Understanding the Benefits of Earning a Rigging Certification to Become a Crane Operator

Do you remember what you wanted to be when you were a little kid and you dreamed of adulthood? Did you imagine what it would be like to be a doctor, a policeman, a firefighter, and engineer, or a school teacher? For many people, the childhood career dreams they held as kids rarely manifest into adulthood, but some dreams are not so easy to give up on! For example, do you remember how much fun it was to play with building blocks and create entire buildings and cities, only to have just as much if not more fun tearing them down with a imaginary crane boom?

Well, it’s never too late to earn your rigging certification and become a crane operator to finally fulfill that childhood dream of yours. Crane training can be an exciting and fun career path with plenty of room for advancement. Whether you’re lifting products, lifting gear, or lifting equipment of different kinds, it’s the kind of job that you’ll never grow tired of doing. There’s always new challenges that present themselves, new skills to learn, and opportunities to sharpen and refine your existing skills.

Just think about how much fun and exciting it would be to “play” and work with heavy equipment all day as your job! The best part about earning a rigging certification is that crane operation is such a steady career field with an upward trajectory for career advancement and earning potential. Unlike many career fields that are now being replaced by robotics or jobs that are being sent oversees, crane operators can enjoy a comfortable and coveted level of job security that most other professionals can only hope for.

Earning your rigging certification can also open up an entire new world of career growth and opportunity for both national and international travel. For example, several areas of the United States are experiencing a construction boom that requires a large number of skilled laborers such as construction workers and crane operators. Similarly, many countries such as China and the United Arab Emirates are also in the midst of major construction booms and foreign labor from the United States is in high demand. These jobs are often high paying and allow you the opportunity to travel to far away and exotic lands.

Many people believe that going to college to earn a degree and entering the workforce via this traditional route is the only way to “make it” in life and earn a livable wage. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing this traditional path, feeling obligated to follow it can lead to a lifetime of frustration and sense of feeling unfulfilled or as if something was always missing out of your life. How many times have you heard stories of people having what’s known as a midlife crisis; a sudden, cathartic experience that inspires or forces a person to be who they truly are and live out their dreams. Why wait until your life is half over to be or purse what you’ve always known and wanted?

Earning your rigging certification is a major accomplishment unto itself and one that can open up an entirely new world of opportunity and job satisfaction. Successful crane operation requires a specialized skill set that includes a high degree of attention to detail, the ability to quickly make accurate decisions independently and with supervision, a great deal of patience, and a strong work ethic. However all of these skills aren’t limited to earning a rigging certification for crane operation. They can easily be translated to other areas of your life and can help you to grow and evolve both on the job and off.

Many people assume that manual labor jobs, including heavy equipment operation, are unskilled. This is far from the truth! In fact, prospective crane operators need to have a firm grasp and understanding of advanced math and physics in addition to having a natural mechanical aptitude in order to perform their job effectively, efficiently, and safely. Furthermore, having excellent hand-eye coordination is an absolute must. Additionally, you can’t have a fear of heights as the crane cabin is high off the ground.