Job Hunting

[mtt.tr]

Im on the fence with this if im honest, ive started a job after a good while of self employment, tables have turned where my personal career progression wasnt going to go anywhere.


Anyhow interviewed immediately got an offer, day on day i get a few phones from recruiters asking me for an interview some are desperate offering a good pay for a fair job

I think quality of candidate and how communicative you are has a huge bearing and like @Kayos will know and @premmington being self employed gives you skills you won't ever get being employed after all you are hr, finance, all tiers of manager, the actual worker the complaints department and everything else

 

[premmington]

Quality of work, is a major problem.
I know somebody who bought a new build house, and the list of snagging went to four sides of A4 paper.

He couldn't belief some of the problems, and some of the 'skilled' tradesmen who came to do with the repairs were useless. He chased one pair out the house for trying to cut corners, and told the company they better find somebody who'd do the job right.
Ironically, he said the best tradesman he had in for the repairs, was a Polish joiner. He was the only person who had some pride in his work and actually done the job right, whereas the locals expended the minimum effort, and left making the repairs look better to the decorators who'd be along after them.

It is unreal the jobs we get asked to do on site now.

We are Auto Electricans - last week I was asked to quote to put two stainless hatches in a process oven - labour only job.

Offer two frames up level - draw round it - cut hole thru stainless clading with grinder - then thru insulation with saw - mount from both sides with bolts and seal with bagged sealant - I quoted £300 to send Rusky to do it - chap said this was too cheap - firm quoted £800 and did not turn up. I then went in at £600 and we got the go ahead.

We get asked by our existing customers to do all sorts of silly jobs now - not related to what we do really - just because we turn up when we say we will and do what we are asked to do! (simple formula).

I got two bunded stainless trays to weld up from the same firm - they really can't get anybody to quote for it (job too small maybe?)

The crying shame is - the firm in question - pays within 24hrs of invoicing them - if you have a job number (they pay by lunchtime the next working day). If you have any extras on a job - they send someone to come have a look in person - then give you another job number to get paid for the extras.

 

[tom2207]

If you have nothing the government will give you everything ,,,
If you have something they will want to take it from you .

Times are changing and the gap between wealthy and not is getting wider , trying to stay on the right side of the huge chasm thats opening is not easy at the moment , and I for one cant see it changing any time soon.

 

[TechnicAl]

Hopefully the law of supply and demand will prompt the owners to jack the wages up a bit.

The bubonic plague did........so maybe history is repeating

 

[TechnicAl]

Hopes shes earnings more after paying the therapist for the emotional distress of touching peoples rank feet

they get washed in a bubble bath first

 

[Moose McAlpine]

It is unreal the jobs we get asked to do on site now.



We get asked by our existing customers to do all sorts of silly jobs now - not related to what we do really - just because we turn up when we say we will and do what we are asked to do! (simple formula).

Give us a job..

If you have nothing the government will give you everything ,,,
If you have something they will want to take it from you .

Wow, how true is that.

 

[supaimpy]

Fitters who were Steelworks Apprentices could do all that and more, including welding. They were equipped with all the machines so they could repair broken equipment. Its the onset of Insurance led risk assessment jobs that has killed it.....now you need a piece of paper to show you can do it......and that paper costs £500 a year or whatever it costs..

Did my apprenticeship at UKAEA Winfrith and yes we did the same , called us R+E mechs when qualified, only welding we didn't do was Tig. On maintenance we'd be expected to use all the machine tools , even did metal spraying .
I know guys who have never left the site, so they've been there 40 years, not sure what the wages are now but it used to be lower but the job security was good.

 

[brightspark]

Hopefully it will change........I dont mind paying a bit more to have my parcel delivered.......Im sure most think the same......I dont like to see people on subsistence wages
Maybe the fat cats earning millions in charge of these companies can be a bit more realistic

and pigs might fly the lowest paid get made redundant .they will get rid of 6 good workers at the councill that are needed where if they got rid of one useless gaffer that would save the 6 jobs

 

[James1979]

Quality of work, is a major problem.
I know somebody who bought a new build house, and the list of snagging went to four sides of A4 paper.

