Needing some advice to get started

[Deano93]

Hi guys 

Currently have my level 2 from collage and been doing a study at home course through train for jobs. I didn't know initially would the course would involve but I'm just about half way through . I soon learnt i will not finish the course with my current situation working full time in a job non related to electrical.  So my course has been on pause for a while . Im 27 years old . Have no on site experience and ideally would like to work to get experience now . My problem is no one wants me due to no experience.  At this rate I will loose the 7500 pound ive spent to do this course.  Good thing though at the end of it I should have everything I need to get going just feel like I'm stuck now .

is anyone else in a similar situation or have any advice what i can do? Or what jobs i should be looking for with no experience require

Thanks

Dean

 

[Sharpend]

Welcome Deano, 

so this course you speak of, what does it exactly consist of and what do you come away with? 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I would have thought that by now it is reality check time......

i.e.

 1/   12 months ago,  (March 1 2019),  you were asking basically the same question....



2/   And back in July 2017 you were presumably doing this or a similar electrical course... ?  





3/   So you have been looking to get into the electrical trade for several years now..

But still not yet made any significant contacts about where to get "hands-on-work-experience"?

4/  The fundamental concept you MUST grasp in the world of work is...   (give or take a few percent..)

90% of job success is about WHO you know..

10% of job success is about WHAT you know..

( I have been self employed now for over 20 years, I am not looking to take anybody on, But if I was, I would prefer to have someone I know, with lower qualifications, that could be worked on later...

Rather than a complete stranger who has apparently higher qualifications.   Commitment, reliability, trustworthiness, good people skills are just as important as some electrical qualifications )

[   4b/  It is the same in the world of Politics..   Consider a certain Mr D Cummings....  various anomalies that we should ALL be adhering to are overlooked because of "Who You Know" !?  ]

5/ How many adverts are there in your local press / internet job vacancy sites for anyone with the qualifications & experience you have?

6/ Just because someone has attended a course does not mean they are suitable for a job, anymore than buying some Ferrari driving gloves and foot mats makes you more eligible to own a Ferrari.    

7/ If an employer was looking to take on extra staff, your chosen method of training is at the very bottom of the barrel when considering prospective candidates..

8/ The old "Foot-slogging" and "Door-Knocking" in person around ALL of the local electrical contractors, offering your services for free, to get a bit of 'hands-on-experience' may have worked a few years ago...

But as we are currently on the brink of the deepest recession / depression this country has known...  

TBH I cannot see many employers looking to take on anybody...

( They are more likely to be off-loading staff )

What you are trying to do is not impossible.....

But you are probably trying to follow the hardest route possible to reach your goal..

I hope I am wrong...  But I do have a nagging doubt, that you may be losing your financial investment with Zero returns!

All I can say is...

Good Luck!!

Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness

 

[Evans Electric]

That is a top post from Specs  ,above ,   its not what Deano would like to hear but I think it sums up the employment position at the present time .   

We get many guys come to this Forum in a similar position to Deano  and I appreciate how difficult it must be .        I would say  that if we were in a boom period with all the elect. contractors really busy , desperate for help ,   Deano would probably get a start as a trainee  or labourer , which would start giving him hands on experience  ...but as it stands today ....its as  Spec's  post above I'm afraid  .    

 

[Deano93]

I would have thought that by now it is reality check time......

i.e.

 1/   12 months ago,  (March 1 2019),  you were asking basically the same question....



2/   And back in July 2017 you were presumably doing this or a similar electrical course... ?  





3/   So you have been looking to get into the electrical trade for several years now..

But still not yet made any significant contacts about where to get "hands-on-work-experience"?

4/  The fundamental concept you MUST grasp in the world of work is...   (give or take a few percent..)

90% of job success is about WHO you know..

10% of job success is about WHAT you know..

( I have been self employed now for over 20 years, I am not looking to take anybody on, But if I was, I would prefer to have someone I know, with lower qualifications, that could be worked on later...

Rather than a complete stranger who has apparently higher qualifications.   Commitment, reliability, trustworthiness, good people skills are just as important as some electrical qualifications )

[   4b/  It is the same in the world of Politics..   Consider a certain Mr D Cummings....  various anomalies that we should ALL be adhering to are overlooked because of "Who You Know" !?  ]

5/ How many adverts are there in your local press / internet job vacancy sites for anyone with the qualifications & experience you have?

6/ Just because someone has attended a course does not mean they are suitable for a job, anymore than buying some Ferrari driving gloves and foot mats makes you more eligible to own a Ferrari.    

7/ If an employer was looking to take on extra staff, your chosen method of training is at the very bottom of the barrel when considering prospective candidates..

8/ The old "Foot-slogging" and "Door-Knocking" in person around ALL of the local electrical contractors, offering your services for free, to get a bit of 'hands-on-experience' may have worked a few years ago...

But as we are currently on the brink of the deepest recession / depression this country has known...  

TBH I cannot see many employers looking to take on anybody...

( They are more likely to be off-loading staff )

What you are trying to do is not impossible.....

But you are probably trying to follow the hardest route possible to reach your goal..

I hope I am wrong...  But I do have a nagging doubt, that you may be losing your financial investment with Zero returns!

All I can say is...

Good Luck!!

I would have thought that by now it is reality check time......

i.e.

