Hi all. I've posted before regarding the issues I have with the company I work for and I'm looking for alternative employment. My question is, I have £7000 to invest in myself within this industry and wondered whether the more experienced lads good point me in the right direction? I am a qualified plumber and I have my ACS qualifications but I have refused to go on the companies gas safe register due to conflicting interests. So any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
- Thread starter macka09
- Start date
Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws
Get in with another firm, get some good gas experience, more qualifications and see where you want to go from there, if you save up some more money you could set up SE
R
Rickster123
Agreed go for it. Take a risk. Before you know it you'll be middle aged and wishing you'd taken more chances in life.
That's a nice wedge to invest in your self.
Don't rush anything take time to consider the direction you'd like your career to take, and what the demand is like in your area. Not sure of your age and experience so difficult to advise where the money is best spent.
Sssts is a cheap way to bump your salary up a few k provided you have the experience and testicles for the roll and that you intend on working for someone.
The question is where do YOU want to be in 5 years time and what type of work would you like to be doing bathrooms, heating installation, service repair, commercial, renewables, validation and commissioning of water supplies
Once you figure that out you'll know where to invest that money
Don't rush anything take time to consider the direction you'd like your career to take, and what the demand is like in your area. Not sure of your age and experience so difficult to advise where the money is best spent.
Sssts is a cheap way to bump your salary up a few k provided you have the experience and testicles for the roll and that you intend on working for someone.
The question is where do YOU want to be in 5 years time and what type of work would you like to be doing bathrooms, heating installation, service repair, commercial, renewables, validation and commissioning of water supplies
Once you figure that out you'll know where to invest that money
R
Rickster123
I lost my job in 2010 and it was pretty scary to be honest.
I went for an interview at another firm and they offered me a job, £26k a year plus overtime. I reluctantly accepted and drove home.
I knew I'd made a mistake, but I needed a job. When I got home I had a letter saying that my redundancy would be near enough 4k.
I went out and bought a van and insured myself etc etc and started contracting.
I never went back to the firm on £26k and just ignored their calls. I know that's pretty bad but I was only 23 🙂
I now contract Monday to Friday, no call outs or weekend and always earn £40k+ after expenses etc.
I'd never go back on the cards as an engineer.
I went for an interview at another firm and they offered me a job, £26k a year plus overtime. I reluctantly accepted and drove home.
I knew I'd made a mistake, but I needed a job. When I got home I had a letter saying that my redundancy would be near enough 4k.
I went out and bought a van and insured myself etc etc and started contracting.
I never went back to the firm on £26k and just ignored their calls. I know that's pretty bad but I was only 23 🙂
I now contract Monday to Friday, no call outs or weekend and always earn £40k+ after expenses etc.
I'd never go back on the cards as an engineer.
M
Masood
R
Rickster123
Ssssts ??? I'm 34 with a young family. I've been in the plumbing for about 5 years but with current employer for 2. No further training offered. A lot of what we do is now out of our range of abilities. I would really like to go on a few manufacturers courses and actually get to know the products. The lads I work with think a service is polishing the front case.
Site supervisor safety training scheme or words to that effect. Basically it means you can operate a site with men working as your responsibility for their safety etc but if you service then it really isn't worth it unless 15 blokes attend every service..
Manufacturers courses are alright but you'll spend a lot of money doing them with no real financial reward seen on your investment as there is no formal qualification.
I know what you mean about "modern" service procedures. Too many people waving an analyser over the flue and pledge over the case these days but certain manufacturers don't ask for a lot more these days and in some instances stripping the boiler and carrying out the full strip clean can be more problematic then preventative.
People just aren't set up to service properly these days. Years gone by you'd strip it vac it grease it and calibrate it and all was fine for the sake of 60p worth of lubricant and possibly a thermocouple. Due to the nature of appliances on the market now you so much as sneeze in the direction of a burner you better be replacing all the seals and gaskets on it and people won't pay to have them all stocked on the vans. So the cycle continues...
If I was to advise anyone perusing a career in service repair it would be to get as electrically competent as possible (don't bother with part p it's going to be binned)
Get good quality equipment and instruments and know how to use them!
If you're paying for manufacturers training then perhaps compare what they offer vs the Mr combi training that's out there. At least that way you may be able to limit your expenditure. after 3-4 different variants all boilers operate the same way and most use common components so knowing how they come apart is easy if you've done it once.
F gas handling heating engineers are few and far between so that could be an avenue to explore but that's really renewables sector air source.
Cleaner greener energy is going to be a big market one day but I couldn't guess if it will be 3 years or 30 so deciding to invest that way would have to be your decision based on research of your area.
I'd love to join a successful company that offers further training and career development opportunities. Unfortunately nothing is cropping up as yet. The problem working a 9-5 is how do you build up a client base without pooping on your employer? I've never really wanted to work for myself but the last 2 years have been a real eye opener. I don't mind looking a fool when it's self inflicted. I'm certainly not gonna look a fool for someone else.
I bring this up a lot but honestly British Gas was brilliant for that and in many ways I shouldn't have left.
Money was good training available was excellent. Having said that they made all the experienced trainers redundant but I certainly got a lot out of my 6 years there...
Finding a company offering further training these days is hard going.
That's not much help I know but maybe take two weeks holiday give yourself a break from it all and a chance to search for something else
Money was good training available was excellent. Having said that they made all the experienced trainers redundant but I certainly got a lot out of my 6 years there...
Finding a company offering further training these days is hard going.
That's not much help I know but maybe take two weeks holiday give yourself a break from it all and a chance to search for something else
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