An Interview With A Tree Removal Service Professional | Dallas, TX
Photo By vtwinpixel at istock
If you’re looking for a career that allows you to help homeowners and the environment while spending your days outside, you may like to consider becoming a tree surgeon with a tree removal service.
Tree surgeons have many similarities with medical surgeons as both professionals are highly skilled and are required to work with precision. Both jobs are risky, and health and safety need to be followed. Arboriculture is an exciting field to get into, and you’ll likely have a consistent stream of work whatever the season.
If you live in Dallas, TX, or the surrounding area and are searching for a tree removal service, don’t hesitate to contact S&P tree service. The company is available for planting, pruning, and ongoing tree maintenance. If you have any dangerous trees in your yard, they can also provide a tree removal service.
If you’re considering a career as a tree surgeon, read on. In this article, we talk to a tree surgeon, Ben, to find out precisely what the job entails.
Interviewer:
Working as a tree surgeon seems like a fun and exhilarating job. How did you get into this line of work?
Ben:
My uncle had a landscaping and gardening business when I was growing up. He worked closely with a local arboriculture and tree removal service, and I loved watching the tree surgeons at work. I was also into outdoor pursuits and loved climbing and abseiling. As a child, I often climbed trees.
I started to work for my uncles’ company when I was a teenager and began to learn more about trees and plants. I realized I was particularly interested in tree care and learned all I could from the tree surgeons I came into contact with. After talking with an arboriculturist, I realized that I could combine my passing for the outdoors with my interest in tree care with a career as a tree surgeon.
After leaving school, I did some certificates in chainsaw use, horticulture, and tree care. I then gained an apprentice with a tree removal service and learned all about tree care and health and safety.
Interviewer:
Are academic qualifications needed to become a tree surgeon?
Ben:
It’s good to get some gardening or chain saw certificates, but I think that experience is more important than qualifications. Working for a tree removal service is a very practical and physically demanding job, and arboriculture is a niche area of work.
There are a few different entry routes into arboriculture, but most of the people I know in the industry started at the bottom. They did an apprenticeship or worked for a tree surgeon and did basic jobs like clearing leaves and dragging fallen branches away.
There are some college courses available or the opportunity to training in a similar profession first; many people work as gardeners or do grounds work before getting into arboriculture.
Interviewer:
Great, and what are the main skills you need for the job?
Ben:
The main thing is that tree surgeons are required to be physically fit. It would help if you also were ok with heights as the job involves working at height every day. The ability to climb and abseil is also a must.
Climbing, abseiling and working at a height all need to be done safely while lifting heavy power tools like chainsaws. A career as a tree surgeon is very practical and hands-on. If you’re thinking of working in the industry, getting some climbing experience would be very beneficial.
Interviewer:
Do you need to follow strict safety laws?
Ben:
Of course, safety is a significant aspect of the job. We need to follow health and safety rules and guidelines when climbing trees and when felling them. There are strict safety rules to follow while working at height.
Before starting a job, we always assess the situation and plan how we are going to safely complete the work, whether that involves removing tree branches, pruning, or removing the whole tree. That’s why some college education is beneficial as you’ll learn the theoretical side of the job. Courses can also make you aware of the potential dangers associated with working with trees. That being said, a lot of knowledge about how to keep safe is passed on from others while working. When I first started my career, my boss and colleagues taught me how to overcome obstacles safely, and I now pass that knowledge down to the younger generation when we take on apprentices.
Interviewer:
What advice would you give a young person who’s looking to get into a career in Arboriculture?
Ben:
Some colleges offer arboriculture training, and if you get the opportunity to take a short course, you should go for it. Training courses allow you to fine-tune your skills which will allow you to progress in your career.
If, after leaving school, you’re keen to get out of the classroom, it’s a good idea to apply for an apprenticeship as I did. Also, try and get some work experience before you apply as places often have lots of applicants. Ask to shadow a tree surgeon while you’re still at school to find out precisely what the job involves.
There are many things you can do while still at school to prepare yourself for your chosen career. Get a job with a gardening business, cutting grass, or doing grounds work. This will show employers that you’re interested in horticulture and are hard working.
You should also get physically fit as you need to be strong to do the job. Taking up climbing and abseiling is also a good idea.
Interviewer:
Thanks, Ben; it’s been great talking to you. I hope we’ve inspired young people to find out more about a career as a tree surgeon.
S&P Tree Service, Tree Removal Service, Dallas, TX
If you live in Dallas, TX, or the surrounding area and are searching for a tree removal service, tree pruning, or landscaping, you may like to contact S&P tree service.
If you have any dangerous trees in your yard that are rotting or have branches falling off the S&P can also provide a tree removal service.
To find out more about S&P Tree Service, give the team a call on 469-789-6775.