Maintenance Supervisor/Tech seeks advice and job

[mrgrey]

Hello,

My name is Matt and I am a maintenance supervisor in Valparaiso, IN, though living in Munster, IN. I cover about 200+ units that I complete all maintenance related tasks to. This includes HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Appiance repair, and general carpentry. In addition, I am graduating Environmental Technical Institute in January and am up for class valedictorian. I am at a cross roads with my career and thought I could get some advice. I am starting to pursue other employment opportunities and deciding whether to seek positions as a maintenance supervisor or just to go into strictly HVAC. I can see advantages and disadvantages in both fields, though I would appreciate some advice. I am only 24 years old and have garnered enough of a reputation to earn a decent wage of $36,000 where I am currently at. I know given time and opportunity I could become an asset for a company that is willing to let me learn. I currently service both residental and commercial gas fired furnaces and boilers, in addition to air conditioning. As a man of only 24 I find it very difficult for many to give me a chance at opportunities in more prestigious positions. If someone could just help by answering a few questions to help lead me into the right direction that would be great. Ill post my resume so you can get some insight into what I do and where I came from the maybe someone could take some time an answer a few questions.

-Is it better for a person in my current field of work to continue looking into positions as a maintenace supervisor or just to work stricly as an HVAC tech?
-Is the Chicagoland area a good area to continue to work and have a career or should I also consider other opportunities accross the country?
-What are the typical payscales as I progress as a maintenance worker or as a service tech?
-Do I have any chance of getting in to a union?

Thanks for enduring my lenghthy post and I appreciate any comments. Hopefully I can assist others as much as others have helped me.

Matthew Robert Novotney 219-308-8589
2140 Washington Ct.
Munster, IN 46321
mattnovotney
at
sbcglobal
dot
net
Please, no email addresses.

Objective
To obtain a position that allows me to utilize my knowledge of commercial and residential building maintenance

Education

Environmental Technical Institute
Residential and light commercial electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration

Purdue University
Bachelor of Liberal Arts

Computer Skills
Operating Systems: Windows XP, Macintosh OS X

Trade Skills
-EPA Certified Universal HVAC technician
-Commercial and Residential Electrical Wiring and Plumbing

Experience

ABM Real Estate Services, Valparaiso, Indiana, March 2005-Present
Maintenance Supervisor
- Oversee all maintenance of 221 units comprised of apartments, townhouses, and condominiums including: commercial and residential HVAC, electrical, plumbing,and appliance repair
- Solely responsible for creating day to day word schedules of employees and subcontractors

School Town of Munster, Munster, Indiana, Aug 2004-March 2005
Maintenance, Various Custodial duties
- Electrical, Plumbing, and Roof top Air handler servicing
- Custodial detail/maintenance

Don White Apartments, Munster, Indiana, 1999 - Present
Building Maintenance
- Overseer of 5 buildings including 25 separate units
- Responsibilities: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, appliance repair and grounds keeping

Lakeside Remodelers, Munster, Indiana, 1996-1999
Carpenter, Misc. tasks
- Framing carpenter
- Misc. tasks including: Roofing, Siding, Electrical, Plumbing, etc/










[Edited by Mod2 on 11-25-2005 at 05:02 PM]

[-80guru]

Have you considered hospital maintenance? As far as union or not, do a search on that topic here and come to your own conclusion. No one can tell you which way you should go, that is for you to decide. You will need to research the facts that pertain to your desires for changing, ie: money, a challenge, opportunities, future well being, benefits, etc, etc.

[1972torino]

i grew up in portage indiana, and went to eti. i now live in nc. small world. in my opinion i would try to go to hvac full time. good luck

[maintmanmike]

Matt, I find it totally ironic to find your post here tonight. I too am in some what the situation as you. I am the Maint. Super for over 400 units. With out rambling on, just ask yourself this: What aspect of everything you do, gives you the most satisfaction and enjoyment? To give you some insight as to were you can go in Maintenance, its pretty wide open. At only 24 y.o, and the skills you acquired you can as mentioned go into Institutional (hospital), industrial, commercial/residential, or contemplate starting your own Maintenance business. There is even a degree offered by some Tech. schools. But than again, what aspect of it do you enjoy the most. If it is hvac I would suggest pursuing that field now. I have spent a lot of hours reading the postings on this site, and the theme is that its takes ALOT of effort, knowledge, time and Devotion to excel in this field. I wish you the best of luck, and I believe if you follow your heart you will succeed in which ever path you take.

[coldmilk]

Hey Matt,

Hang in there bud, I know what it is like to feel the way you do but be patient don't take the first thing that comes along. The grass is not always greener on the other side believe me I have experienced this first hand as I am sure many others on this site have. If you are building a strong reputation as a reliable, competent maintenance person word will spread about your capabilities and you will be suprised with how many offers you will recieve.

To Answer your questions,

1. I think you should choose the part of your job you like the best and pursue it, HVAC is still going to use a little of everything that is what makes it so challenging.

2. I do not know how the Chicago area is, but I would consider things like schools, crime rate, property values, etc.

3. I have seen payscales talked about in this forum with salaries ranging from 15.00-28.00 per hour (depending on gegraphical area and experience levels) At one point there was a recruiter for a government contractor offering a pretty penny to go to Iraq to work.

4. As far as a Union is concerned I do not know that much about them, sorry.

Good Luck.

