Career change

[JJone]

Just wondering if there are any ex plumbers on here that have changed careers? If so what did you go into?

I'm currently a plumbing & heating engineer qualified to SVQ3 and have my gas tickets am gas safe registered. I am self employed and run my own business but work is slow and seems to be a lot of hard work for little reward. I'm not sure my heart is in it anymore and feel I need a change before its too late. I'm 21 years old and have been in the game 6 years now. Everyone says I'm a great plumber and all my customers are always delighted but I think I need a new challenge.

I am thinking possibly offshore work, I know pipe fitting could be a possibility for a plumber albeit I'd still have to learn a lot which I'm willing to do. Better money, half the year off, no stress of chasing money all the time. I know there are downsides too like being away for weeks on end but I don't have a wife or kids and I'm not in a relationship so that really isn't an issue for me. I know a few people offshore so that could potentially be my way in.

Just wondering if anyone else has any other suggestions/experience of transition from plumber to.....?

thanks

 

[Oscar Wildefan]

Well, my friend, at 21 you have time on your side in abundance. I'm over 30 years older than you and I feel the good days of plumbing have gone forever. How well I remember being able to earn £200+ a day and being able to pick and choose jobs just by saying "I'm too busy" Not any more. too many plumbers, too little quality work, everyone terrified to call a plumber on a weekday, never mind a weekend. I haven't had a weekend callout for months; only 2 in 2012 I think. Think about what you want to do and think it through. Do what you want to do and get good at it. The money will come as a natural consequence. Don't do what you do just for the money though.

 

[dancinplumba]

went into computers once but they said i was to old at 30 🙁 glad really now, after 35 years still love it most days 🙂

 

[JJone]

Exactly what I'm saying, I need to change now while I'm still young rather than 10-20 years down the line when my back and knees start to go after years of crawling under floors and kneeling. That's not to say that I don't want a manual job as I am far from lazy!

This is the problem I find, everyone's assumption is you're loaded and overwhelmed with work if you're a plumber because hey "You always need a plumber" which is true, but the problem is there are so many of us now like you said and not enough work for us all to be working constantly. I also do 24/7 call out mate, not a single call this winter.. Everyone is doing it, there always seems to be someone that can quote cheaper and I am far from expensive, people get get 3,4,5 quotes now and always go for cheapest, not necessarily the guy who's the best. I've lost 3 boiler changes recently as apparently someone can do it cheaper and when I ask the price they're getting it for I could sometimes barely cover materials if I was to drop it to that...though you probably know all of this all to well. I think plumbing is a mugs game these days if I'm totally honest. Thanks for the reply mate 🙂

 

[mugsy]

I'm a plumber/pipefitter and theres no money in it going back to collage to study building services engneering. Hopfully get in to the mechanical design side of things.

 

[JJone]

Yeah you're right there isn't these days, thinking going back into education is probably a good option for me. I got offered a electrical and mechanical apprenticeship with sse at the same time as my plumbing one. Wish I'd taken that now, so many more opportunities in those trades...but the myth of plumbers earning 40-50k a year lured my young adolescent self into taking the plumbing one haha!

 

[dancinplumba]

Exactly what I'm saying, I need to change now while I'm still young rather than 10-20 years down the line when my back and knees start to go after years of crawling under floors and kneeling. That's not to say that I don't want a manual job as I am far from lazy!

This is the problem I find, everyone's assumption is you're loaded and overwhelmed with work if you're a plumber because hey "You always need a plumber" which is true, but the problem is there are so many of us now like you said and not enough work for us all to be working constantly. I also do 24/7 call out mate, not a single call this winter.. Everyone is doing it, there always seems to be someone that can quote cheaper and I am far from expensive, people get get 3,4,5 quotes now and always go for cheapest, not necessarily the guy who's the best. I've lost 3 boiler changes recently as apparently someone can do it cheaper and when I ask the price they're getting it for I could sometimes barely cover materials if I was to drop it to that...though you probably know all of this all to well. I think plumbing is a mugs game these days if I'm totally honest. Thanks for the reply mate 🙂

for you perhaps but not me and a lot of other plumbers on here 🙂
if you stop then there will be more for the ones who have good reputation 🙂

 

[sam51]

you should be so lucky, at 21, i'm 52,this game has had it.i use to treat this job as a hobby.
and thought how nice to get paid for doing it,i couldn't get out of bed quick enough.
but for the last 4 years i am totally broken.
my dad once said to be get a trade son,you will always have work.
i should have been a banker.
i have been gas registered for 30 years,have every other ticket under the sun, and got no work,
i suppose our lives are governed by the powers that be,
i have never had a credit card,another thing my dad said to me,if you borrow,someday you have to pay it back.
so how come i am in it with everyone else.
take care sam. toodle pip.

