Where to next with work?

[Phillay]

Hi all,

I'm hoping some guys whomay have already been through it could give me some ideas on where Ican go next with the career I'm trying to kick-start.

Not knowing what I wanted, I chose A Levels instead of the apprenticeship route when I was younger...After 9 years working in financial services, I had the opportunityto change career and work alongside a local builder. I started outlabouring, cement mixing etc... and gradually built up my skills totake on tasks myself to a high standard.

After us building several extensions,refurbishing bathrooms and kitchens etc... I decided to get a tradeand as Plumbing seemed the most interesting and challenging, Ienrolled with my local college on the part time night course to do myTech cert level 2.

The recession obviously hit and I had topart ways with the builder and quickly got an office job to keep megoing financially and finish my tech cert. I then went on and gainedmy NVQ level 2 qualification by completing all the required evidenceduring the evenings, over the weekends and using my annual holidayentitlement.

Once qualified, I left the admin job I was in andset myself a little company to take on plumbing and some multi-tradeproperty maintenance. My intention was only to refresh my practicalexperience so companies or other plumbers would take me moreseriously when looking for work.

So my current situation isI'm 33, NVQ level 2 qualified, but still lack a lot of practicalexperience and confidence. I'm not looking to run my own business or have a desire to,I'mlooking to work for or with someone as that's more suited to me as aperson. The government seem to be changing the qualifications, so Ican even enrol to take on the level 3 tech cert and advance myselfthat way.

I'm not having much joy finding the opportunitiesand it's really frustrating as I consider myself a hard working,loyal, intelligent bloke, but have a horrible feeling things are happeningto late in my life for me to be able to pursue this career path. Doesanyone have any advice or good ideas they can offer?

Thank you!

 

[TBServices]

I'm sick of seeing these threads tbh. The grass isn't greener over here.

If you look at the most successful plumbers, even on this board, the vast majority have been in the game since they were 16 and are now in their 40s. That's how long it takes to gain the necessary experience and skills, and build up a successful and profitable business.

You can't fast track and be successful overnight. The only people who manage this are first contact types, way out of their depth, doing shoddy work for too much money, giving the rest of us a bad name. These types of businesses generally don't last long before they're down the pan, leaving a wave of angry customers in their wake.

And no one will employ a fast tracker for a decent wage without experience under their belt.

I'm sick of going to terrible jobs, cleaning up crap work by guys who shouldn't be on the tools in the first place, yet taking away job opportunities for the actual skilled tradesmen around. The trades gone to s***. Excuse the pun.

 

[Koogatubac]

Sam......

Your awsum! Haha! Reading your posts are just making me laugh!

I dont see why people want to be plumbers these days neither, we dont earn that much and i work at least 12 hours a day...
If i could turn back time i certainly wouldnt of gone into the building trade...

 

[TimeServed]

Earn £50k+ per year by becoming a plumber today! Fast track courses starting now at just £5k!
Sick of seeing these adverts, but people fall for them.

 

[gasmanrob]

This is all getting a little heated.

I LOVE Plumbing and boiler breakdowns earns me more then enough to get by without the rest of associated work.
Yes the game is tough at the minute but you speak to anyone every industry is going through a hard time but the strong survive and the savvy can judge what's round the corner.

I own a lovely home drive a nice car treat the wife and sprog when I can,
yes my knees get sore yes I have bad days sometimes I go a day or two without earning a penny but I have put money aside for that.

Would I do it all over again?
To ruddy right I would. I'd just be slightly wiser.

 

[TimeServed]

I'm sick of going to terrible jobs, cleaning up crap work by guys who shouldn't be on the tools in the first place, yet taking away job opportunities for the actual skilled tradesmen around. The trades gone to s***. Excuse the pun.

Very well put.

 

[Heat Kent]

As you can see Phillay, the problem is everyone assumes we’re looking for green grass and expect to earn incredible wages. There’s so much negativity out there that you’ll find the brick wall gives you a headache.

It seems to me, you can make a good honest living (not a killing) doing a job you ENJOY. The suggestion that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks is ridiculous. You need to put in several years graft with an experienced plumber and if you can stay working with them long term then that’s just great. The public know nothing of your experience or qualifications, they’re looking to buy into you. They need to see an honest, trustworthy guy, giving good advice and quoting a fair price. Once you’ve got the job you need to have the skills to do it well and there’s nothing to stop you from gaining those skills. Sure it’ll take you several years to build up contacts, experience and a good reputation, but remember experience doesn’t necessarily make you good! Whatever you do in life do it because you enjoy it – That seems to be where these guys went wrong

nothingbitter about me pal.
with all your waffle about your company's,why do you want to be a plumber.
or is it you have failed at everything.
if you really do have any brains,take my advice get out of this country.
ozz is very nice at this time of year.

I’ve not failed in business – We no longer need the Ltd Co as my wife has taken a permanent position and I don’t work in insurance anymore. My entertainment business is successful and I still run it on the weekends.

