Job Description: Tree Surgeon
Are you interested in entering a fulfilling profession as a tree surgeon? An arborist has a job description that is very different from other typical career paths. In a tree surgeon job you will spend a lot of time outside in weather that can range from pleasant to harsh. You have to be physically capable of climbing a tree holding a chainsaw, and then using the chainsaw when you are in the tree. It is better if you are young, and a person who wants to become a tree surgeon must be physically fit to qualify for the work. It can take several years to become skilled as a tree surgeon, and the job can even be dangerous. However, certain types of people feel that for them personally, nothing could be more appealing and more satisfying than a job as a tree surgeon.
If you want to become an arborist, there are two routes you can take in order to enter this career path. The option is to get on the job training. Find employment with a local tree surgery business in order to begin your training. Most tree surgery businesseses also need groundsmen, and in this position you will gradually be able to learn more about tree surgery. Be aware that wages as a groundsman may be low, and it will take months or years before you can begin to climb yourself.
In your on the job training, you will learn to use a chainsaw proficiently and attain NPTC chainsaw certificates. On the job training has the benefit of letting you find out for yourself just how demanding work conditions are. You will gain a lot of experience, but on the job training will not provide you with the knowledge about arboriculture that you will need.
The second route you can take to become a tree surgeon is to attend a specialist college. A specialist college will give you the knowledge base you need. You will be capable of getting all the certificates you need to become an arborist, and when you start out, your wages will probably be higher. However, you will not yet have the know how and experience you will need in your profession. And it is possible that when you enter your profession, you may find the work to be too physically demanding.