 

[JJone]

for you perhaps but not me and a lot of other plumbers on here 🙂
if you stop then there will be more for the ones who have good reputation 🙂

Not entirely sure what you mean by that but I can tell you that I do have a good reputation and have never had any complaints about my work if that's what you're getting at. It being a mugs game is just my opinion and not an insult as I'm essentially calling myself a mug 🙂

 

[lame plumber]

theres always money in it for those prepared to stick it out. I find by never dropping my prices to that of the hordes ,when I get work its worthwhile, and Im not peed off working for peanuts, a good customer base is essential and find a niche. customers come and go but life is still ticking over, not my best year, but looking forward to this one, did 5 boiler quotes this week, finished one already, 2 in hand , one a time waster, 5th was so filthy I quoted really stoooopid money, so if it comes off i can renew all my clothes etc.

 

[JJone]

I never drop my prices either, take it or leave it in my opinion. Yet some people seem to think plumbing is charity work. Did a boiler change last week for a joiner who used to be self employed who's now working offshore, said its the Best move he ever made, I'll be keeping in contact with him! I'm gonna have to stick it out for the foreseeable future as if I decide on offshore it takes months to get off and that's if you're lucky. Plus you need 2k for your survival courses. I do enjoy central heating work as I find it more challenging than general plumbing. I really can't see myself doing it for the rest of my career though. I plumb to live not live to plumb 🙂

 

[lame plumber]

if you take the offshore route, consider the extra pay as an early pension, as theres more chance of being killed on a platform than in plumbing. I prefer living at home rather than in a steel cabin in the north sea. I even did a diving aptitude test over a couple of days hoping to do rig diving in my 20s, glad i didnt now as to many lads that did just push wheel chairs now if they are lucky, i joined the navy instead to be a missile target! Make sure your happy with being dunked upside down in the dark in the helicopter survival test before you sign on, some people dont like that at all!! I loved doing that in the RN, must have a weird sense of fun.

 

[kirkgas]

At 21 you have only been doing the job 2 minutes, show some commitment and learn more of the trade, changing now shows no desire to work things through

 

[Gerard17]

I've just read ur post and I actually thought it was me writing it. I'm in the same boat and havent a clue what to do. I'm 24 and i do have a wife and kids so I have to earn a certain amout each month. I keep thinking about a career change an last year I started a college course in design engineering and after 2 weeks sacked it off as I couldn't be bothered going home after college or work 2 write an essay or revise, I've done all that rubbish. But then I think of a couple of really impressive jobs I've done an I think I'm really good heating engineer why do I want to change, then the next day I hate the job and want to do sumfin else. My workload is slow done few quotes over the last week or so and ain't heard of any of them. I'm liturilly day to day. I work for another plumber on a day rate when my work is running dry which is what am doin tomorrow. I keep looking for jobs with other companies but the money is rubbish. Sometimes I can earn a grand in a couple of days then the next week can earn 200 all week. The money is out there it's just finding the work. I don't advertise but thinking of getting my van done at least. I think I would be happier if I had a partner as it would be less stressful and 2 heads are always better than 1

 

[deandive]

Get certified as a commercial diver, will cost you 10 grand and take 3 months to qualify, take a job as an air diver inshore for £150 to £200 a day for 6 months, then go offshore air diver for £500 a day. Do that for a year or so and then get yourself on a saturation course not sure how much that is but then the money rolls in £1000 a day or more if you can get coded on welding or non destructive testing. 28 days on 28 off work into your 50s and then retire as a greybeard telling stories in the pub of when you were a salty sea dog.