He couldn't belief some of the problems, and some of the 'skilled' tradesmen who came to do with the repairs were useless. He chased one pair out the house for trying to cut corners, and told the company they better find somebody who'd do the job right.
Ironically, he said the best tradesman he had in for the repairs, was a Polish joiner. He was the only person who had some pride in his work and actually done the job right, whereas the locals expended the minimum effort, and left making the repairs look better to the decorators who'd be along after them.

My mum had a conservatory put on not long before the pandemic. Local to her conservatory company so they dealt with all the trades.

Lithuanian groundworkers turned up before breakfast. Put boards down in the garden where they would be walking back and forth. Set up a brew station in the garage and set to. She didn’t even know they were there. There was a bit to do inside, they put old carpet over hers despite her saying that it was all coming up and put house shoes on to work indoors. Whole area was spotless when they left.

2 weeks later the actual conservatory crew turned up from Yorkshire. Moaned that it was a 3 hour drive. When they’d finished moaning they said put the kettle on love and went and sat in the van. Mother ignored them! Eventually they got on with the job. She came down stairs to find muddy trainer prints all through the kitchen to the toilet and back and the apprentice trying to make tea. He couldn’t work the teapot or the plunger coffee thing Didn’t so much as ask, just raided the cupboards.

she overheard the guy in charge telling him to nip to the shop for Nescafé as ‘their coffee is ****e! Got bits in’

packed up in the dark and were moaning about that.

She won’t have them back but the conservatory company has had to send people round several times for the snagging and it’s still not right.

 

[premmington]

I admire your optimism, but can't see it happening any time soon. Especially with so many people out of work and looking. Employers can offer terrible money and there'll be a queue of people ready to take it out of need.

(Of course the amount of skill required for the job will have an influence.)

Seems more shocking how many skilled jobs are advertised now at or around minimum wage.

I think it will come.

Everybody I know who are good at what they do - self employed tradesman - are busy/charging top dollar - and have huge diary bookings/lead times.

It has been too easy to go self employed - declare yourself a professional. The market is flooded with "chancers".

But from what I can see - those who can actually do it - are doing well.


-------------------------------


Engineering has always been poorly paid - I know wages really have not improved for over a decade - maybe more?

(Best multi skilled engineer I know - aged about 35-38 - has gone roofing - bought some scaffolding got a ticket - a lorry - and in the two years he has been doing it - he has never earnt so much money).

 

[Brad93]

It is unreal the jobs we get asked to do on site now.

We are Auto Electricans - last week I was asked to quote to put two stainless hatches in a process oven - labour only job.

Offer two frames up level - draw round it - cut hole thru stainless clading with grinder - then thru insulation with saw - mount from both sides with bolts and seal with bagged sealant - I quoted £300 to send Rusky to do it - chap said this was too cheap - firm quoted £800 and did not turn up. I then went in at £600 and we got the go ahead.

We get asked by our existing customers to do all sorts of silly jobs now - not related to what we do really - just because we turn up when we say we will and do what we are asked to do! (simple formula).

I got two bunded stainless trays to weld up from the same firm - they really can't get anybody to quote for it (job too small maybe?)

The crying shame is - the firm in question - pays within 24hrs of invoicing them - if you have a job number (they pay by lunchtime the next working day). If you have any extras on a job - they send someone to come have a look in person - then give you another job number to get paid for the extras.

Catering equipment and catering ovens are the same. One of my customers just does catering equipment and is unbelievable busy. He could work 24/7 if he wanted.

 

[TechnicAl]

I saw something this week, discussing Ukraine, could have been football or that warship.....anyway they mentioned wages and the average wage is less than £250 / month (£1.50 or £1.60 an hour).........So the EE workers here on £10 an hour think its fantastic, of course they work hard but they dont really "live" here.....they are on the fringe of society....on the other hand the British know its hard to live here comfortably on that wage.

 

[Mikes]

I’ve said this before but I was earning more when I left school than minimum wage is. In East Anglia it seems hard to break £10/£12 for anything.

I blame minimum wage. Before that companies had to attract you. Now they just need to comply.

I blame the British public as a whole. Everyone has an obsession with 'cheap' and can't look beyond that to see the consequences that come from this. Greed and consumerism that is all around will only make things worse.

 

[premmington]

Catering equipment and catering ovens are the same. One of my customers just does catering equipment and is unbelievable busy. He could work 24/7 if he wanted.