 1/   12 months ago,  (March 1 2019),  you were asking basically the same question....



2/   And back in July 2017 you were presumably doing this or a similar electrical course... ?  





3/   So you have been looking to get into the electrical trade for several years now..

But still not yet made any significant contacts about where to get "hands-on-work-experience"?

4/  The fundamental concept you MUST grasp in the world of work is...   (give or take a few percent..)

90% of job success is about WHO you know..

10% of job success is about WHAT you know..

( I have been self employed now for over 20 years, I am not looking to take anybody on, But if I was, I would prefer to have someone I know, with lower qualifications, that could be worked on later...

Rather than a complete stranger who has apparently higher qualifications.   Commitment, reliability, trustworthiness, good people skills are just as important as some electrical qualifications )

[   4b/  It is the same in the world of Politics..   Consider a certain Mr D Cummings....  various anomalies that we should ALL be adhering to are overlooked because of "Who You Know" !?  ]

5/ How many adverts are there in your local press / internet job vacancy sites for anyone with the qualifications & experience you have?

6/ Just because someone has attended a course does not mean they are suitable for a job, anymore than buying some Ferrari driving gloves and foot mats makes you more eligible to own a Ferrari.    

7/ If an employer was looking to take on extra staff, your chosen method of training is at the very bottom of the barrel when considering prospective candidates..

8/ The old "Foot-slogging" and "Door-Knocking" in person around ALL of the local electrical contractors, offering your services for free, to get a bit of 'hands-on-experience' may have worked a few years ago...

But as we are currently on the brink of the deepest recession / depression this country has known...  

TBH I cannot see many employers looking to take on anybody...

( They are more likely to be off-loading staff )

What you are trying to do is not impossible.....

But you are probably trying to follow the hardest route possible to reach your goal..

I hope I am wrong...  But I do have a nagging doubt, that you may be losing your financial investment with Zero returns!

All I can say is...

Good Luck!!

Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness Guinness

thankyou for your reply. i appreciate your honesty. basically the course i signed up to give me aparently what i need to beocme qaulified . i take my am2 at the end and will have my level 2 then level 3 before hand. in total i come out with about 8 qaulifications. i did my level 2 in collage but dropped out and unfortunatly was too old to then return to collage so this at the time seemed my best option. this october would be the 4th year of doing this study at home course. I get sent books i have to study then at the end have to do assements which is mulitple choice. on the whole course i have to go to a training cent for a total of 9 weeks for the level 2 & 3 then take my am2. my problem has been its impossible to learn just form books. im worried that if i leave it much longer i will loose the 7500 pound i paid for course (which i have just finished paying) its meant to be self paced. obviously i have taken alot of time off during these 4 years but i cant see how i can progress until i get into a job that will help her out practically. i  have applied to alot of jobs but what im finding is that nearly all of them want some form of experience i dont have. 

at the moment i have my level 2 and know the basics. am i able to get that ecs card at this stage to get me in anywhere? and what jobs should i be looking for. its pretty lettuced i didnt see this when i signed up to the course but the salesman that came around mad it sound like it would be easy.

Thanks again guys 

Dean

 

[Sharpend]

So if you can’t get a job, then the next best thing is an agency, sign up with two or three, they will always get you a job somewhere, providing there isn’t a huge recession. It’s about getting experience where you can, so you may have to except anything they throw at you but of course the money will not be that great.  How confident are you with the studying that you have done, have you grasped it well or still very shaky on what you have learnt? Do you understand it? 
as others have said it’s not necessarily about what you know but who you know, however at this time it may be reversed for someone in your position, you will have to demonstrate that you have a good understanding of the principles that you have learned to date and then your personality will have to carry you. This will allow you to build vital contacts within the industry -some good some bad- but it’s how you use them that’s important to you right now. 

 

[Deano93]

I think I understand the basic very well . I done aircraft engineering for 3 years at collage then went onto electrical installation level 2 then this course . I know how to wire up and do testing to a basic level but the only time I get to practice what I learn is when I have to go away for each week and take the exams. In theory I know a lot just putting that into practical i would need assistance. The training provider arnt great on helping you get into jobs which is why I signed up to this forum which has been very helpful . So if I was to start off trying to get a cscs or ecs card would that be a good start. And then sign up to agency's. I know it must look bad how long this course is taking me but I'm willing to do anything to complete it now before I completely loose it.  Thanks 

 

[Sharpend]

Your training provider should be able to help you obtain an ECS trainee card. Look at the ECS website https://www.ecscard.org.uk/content/JIB-Grading

see what you need and have your training provider assist where necessary. 
Sign up to agencies they will ask what experience you have just tell them limited but expand on the knowledge side of things they won’t understand but it’ll make you seem you know what you’re talking about. 

You will need you’re own hand tools and battery drills etc. 

 

[Deano93]

OK.  I have contacted my training provider asking for help with the esc.  Sorry for all the question but what tools would you recommend I need to get to get myself started . Hopefully soon something will come my way  

 

[Sharpend]

Basic Vde screwdrivers, Pliers, wire cutters, basic set of spanner’s, 10mm-19mm, tape measure, set square etc. 

 

[Deano93]

OK thanks for your help ! Hopefully my next post in coming months will be to say I've got a job ! Take care

Dean