How Did You Get Into This Industry?

LaurieC

Switching industries can be difficult. I did it by calling a local interior design company and offering myself as an unpaid intern for 6 months. They took me on and within a yr I was working for a builder.

My brother in law lives near Austin, and wants to work for a builder or remodeling company. He has worked for Fedex for awhile now and hates it. He's our go to guy in the family for all things needing to be fixed or painted. I told him to do the same as I did...intern.

Would you guys hire an intern, free of charge, so he could learn on the job? What advise can you give me to give him?

genecarp

Dont work for free, get out, meet contractors and builders, represent yourself accurately regarding your exp, begin with a low paying helper type position, a good attitude in the workplace makes up for a lack of experiance.

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PA woodbutcher

Agreed. Nothing for nothing. Show up to work and learn.

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'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.' - Ronald Reagan

Double-A

I think an intership with the right company can work out well, but it has to be a company big enough to understand the trade offs.

Your brother has a leg up on the competition having worked for Fed-Ex in my opinion. I look at ex-military and people from Fed-Ex and UPS first if I'm looking at applications. These folks understand that the work is the most important thing they will do during working hours and that makes it easier on everyone.

Mannered and a good communicator are what I look for next. The trade skills can be taught, but manners, the ability to listen, to understand, communicate problems or questions and reliability are the most important traits I look for.

My suggestion? Network first. Ask his friends that might work in the industry for some information on who to talk to and when. If not, then go knocking on doors. Cold calls are not my favorite, but if he wants in and shows it, someone is going to give him a break.

I would also recommend that he be willing to be trained and to continue his schooling unless he'd be happy as a clam to work in the field from now on. Otherwise he's gonna be bitter and burned out in a few years.

Doing a hard job is easier when you know the job ends at 4:30 and all you have to do is your best until then. But, this is made much easier when you know that one day, you're moving up and out of the trenches on to some new challenges.

Change or the prospect of change for the better is a wonderful mood enhancer.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

Mike B

My step dad has been a carpenter all of his life....I wanted some stuff to do on the side for some extra cash and started helping him out on some jobs; and learned everything he had to offer.

I lost my full-time management job a couple years later and after testing the job market for a few months decided that fate had dealt me a hand, so I played it and started up my own Reno/Handyman company......no more working for the Man, .

And I couldn't be happier.

send_it_all

Looks like you combined your knowledge of home repair and your love of poker to come up with a name.

Mike Finley

Nobody has a bigger advantage to float between company walls real or pscholgical than an intern. In my opinion with a good sized company an intern has a much bigger learning advantage for the person then somebody who says just pay me a little for starting at the bottom.

LaurieC

Thanks everyone, great ideas. Today he called a few friends that work in the industry, and is putting his resume together to apply for internships. I told him he could intern for us, but he'd have to move to so cal. He laughed and said, "no thanks." Wonder why.

WNYcarpenter

I can't see how interning for a trade would do anyone any good besides the contractor. Administration is one thing, going from delivery to tradesman is another.

I'm assuming a fed-ex employee makes a decent living, especially if it may be viable to work any length of time for free. In no way am I judging the intelligence of your brother in law, but actions speak louder than words. Too often workers enter this field with the notion that they're too good to do certain mundane tasks or show no appreciation for those who do.

I would be insulted if life were such that you could transition from unskilled to skilled while skipping necessary learning experiences by working for a few months unpaid. While being unpaid, asking for an internship is perhaps asking for preferential treatment by not starting at the bottom like so many tradesmen have done. Be it as it may, someone with the proprer work ethic, knowledge, intelligence and desire to learn would shortly set he/herself apart from the rest thus achieve the same goals while being paid.

Mike B

That I did.

kjung

I don't think that an unpaid internship would be the way to go. More than likely, your brother in law would be doing the same tasks as a low paid, entry level employee would be doing anyway, he might as well support himself in the process.

I don't remember who said it recently, but the best way to learn this business is "eyes open, mouth shut, back sore". I love that quote, lol.

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www.luxurydecksoftx.com

-Kevin

Double-A

Well, I have to respectfully disagree.

Not being paid and working for nothing shows a commitment to learning that laboring for a wage doesn't. Its not preferential treatment, its free labor with the trade off being an eager worker that is willing to do what is necessary to learn.

I also think you're reading too much into the OP by stating that somehow this person will be skipping unnecessary learning steps. They are looking for an entry into the field. Being an intern means that they are not necessarily just labor, or management or office or warehouse personnel. They should be used as a floater and be willing to float. Whenever, whatever and for how ever long it takes should be their credo. If not, then they are not the right applicant.

This is a mutual investment. The company invests their time and personnel resources to train and this person invests their time and lack of finances to the effort.

Two hundred years ago, this was called an "apprenticeship."

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

LaurieC

I agree with Double A.

He doesn't want to skip the hard work, or the education. He has enough money saved to support his family for a few month WHILE learning. His problem is he has 0 experience.

Perfect example..there was an add for commercial flooring project coordinator/ estimator, but you have to have 3 yrs experience. I told him to call the company and tell them he didn't have the experience, but was willing to intern to learn.

The benifit to the company is he will be trained by there standards, and it won't cost them a thing. He is such a hard worker, and I have full faith that once they give him a chance he will impress them with his work ethic. The benifit to him is he will learn, learn, learn.

He could stay with Fedex and make a good living, but he feels no passion for what he's doing. We all know our jobs are hard work, long hours, and can be crappy at times. We also know most of us wouldn't change it for the world. I think he's just looking for that same passion.

WNYcarpenter

I guess what troubles me is, what is an acceptable full time position for an intern.......as I said, certain positions, perhaps, skilled NO.



200 yrs ago "apprentices" left home, lived, ate, breathed, slept a given skill until their mentor decided they were ready.....Modern day unions have designed curriculums to determine the ability of their work force...apprentice, journeyman etc.... internship in this case does not equate apprentice!

What type of position is your brother-in-law interested in?

WarnerConstInc.

I cant remeber how I got it, but pleeeeeaaaaaassssssssssseeeeeeeeeee someone help me out!!!!










J/k, well sometimes!

billy d

WNY Carpenter while I can see where you are coming from with the skilled position how do you get experience?Walk into a store and say give me $3000 worth of experience
Two hundred years ago the time for a apprentice was 7 years and they where indentured.Now IMHO the greatest democracy in the modern world was built on the backs of indentured men.I personally spent the fist 9 months of my apprenticeship with associated trades,then 3 months with the trade of my original choice before the firm asked me which trade I wanted to be apprenticed to.Because at the age of 16 (start of apprenticeship) they did not think I had the experience to choose.
So a man that works for no money for 3 months and shows the willingness and intelligence to learn.Well go by that in a store.

CaliDesigns

i knocked up some chick, had to drop out of college. making more than a civil engineer, so, all is good.