Would You Rather Work on Top of a Skyscraper or Underwater in Darkness?

Max Touhey | www.metouhey.com

James Marksbury hangs out at the Empire State Building.

James Marksbury has one of the top jobs in New York City—literally. He works atop some of the city’s tallest buildings. He can often be found dangling from ropes hundreds of feet above the ground. 

Marksbury is a rope access supervisor. He and his team are trained to do all types of jobs that ladders and cranes can’t reach. He does everything from fixing leaks to painting.

He recently spent about three years helping restore the top of the Empire State Building. He and his team worked more than 1,000 feet above the streets below. They made repairs while dealing with strong winds.

Marksbury has worked at dizzying heights for nearly 20 years. He says he’s never gotten scared. And what’s the best part of his job?

“The view is still stunning to me,” he says.

New York City District Council of Carpenters

Jenna Iannielli

Over the past 10 years, Jenna Iannielli’s job sites have been cold, murky waterways in New York. As an underwater welder, she uses machines to heat and melt pieces of metal together. She often has to build or repair structures in nearly total darkness.

“You don’t know what’s 10 feet in front of you,” Iannielli says.

Her first underwater job was working on a new bridge across the Hudson River. She quickly learned how extreme her job could be. Fighting the cold, strong current was exhausting. And then there were the eels. 

“I’d be working, and they’d be wrapping themselves around my legs,” she explains. “You just kick them off and continue.” 

Despite the challenges, Iannielli says she loves what she does.

Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images

A student diver practices welding in France.

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