I have always wanted to be a plumber – Not for the money, just because I enjoy it. I don’t get why that’s so hard to understand and why people have to be so negative? With a good business background behind me, the right support and training from my mentor and a positive attitude… What can go wrong? :smiley2:

 

[Phillay]

Thank you everyone for your comments and opinions. It's certainly made for interesting reading! My apologies if my initial post has stirred up issues, it was purely to grasp as much advice as possible.

I can respect what everyone has had to say, I really can.

Not sure where the fast track route came up as I haven't actually gone down there, but granted I haven't gone the traditional route either and I fully appreciate that although I may have a 'qualification', I do lack a good ten years of experience I would have held having gone through an apprenticeship.

I left office work behind purely as I'd done it a long time and I wanted a career change and to try and make something more of myself. So when the opportunity to work and learn with an experienced builder came up, I took it.

I spent 3 1/2 years working in the building trade, starting out carrying bricks and filling a cement mixer, but moving on to more competent work as my skills increased. It was then that my father-in-law (a fully qualified Plumber, in his mid 50's and went the traditional route), suggested I look at a trade and that I should seriously consider Plumbing.

From there I signed on at my local regional college, spent 2 years of classroom/practical training, doing the same City & Guilds course that all the young apprentices take these days. I then spent a further year working on site, completing evidence that was observed and marked by my assessor (who was a time served Plumber & now a college tutor), even completing a load of lead weathering! haha. Total cost of £2k that went to the government, not a privately funded company.

I feel proud of myself for obtaining the full C&G NVQ 2 certificate, more so than gaining my A Levels if I'm honest.

I'm now just trying to build some form of a career in Plumbing. I'm not dreaming of large salaries and being my own boss, and if I don't feel confident I could do a job correctly to current standards, I don't do it. I've had to turn down a few jobs and stick with a bit of maintenance & repair for just family and friends. I'm just looking to work alongside some highly experienced guys, learning from them, building my confidence and to hopefully make an honest living for myself while being a good, trustworthy employee.

I'm not looking to steal clients, make quick money and I've never listened to the "IT Manager leaves £60k year job to become a Plumber" stories. Hopefully I find the right person and opportunity to fulfill my ambition and maybe one day, I may then be able to pass some form of knowledge and experience on to help someone else out.

But if the building trade continues to collapse, or it appears I have left it too late, then I'll just have to explore other avenues... Once again, I apologise if my initial post has caused trouble amongst forum members, but thank you very much for some of the very positive ideas and suggestions.

 

[Blake]

Absolutely no need to apologise pal or explain your reasoning for wanting to be a plumber.

 

[plumb-tech]

Wait till next January when all the Romanian and Bulgarians come over, then we'll see even less work...
I'm getting out while I can

 

[gasmanrob]

What are you going to do instead?

 

[plumb-tech]

Well I was gonna go back to uni but not now as its too long and no guarantee of a good job, so have decided to do an accountancy course as I would like an office based job in the finance industry. Just gonna be hard to get experience, will have to do some voluntary work. Shame cos bout 6 months ago I spent £1500 on my acs course but never completed the portfolio, just had enough of plumbing, and it's changed a lot since I started...

 

[northstar]

Well I was gonna go back to uni but not now as its too long and no guarantee of a good job, so have decided to do an accountancy course as I would like an office based job in the finance industry. Just gonna be hard to get experience, will have to do some voluntary work. Shame cos bout 6 months ago I spent £1500 on my acs course but never completed the portfolio, just had enough of plumbing, and it's changed a lot since I started...

what area do you live in ?

 

[plumb-tech]

Just outside of London, hertfordshire

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Well I was gonna go back to uni but not now as its too long and no guarantee of a good job, so have decided to do an accountancy course as I would like an office based job in the finance industry. Just gonna be hard to get experience, will have to do some voluntary work. Shame cos bout 6 months ago I spent £1500 on my acs course but never completed the portfolio, just had enough of plumbing, and it's changed a lot since I started...

If you don't have ties, university is free in Germany and some other Euro states. In Holland, its about 1k a year tuition fee to do Law Degrees in English! in top 200 World Universities such as Gronigen and Maastricht. If you get a job doing 8 hours a week of work (burger king etc) the Dutch government will pay you a grant of just over 3k a year. Holland has lowest unemployment rate in Europe so jobs are easy to get compared to here, and nearly everyone speaks English.

We have people here learning plumbing for the future, when these jobs will be taken by the foreign competition anyway because they are more qualified, more experienced and better trainined.

Expect a mass exodus of students the other way to learn professions - go for it!

 

[plumb-tech]

Yea I have to stay in the uk as I have kids and my partner wouldn't want to move abroad otherwise I would of left this country years ago. I was gonna start a business/finance degree with the open university which was gonna take 3 years and cost £15k but not sure if its better to just do a couple of quick courses and get an entry level job and work my way up.