No experience but a desire to work and learn.

[ReadyToLearn]

WOW! Stumbled upon this forum today and am overwhelmed with all the information and solid advice being given. Rather than read and read for the next 3 hours I decided to make a post in search of some direct responses to my questions. I have been going to college while working in the casino industry and am burnt out on both. Given I am 31 and married with one son a part of me just wants a career. It will be another 3-4 yrs of school with no guarantee of a job and going to work at a casino everyday is not fun. From what I have been reading in the forums becoming Hvac tech sounds like an exciting career. There appears to be solid work, challenging yet rewarding and in general a desirable career path for me.

Here is my dilemma, I don't know how to get started. I live in Norther California near San Francisco. I assume joining a union would be one option. Do non-union jobs exist where they hire and train those with no experience? Honestly I have no clue what to ask.

HELP! Sorry for the diarrhea of the mouth. Please give some advice on how to get the ball rolling in the Hvac field.

THANK YOU!

[toocoolforschool]

I went to elementary school in Sonoma Ca. Plenty of job oportunities in cali, do you have any experience at all?

[ReadyToLearn]

I went to elementary school in Sonoma Ca. Plenty of job oportunities in cali, do you have any experience at all?

I have zero experience in the field. I am trying to find a union accepting apprentices or an employer willing to higher and train. Is there a better route? I guess my biggest problem is I make 20-25 and hour now working 4 days a week. And I would like something comparable.

[pcp]

I always kind of wondered about serviceing slot machines and other gameing equipment for casinos. Might be sort of like hvac but always inside out of the elements.

[FL.HVAC]

Yeah I can almost guarantee if you have no experience in the field you wont see 20-25 for at least 3 maybe 4 years if you join the union. And probably even longer if you go non union. Not sure what they are paying out there in Cali but here in the east it would be that long. Its a great field if you have the ability and the want to learn on the job.

[freemind]

I have zero experience in the field. I am trying to find a union accepting apprentices or an employer willing to higher and train. Is there a better route? I guess my biggest problem is I make 20-25 and hour now working 4 days a week. And I would like something comparable.

Uhhhh.. I dn't think yu want to go into the HVAC trade then.

Zero education (in the field) and zero experience, you'll have a REAL tough time trying to make anything near that in the field.

What your looking for in terms of wages, in more in line with an EXPERIENCED tech. You'll likel start out closer to $10 an hour, if your lucky. Minimum wage if your not lucky.

[hvacman2213]

its hard getting started at your age with no experience prob start off in residential for 1 to 2 years to get a grasp on things. Then another suggestion take the Nate test a lot of employers look for that certificate. epa certification would be a good thing on your new resume as well. 20-25 $ is not a salary your going to see for the first years in this trade

[ReadyToLearn]

its hard getting started at your age with no experience prob start off in residential for 1 to 2 years to get a grasp on things. Then another suggestion take the Nate test a lot of employers look for that certificate. epa certification would be a good thing on your new resume as well. 20-25 $ is not a salary your going to see for the first years in this trade

What can I expect? Any advice for breaking in is greatly appreciated. Does knowing someone help? I am sure I can search my group of friends and track down a contact.

[wolfstrike]

you really have to be carefull about California.
the "career" aspect of HVAC is disappearing in this area.
the union starts at 18.
most companies near southern california pay that no matter how mach experience you have.
you could buy a good text book of hvac to see if you like it.
but hvac is mostly unappreciated hard work.
the best thing for you to do is talk to some techs in your area, ask them how long they have been at the company, and get an estimate of wages.
but these days you shouldn't walk away from a $20 per hour job

[supertek65]

this is not a trade that usually starts off well!
this is also a trade that takes longer to learn than just being a doctor or a lawyer.

ofcourse doctors and lawyers can go to school for 5 or 6 years and immediately go to work! making huge money!

in commercial almost everybody agrees that it is an 8 year learning curve.
I fall right in line with the 8 year rule!

it is hard and it is fun and rewarding.

I am from woodside california and could never have even rented a nice apartment in redwood city or san jose on an hvac wage!

[bmwruss]

You say that you're already in college. Check into an HVAC coarse. I recently started HVAC school at a local Technical Institute. I'm going one night a week and learning a lot. I have a dead end job now and will be looking to change careers. I didn't think I had much of a chance with no experience at all.

[ndj22]

I am faced with the same decision as well, trying to get into a apprenticeship or helper position. I am currently on the fence about how i feel about my tech school. They say your best learning will be out in the field. good luck

[Tech Rob]

Tech school is definitely a good idea. Make sure it is a reputable one. Do some checking around on whatever schools you're interested in. This forum is a good resource for that. Don't spend $$$$$ on it only to find out you hate the work, though. It's not for everyone. This is why an apprenticeship is the way to go. They can be difficult to come by in some areas, though.

[elgreco]

I have zero experience in the field. I am trying to find a union accepting apprentices or an employer willing to higher and train. Is there a better route? I guess my biggest problem is I make 20-25 and hour now working 4 days a week. And I would like something comparable.

Here in NYC I went to technical school and was lucky to start with $15/hr as a helper and that was a union company. Non-union will pay you peanuts, somewhere about $10-$12/hr or even less, I know some guys who got not much more than minimum wage. It may not be the same out near San Francisco, but I doubt it would be higher.

Before you decide ask yourself the following:

Do you like working exposed to the elements, hot, cold, rain, etc.?

Do you have any mechanical experience? Can you use wrenches, drills, a sawzall, etc?

Are you prepared to spend a lot money on tools, work clothes/shoes and coffee for the guys you work for?

Money-wise if you think you will make anything close to what you are making now for at least the next 3 years (under the best of circumstances) I would think of another career path honestly.

[MechanicallyInclined]

San Fran's better for Apprentices. See what I mean by the HVACR trade getting shafted in the 638, as compared to the Pipe/Steamfitters and Pipe Welders. If HVACR Tech/Service Jm is $36.55/Hr, then a 1st year Apprentice is about $18.28/Hr. In S.F., the HVACR Tech/ Service Jm is about $47/Hr, then the 1st year Apprentice is about $23.50/Hr. Sure, a seasoned Tech can ask for more than scale in NYC, but what about everybody else? $15/Hr difference less to the HVACR Techs is a world apart.

[Lightning_Boy]

Zero experience and zero knowledge will get you $10/hr if your lucky.

Be prepared for a lot of frustration, disappointment, studying, more frustration, stress, hard work, going bankrupt from buying tools.
Feeling you aren't getting paid what you're worth.

But if you make through all that the rewards are a skill set and knowledge that will guarantee you a job anywhere in the world.
I'm 2 years into this trade and have a long way to go before I can command high hourly rate. I do know that several senior techs in my company are on $45+ /hr.
But then again they've been with the company 15+ years and they're rock stars of all things hvac.