improve it.

A bad attitude makes it likely that nobody will want to hire you or give you the opportunity to lead others.

Many people often wonder what a good attitude even is, so let’s see if we can understand it better. In most cases, a good attitude is when you do your job and don’t worry about others.

If someone got a promotion that you really wanted, you congratulate them and keep working hard until your next opportunity comes.

Working with people who have bad attitudes is never fun but keeping your attitude positive regardless of others will help you stand out as someone people want to lead and promote down the line.  

Why Do These Traits Matter When It Comes to Welding?

When the face shield goes down and it’s time to work, the last thing on any welders mind is the attitude of others or wondering if their boots are clean.

However, the time spent actually welding and not interacting with others is only a fraction of the time you spend as a welder. Working on and planning projects with other people require you to master these traits and be the best welder possible.

Showing up on time and using a positive attitude may seem obvious now but try and think if you really used the best attitude when you were angry at a difficult customer.

A welder who can create clean welds and also have great conversations with others is going to be seen as someone worth having on any welding team.