Both local catering equipment firms I do the vans for - are super busy - all their vans now have "engineers required" sign writting on the back of them.

How with the pubs/resturants shut I don't know. Think there has been a boom in take-a-away food thru the "great plague".

I could never see any money in this stuff thou - if you look thru a Nisbets catalogue - I would not want to be making the stuff for the money.

 

[Brad93]

Both local catering equipment firms I do the vans for - are super busy - all their vans now have "engineers required" sign writting on the back of them.

How with the pubs/resturants shut I don't know. Think there has been a boom in take-a-away food thru the "great plague".

I could never see any money in this stuff thou - if you look thru a Nisbets catalogue - I would not want to be making the stuff for the money.

Bakeries are busier than ever

 

[Brad93]

Both local catering equipment firms I do the vans for - are super busy - all their vans now have "engineers required" sign writting on the back of them.

How with the pubs/resturants shut I don't know. Think there has been a boom in take-a-away food thru the "great plague".

I could never see any money in this stuff thou - if you look thru a Nisbets catalogue - I would not want to be making the stuff for the money.

Competing with the Chinese stuff, Might as well throw away and buy new. Customers can’t afford to wait. Did a two day turnaround on a mixer for one bakery last week. Chinese mixer was 3-6 weeks

 

[TechnicAl]

My mum had a conservatory put on not long before the pandemic. Local to her conservatory company so they dealt with all the trades.

Lithuanian groundworkers turned up before breakfast. Put boards down in the garden where they would be walking back and forth. Set up a brew station in the garage and set to. She didn’t even know they were there. There was a bit to do inside, they put old carpet over hers despite her saying that it was all coming up and put house shoes on to work indoors. Whole area was spotless when they left.

2 weeks later the actual conservatory crew turned up from Yorkshire. Moaned that it was a 3 hour drive. When they’d finished moaning they said put the kettle on love and went and sat in the van. Mother ignored them! Eventually they got on with the job. She came down stairs to find muddy trainer prints all through the kitchen to the toilet and back and the apprentice trying to make tea. He couldn’t work the teapot or the plunger coffee thing Didn’t so much as ask, just raided the cupboards.

she overheard the guy in charge telling him to nip to the shop for Nescafé as ‘their coffee is ****e! Got bits in’

packed up in the dark and were moaning about that.

She won’t have them back but the conservatory company has had to send people round several times for the snagging and it’s still not right.

They will need the money to buy their car........it must be some car if it does Yorkshire to Orkney in 3 hours....
Should I assume you mum lives further south than yourself

 

[mtt.tr]

My mum had a conservatory put on not long before the pandemic. Local to her conservatory company so they dealt with all the trades.

Lithuanian groundworkers turned up before breakfast. Put boards down in the garden where they would be walking back and forth. Set up a brew station in the garage and set to. She didn’t even know they were there. There was a bit to do inside, they put old carpet over hers despite her saying that it was all coming up and put house shoes on to work indoors. Whole area was spotless when they left.

2 weeks later the actual conservatory crew turned up from Yorkshire. Moaned that it was a 3 hour drive. When they’d finished moaning they said put the kettle on love and went and sat in the van. Mother ignored them! Eventually they got on with the job. She came down stairs to find muddy trainer prints all through the kitchen to the toilet and back and the apprentice trying to make tea. He couldn’t work the teapot or the plunger coffee thing Didn’t so much as ask, just raided the cupboards.

she overheard the guy in charge telling him to nip to the shop for Nescafé as ‘their coffee is ****e! Got bits in’

packed up in the dark and were moaning about that.

She won’t have them back but the conservatory company has had to send people round several times for the snagging and it’s still not right.

I know this story all to well.

 

[James1979]

They will need the money to buy their car........it must be some car if it does Yorkshire to Orkney in 3 hours....
Should I assume you mum lives further south than yourself

About 3 hours south of Yorkshire

 

[James1979]

I blame the British public as a whole. Everyone has an obsession with 'cheap' and can't look beyond that to see the consequences that come from this. Greed and consumerism that is all around will only make things worse.

I agree 100% and have said the same in other threads. People want to earn good money and spend nowt. It’s a national obsession. Go to Scandinavia where brother lives or Germany and people are paid well but expect to pay well in return for goods and services.