Job Market is Slow on Van Island

[Parksy]

Hey guys, about a month ago I plastered the Island pretty much door to door with resume's, and yet again have done it this week. I talked to a lot of employers out there, and they all wanted my resume on file, but it seems really slow out there. Looks like I will have to head to the Big City(God I hate Vancouver) and then to the Okanagan area(I like it there better).

In my travels I have talked to a lot of employers out there, but they all seem to be looking for more experience if they were hiring, and it seems like a really hard market to get into coming out of a pre- apprentice school. I have also been applying over the internet for any job to do with refrigeration in B.C. but there is really only about 1-2 a day come up and they are almost all for Journeyman. I did have a job out of town, but it didn't pay enough to relocate my family, so I had to pass it up after a few weeks. The job hardly paid enough to cover my commute while I was there, but I was hoping my wife could find a good job there, or maybe they could pay a bit more. So anyway it will be interesting in the up coming weeks while I look off the Island. I am hoping that the wage subsidy program that I qualify for will help out a bit, and maybe convince an employer to pay a decent starting wage for the first 3-6 months, while I try out the job and can relocate the family. Do any companies actually take advantage of this program? Seems to be fround upon by some companies. Anyways Vancouver/Okangan commercial refrigeration companies here I come!!!

Cheers All
Parksy

P.S. One way or another I am getting into this trade! If I don't find anything by the time I get to Toronto, I am starting my own company and hiring a tech as my over the phone support! Either that or going to the Cayman Island!!

[Parksy]

Oh yah, and any advice on finding a good commercial refrigeration company to work for or any job leads out there, feel free to post or private message me.

Also one tech told me yesterday that I should bite the bullet and pay a company 2 grand to ride around with them for 3 months so I can get more experience... On top of that I wouldn't get paid... I can kind of see it if you didn't do the Pre Apprentice course, but even at that, Wow. But good on him though if he can get someone to do that, I guess....

Cheers Parksy

[dalec]

hey parksy, been reading your posts
its a tough game to get into right now, you may be too young to know or
remember but it reminds me of when i started in the early 80's.
it was a bad economy and construction was in the tank, but persevere and
you will be rewarded with a great career.
it seems van isl was always a tough nut to crack, i know a few journeymen
who moved there and always seemed to have trouble finding a good job.
then again i worked with a couple of guys who originally came from the island
and moved back to be closer to family, lost track of them.
regarding the caymans, you probably won't be allowed to work there as
an apprentice, unless you know someone. i worked with a guy on the mainland
who move to van isl, was having a tough time and decided to take a job in the caymans. he fire saled all his possesions and packed up his family and went. they didn't last two weeks, couldn't adapt, and his wife thought she could work there as nurse. even though he got a letter from the cayman gov't
stating that he could come but he couldn't bring his family because they didn't think he would earn enought to support his family.

[Parksy]

Thanks for letting me know about the Cayman's. I probably wouldn't go that far anyways, but it is a bit frustrating with the market the way it is. Hopefully something will come up in the next few weeks! I think the Island is over populated with Pre-app workers as well, as they have been pumping 2 classes a year out of Vancouver Island University for a few years now, and it almost seems a bit flooded over here. Hopefully it gets hot out soon, and companies get busy.

Anyways Cheers