job hunting

Hello all.
I'm struggling to get a new job because of the vicious of lack of experience on vrv and chillers. Because I work on shop, bars and kitchen refrigeration units I am finding it hard to move into other sections of the industry. I am being told that I have not got the experience reqiured, but if an employer doesn,t give you the chance to gain that experience what hope have you got. I have put the work in to qualify upto City and Guilds level, but that doesn't seem to help.
Is there any other way to gain more experience



:( Neil

Hi Neil,

Your'e user profile doesn't say in the UK where you are so am unable to try to give you anything solid.

It may be worth getting on the books of a few recruitment agencies. There are quite a few who deal with Refrigeation and you can see from the Jobs section of this site.

Try RHL (01233 658000), Ashbury (01322 424636), Barton Fisher (01622 682727) or Richmond (020 8575 1606)

I can give you e-mail addresses if you need them

Regards

Fatboy

Hi rdocwra

I have signed up with agencies found on RE jobs , which all seem to be involved in this industry but even when pushed all they say is that "we will see what we can do for you" and then I hear nothing more. Its not as if I haven't got any experience in the industry either. I have worked on fridges (and a few years in the electricity industry) for on and off the best part of twelve years.

Neil

Hi Neil

I can sympathise with your situation and can also see it from the employers side.
The fridge trade is very diverse and you seem to have made a living for the past 12 years doing what you know best. If you want to move on and do other things then you will need some level of training to achieve the move. How do you expect a new employer to pay you top dollar for little experience with kit you don't know.
With all my experience over the years I've never worked on a pack system although I know how they work, but my experience is in another area so I could not go for a job with a company that only deals in supermarket refrigeration and expect to be one of their top engineers. We are only as good as what we know.
Maybe you ought to ask for training and accept a lower salary until you've got the experience? Then again, we all need a certain level of income to support our lifestyles.

Remember, there is no substitute for experience.

Phone gwyn jones from WR refrigeration he is looking for people now .07970 453 007
:) :)

Hi Neil,

The situation you describe is the same on my side of the pond also. You need experience to get the job, and most employers will say come back after you have several years in their type of work.

It is the same for supermarkets or ammonia systems. The higher you get in system complexity also increases the frustration level in finding the job.

If you go from the basic types of systems:
Residential
Light commercial (bars, counters, small walk-in's, etc.)
Heavy commercial (supermarkets, large walk-in's, chillers, etc.)
Ammonia systems (or any field-erected industrial refrigeration system)
Process cooling (chemical plants, refinery's, etc)
each one gets more involved.

Sometimes you might get lucky and catch a break. Most of the time, you will have to be prepared to start low, work your tail off and prove yourself. Each and every time.

After a while (which could be some years) you will get the reputation as a good person to have. This can open some doors.

I have seen this apply to service tech's and engineers.

The best advice I can give is to find a decent job and salary, doing something you want to do. Spend a few years doing it and learn everything you can. The best learning experiences are the jobs people don't volunteer for.

GO for any free schooling, equipment presentations, read any applicable piece of literature for applications or equipment, and find some training that is interesting to you.

It is kind of like building a house. One brick at a time, and use good mortar to fill in-between the gaps.

Hang in there.

Hi all

Just a follow up had an interview last week, went really well and I will find out on tuesday if I have got the job. The company will be willing to train me up on process refrigeration system and put me through my NH3 handling certificate. So if everything works out I wil be changing from 1hp compressors to over 3kw compressors.

Neil:)

Congrats Neil, hope all goes well and thanks for supplying the update.

What is the name of the company your hoping to start with?

Hi chillin

If everything goes right I found the job through HR reflex.
Neil

Hi Des

Try HR REFLEX on 01444 414164 they seem to be really helpful and they specialise in our trade.

Neil

Hi all
Might as well close the thread by saying that the job fell through.:(

Neil

Sorry to hear that Neil.

Keep trying others, Did you try WR?

Chillin.:) :)

Hey Chillin
Thanks, no I haven't tried them yet but I definitely will give Gwyn Jones a ring tomorrow.
Neil

Hi all

Really bad year so far, just been called into the operations managers office and told the company will no longer be servicing and repairing refrigeration units due to direct sales. Then they gave me my notice.

Now what I want to know of is any companies in the north west and north wales who may be taking on. I have tried the job pages with no luck.

thanks Neil

Hi Neil

Were you given the Statutory 13 weeks notice? - if not then were you given the 13 weeks pay in lieu of notice?

Talk to the guys and request the payment :)

Hi neil,

That is really bad news you have there, who is the company? :(

Did you speak to Gwyn?

Hi Chillin.
I sent Gwyn a C.V about a week ago after speaking to him on the phone.
I'm just waiting on a reply.

Neil

Thanks Frank.

I contacted A.C.A.S and they told me that the company did not pay me enough money for my notice period. Also I was told that my redundency payment was not subject to tax either, so I sent polite a letter to the company telling them this, so hopefully they will sort it.

Neil

Quote:

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Also I was told that my redundency payment was not subject to tax either,

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that correct Neil, however, if the company offers you a job back within 6 weeks and you take it then you have to pay them back all the redundancy money :(