CONTRACTOR SUCCESS STORY : YOUMAN WELDING
finishing their graveyard shift , she and her friend drove together to San Pedro to put in another 8 hours of study over the next 10 months . “ Welding is not easy when you ’ re starting out – there is a lot to learn , but it felt like a challenge that I enjoyed pursuing , so I dedicated myself to figuring it out ,” says she .
After they had both passed a written and practical exam to become City of Los Angelescertified structural welders , Veronica ’ s friend encouraged her to move with him to North Dakota , where his uncle had helped him secure work in the booming oil fields . Their accommodations first consisted of sharing a room in a cramped boarding house , then eventually sharing a small apartment . “ The type of welding needed in the oil fields is pipe welding , not structural welding ,” she explains . “ Pipe welding is a whole other skill than structural welding , so I started as a helper – prepping the job site and materials for the pipe welders .”
Although the company Veronica was working for initially tried to steer her away from pipe welding , she took the initiative to learn the necessary skills on her own , practicing every day after work – which was no small feat , considering that like everyone there , she was working 6 days a week . “ We were making great money , but Sunday was our only day to get groceries , run errands , do laundry and hang out with our work friends .” Despite her grueling work schedule , Veronica spent an entire year practicing how to weld pipe in order to successfully pass the required exams and get hired as a pipe welder . “ It took a while , though , before I felt really confident
Veronica Youman , owner and President of Youman Welding .
about what I was doing ,” she reflects . “ Now I walk on a job with a lot of skills in my repertoire and confidence to do the job , but there was definitely a learning curve .”
After three and a half years , the oil boom started to slow down , and Veronica had grown weary of the harsh North Dakota winters and having no life outside of work . While her best friend chose to stay in North Dakota , Veronica headed back to California , having saved up enough money to purchase all her welding equipment and a truck – but , despite having expanded her skill set and hands-on experience , she found it difficult to break into the pipe welding scene . “ It ’ s easier to be a shop welder than a pipe welder , because welding pipe is much more intensive
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