Any good jobs out there?

[KittySlayer]

I would hesitate with Amtrak. Just strikes me as a dead industry that is just taking a long time to die. Amtrak will never boom again. It would seem to me that starting out and low on the seniority list would put you in a lot of crappy jobs and locations. I know an acquaintance who has at least a decade or more of service and she gets crapped on from time to time. If you find someone with real experience with Amtrak then take their advice, these are just my observations from the sidelines.

 

[bwframe]

SIL should emphasize that he prides himself in perfect attendance and can pass a drug test at anytime. That will put him miles ahead of his competition in today's job market. Of course, he will be expected to back it up.

 

[red_zr24x4]

Another trade guy here(Pipefitter). When I started 23 yrs ago places would hire you and then help get you in the union.
I've never been to a training class at my hall, all my training has been on the job. Talking to the Laborers at work, they are required to do all sorts of classes now.
Check with any of the contractors doing utility work ( we're always looking for guys). I've been doing Natural Gas work for 23 yrs and wouldn't know what else to do. But he needs to remember rain or shine you'll be out in it (not all rain but some of it).
Im not sure about other trades but in my line of work no one ( Fitters, Laborers, Operators) gets holiday pay, vacation time, sick days etc. Pretty much you don't work you don't get paid.
If we do rain out, You still have to show up. Working 4- 10's we get 2,5,10 on rain days.. 2 hr show up time, start working and rain out before lunch you get 5hr anytime after lunch is 10 hrs

 

[churchmouse]

Another trade guy here(Pipefitter). When I started 23 yrs ago places would hire you and then help get you in the union.
I've never been to a training class at my hall, all my training has been on the job. Talking to the Laborers at work, they are required to do all sorts of classes now.
Check with any of the contractors doing utility work ( we're always looking for guys). I've been doing Natural Gas work for 23 yrs and wouldn't know what else to do. But he needs to remember rain or shine you'll be out in it (not all rain but some of it).
Im not sure about other trades but in my line of work no one ( Fitters, Laborers, Operators) gets holiday pay, vacation time, sick days etc. Pretty much you don't work you don't get paid.
If we do rain out, You still have to show up. Working 4- 10's we get 2,5,10 on rain days.. 2 hr show up time, start working and rain out before lunch you get 5hr anytime after lunch is 10 hrs

Service side we got paid by billable hours. Period. If it is to nasty to get on the roof after you get to the service call of scheduled job you got travel time maybe. No work no pay. We found ways to work believe me.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I did HVAC installs when I was in college back in 03. I made $8 an hour and absolutely hated the job. Miserable miserable work. I'm not built for that ****. Plus the owner and team were raving bites.

But that was just my experience, your milage may vary.

 

[04FXSTS]

Back in the early 70's I was working in a manufacturing plant that built lift trucks. Got a chance to enter their apprenticeship to be a machinist. Pay started out low but the G. I. bill paid for accredited apprenticeships so that helped a lot. In the 80's that plant was hit hard and they laid off a ton of people. I spent about 10 years working in different shops some of them I went to just to keep working. But I was never out of work long and gained a huge amount of experience in each shop.
Then in 1993 I applied for a job as a tool and die maker, similar trade and got hired in. Probably because the shop did not have a good repration treating workers. They earned that repration but not too bad if you were in a skilled trade. Spent ten years there and got a job in a good shop, once again because of my experience.
Machinist and tool and die have realy been changing away from hands on manual work to CNC machines doing most of the work. If you can find a business that manufactures their own products many will reimburse you for taking classes designed to advance you into a better job within the company. Usually you will have a decent paying job to pay your bills while setting yourself up for advancement. Jim.