Ontario, Canada - No field experience, but I’m ready to dive into NDT
Hey everyone,
I’m looking for a bit of a sanity check before I spend my hard earned cash on courses.
I’ve been stuck in a sales job for a while now and I’m honestly just done with it. I’ve spent the last 6 months researching NDT and it really seems to click with the way my brain works. I have a background in IT (did field tech work with cameras and cable installations years back), so I’m comfortable with hardware and troubleshooting, but I have zero actual NDT field experience.
The Plan**:**
- I've done my math and vision tests already
- about to register for my M&P course with CINDE.
- Eventually, I want to aim for Ultrasonic (UT) and Eddy Current (ET) tickets.
- But also considering getting my Rope Access (SPRAT/IRATA) or some site safety tickets to make myself more hirable as a green tech.
Since I’m paying for all of this out of pocket, I just want to make sure I’m not throwing money down a well. Is it realistic to expect to land a trainee/assistant job in with:
- Zero NDT hours?
- No existing "in" with a company?
- Just an M&P cert and a "willing to learn" attitude?
Am I dreaming, or is there actually a path for a boomer starting from scratch in 2026?
Would love to hear from you guys, specially fold who recently started and have recent experience with the early career job market.
Cheers!