Hello From A Real Newbie!

vansomeren

Hello all from the newest FNG!

A little about myself. I am not actually a contractor by trade, though I aspire to be. Truth be told, I'm not actually in the construction trades as of yet. I am currently in the Army, on deployment in Iraq. My time with the Army is quickly coming to an end, and I have decided to pursue my true desire, building houses.

A realize this is a forum designated for Professional Contractors, and though, I do not currently fit that description I wanted to be able to talk to people who are successful in the trade, one day I hope to be a part of.

As for my plans: The Army offers a program called "Helmets to Hardhats" that offers placement in an Apprentiship program for various trade skills. To further educate myself before I start the real 'hands-on work' I have been independantly studying "Carpentry-Fourth Edition" by Floyd Vogt. And to give me an idea of how a contractors business should run, I have been studying "Running a Successful Construction Company" by David Gerstel. I know that reading about the trade, and working in the trade with lots of hands-on manhours are two very different things, but in my position I'm trying to do everything I can to prepare myself.

I welcome any and all advice that can be given to me as I prepare myself to enter the trade. I'm sure I'll have many questions along the way, so I thank you in advance for your patience as most of my questions will probably be regarded as "Green".

I look forward to talking with you all!

SLSTech

First off thanks for your service & Welcome to CT
One of the first things you will learn is that a lot of best practices vary by location, so make sure you update your profile with your current location. Most questions you can think about have been answered here, so always try running a search first - if you can't find the answer or need clarification ask away. Best of luck

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