 

[JJone]

if you take the offshore route, consider the extra pay as an early pension, as theres more chance of being killed on a platform than in plumbing. I prefer living at home rather than in a steel cabin in the north sea. I even did a diving aptitude test over a couple of days hoping to do rig diving in my 20s, glad i didnt now as to many lads that did just push wheel chairs now if they are lucky, i joined the navy instead to be a missile target! Make sure your happy with being dunked upside down in the dark in the helicopter survival test before you sign on, some people dont like that at all!! I loved doing that in the RN, must have a weird sense of fun.

True, but you're better paid for less work. Plus the attitude is always safety safety safety. I've lost count of the amount of times I've been on ladders 3 stories up in the howling wind and rain, all in the name of getting the job done quickly and not getting shafted by the company. People will just say oh you can just refuse, but can you as a first year apprentice eager to please and under the assurance you'll be fine? I don't do that stuff anymore obviously but puts things into perspective. I could just as easily smash my van and be killed as I could being offshore. It's all relative.

 

[JJone]

I've just read ur post and I actually thought it was me writing it. I'm in the same boat and havent a clue what to do. I'm 24 and i do have a wife and kids so I have to earn a certain amout each month. I keep thinking about a career change an last year I started a college course in design engineering and after 2 weeks sacked it off as I couldn't be bothered going home after college or work 2 write an essay or revise, I've done all that ****. But then I think of a couple of really impressive jobs I've done an I think I'm really good heating engineer why do I want to change, then the next day I hate the job and want to do sumfin else. My workload is ****e done few quotes over the last week or so and ain't heard of any of them. I'm liturilly day to day. I work for another plumber on a day rate when my work is running dry which is what am doin tomorrow. I keep looking for jobs with other companies but the money is ****e. Sometimes I can earn a grand in a couple of days then the next week can earn 200 all week. The money is out there it's just finding the work. I don't advertise but thinking of getting my van done at least. I think I would be happier if I had a partner as it would be less stressful and 2 heads are always better than 1

Glad to know I'm not the only one! I also used to have that attitude but now think that education is the only way you're gonna get a better job. That or luck! I always believed you make your own luck but you really don't, I work like crazy trying to stir up more business, I advertise and have my van written up, throw business cards about like confetti and mention I'm a plumber to anyone I meet, but still live hand to mouth and can't see it changing. Why? Not because the work's not there, because there's too many of us now! This trade is saturated with people, chances are everyone knows someone that's a plumber. And the ones that don't get a million quotes for even the most trivial jobs. I entered this trade too late, glory days have passed. I used to do some work for my old boss but he still owes me money so I refuse to work for him now, needless to say he never answers his phone to me! I also look at some of my work and think wow that's impressive...but was it worth it? Surely all that effort is worth more? Then half the time you have to hound the customer for weeks to get the money for it, if they find it in their heart to pay at all.

 

[Gerard17]

I think sometimes age has to do with it when I get a call an go round to quote there not expecting a 24 year old and I think they lose abit of confidence. I've not really pushed my business never advertised and have got all the signs to do my van just never got them to put them on. I turned down 300 houses to do all the landlords and repairs on them. the reason I left my company was because all I did was landlords and I hate them. I've just gone on a heat pump course as I defo think renewables is the way forward. I know a few people who are academically thick but are rich as they've got a good business head. Ideally I want to be a property developer as there's know1 bothering u an u work at ur own pace I've done 1 project an did well out of it just need to save up more to get my next 1 on the go, but with no work its hard to save. Wer r u from jjone?

 

[stevetheplumber]

if i was 21 again id find a rich wife

 

[Gerard17]

The rich wife is after a rich husband

 

[plumb-tech]

Just wondering if there are any ex plumbers on here that have changed careers? If so what did you go into?

I'm currently a plumbing & heating engineer qualified to SVQ3 and have my gas tickets am gas safe registered. I am self employed and run my own business but work is slow and seems to be a lot of hard work for little reward. I'm not sure my heart is in it anymore and feel I need a change before its too late. I'm 21 years old and have been in the game 6 years now. Everyone says I'm a great plumber and all my customers are always delighted but I think I need a new challenge.

I am thinking possibly offshore work, I know pipe fitting could be a possibility for a plumber albeit I'd still have to learn a lot which I'm willing to do. Better money, half the year off, no stress of chasing money all the time. I know there are downsides too like being away for weeks on end but I don't have a wife or kids and I'm not in a relationship so that really isn't an issue for me. I know a few people offshore so that could potentially be my way in.

Just wondering if anyone else has any other suggestions/experience of transition from plumber to.....?

thanks

So strange sounds like i whave written this 3 or 4 years ago. I have been thinking exactly the same for the past 4 years, strated plumbing in 2003 when i heard u could earn all this money, was good for about 2 years then since then has gone down hill, have kept at it thinking it would get better but hasn't. im 29 and have just started my aat which is an accountancy course so a very big change for me, wish i would of done it 4 years ago. If i was you i would change now, your still young, plus all the europeans are coming over from jan 2014. Only thing im worried about is i might get a bit bored being stuck in an office but then again its gotta beat kneeling over a dirty toilet that stinks of ****ing trying to tighten a nut....

 

[Guest123]

I diversified in 1997 and started a Printing and Design company alongside my Plumbing company. It started as a hobby in the mid 80's and as word got about, I ended up with a stack of printing and design work, so decided to go to college, get qualified and make a go of it. It was very successful until 2008, when the banks crashed and I lost a lot of my customers. I really enjoyed doing that kind of work, but I equally enjoy installing bathrooms. If you enjoy what you do, then that gives you the impetus to succeed.

 

[Koogatubac]

Theres alot of us that can relate to this. Im 24 myself. Lost alot of love for the game and have been doing plumbing for quite a number of years. Started doing biomass and heta's with a new company which is so different to what im used to.

Just a case of trying to find a new challenge i guess, however im not looking forward to my knees,back and rest of body seizing up! Lol my knees are already starting, doing kitchen sinks or confined spaces takes me alot longer lol

If u hear anything let us know!! Ive been looking for a change past 3yrs lol

 

[plumber0808]

Just wondering if there are any ex plumbers on here that have changed careers? If so what did you go into?

I'm currently a plumbing & heating engineer qualified to SVQ3 and have my gas tickets am gas safe registered. I am self employed and run my own business but work is slow and seems to be a lot of hard work for little reward. I'm not sure my heart is in it anymore and feel I need a change before its too late. I'm 21 years old and have been in the game 6 years now. Everyone says I'm a great plumber and all my customers are always delighted but I think I need a new challenge.
thanks

I thought you were going to say you we're 50 or something like that! 21
if you don't want it at 21 then get out of the game.
I wish you would all get out of the game and leave me to sweep up. :waving:

 

[gasmanrob]

Don't get all this fuss about the game has gone to pot!

Has it or are you all to stubborn to move with the times?

Years ago the money was in installing full systems for the first time. Towns gas etc,
then came the dawn of north sea gas and it was a good time to be a service engineer, years down the road some genius invented a combination boiler, and it was a must have so people hot footed it back to installations and we've seen balance flues, fully pumped, he boilers, underfloor heating, unvented hot water, a mass of new construction sites spanning nearly 2 decades. And unrealiable boiler components in overly complicated boilers.

Now it's time for the industry to change again, and as much as we hate it tomorrow's market is renewables. I'm not saying it will happen over night and there will be a few years needed to bridge the transition but if you can open your eyes and see what's comming then the future isn't so bleak. But in the mean time could you all jack in so I can expand my buissiness.

 

[aligorgon]

I am a pipefitter, and loved it, but the past few yrs h&s is getting ridiculous, its not enough to wear vis vest, boots and hard hat now it gloves and safety glasses at all times, ok fair enough if your grinding a piece of 4inch in half, but working under a vanity unit fitting tmvs fumbling olives because of the gloves and not seeing what your doing because glasses are steamed up, take any of them off and some ***** will have you off the site for a week. If your chasing money pipefitting isnt great the payrates are published by the hvca so you can find out if any good for you. To have any decent income you need to be self employed and doing pricework.

The other arm of course is service and maintanence, i have just finished working for balfour beatty workplace as commercial gas engineer and the work was easy, money good, pension, etc but coming from an installer background I was bored out my brain and was hoping to find faults on every boiler service to give me something to get stuck into too. Sitting in the van and dragging jobs out wasnt for me.

So at 36 I have just set up on my own, housebashing at the moment but hopefully will get some contract work on larger sites once I get established.

 

[Mike Jackson]

Theres alot of us that can relate to this. Im 24 myself. Lost alot of love for the game and have been doing plumbing for quite a number of years. lol

That made me laugh. Wait 'til you've been at it for 30 years. You'll probably last better than those of us that have been in the game for a few years. People scuff at health and safety but a lot of it makes sense. When I started there was hardly any. I'm sure if I'd been wearing kneepads when I started my knees wouldn't be as shagged as they are now but the only kneepads available were the strap on ones that were so uncomfortable to wear no one did. Trousers with knee pad pockets has got to be one of the greatest inventions for plumbers ever.

Then look at boilers. Modern plumbers moan about the weight of boilers. Just think of the weight of some of the old boilers out there, that's what we were fitting. There's a lot of posts in the tools section about which cordless drill or SDS etc. Just imagine life without a cordless or SDS, if we were fitting to concrete the hammer drill that we had wouldn't touch it and I had to use a rawl drill. If you don't know what a rawl drill is it's a bit like a small cold chisel with a point on it. To drill the hole you hit it with a hammer, twist it, hit it, twist it etc. Just imagine doing that all day.

Even that was easier than the previous generation. When my plumbing teacher started out in the trade he was the boy and had to push the hand cart to jobs and spent the first year of his apprenticeship threading pipe. Not with an electric machine or even a drop head threader. This was with the big old two handled threader where set the dies in and adjust them then it's a turn forward, half a turn back.

Plumbing may be a hard profession but it's nothing like it used to be.

 

[stevetheplumber]

you should be so lucky, at 21, i'm 52,this game has had it.i use to treat this job as a hobby.
and thought how nice to get paid for doing it,i couldn't get out of bed quick enough.
but for the last 4 years i am totally broken.
my dad once said to be get a trade son,you will always have work.
i should have been a banker.
i have been gas registered for 30 years,have every other ticket under the sun, and got no work,
i suppose our lives are governed by the powers that be,
i have never had a credit card,another thing my dad said to me,if you borrow,someday you have to pay it back.
so how come i am in it with everyone else.
take care sam. toodle pip.

that just about sums it upp for me as well to old to change anything now and depressing future ahead

 

[PlumbersMate]

Man this thread is depressing

 

[JJone]

I think sometimes age has to do with it when I get a call an go round to quote there not expecting a 24 year old and I think they lose abit of confidence. I've not really pushed my business never advertised and have got all the signs to do my van just never got them to put them on. I turned down 300 houses to do all the landlords and repairs on them. the reason I left my company was because all I did was landlords and I hate them. I've just gone on a heat pump course as I defo think renewables is the way forward. I know a few people who are academically thick but are rich as they've got a good business head. Ideally I want to be a property developer as there's know1 bothering u an u work at ur own pace I've done 1 project an did well out of it just need to save up more to get my next 1 on the go, but with no work its hard to save. Wer r u from jjone?

Yeah that definitely has something to do with it, I was at a job last week where the pump on the boiler was grinding like hell and stopping intermittently causing the system to overheat, the boiler to cut out and the header tank to overflow (or so I thought) so i replaced the faulty pump (propeller had broken) and got it up and running only for it to do it again. So had a look over again and it so happens the stat on the boiler had also gone, when I told the customer they tried to be as nice as possible "I don't mean to be rude, but do you think we should call someone else as you obviously haven't been doing this for a long time" What? It's not my fault there were two faulty components, I'm going back to fit the new stat when it arrives but I am reluctant to do so really, that p****d me off! Do you think they would have said that to a plumber in their 30's or 40's? I don't think so! But at the end of the day, if you're good enough you're old enough!

My van is done and it has landed me one job, a boiler service across the road, thats it!
Yeah i agree renewables are the way forward, I've had experience doing solar panels, ground source, biomass, thermodynamics but if I try to suggest these to any customers they s**t themselves at the cost! A lot of people would still rather fit a new efficient condensing boiler than renewables until the price of them drops or until they are forced to install them when there are no other options available but there will still be gas long after our careers have ended.

I'm in inverness mate, a small town with too many plumbers haha! It is saturated, seems theres a new van popping up every week!

