Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: How to Meet the Prerequisites for Lumberjacks
• Part 2 of 3: How to get trained to become a lumberjack
• Part 3 of 3: How to grow professionally as a lumberjack
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Lumberjacks cut, chop, load and transport trees for processing into lumber, paper and other wood products. Although jobs in forestry and logging are now dwindling, there is still work to be done for the young and strong people who love to work outdoors. In this area, the best and most preparation will take place after you get a job.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: How to Meet the Prerequisites for Lumberjacks

1. 1 Get your secondary education. To become a lumberjack in a company, you need a high school diploma. Most loggers do an on-the-job apprenticeship when they get their first job at a logging company.
2. 2 You must be healthy and fit. Logging is a very hard physical job. You will have to work 12-14 hours a day, loading, transporting timber and servicing various mechanisms. Most of the new logging jobs come after loggers retire or move to lighter jobs.
3. 3 Learn about safety precautions. Logging is an extremely dangerous job. When working with large trees, sharp equipment and heavy machinery, loggers must rely on each other to stay safe. If you are not willing to take the necessary precautions, then you are risking your life and the lives of your colleagues.
4. 4 Move to a wooded area. In the United States of America, mountainous states, the northwestern United States, and Alaska are best suited for this. You should start looking for work in these areas and be willing to relocate depending on the contracts you find.
5. 5 Have fun outdoors. This is another of the requirements of companies, in addition to secondary education. You should be prepared to work outdoors for most of the year, including rainy weather and cold, changeable conditions.
   • In some colder parts of the country, logging is a seasonal job. You may need to move to warmer areas to continue working as a lumberjack, or look for other part-time work.

Part 2 of 3: How to get trained to become a lumberjack

1. 1 Get a job at a logging company. Young lumberjacks start by learning from other lumberjacks. This experience is vital and often translates into good work.
2. 2 Get trained in the following industries. You will be prompted for a specialization when you take up a specific position in logging; however, as a young lumberjack, you should learn as much as possible about possible job opportunities in this field. If possible, then try yourself in them, so you can find the most suitable for yourself.
   • Lumberjacks are those who cut trees with a chainsaw or large harvester. Lumberjacks tend to cut trees that have been marked by foresters. They work in pairs, far from each other, so that a tree does not fall on them.
   • Sawmakers sawed off branches from trees. The timber is then cut into small logs for transportation according to the job specification.
   • Graders measure trees to determine how much lumber can be obtained.
   • Chokers wrap the logs in chains while they are on the ground. This allows them to be loaded onto large machines.
   • Forestry skidder operators pick up trees or drag them on the loading deck.
   • Machine operators load logs onto a timber truck and transport them.
   • Foresters are in charge of the work. They are often business owners, forest service employees or forest owners. They indicate which trees need to be harvested.
3. 3 Sign up for any required safety training. You will need to attend a seasonal or annual class run by a company, forestry service, or other government agency.
4. 4 Earn your certificate in the forestry / logging profession to become a manager, forestry or logging engineer. In many states, you can get a certificate after two years of community college. In a forested area, an engineering or forestry degree after four years of study guarantees you a better paying job.

Part 3 of 3: How to grow professionally as a lumberjack

1. 1 Find the position that best suits your skills. Work for several years in a team to earn respect in a company or team.
2. 2 Apply for other positions: with higher wages, more hours worked, or less risk.
3. 3 Promote to team leader. If you want to work for a company, then this position requires more knowledge and leadership skills than any other position.
4. 4 Take charge of a leadership position. You will be offered to train new woodcutters and you will probably be able to earn higher wages.
5. 5 Start your own logging company. If you have worked for many years or decades, having learned the ins and outs of the woodcutter profession first hand, you will have an advantage when starting your own company. Once you set up a company, hire employees, and purchase insurance, you can set your contract prices in your area or outside of it.

Tips

• Find out about the opportunity to join a union in your area. If you live in a wooded area, then most likely there are such trade unions. If not, you may be able to unite workers yourself to achieve safer working conditions, decent wages and benefits.
• In Alaska, lumberjacks still have the highest average wages. In 2012, the average wage was $ 16.17. per hour or $ 33630 in year. Of course, you will also find that the cost of living is higher there.

Warnings

• The lumberjack profession is very dangerous. You should always remember about safety and put it into practice. Never forget the precautions necessary to protect you and those around you.
• Logging jobs are growing at a slower rate than other occupations. New machinery, forest conservation, and overseas imports are curtailing growth in the United States. Logging jobs are expected to increase by about 6 percent each year through 2018.

What do you need

• Secondary education certificate
• Forestry / Logging Profession Certificate or Degree (optional)