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Originally Posted by
Coalman
Didn't realize I was in such an elite group! ...Serving my country or unemployed or ex-con...?
Guess I should be proud...
Sorry that the one's on the GI bill are taking up class space.
What kind of statement is that?!?
Sorry for you that the guys on the GI bill served their country to protect your rights as an American.
Maybe I took your meaning wrong, but it sure sounds like an attack on the very people that defend our countries borders.
Wisdom has been chasing you, but you have always been faster.
In your darkest hour, when the demons come, call on me brother and we shall fight them together.
A Veteran is a person, who at some point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for payment up to and including their life.
Gene Castagnetti-Director of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii
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Wow, wolfie, I had no idea that things had been that bumpy for you.
I'll add two cents.
I have stayed away from residential since the early 90's.
Do the research FIRST. Ask several companies about whether they hire guys out of a particular program, and why or why not. Just like in aviation, there is no "shortage of workers," there is only a shortage of workers who will come into the field for the wages being offered, or which WILL be offered.
I think union apprenticeship is the most sensible way to learn the trade, from both a student cost and real-world exposure perspective.
If you decide to pay for your own schooling, make as certain as you can, by your own due diligence, that you are likely to get what you expect from the arrangement.
Last edited by timebuilder; 04-28-2011 at 11:52 AM.
[Avatar photo from a Florida training accident. Everyone walked away.]
2 Tim 3:16-17
RSES CMS, HVAC Electrical Specialist
Member, IAEI
AOP Forum Rules:
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I went to St Philips Community College in San Antonio Tx in 2004-2005.
A good HVACR program with a variety of equipment. They have a local contractors advisory board that gives them feedback on what sort of issues they're having with technicians in the field and school graduates in particular.
The school includes hands on work on a wide variety of new and old equipment. A good combination of theoretical knowledge and hands on. From knowing the refrigerant cycle to actually testing and identifying grounded motors and compressors. One day we spent class time rotating between different design condensers and practiced removing and reinstalling the condenser fan motors. This allowed us to become familiar with the different mounting methods and how to deal with them. We were given a lot of hands on.
It wasn't free however it was cheap compared to the local technical school, less than $1000 per semester for all the classes at the local in-state rate. I still have all my books and occasionally refer to them.
On my 4th employer in 6 years, learn all you can, change jobs, get a pay bump. Earning almost twice per hour what I started out earning 6 years ago. Went from residential to commercial. I do miss some parts of the residential business, I may start to do residential work again after I get my hvac contractors license. Easy enough, my commercial employer doesn't care about residential jobs because it doesn't compete with the company.
“I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.”
― Benjamin Franklin
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sorry for all your heatache in the industry
I can only say, shees. I have worked with crappy companies before. Either they were incompetent, lack of customer care or did not reject that clients/customers job "it was out of there line of experience", did not care about the employee and so on.
I remember once, worked for a mfg. I did everything right. My site was prepped for the next day and nothing left to do. Everything was done. It was 4:58 pm two minute before bell rang to go home. I asked employee who I worked with, about long term benefits to work for the company. Next thing, a line supervisor saw me talking, reported me to supervisor, and fired me on the spot.
It seems the people or companies with honesty, integrity and characters are far and few between anymore. I am a US citizen that immigrated up into BC Canada and have noticed, that employees have more rights then in the US. The basic Canadian attitudes are great! most people here are nice 
I would also agree with you on "informational interviews" of employers. I said to some one once "if you want to work for that employer, ask these employees if possible, how many old time "long time workers" are working at the company, vs total employee base. IF there are few, then you know its age discrimination based, or just to many people are hired, then fired. This is what irritates me about some one that says, "go and apply, they hire all the time!" yea right! I bet they also FIRE all the time.
BTW, up here in British Columbia, everyone is color blind. That is because half the population of the Greater Vancouver region was born in another country.
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I am getting ready to go to trade school at the county Vo-Tech school here in New Jersey. I already have a BA and was working on my MBA. I decided to go to trade school because I wanted some practical knowledge I could apply. I am planning to work for someone for a while and then start my own company. My wife has her MBA and CPA and wants to retire in about 7 years from her company and manage mine. She is really good with numbers and business, and I am a good communicator and good with tools so I really just need knowledge. I already retired once from a good job. I got tired of traveling all the time so I took early retirement.
I think the county school should be better than some of the for-profit schools because a portion of the high school is located there too. It is an actual public school that adults can go to. And the price for a year is about 5500 dollars. That is about as much as the price of a semester at a university. The course goes for 6 hours a day from April to April. I paid cash for the school so I have no debt at all. And I have bought tons of tools over the years.
I am waiting to get my HVAC specific tools. I want to use some tools and figure out what I like.
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Man , this has turned out to be a valuable thread to me! Im a RN , and a manager. $86k/year with health benefits and pension. I came here to explore getting into the field becasue it has always interested me and we are seeing some writing on the wall with Medicare/Obamacare. i.e. raises are on freeze, yearly bonus have been stopped, etc. But this might be a hard career change to make. This thread might be the reality check Im looking for!
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If you're making $86K with benefits STAY where you are. It takes quite a bit of time to get to that level in the HVAC business.
