phildcrow wrote:
I'm wondering whether or not production-type millwork jobs are anything
like wooddorking.

Yes it can be and sometimes not. It depends on where you go
and what they are doing. Professional wooddorking has at
least a half dozen different types of shops.

Plastic Laminate (Plam) Counter Shops
Architectural Woodworking
Trade Show and Museum Exhibits
Planing Mills/Moldings
Store Fixtures
Kitchen Cabinet Shops

To name a half dozen.

(whew! for a minute there i didn't think i'd come up with a
half dozen)

And even inside of those above there are subsets (high end
to low end) making for better/worse places.

There's a definite appeal there, but I've found that
one of the fastest ways to stop enjoying something is to do it for a
living. If any of you have found that to be true (or complete BS),
then let me know.

I don't think it's total BS but then I usually hear this
from people who've not had any experience to back it up.

I know, I know, every shop is different, but _how_ different can they
be? With regards to framing, a wall is a wall is a wall. No matter
who you're working for, the studs still go every sixteen inches, if you
know what I mean.

True.

Without a "cabinet" notch on my toolbelt, am I qualified to work in a
cabinet shop, even though I understand and can apply terms like rail,
stile, carcass, dovetail and, most importantly, square? Scratch
that--most importantly, SAFE.

Fundamentals are good to know but you won't be using terms
like dovetail a lot unless you're yacking it up with a
fellow employee. Most nearly every shop is set up different
from the rest though sometimes not a whole lot. Some shops
departmentalize the operations while some smaller shops take
something from start to finish using a single man/woman or a
small group. It's all different out there and sometimes
not.

If I were to apply for work in a millwork shop, what would prospective
employers look for in desirable employees with regard to technical
skills?

With the current labor pool you could probably look for and
find a job in a professional shop. A good job? That's hit
or miss.

There's a lot of work out there and not a whole lot of
bodies to do it.

UA100