job help

[fgrc76]

I know this isn't car related, but thought maybe one of you might be able to help me out, I've been a chef for 20 years in the same hotel, and I've got to the stage of wanting out, I'd like to get into the building trade but this is where I'm stuck, does anyone know where to look for such jobs, obviously I've no experience in building, just doing basic things around the house, ideally I'd start as a dogs body picking things up as I go,so any pointers on where to look would be much appreciated, area I'm looking for is around Reading, if theres any lurkers reading this and know the answers, please join to help me out,
many thanks

[306carter]

I have just finished a job in Reading (Security Installation) for Morgan Sindall / Overbury they seem to be big players in the construction industry in the south. TBH it sound like you'll end up being a labourer on a site.

[Grant]

Pick up the phone book or google local builders and get ringing to see if they need any labourers

[Niall]

Yeah considering you have no knowledge of the industry, you don't have a CV to back up your skills so you need to rely on your attitude. Visit every site you can, be positive and keen and just ask if they have any labouring work. Don't forget, you will basically be a bitch for a while doing all the shitty jobs for not a lot of money but stick it out!

[Iceman299]

Have you considered doing a part time building/construction course?

You can do it while still doing your current job then get a decent job at the end,
Or start as a 'dogs body' and study part time which will help you progress to better jobs

[lolsteve]

Spent a fair amount of my childhood summer holidays and breaks from uni working on dads building sites, seen it all from refurbishing a bathroom to knocking down a bungalow and putting up 4 houses on the land along with refurbishing a clock tower with a cherry picker(personal favourite)
Was always the bitch given the skill less jobs i.e hauling bricks/concrete, cutting up insulation to fit inbetween rafters, painting(so much painting), sweeping, picking up rubble etc etc but that makes sense obviously as me working cheaply doing the odd jobs meant the more expensive folks could get on with what they were paid to do , also dabbled a bit in wiring up sockets and switches.
Most have been at it for years and years so have a wealth of hands on experience that already puts you at a major disadvantage and the general run around people tend to be younger/cheaper/mentally damaged.
Would probably say your best bet now if you wanted to get into it would be to specialise in a area i.e a plumber, brickie, electrician or carpenter rather than a jack of all trades. One site had a sub contracted carpenter with a young apprentice learning the ropes although would probably be quicker to do a course
That isn't to say you can't learn it all without taking a course, my dad and his brothers started their building careers about the time I was born and are all pretty much self taught and they seem to do alright

[fgrc76]

Thanks for the replies, you've all given me loads to think about, maybe I've left it a little to late in life to make a change, the money isn't a problem as I'm on s@#t money now, security of a permanent job is all I need, but without being skilled thats not going to happen, I might just stick to what I know, but get out of hotel/restaurant work,
thank you

[Iceman299]

Thanks for the replies, you've all given me loads to think about, maybe I've left it a little to late in life to make a change, the money isn't a problem as I'm on s@#t money now, security of a permanent job is all I need, but without being skilled thats not going to happen, I might just stick to what I know, but get out of hotel/restaurant work,
thank you

It's never too late. I'm 28 and have decided to go back to college and do motor vehicle. I spent all my life working in retail management but decided it's not what i want to do for the rest of my life.

If you're going to stick to what you're doing now, then just do a course oart time from home or in the evenings

[Eeyore]

Came back to my flat to find i had a new foreign flat mate. He said he was looking for jobs and then asked what my job was. I said IBM and then he promptly asked if I could get him a job there.... obviously not!

[Poodle]

Er, congratulations Sam?

It's never too late. I'm 28 and have decided to go back to college and do motor vehicle. I spent all my life working in retail management but decided it's not what i want to do for the rest of my life.

If you're going to stick to what you're doing now, then just do a course oart time from home or in the evenings

Same here, same age and everything lol. Looked hard to find a place willing to take me on without relevant quals or experience and spent the next 18 months emptying bins, sweeping floors and turning lights on and off for the mot tester. Another year on and i've nearly completed my vcq and am working as a technician, worth the crap work and wages all day long imo.

I would suggest starting with some Saturday work or similar, it'll give you a better idea of what it'll be like full time and give you the chance to make contacts - it's not what you know...

[Piggy]

As said, try and get into specialist stuff.

HVAC and Scaffolding is where my experience is, on a number of large builds, so if the need arrises I have referenced experience in those fields. If I were you, HVAC. Its not that hard work, it pays well once you get a decent position!

[Matt-Rallye]

I would seriously look into evening courses at your local college, gives you skills and a taste of the trade just in case you dont like it! just start by learning then doing odd jobs in the specialist field you pick

Anyone that can put up with 20 years of chef work is pretty well prepared for working elsewhere though kitchen stress levels are unreal!

[Dum-Dum]

Labouring money is shit especially with how close you are to london you are. There is alot of eastern european migrants who are happy to work for bugger all and work harder and longer days than most of the brits.

