If you intend to get a job as a welder I would recommend going through some type of training there are many local colleges that offer some type of welding courses, it takes time to learn all the different processes (stick, tig, mig) and to make yourself employable may not be an easy venture. I spent a year going to school full time to learn pipe welding and got certified in stick, tig, mig as well as innershield wire I had multiple certs in all positions structural, aws D 1.1, asme pipe boiler and pressure vessels. I came out with really good certs but no experience in the field= no one wants to hire you and you have to take a job for $5.15/ an hour then you keep looking and get another job for $8.00/ hr then you start to have some shop time and after a couple of years you can find a better paying job. Your other option is join an apprentice program with a local union ( iron workers, boilermakers, piledrivers) that way you learn a trade and you will have a career with good pay and benefits either way it takes time join a union work your way through it and the guys that you work with will respect you for it. I am speaking from personal experience I now work as a journeyman carpenter doing mostly metal stud framing, and yes carpenters can weld also our scope is light gauge 1/4 inch and under