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This is a long thread and have no intent to read it all. Let me say im 28 and quit a job makeing 18 an hour with more OT than i could handle to get into this feild. Yea im gonna work in the near future for less than im worth im sure. But there are alot more labor intensive jobs out their with around the same pay scale. So keep learnen, no successful business can bs everyone forever word will getround
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I have been in the HVAC commercial end for 30+ years and I am making a base of 70K and I pay for my hosp, med benefits et all. So if it were me I would stay were I was at as just starting out you would be lucky if you broke the 20's. If you were involved with the fire department where you work one day and are off two, it would make a nice second income. My son is trying to get on one of the regional FPD's around the Houston area and I have been trying to teach him the finer points of residential (it would be nice if I knew it first). Good luck whatever you decide.-GEO
Once in a while everything falls into place and I am able to move forward, most of the time it just falls all over the place and I can't go anywhere-GEO
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Join the local chapter of RSES and take advantage of their training and certifications. Trade school will teach you the basics of Superheat and Subcooling. And how to use a multimeter and ammeter. The rest is on you to self study and invest in your education. Ever since I went to trade school, I have not been out of work since. Even in the recession. The basics I learned in s chool fortified my understanding of the principals of refrigeration.
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Originally Posted by
phxhvac
Join the local chapter of RSES and take advantage of their training and certifications. Trade school will teach you the basics of Superheat and Subcooling. And how to use a multimeter and ammeter. The rest is on you to self study and invest in your education. Ever since I went to trade school, I have not been out of work since. Even in the recession. The basics I learned in s chool fortified my understanding of the principals of refrigeration.
Man that is awesome information. I work hard to learn about everything I do. I load my own ammunition, tune my bows, repair and build on my home, wentt to school to learn solid law principales, ect. Actually in business understanding the law is important. Everyone shoud go to a local college and take at least contract law, I would also recomend legal research if you have the time. Your eyes will be opened to what all those contracts you create really mean. Research helps you find information you need when you have a legal issue. Of course we all want to avooid those issues in the first place, but the average guy dosen't need a lawyer to answer most questions.
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Originally Posted by
Fresno
Man , this has turned out to be a valuable thread to me! Im a RN , and a manager. $86k/year with health benefits and pension. I came here to explore getting into the field becasue it has always interested me and we are seeing some writing on the wall with Medicare/Obamacare. i.e. raises are on freeze, yearly bonus have been stopped, etc. But this might be a hard career change to make. This thread might be the reality check Im looking for!
I would stay with the RN work and the 86k.
In fact, if I already had the RN, I would go for Nurse Anesthetist for 100k.
[Avatar photo from a Florida training accident. Everyone walked away.]
2 Tim 3:16-17
RSES CMS, HVAC Electrical Specialist
Member, IAEI
AOP Forum Rules:
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Originally Posted by
allenrobinson2269
Man that is awesome information. I work hard to learn about everything I do. I load my own ammunition, tune my bows, repair and build on my home, wentt to school to learn solid law principales, ect. Actually in business understanding the law is important. Everyone shoud go to a local college and take at least contract law, I would also recomend legal research if you have the time. Your eyes will be opened to what all those contracts you create really mean. Research helps you find information you need when you have a legal issue. Of course we all want to avooid those issues in the first place, but the average guy dosen't need a lawyer to answer most questions.
Because of the lack of legal knowledge, lack of access to a law library, and the general ignorance of statute AND case law involving contracts, my advice to most business pros is to have your contract written by an attorney in your jurisdiction.
[Avatar photo from a Florida training accident. Everyone walked away.]
2 Tim 3:16-17
RSES CMS, HVAC Electrical Specialist
Member, IAEI
AOP Forum Rules:
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After reading some of the stories, I feel quite lucky to have got the job I got. $14/hr to start with plus overtime and they actually pay you your hours and OT. Cheap health insurance for our area, only $125 every 2 weeks for family coverage through BCBS. Matching 401k up to the first 5% of your wages.
Some of the guys at the shop went to the ATI school paying $18k for an "education". It amazes me how little some of them learned in the school even with excellent grades. So much so the state even ran ATI out of town.
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I feel lucky as well. I paid 13K with tools and landed a job within one week of graduating. I had already assumed that my first couple of years would basically be continued paid training. I had no idea how much training that would quickly come to be nor how well it would pay.
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Originally Posted by
hurtinhvac
I feel lucky as well. I paid 13K with tools and landed a job within one week of graduating. I had already assumed that my first couple of years would basically be continued paid training. I had no idea how much training that would quickly come to be nor how well it would pay.
That is great. I am hoping the fact that I have a degree already and a tremendous amount of management experience I can get a hook up from one of the professors. That would be ideal. Although I really don't want to manage something or do sales. I want to learn how to work on aircon.
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Originally Posted by
allenrobinson2269
That is great. I am hoping the fact that I have a degree already and a tremendous amount of management experience I can get a hook up from one of the professors. That would be ideal. Although I really don't want to manage something or do sales. I want to learn how to work on aircon.
Careful what you hope for 
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When I fix something it stays fixed.
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A wealth of information in this thread. I was in school, got a job, then let go, and now in school again. I think the local union is testing in March. Their apprenticeship program pays better than any place I have seen yet. I know it is tough to get in, but I am going to try !
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01-01-2013, 10:51 AM
#100
My experiences has been very similar so far. Compouned by age. I finished school at 47 yrs old (5 yrs ago) after a career in the chemical trade. No one would hire me. AT ALL!! End of discussion. HVAC was out. I had more people tell me I was useless than I care to remember, and this was before the interview!! Sight unseen. No one knew I was fit, healthy and had a strong chemical and mechanical background. welding and machine shop background and the school experience. (and EPA and other licencing aquired). I finally gave up and got a position in a boiler room after going back for a 2nd fireman license. ( Massachusetts ). Believe me, that is not a strong field either. Very few boiler room jobs anymore. definitely a dying field. My next move? Back to my old trade !!!
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