Post a resume and search the listings at:
MEP Jobs, it's where I found my current job.
Texas job bank, it's ran by the state. http://www.twc.state.tx.us/jobs/job.html
After that try the supply house bulletin boards and the yellow pages.

Finding the right employer is work.

 

Get on all the job boards, and at all supply houses that have boards. Austin
is still holding up its end of jobs, so if you hustle, you should have some
bites soon.

 

Sorry to hear that, jmac. That's happened to a lot of us in the beginning when we were learning. Some employers aren't as willing to take the time to train as they think they are, and aren't willing to eat jobs. Other employers may have forgotten where they came from and think that it should come naturally to everyone (just like it did for them)

There are many different types of businesses, too. Some are better suited than others for on the job training. Refrigeration can be a high-pressure, stressful business to begin with. Some companies have a hard time swallowing that, coupled with a misdiagnosis or two, and angry managers that are usually found watching your every move.

The first service job I had was with a company that really didn't have a use for someone who was "just learning". The business just wasn't structured that way. They needed someone who could get it right in a hurry, and someone who understood how a service business makes money. I got canned after 4 months.

You move on, live and learn, keep improving yourself and developing/honing your skills, so on and so forth. Good luck to you.

Sorry for the novel.

 

I don't know what the laws are in your state but I would be filing an unemployment claim against this employer. Even if you don't think you will get anything you never can tell.

I know others have read this thread but I read this somewhere years ago. Always keep a file on your employer no matter how good your working relationship may be. Chances are your employer keeps a file on you and why wouldn't you keep one on your employer? Never share this with your employer.

While behind you you should have kept a journal of dates and what happened. Just having that for your case is worth while. When that employer denies the claim that they would train you you say oh yeah on this date when we met you stated this.....when I was assigned to this job on this date this is what I was allowed to do ......

I would venture to say this employer has done this before and no one has filed a claim against them. Once they start having to pay for unemployment they might think again before terminating someone especially out of the blue with no warning or chance to correct the situation. I would say your claim would go before an arbitrator and you would get a chance to plead your case. If you have any co-workers that can testify on your behalf that is even better.

 

Texas is a at will state so that pretty much eliminates that, we did however think very hard about getting an lawyer to see if we could get anything out of this.

 

Why do people feel that they are owed something and should be compensated for it.
Has he paid you for the hours you worked?
If the answer is yes then he owes you nothing more.

You probably owe him more since he most likely had complaints and callbacks which leads to dissatisfied customers.

I graduated at the top of my class yet my employer ( a manufacturer) put me through a 1 year in house training course before I could touch a running machine in the factory.
Most people will find this a little excessive but after a year of in house training I could build an hvac unit by myself from cutting and welding the frame to bending the sheetmetal to building my own electrical panel and gas manifold.

Find yourself a good mentor and ride the right hand seat for a year and learn from someone who has been doing this for a long time. It will pay off in the long run.

If he needs to let you go in the future due to lack of work you shake his hand and you say Thank You.
This way if you're ever stuck and need some assistance you also have someone to call for a second opinion.
Maybe if things get better he would rehire you in the future.
I've only worked for 4 companies in 21 years in the business and I've always left on good terms.
I still stay in contact with all my former employers and colleagues which says alot about our relationships.

This is a career you are embarking on and not a job bagging groceries so pretend that every employer has a crystal ball and knows everything that has gone on at your past places of employment otherwise your chances for employment greatly diminish in a tough economy.

Best of luck

 

how long have you been in the field? do you have a number? if so email it to me.

 

that was my first job in the field. however I do have schooling in this field. What I am lacking is hands on experience, I do have the book knowledge and surprisingly most of it stuck as I found working for the company.

I noticed you didn't have any contact info in your profile.But I do have my email in mine. I am willing to do anything at this point as I need a job so I don't fall flat on my face financially so to speak.

I usually don't like posting my phone number on public forums like this but my situation kind of merits it. (512)-569-6663, if anyone could help me out in the Austin or Round Rock feel free to give me a call.

 

Good luck to you man.

 

Wow thump rrr, what a prick! Way to kick a man when he's down. You must be one of those major ass kissers, or most likely just naieve, and young.

Consider yourself very lucky to get additional training from the co. you work for. It isn't the norm. Most of the time you're thrown to the wolves, a sink or swim proposition. So take it easy on the guy you Hvac god you.

 

Wow thump rrr, what a prick! Way to kick a man when he's down. You must be one of those major ass kissers, or most likely just naieve, and young.

Consider yourself very lucky to get additional training from the co. you work for. It isn't the norm. Most of the time you're thrown to the wolves, a sink or swim proposition. So take it easy on the guy you Hvac god you.

Texas is a at will state so that pretty much eliminates that, we did however think very hard about getting an lawyer to see if we could get anything out of this.

First of all I'm far from being a prick. I simply don't believe in being owed anything above and beyond what you're being paid.
The flip side of this would be if company B offered jmac $3.00 an hour more to work for them.
If he would tell his employer that he was offered more money elsewhere and that he was leaving what would his employer be entitled to since time and money was spent on training him? I would give the same response and say that the employer is owed nothing too.

