AI Stealing Your Job? Time to Switch Careers... Artwork

Sparky Life

On Your Construction Network the Sparky Life Podcast with Lia Lamela, every Thursday has remarkable stories and points of view from journeyman and woman who build the things that make our lives work! These lessons learned are not only valuable for those engaged in the skilled trades but frankly for all of us whether we use tools literally or figuratively in our daily lives. I share with you my electrical journey, experiences and insight through engaging banter with those I have met along the way. If you are interested in trade tales, an industry frought with excitement and risk subscribe and be notified every Thursday when trade tales continue. We build the world we want to live in. Let’s band together to create the sparks in our lives!

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Sparky Life

AI Stealing Your Job? Time to Switch Careers...

May 08, 2025 • Lia Lamela

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🎧 In this episode: Welcome back to Sparky Life, where we challenge everything you’ve been told about success, college, and the so-called “right” career path. If you’ve ever felt lost, lied to, or stuck in a soul-sucking cubicle — this one’s for you.

This episode is a wake-up call.

You’ve been fed a fairytale — go to college, find your passion, land a job, live happily ever after. But here’s the truth: That system is broken, and Lia’s here to show you the way out.

💥 Lia gets raw about:

How the education system sets young people up for debt and disappointment
Why “following your passion” is nonsense without real-world experience
How skilled trades flipped her life from homeless shelter to financial freedom
Why apprenticeships are the real golden ticket — get paid to learn, no debt required
Eye-popping salary comparisons: skilled trades vs. college grads
Why AI is replacing office jobs — but not electricians, welders, and tower crane operators
What it really takes to succeed in trades as an adult starting from zero

This is your permission to quit the cubicle.

To throw out the script.

To choose a path that actually pays — in dollars, dignity, and freedom.

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⏱ TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 - Welcome to Sparky Life

00:01:05 - “I Don’t Know What I Want to Be When I Grow Up”

00:03:42 - The Lie of the 4-Year Degree

00:06:10 - The Student Loan Trap

00:08:30 - The Labor Shortage = Your Opportunity

00:11:25 - Getting Paid to Learn in the Trades

00:13:45 - “It’s Like Hogwarts… with Welding Torches”

00:17:15 - Office Politics vs. On-the-Job Promotions

00:20:00 - AI Is Coming… but Not for Skilled Labor

00:22:40 - Construction Careers: High-Tech, High-Pay

00:26:00 - Real Numbers: What Tradespeople Are Earning Today

00:29:55 - The Power of Practical Skills

00:33:00 - Lia’s Journey: From Women’s Shelter to 6 Figures

00:36:45 - Final Message: The Opportunity Is Yours

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Why Skilled Trades Are the Ultimate Career Hack (That No One Told You About)

Welcome back to The Sparky Life — where you just might reconsider your day job.

Let me ask you something: Were you one of those kids who always knew what you wanted to be when you grew up? The ones who had their path laid out since childhood, straight through high school, into college, and beyond?

Yeah, me neither.

Like so many others, I had no clue in high school. I had even less of a clue in college. And post-college? Still clueless. But it wasn’t my fault — and it’s not yours either. We’ve all been lied to. Lied to by a well-meaning but outdated education system. Lied to by society that told us success only comes with a four-year degree. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

The Lie: “Go to College, Find Your Passion”

Sound familiar?

“Go to college.”
“Find your passion.”
“Get a safe job with benefits.”

But how can you find your passion if you’ve never done the thing — only studied it? That’s not education. That’s theory without practice. And it’s setting up generations for disappointment, debt, and burnout.

I recently spoke at a high school where nearly every student planned to go to college. Not one of them knew what a Perkins loan was, how interest compounds, or what their chosen career might pay after graduation. That’s not guidance — that’s neglect.

And the result? A mountain of student debt and a cubicle job under flickering fluorescent lights. Sounds dreamy, right?

The Truth: Skilled Trades Are the Hidden Goldmine

Here’s the real deal: while society pushes degrees, the skilled trades industry is desperate for workers. And what happens when demand is high and supply is low? You guessed it: paydays get bigger.

Let me break it down:

You get paid to learn as an apprentice (yeah, like actually earn money while training).
You get access to real mentors — seasoned pros who teach you hands-on.
You develop specialized skills that command premium pay.
You build a career, not just a job.

While college grads are applying to dozens of jobs for $50k and free coffee in the breakroom, trades apprentices are pulling $20/hour while they train — with benefits.

And those apprenticeships? They often come with guaranteed employment and pathways to advancement based on skill, not just time served.

The Skilled Trades Revolution: High-Tech, High-Pay, High-Respect

Forget the old-school image of grimy worksites and catcalls. Modern trades are packed with technology and innovation: think 3D modeling, drones, and robotic stations. One day you’re installing conduit, the next you’re programming equipment. The possibilities are endless — and evolving.

And here’s a fun fact: AI can’t do what we do. It might be able to write reports or crunch data, but it can’t wire your AC unit during a storm or weld a steel beam 30 stories up. That’s human. That’s you.

Real Numbers, Real Opportunities

Let’s talk money:

Tower crane operators in NYC? $150k for 9 months of work.
Journeyman electricians in Texas and Florida? Out-earning MBA grads by year five.
24-year-old crane operator? $92,000/year.
Meanwhile, their marketing-degree friend? $50,000 and grinding weekends.

The best part? Skilled trades promote fast. You get recognized for competence, not just how long you’ve sat at your desk. And right now, there’s a systemic shortage in skilled labor — meaning you have the upper hand.

Jobs come to me now. I’m not begging or applying or hoping. I choose where I want to go and who I want to work with. That’s freedom.

From Women's Shelter to Financial Freedom: My Story

This isn’t just hype — it’s personal.

I lost everything. I was in a women’s shelter, starting over in my late 20s/early 30s (we won’t get specific, I’m still a woman, okay?). I had no savings, no support, and the career I spent a decade building was gone.

I had bills. I had nothing. But I found the skilled trades — and it changed everything.

I became an electrician. I worked overtime, weekends, studied nonstop — even during downtime on the job. I carried my books everywhere. And in three years, I built a career that gave me financial independence.

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t instant. But it was worth it.

Now, whether you're 18 and just starting out, or in your 30s with responsibilities and rent — it's not too late. This opportunity is for everyone.

Your Mission, If You Choose to Accept It

Albert Einstein once said: