Newly qualified and no experience!

[smurfmdk]

Morning all,

I'm Matt, 28 from Wakefield and just recently qualified through New Career Skills for the 6189 Domestic Plumbing and Heating engineer - great news for me but, I have little to no experience at all 🙁

It's all well and good passing with a certificate, but I don't have the confidence to start helping customers out on their plumbing problems and as I have a full time job at the moment and (money) commitments I'm not in a position to go ahead and quit to start my new career...

So basically, I thought I would make a start by signing up here with people (I assume) started out; in similar positions, in this position or just looking to give helpful advice 🙂 Then I can begin to look for weekend work with family, friends etc. and work from there.

Anyway - thanks for reading, speak to you all soon and hope to give back whatever I learn on here 🙂

Cheers
Matt

 

[wetdrip]

Hi Matt, if you're on job seekers allowance now, make sure you know exactly what they, the dole, require from you and your new employer when it comes down to to amount of free labour you're allowed to do with, touchwood, your new employer.
My nipper was prepared to do six months free labour.However, after a phone call from the dole they informed us: only one month free labour was allowed.You can still collect your job seekers allowance during that time period.
It really is a horrible position to be in, I know.
Try and have all the answers to the questions your prospective new employer may need to know when it comes down to giving you a helping hand.Come up with solutions.
I sincerely hope someone on here will give you a chance.

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

start with small jobs like changing taps etc over weekends. it will add to your confidence, it will take time but you will get to more difficult jobs later. personally think , new career skills sucks, they really dont care much about their students..

 

[SimonG]

Some good advice given, but I feel you have a task similar to pushing water uphill. The position you are in is not desperate, you say you are still in full time employment, that's a bonus, but what you face in trying to gain experience is that employers are looking for people with experience (makes life easier for them). As you do little things in your spare time to gain experience (please look at getting yourself some public liability insurance, friends won't stay friends if you brought a ceiling down, extreme but you never know) you then start going head to head with experienced plumbers that have been laid off when looking at jobs and again experience would win.

It will take time and in that time don't give up the day job.

Good luck.

 

[Jennie]

Hiya. I'm in a similar position. I'm setting up as a self-employed plumber, taking on jobs that are beyond me, and paying experienced plumbers to come out and do them with me. After I've paid them, I'm not making much money. But I'm picking up loads of experience.

 

[smurfmdk]

Thanks all for the replies / information - really appreciate it 🙂

Like you mention, small jobs on weekends / evenings will be a good start. I didn't think of the public liability insurance though - thanks for that! 🙂 - I would hate to start out on the back foot!

 

[wetdrip]

Hiya. I'm in a similar position. I'm setting up as a self-employed plumber, taking on jobs that are beyond me, and paying experienced plumbers to come out and do them with me. After I've paid them, I'm not making much money. But I'm picking up loads of experience.

Sounds great!
How does this work Jennie?

I mean, can you give quotes yourself, without the aid of the experienced plumber?
How do you sort out a certain time for doing a job, do you call up the experienced plumber then get back to the customer?
How does this work books-wise with the taxman.
Can you please give me an insight on how you started and have progressed and what problems have arisen along the way, and how you've overcome them?
What do you do when it comes to gas work, if you're not registered can you call up the experienced plumber/gas fitter then get back to the customer and go along for eyes-on only, and do you pay yourself for eyes-on only.
I think it's a fantastic idea.

 

[Jennie]

I'm still figuring it all out. Basically, I hand the job over to a plumber, who takes responsibility and then pays me (as an apprentice).