Bricklayer

You build walls, chimneys, patios, and facades one brick at a time with mortar, a trowel, and a level. It's one of the oldest trades in human civilization, and it's still done mostly the same way — by hand, in the weather, with your back screaming at you by noon. The finished product lasts a hundred years, which is more than most careers can say.

What you'll actually do

• 01Lay bricks and stone in precise patterns while maintaining level and plumb — every single row
• 02Mix mortar to the right consistency because too wet means sliding bricks and too dry means cracking
• 03Read blueprints and layout walls that need to be straight, plumb, and exactly where the architect said
• 04Cut bricks with a masonry saw when the wall doesn't end on a full brick — it never does
• 05Work in sun, rain, and cold because the schedule doesn't care about weather
• 06Clean mortar joints and point finished work so it looks like art instead of construction