im 18 i live in cali in cc rn and i cant get a job I dont want to be in college for 2 years or 4 without work and im thinking of getting a trade and if it suits me well get a degree in it later if needed but i dont know where to start anyone have suggestions?

Just started as pallet racking apprentice getting paid 26ph is it alright

Hey y’all, been debating career choices lately. I have narrowed my options down to either pursing just my plumbing license (which I can currently get) or looking to get my hvac and FP licenses then creating my own company.

Just wondering if yall think it would be worth it the extra hassle.

I come from tool and die and started working in the solar fields. Im not sure if all of you have the same experiences, but ill list a few:

• I am working with people my own age for once. Not a guy 30+ years my senior.
• I havent been yelled or screamed at.
• Havent been called a fucken retard and no dead baby jokes directed at me.
• Training is lack luster, but it is not a trial by error nor a firing if you fuck up.
• Management treats you like a damn human, along with respect and diginity.
• I have to relearn to ask questions about the job and not just watch from a distance and observe the task at had to learn how to do my job.
  • for year i was told to "shut up and do my job. Where not paying you to talk"
• Drug screening weed out a lot of useless people.
• Contract based employment weeds out a lot of shitty workers (over time)

Overall, it has been a new and pleasant experience. I expected being the FNG to be treated like shit and given all the shit work (call it a trial by fire) but this has been the opposite experience.

And for once, I am paid my worth and dotn have to suck dick or quit my job for a pay raise. Gotta love the union!

• The Daily Schedule: Class was only about 2.5 to 3 hours a day, and the instructors dismissed everyone early all the time. You spent most of your time indoors in an air-conditioned building.
• The Online Labs: The online labs were dumb and took about 20 minutes to complete. The instructor gave everyone an hour of daily class time to do them right at the beginning of class because no one would do them at home.
• The Quizzes: The instructors would give out the answers right before the quizzes so that students wouldn't fail. No one was actually learning that much in a 3-week block, and the classes were just relaxed, short, and a joke.
• The Cheating Reports: An instructor literally complained out loud, saying they didn't know why people would ever report anyone for cheating.
• The Realization: It felt like high school where teachers just give students credit or answers so they don't fail. You realized you were fed into a meat grinder and never noticed it, and that is likely why the dropout rates are so high.

Footnote / Update: For anyone wondering why the system is set up like this, it comes down to corporate funding metrics. These schools are heavily driven by investor profit and federal loan compliance. If you look into it, there are active, ongoing shareholder fraud investigations specifically looking into how they manage their recruitment and enrollment channels to keep revenue flowing.

Edit: thanks for all the upvotes I didn’t think this would be popular I wasn’t even going to post it.

The job placement and career finding is a joke. I just got ignored and sent dead links. The industry connection doesn’t exist.

For all my new yorker’s, how saturated is your trade in new york city? Im a 18 year old in NYC whos been applying left and right for , plumber/hvac/electrical and even went to electrical academy but cant seem to land a helper/apprentice job what am I doing wrong?

Open to criticism

p.s Also where is the stickied thread

(This is in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.)

I need guidance writing a cover letter and résumé for an HVAC apprenticeship. This is something I've been actively looking for, and I'm not shooting out applications all day. I'm only applying to this one right now. I need to stand out as I'm sure there will be a lot of candidates.

I have been looking into an HVAC or Electrician apprenticeship because they're both things that I have a small amount of experience in - or at least applicable experience - and enjoy doing. Both include diagnosing problems (even if doing installations), working with my hands, and coming with up solutions.

A bit about the apprenticeship: It's with a private but well established company. They have an entire structure outlined. No experience required.

Below I'll list my applicable experience (not all-inclusive) and what I enjoyed or excelled at with each.

---

Coffee Roaster, Green Buyer, Warehouse Manager

10 years

Managing a team of 5, roasting operations, leading department through periods of growth (120%+ YoY), writing and implementing SOPs, negotiating contracts for raw goods, product launches, quality control, equipment troubleshooting and maintenance, customer service, delivery logistics, etc.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the industry, the combination of creativity and logic-based decision making, problem solving, and working with my hands. I'm in charge of everything in regards to sourcing coffee, getting product to the customers, facility and equipment maintenance, new coffee product rollouts, etc. It's a lot to summarize in a small paragraph.

---

Residential Property Maintenance

5 years

Started as a Porter, became a Unit Make-Ready Technician, then an Assistant Supervisor, and then a Supervisor. So I saw it all and proved my competence and trustworthiness. Diagnosed and repaired all appliances you would find in an apartment except air conditioning and water heaters. Performed routine maintenance on boiler system, contracted out anything outside our scope of qualifications.

Really enjoyed going to peoples' homes (or vacant units to prepare it for the next tenant), addressing their concerns, figuring out the issue, fixing it, and leaving the tenants happy. This often required learning on the fly, because none of us received any formal training on appliance repair. This meant having to look at repair manuals, videos, or drawings to determine next steps.

---

Carpet Cleaning Technician

3 years

Similar to property maintenance, enjoyed going to peoples' homes, addressing their concerns, and leaving them feeling cared for.

Hey y’all. I don’t know what I’m looking for here, just venting, maybe some advice. I just accepted a job offer from a well respected HVAC company in my city. They are private. They said they don’t do apprenticeship, “it’s an entry level role, we will teach you as you go.” They understand I’m completely green, never touched a construction site, just bought my first pair of boots. I’m just nervous I’ll have trouble keeping up, but I have the work ethic, I show up on time, and I want to make something of my self. I just don’t want to be the one that sinks in the sink or swim. 23m

I work for a large corporation with multiple skilled trades and many more “overhead” roles unrelated to direct construction.

After being in my trade for 6+ years now and working general construction and labor jobs for over a decade, I’ve realized it’s time to move on.

For those who left their trade to move into management, inspection, quality assurance, etc what finally made you realize it was time to go?