I've been in this business for 21 years so at 41 I guess to some people I may still be considered young.

It just gets to me when someone feels that a former employer owes them something for nothing especially after only 4 months of employment.
If there is a contract that was breached, which there was no mention of originally, then absolutely go get what was agreed upon in the contract.

Where I live if you are let go for lack of work or whatever reason short of incomptence your employer fills out the unemployment form and gives it to you along with your 4% vacation pay.
There is no cost to the employer since unemployment has been paid into on hours already worked.
If you are fired for a valid reason or quit your job then you do not get unemployment.
If he were there a year then he would be entitled to 1 months salary, 5 years gets you 3 months salary, 10 years gets you 6 months salary.
These would be at the expense of the employer.

In this field as long as you are willing to work there will always be work since there are more people retiring than there are coming into the trade.

I wish jmac the best of luck in finding employment rapidly.

 

The problem here in the U.S. vs Canada our are rights, few to none and getting lesser. The laws in most states and federal laws favor the employer. So employers like jmac055 experienced exploit those laws to their advantage or either they haven't been challenged to comply with the law. I suppose if jmac055 had the resources, hiring a legal team, he could probably win his case but being unemployed what chance does he have to stand up to this employer, not much. If jmac055 was right and spent all the money he could this employer would throw all they had out there to defend their case. In the end in most cases the person with the most money wins.

Your best defense is to investigate an employer as much as possible. If they run job ads quite often that should clue you in that something is wrong. Either one of two things would cause this, a dick employer or the economy is booming and they need to increase their work force. If your offered a contract pay the money to have lawyer examine it to explain to you your rights and obligations. Not unlike an auto loan contract where everything by law has to be spelled out these employment contracts aren't heavily regulated requiring employers to spell everything out so to speak.

There is probably nothing worse than being fired/terminated from a job. Now jmac055 has to probably explain the reason why to who ever he applies to. The least this "prick" employer could have done was laid him off and let it go at that. Being fired is like being branded by some mark.

Please jmac055 what ever you do do not post the employer's name out on the www or here. It would be interesting to see that contract if a lawyer said you could post it without the employer's name referenced anywhere.

 

Good luck in finding another job, hopefully it will be soon for you...I feel like I am in the same boat as you are..I have all the necessary technical training (actually in the middle of training right now) to get licensed. But I don't have a ton of hands on experience. I did a stint for 8 months with a mechanical contractor and then got laid off when things got slow. That was my first "real" job in the trade. So I have been out of work myself for almost 2 months, probably mostly my own fault because I haven't really been looking very hard, and am presently taking night school classes a couple days a week to get my G2 gas fitter license. Let me know how you make out, I am actually looking to move to the Round Rock area in the future. Depends on if my wife can find work there too. Don't let my user name fool you, I am no where near TX right now, but we are trying hard to make a move there. We visited there last year and absolutely loved RR.

 

well I have not had much luck finding a job in this field. I am now looking into other options for my career including becomming a cook. which happens to be one of my favorite hobbies.

thanks you all for your help, I will keep you posted on whats going on with me.

 

Category Maintenance
Job Title Preventive Maintenance (posted 10-10-08)
Job Description We need a someone to assist in changing HVAC filters for our Austin service. You would go out to different locations and change the filters in their buildings. This is a part-time job and would be great supplemental income. Should be able to make $10 an hour. Flexible hours. May have full time oppportunities later on down the road. Need to have a clean record. Speak English well. Be responsible and accountable to a schedule.

Contact Name Patrick Rosenthal
Contact Phone 512-323-5522


I looked in the AAFAME job bank and found this part time gig. Mabe to get your foot in the door? Good luck.
John

 

thanks, I'll look into that as a way to get through going back to school again. When it say's should be able to make $10 an hour what exactly does that mean?

 

When it say's should be able to make $10 an hour what exactly does that mean?

Means that you will get a flat rate to do the task based on an amount of time they deem appropriate.

Example:
Company says they will give you $50 to service site ABC. They estimate 5 hours is enough. 5 hours x $10=$50
You get $50 whether you do it in 3 hours or 7 hours.

Sounds like the filters will be on site already and you show up in your own vehicle and complete the task.

 

I'm not sure what it means my friend. I'm just hoping it is a doorway for you to get a fulltime job in a field you wanted. This field can be kinda fickle, I applied at Fox for a job very similar to this and they gave me a test that I scored a 35 on. To me it seemed that they were looking for a seasoned tech to change filters for them. Don't be discouraged as new building mechs jobs come up I will forward them to ya. I hate to see a motivated guy, looking for work, get screwed because of time in the field. OJT makes a man more than school.
Good luck my friend,
John

 

Jmac055....

When a person interviews for a job they are asked numerous questions about what they know or don't know. Do you really believe that being dishonest is going to keep you employed?

Employers are not a school. We don't have the time to teach things that should have been learned in the classroom all over again. When someone is told they will be trained doesn't mean that we will break out the books and start from page #1.

2 years of school should have prepared an individual with a pretty decent understanding of the work involved. When the individual doesn't have the knowledge to correctly connect gauges to a system, or shows up to work without their tools there is a major problem.

Good luck to you...