[Paul_13]

There's pipefitter mates where I'm working on £18 an hour.
The site I'm on is one of a kind really until they build another one

[fgrc76]

I think trying to do a collage course while still in my current job, is out of the question, I work mainly split shifts which are 9.30 till 14.00 then back 17.30 till 22.00 if I'm lucky, scaffolding does sound good, I have a friend who is thinking of getting into that, maybe I'll see if he goes for it then have a word with him,
cheers

[Lolben91]

Could try an agency. Tell them what you're after and they can find you work, wouldn't expect much pay though. That's how I got into transport and logistics with no prior experience

[Niall]

Its NEVER too late to change career. When i was on my college course, there was a guy on it who was in his late 40s. That was an apprenticeship.
General building IMO doesn't pay all that well. If you can specialise in a trade related to building, you can earn a lot if you try hard!

HVAC
BMS
Plumbing
Electrics
Security and access control
Fire and life safety systems
Comms

Any of them will need qualifications and you can't just walk into unless your happy to pull cables for a few months but if you can get into any of them, you can earn a fair bit as they are all skilled trades. Depending on how good you can get and if you want to be self employed, you can be earning £300 a day in some of them trades.

[Paul_13]

Book yourself a cscs test to be a 'mate' or operative as they call it for what ever trade you want.
Without cscs you will not get on site! Then get yourself registered on an agency.
Be weary though, the gov have changed the law about getting paid under the CIS scheme (20% tax and class 2 NI) you end up paying a higher stamp on national insurance for yourself and your employe, which is complete bullshit

The only way around this is to form a limited company and get paid gross, which is what I've had to do

---

Don't mean to brag but I'm on £20 an hour as a subcontractor pipefitter

There's a fair bit of money to be made.

Where I'm working there's fitters mates on £18 an hour

The normal going rate for plumbing work as a subbie is £13-15 an hour
you can thank the eastern europeans for that

[Niall]

Paul makes a good point. CSCS cars is vital. When i did my ECS (Electrical focused version of the CSCS run by the same scheme), i think it was £180 and that was for the exam, study book, your card and cert for 3 years. Get that as any site will ask you for that. They are so strict its unreal these days (except the one i was on today. Seems they didn't give a f*ck )

[306carter]

Its NEVER too late to change career. When i was on my college course, there was a guy on it who was in his late 40s. That was an apprenticeship.
General building IMO doesn't pay all that well. If you can specialise in a trade related to building, you can earn a lot if you try hard!

HVAC
BMS
Plumbing
Electrics
Security and access control
Fire and life safety systems
Comms

Any of them will need qualifications and you can't just walk into unless your happy to pull cables for a few months but if you can get into any of them, you can earn a fair bit as they are all skilled trades. Depending on how good you can get and if you want to be self employed, you can be earning £300 a day in some of them trades.

Yeah just to echo this. I started as a trainee security engineer in January 2013. I'm now pretty much trained up. I trained as an electrician previously so picked it really quickly. I work on the books with 3 other engineers and 3 sub contractors. The subbies are earning £260 per day plus £55 per night working away. By mid 2015 I'll be going self employed myself. One downside is I live up North and all the work is in the South (typing this from a B&B in Swindon) I've been working in Reading for 18 weeks and TBH I'd like a few weeks at home.

[Niall]

Yeah as Carter says, self employed you can earn a LOT of money but you have to go where the work is and its not like being employed where you get paid regardless of the work flow. Being self employed is a high risk but it really does pay off if your willing to take that risk!

[Iceman299]

Er, congratulations Sam?

It's never too late. I'm 28 and have decided to go back to college and do motor vehicle. I spent all my life working in retail management but decided it's not what i want to do for the rest of my life.

If you're going to stick to what you're doing now, then just do a course oart time from home or in the evenings

Same here, same age and everything lol. Looked hard to find a place willing to take me on without relevant quals or experience and spent the next 18 months emptying bins, sweeping floors and turning lights on and off for the mot tester. Another year on and i've nearly completed my vcq and am working as a technician, worth the crap work and wages all day long imo.

I would suggest starting with some Saturday work or similar, it'll give you a better idea of what it'll be like full time and give you the chance to make contacts - it's not what you know...

I left a job at Jaguar Land Rover earning more than what most mechanics do, but production line is so bloody boring! My aim is to go back there once i have a few years experience and get my level 2 & 3.
On a side note, i've realised why it's so hard to find a decent mechanic, the people on the course are only doing it as they have no other option and are so thick its unreal lol atleast my tutor lets me use the workshop/tools whenever i want

[fgrc76]

Thanks a lot for all your input, its given me a bit of hope, although a bit depressing looking at what you earn, atfer 20 years I'm sure I could earn more stacking shelves at tesco lol