[refrtech]

As a maintance technician you become a jack of all trades but a master of none. As a HVAC tech you have the chance to be the best @ what you do and nobody will ever be able to take that away from you .

[cascader]

I spent 12 years fooling around in those maintenance/engineering positions.One property manager after another whipping you and your men and women like race horses over there quarterly bonuses.Nothing compares to Refrigeration and A/C.I work at a major cancer research hospital and today I worked on a refrigerated centrifuge(blockage,404A)A domestic refrigerator(leak),and a -86C revco freezer(board problem),amidst a few hot and cold calls,filling for the guy on vacation.Never sweated,around lots of young women researchers,and they won't sell the property.If I become tired of this...Ha,then full time HVAC is the only way to go.Trouble shooting is the most rewarding of all.He who can spot the problem,and institute the right remedy quickest wins.

[FulhamSC]

I would go with something that presents a challenge. Maintainece work is just that. HVAC, as I am sure all here would agree, is the most challenging trade. To be succesfull you have to be well versed in everything. There are more avenues with HVAC, especially with a good company.

As for unions, I will give you my experience. I would never work for a union again. I don't like the idea that even though I get twice as much work done as the guy next to me I am paid less. I am from Boston and the Big dig (Billions over budget and falling apart) is all union work. In a private industry there is competition, let the best man win. If you want someone who does not know you get you a raise than try union. Just remember that layoffs are common, stability is not there until you have time in. If you are motivated and want to excel, than go into the private sector.

It sounds like you are motivated and intelligent. I would suggest getting in with a commercial company with emphasis on service. Than if you want look into opening up your own business after being taught and having time in the field.

[maintenanceguy]

I've been in facilities maintenance and am a maintenance supervisor for a medium sized school system. I love what I do.

I don't know what's right for you. I know I'm happy that my job changes every day. I don't have to deal with only one trade or only one piece of equipment. Variety is nice. My days are stressful, filled with emergencies, days are often long and I'm on call all the time. The local police, fire department, school principals and building custodial staff call me day and night when there's an emergency. But I'm paid well and I actually enjoy being "on" all the time.

I have a great staff of tradesmen working for me and we can tackel anything that comes along. That's very satisfying. Although lots of what I do is boring paperwork, planning, report writing, and attending meetings, I still get to get my hands dirty fairly regularly.

I would have been bored as a hvac tech, electrican, or plumber. I love doing it all. And I'll admit I'm a "jack of all trades, master of none," But I'm still pretty good at most trades and my guys are masters of their respective trades so we work as a team.

If you want to pursue facilities maintenance, learn all you can. Read everything you can find on each trade and do the best you can to become an expert in each one. Find work in environments that expose you to losts of stuff and that demand that you have skills. Apartment complexes are not a place to learn much. I know, I worked for them for a few years early on. Hospitals, nursing homes, large school systems (in the skilled trades shop, not in the custodial shop), industrial maintenance, university maintenance shops.

Like anything else, hard work, good attitude, continuing learning, and putting in the time to pay your dues are what it takes to succeed.

[ozone drone]

Matt ...That BA can open lots of doors....
Check HVAC Agent online and register...Then check out Facility Manager positions....almost all require a degree...even if it is in basket weaving...

[tim fox]

Why do guy's always think that if you do bld. maint. work you aren't a master of a trade? I work for a major airlines and was a union HVAC tech before taking this job. The techs only see the facilities that don't have qualified people because they don't get called where I and other maint. guys handle their own stuff.We have a collection of people from all aspects of the trades.I help the steam boiler expert one day on a 600hp cleaver brooks and he helps me work on a Trane intellipak the next.On another day I'm pulling 2.0 conductors to a motor/generator. I like bld. maint. but I must say the hr. pay hasn't advaced as with the trades.

[Shophound]

Facilities maintenance, particularly positions that require supervision or management, are not for the faint hearted. Having been a maintenance supervisor/lead maintenance/building superintendent in my career, two essential keys for success in the field are abilities to be organized and to manage time wisely. If you don't you'll get run over by the workload. You find a guy in the maintenance trade that's got his **** together via organization and good time management, you've found kind of a rare bird. Not a lot of guys stick with it long enough to get good at these two things (especially in "multi-family" maintenance).

It may be true to a degree that maintenance personnel may not have as much opportunity to master a trade, but I've been at it long enough that my strengths in several trades are quite handy. Not only do I know HVAC, I seldom need plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, appliance repair techs, etc. at my house. The skills I learned in the maintenance field enabled me to build my own freestanding woodshop building that impressed seasoned carpenters and electricians and even an architect with its design and construction.

HVAC is my first love and the job I have now enables me to be more centered on it than what I've done in the past, but I don't regret those other experiences. Everything one learns in life can be continually useful if one is resourceful.

As for your resume, I think you could punch it up a bit. No offense but it's kind of a sleeper the way it reads right now. You want that resume to grab the attention of a guy that has to schlep through them when he's trying to screen for a new hire. A resume should show (without going overboard) the excitement you have for your chosen trade, and the confidence you've gained with the listed experience.

[Edited by shophound on 11-28-2005 at 12:34 AM]

[dustin]

Do you still work for ABM? I'm trying to apply for an open position there.

[maxster]

that supervison experience will kick in some day for you,but right now you need to dive into the commercial end of the business,and training on the range of equipment out there.if you hook up with a real progressive shop there are no limits with your future and salary.