# Career Advice



## chillic (Apr 26, 2005)

HI

im 23 and from Reading and looking to get into the Plumbing Industry. I have a keen interest to learn but im stuck on which path to take into the industry. I have a college nearby which offers the NVQ Level 2 however it mentions in the requirements that you must be working as a Plumber to enrol. 

Unfortunately I have no Plumbing experience. I really want to learn but if I cant get on the course what can I do? I would assume that no company will take me on without passing the NVQ, so how can I go about getting into it.

A friend told me to call some local plumbing companies and ask to be taken on as an appentice. Is this realistic? I assume it wouldn't be that easy surely. Would a company really take me on with no previous experience? 

Money isn't an issue, neither are wages. I understand I will need to study and do part time work for low wages. Im financially prepared for that. But its just getting my foot in the door where ive come stuck.

Can anyone offer any advice as to how I can get some work experience to enable me to get onto the NVQ2 course? Any help would be really appreciated as im really stuck.


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## wasdifferent (Dec 18, 2004)

chillic,
For your benefit, I going to be blunt. No offense intended.

Get your A$$ in gear. 

Visit or call EVERY plumbing outfit, and every contractor in the yellow pages, local papers, and on the internet in your area. Stop your truck and talk to the contractors at every active job site that you see. Keep asking until someone hires you. You have to TRY REALLY HARD. This is a good lesson for you that you will need to carry along with you in life. You think that you are trying hard, but you're not. You know what you want, but it's not going to fall into your lap. Go out there and GET IT.

My concrete contractor started out by parking his truck at the ready-mix plant, and following the trucks to the job sites. He worked for free, and for low wages part-time until someone hired him. Now he has several crews, and is very successful.

Best wishes, and best of luck in your new career,


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## alienofwar (Apr 12, 2005)

Chillic dude, don't sweat man...call private outfits, scan the classifieds, check out www.careerbuilder.com or www.americasjobbank.com check if they need apprentices in your area. Also get your your name in the list for new apprentices with the local plumbers union. 

And yes, private plumbing companies will take you as a entry level apprentice...I myself got hired yesterday as a entry level and I have no previous experience plus they hired me on the spot. I'm also 23 my friend, and it took various construction jobs before I realized what I really wanted to do. Although I live in Reno and construction is crazy out here, it can depend on the area. Anyways though, just keep trying and don't give up. Theres is going to be a shortage of skilled trades people in the future and the industry realizes that, so they know they have to take this problem seriously.


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## Bjd (Dec 19, 2003)

Keep trying kid;

I too get many calls thru out the year, and I see often many guys hanging out at supply outlets, waiting in ther cars for a chance that an owner will come in.

I hired a guy thats 45 a few months back, and to tell you the truth, I think he works harder than the younger guys and he knows nothing about plumbing.

However his effort is there, and he will do anything for me.

Its funny, my son is 19 and wants nothing to do with my business but my daughter loves to run the office.

BJD


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

bjd, easy on us old guys. 
I'll be 54 in July and last week, I was lugging 80# bags of conrete over a hundred yards of sugar sand for 6 hrs. in 85+*. I also used to have a bad back, it seems to have healed, I had no repercussions.
I also helped mix it with spades and pour it.
Member of AARP.


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## Bjd (Dec 19, 2003)

Teet;
Do the math, if I have been in this business for 30 years, then I must be at least as old as?

BJD


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## Humble Abode (Mar 19, 2005)

chillic,
the links that this thread has generated at the top could also be a help to you.


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## PipeGuy (Oct 8, 2004)

Bjd said:


> Teet;
> Do the math, if I have been in this business for 30 years, then I must be at least as old as?
> 
> BJD


Dirt? :cheesygri


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

Rich, I'm glad that I'm still looking down at it.


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## joerebel73 (Jul 6, 2005)

*keep at it*

hey man not sure if you still even read this old post but i just got into the union as an apprentice with no experience what so ever. basically for unions they administer an apptitude test and have you fill out an experience form and some do interviews. they take the score of those two or three things and put you on a ranking list with everyone else that applied. the other thing is that most of the time as in my case they give you extra points for a letter of intent to hire from a plumbing contractor. which you have to get on your own if you were like me and didn't know anybody. i called every union shop that i could find a number for. and sure enough i got one letter.only one. the other thing that i know almost all union shops and mybe private hire "runners" before u can become an apprentice. they have you do things that dont deal with working on a job site. like sweeping floors, running to the supplier, washing their trucks and so forth. they pay you but they want to see what kind of worker you are and how responsible you are before they commit to an apprentice. i got lucky the shop i will be working for in 2 weeks does not hire runners they hired me based on my interview that i setup with them.(not the same as interview indicated earlier in the post). i tried for 3 years and finally got in. they take applications only once a year for a 1-2 month period. anyways if there are any questions post them i'd be glad to help out. i knew nobody i had to find it all out on my own. but i'll tell you it felt damn good when i got accepted. especially because i wasnt the son or nephew of a plumber. which is fine but it can get really polititcal as i found out. one more thing to give u an idea of hard it was, but got to be honest brought a tear of happiness, they accepted about 65 applicants out of 3100.


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