 

[JJone]

So strange sounds like i whave written this 3 or 4 years ago. I have been thinking exactly the same for the past 4 years, strated plumbing in 2003 when i heard u could earn all this money, was good for about 2 years then since then has gone down hill, have kept at it thinking it would get better but hasn't. im 29 and have just started my aat which is an accountancy course so a very big change for me, wish i would of done it 4 years ago. If i was you i would change now, your still young, plus all the europeans are coming over from jan 2014. Only thing im worried about is i might get a bit bored being stuck in an office but then again its gotta beat kneeling over a dirty toilet that stinks of ****ing trying to tighten a nut....

Good on you mate, I think it is literally a case of saying enough is enough and taking the plunge...I just haven't quite worked what to jump into yet. People will say you're only 21, stick at it and things will come good, which they may but theres no guarantees, It's better for me to change now while I'm young than when I have a family and people relying on me. Haha that made me laugh, it sure does beat it, too many times have I been hugging a toilet getting a nice whaft of p***. I thought to myself loads of times at work when I'm outside and its windy/raining/snowing "Wish I worked in a nice warm office". And at least you'll get to chat to a few birds at work as well. I've not had one tidy customer yet 🙁 .....Maybe I've been watching too many ****os hahah!

 

[JJone]

Theres alot of us that can relate to this. Im 24 myself. Lost alot of love for the game and have been doing plumbing for quite a number of years. Started doing biomass and heta's with a new company which is so different to what im used to.

Just a case of trying to find a new challenge i guess, however im not looking forward to my knees,back and rest of body seizing up! Lol my knees are already starting, doing kitchen sinks or confined spaces takes me alot longer lol

If u hear anything let us know!! Ive been looking for a change past 3yrs lol

I enjoyed it when i first began and I sometimes still do. Heating work anyway but I don't find it a challenge anymore and the rewards aren't great enough financially for the effort thats put in. I'd like to go far and make money but I don't think it's gonna be in this game, theres people stacking shelves in tesco making more money than me at the moment. The only thing stopping me doing something like that is it won't make me the money I want in the long run and my pride, but then again I don't turn my nose up at the people doing it when I'm in there. In fact if they knew my situation they'd probably laugh, they're making more money for doing a job thats much easier than mine and in all likeliness they probably aren't the most academic so fair play to them.

Just applied for a new job today, still doing plumbing, but commercial. Which I've done a bit of in the past. 25k plus overtime and company van doing "planned and reactive maintenance". I'll still keep the business going and do jobs at the weekend to earn a bit extra. Hopefully if I get the job it can fund my offshore survival courses and it being commercial, look more attractive to the offshore companies....because I sure as hell ain't gonna be driving around in an m3 anytime soon doing plumbing!

Good luck mate

 

[lame plumber]

Been in the RN, people try and kill you 🙁

Been a school bursar, people just moan at you🙁

Been a shop manager, snr managers pooh on you🙁

Been a plumber heating engineer a while now, spend my time shouting and moaning about custards most of the time, havent been shot at yet!🙂🙂🙂

 

[Gerard17]

I'm the same it would hurt my pride working in tescos but least when they finish work they can switch of, I had some idiot ringing me last net at 9.30 asking for a quote, surely it could wait till the morning. I've been applying for a few jobs got offerd a job a noted utilities fitting water meters but turned it down as I thought it cold get boring but the money was ok an I got a van. Got an interview tomo but this is off the tools running heating jobs, will have to clot happens

 

[iain85]

Remember the old adage 'the grass is always greener' chaps. I too have worked in other industry's including retail and sales.
If you think custards are bad imagine having to work with the same kind of inward looking tards going, but rather than be with them for a few hours you are seeing them day in/ day out. Whilst the work might be easy, if you have a smart brain being 'managed' by people who haven't is soul destroying. Food for thought.

However if you haven't tried other types of jobs I suppose it could look great 'not getting dirty ' and wearing smart clothes to work but when your sat being dictated to by ****s remember the flexibility afforded to you by having a trade.
Im not trying to put anyone off jumping ship but the trade will always be good money. Maybe rethink your strategy a bit, and give it some time.

I wish you all the best in whatever you decide but don't burn your bridges with your existing skills. You may find you need to come back.