COMING SOON · BLUE-COLLAR PATHS
Corporate isn't for everyone.
Trades are real work.
I grew up working. Oil fields, construction, bartending, car sales, real estate. I know what it's like to wake up sore and know you actually did something yesterday. That's not a consolation prize — that's a real path, and for a lot of people, it's the right one.
The Career Translator was built for people going into corporate from non-traditional backgrounds. But I've been hearing from folks going the other direction — sitting in an office wondering if they should've gone to trade school. Or who did try corporate, hated it, and want out. This tool is for them.
THE PLAN
What this tool will do.
CT-TPF-01
Interview you
Same shape as the corporate Career Path Finder — about 10 minutes of questions, one at a time. Figure out what trade actually fits your temperament, your body, and your patience for the long game.
CT-TPF-02
Match you to real apprenticeships
Trade-specific library: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, construction, welding, mechanic, CDL, oil field roles. With real paths in — apprenticeships, union halls, trade schools, direct employer programs — mapped by state and typical training length.
CT-TPF-03
Map the real roadmap
Apprentice → journeyman → master. Or your own shop. Or foreman / super / GC. With actual pay numbers, actual licensing requirements by state, and honest tradeoffs (your back, your knees, the weather, the commute). No sunshine.
GET ON THE LIST
Be the first to know when this ships.
I'm building this tool next. Drop your email and I'll send you one message the day it goes live — plus a heads-up if I'm looking for beta testers from trade backgrounds before launch.
No follow-up drip. No newsletter spam. One email when it's ready.
WHILE YOU WAIT
Three resources that already exist.
I can't build the tool fast enough to help you this week. These three external resources can.
RESOURCE 01
Mike Rowe Works
Scholarship money for people pivoting into skilled trades. Nobody's doing this better right now.
mikeroweworks.org ↗RESOURCE 02
Apprenticeship.gov
DOL's official apprenticeship finder. Searchable by zip code and trade. Real, current, employer-backed programs.
apprenticeship.gov ↗RESOURCE 03
Union Finder
AFL-CIO's union locator. If your trade has a union (plumbers, electricians, ironworkers, operators), you want to know where your local hall is.
aflcio.org ↗NOT SURE YET?
Maybe you're not a trades person.
A lot of people think they want trades because they hate their current corporate job — not because they actually want to work with their hands. If you're not sure, run the corporate Career Path Finder first. It'll tell you honestly which side of the fence you're on. If it points you back here, at least you'll know.
Try the Corporate CPF first →STRAIGHT TALK
Trades are hard on your body. Corporate is hard on your soul. Both pay. Both have dickheads at the top. The question isn't which one is better — it's which one fits you. That's what both of these tools are actually trying to answer.