How many careers give you the opportunity to point at a structure people use every day and say, “I built that”?
When you work in the structural steel industry, that’s not a hypothetical. It’s the lived reality. Your fingerprints are literally embedded in the structures you create. They’re part of the county bridge that makes your neighbor’s commute faster. They’re tucked behind the walls of the hospital that keeps your community healthy.
That kind of tangible legacy is a rare gift. It’s more than job satisfaction; it’s the pride of turning abstract designs and complex calculations into everyday wonder for thousands (or millions) of people. Celebrate that sense of pride alongside us for SteelDays as we explore the diversity of opportunities available in structural steel!
Meet the Humans Behind the Craft
What do you know about the people whose expertise translates drawings into steel structures across the nation?
Visions in Steel celebrates the individuals who bring steel projects to life. This traveling narrative photography exhibition tells the diverse stories of creativity, perseverance, and pride that you rarely hear outside of the fabrication shop.
From Dallas to Philadelphia, Tampa to Louisville, Visions in Steel has introduced architects, engineers, and students to local fabricators shaping their skylines. The result? Conversations that lead to earlier collaboration with fabricators, which saves time, reduces rework, and unlocks smarter solutions before steel ever leaves the shop.
Get to know a few of the featured fabricators at aisc.org/visions. Interested in showcasing your local skilled fabricators? Reach out to AISC Industry Initiatives Specialist Hope Hrabowy to bring Visions in Steel to your city.
P.S. If you’re near Raleigh, N.C. this week, don’t miss your chance to experience the exhibition for yourself at AIA North Carolina’s Center for Architecture and Design--it closes after Friday!
See Steel Careers in Action
Everyone takes a unique path into the industry--whether it’s a first career or a career pivot. No matter the starting point, there’s a role and individual growth path for everyone in structural steel. The videos below will give you an idea of what it’s like to work and grow in the industry!
Top 5 Ways to Get a Job in Steel
If you or someone you know is interested in embarking on a career in the structural steel industry, there are a few simple steps you can take that’ll help you find your ideal place to start!
- Visit aisc.org/IBuiltThat to learn more about steel industry career paths.
- Take intro classes in your career and technical education program.
- Talk to your school or community career advisors about what careers are hot in your area.
- Connect to local employers through local work-based learning, like a pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, or internship.
- Show up with a learning mindset 🧠, ready to work hard 💪.
Are you already forging your own steel career path? AISC full member fabricators have exclusive access to a world-class fabricator training curriculum, and you don’t want to miss out! The Fabricator Education Training Program, a library of 40 courses and counting, covers fabricator fundamentals, layout and fit-up, and welding. Visit aisc.org/fabricator-training to get started today.
Friday: Take Full Advantage of Steel’s Speed with AI
No, it’s probably not coming for your job--but artificial intelligence can help you optimize your structural steel workflow!
Mark your calendar for October 24 (that’s this Friday!) at 12:30 p.m. Central for a can’t-miss virtual lunch-and-learn on all things structural steel and AI. AISC Director of Technology Integration Luke Faulkner will share what he’s seeing in the industry (including current use cases and tools that are making a difference) and pull out his crystal ball to look into the near future.
He’ll also introduce you to a good friend of his: Clark, AISC’s chatbot. See how people are using Clark to find the technical information they need from thousands of pages of AISC documents--in minutes.
Did we mention that this webinar is free? You can earn 1.0 PDH or LU by attending! Register today at aisc.org/ai-webinar.
I’m Thinking of a Word…
How many tries will it take you to guess it? Throughout the week, challenge yourself to steel-themed Wordles!
Share your results with us (no spoilers, please!) on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Solve the Wordle