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Discuss Newly Qualified - what now? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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Gas safety guy

Hi there

I have recently completed an intensive gas safe course and have my full ACS including portfolio having spent about 3 months on placement with a local gas company. I'm not sure which route to take now. I have been self employed for 20 years in 2 different industries (unrelated to gas). I have a fair bit of business know how and lots of contacts, including people who own property. I have a few options - 1. try to secure employment as an entry level engineer with a company 2. Get a job meter fitting which pays the bills whilst doing gas safety certs/servicing in the evening, gradually building up my clientele 3. Go it alone, employ an experienced guy who I can then learn from whilst developing the business and getting customers.

In in my position which of the 3 would you choose? I have approached a few smaller companies for experience but to be honest they seem a bit worried that I will form my own company and steal their work! I have already been approached by several people asking me to do installs for them but I'm not ready for that level of work on my own yet. If I go it alone and employ someone would I be able to subby servicing etc from the likes of home serve? Any thoughts much appreciated.
 
Going it alone and employing someone is suicidal with no existing customer base. Get yourself a steady job for a year or two to gain experience and try and do private jobs on the side in the evenings and weekends. That way you will be building up your customers and also give you the opportunity to save some money to start up on your own.
 
No.1 Very difficult as you have found out for the reason you gave.
No.3 Possible but costly drain on the funds for months / years
 
Hi thanks for taking time to reply. Kind of what I'm thinking anyway. I have the money to start up and also have a back up income from property but it totally makes sense to get more hands on experience before going it alone. I have tools and am gas safe registered, just passed my first inspection. Myself and my wife do have a lot of business development experience so I think we'd be able to build clientele. The issues I'm coming up against when applying or approaching people for jobs is that they are wary of employing someone who has been self employed for so long. Will just have to keep at it! A bit frustrating when people are asking you to install boilers for them and you can't, hence I thought I could kill 2 birds with one stone by employing someone good to teach me at the same time! Would probably not be that easy though. Thanks again for input.
 
Have you only done gas training? Do you have plumbing experience?
 
Hi Riley only gas for now. May look into doing some plumbing courses at the local college.
 
Hi Riley only gas for now. May look into doing some plumbing courses at the local college.

Good Q Riley. That changes a lot, my replies where based on you having at least a basic working knowledge and some experience.
 
Sorry if it sounds negative mate but without a basic plumbing knowledge you are gonna struggle. Even if it's just the basics. I'm not saying for a second that we know everything on here (what would be the point of the forum) but what a lot of us have is college training where repetition breeds familiarity. You will work with a variety of materials. We learn to solder correctly and joint pipes properly. You will work with things like LCS and learn threading and pipe prep. Not something you'll need every day but useful skills none the less. Again please please please don't think I'm being negative. I'm just trying to put it into perspective. It's not all CP12s and repairs.
 
If, as you say, you have no plumbing skills/experience
Number 2 is your only option
IMHO
 
Of course I appreciate your honesty. This is a long term plan for me and I'm willing to invest more time and money in up-skilling. I realise you can't buy experience! I'll have a look into plumbing courses at the college. Most of the guys I did the course with have jobs already - a couple with gas companies, a couple doing meters, a couple with local guys. I've not been applying just because we have had a couple of property projects on the go that are now finished (or nearly finished). Looks like the meters might be the best bet for me just now whilst building a bit of experience in gas safety's and servicing and trying to build a bit of plumbing knowledge. Thanks for your opinions/advice.
 
Doing metering beware of companies not wanting you to hold your own gas safe
 
Well no I mean they may not like you doing other gas stuff and to have you under there gas Safe ID
 
we do a varied amount of work a lot of it refrigeration orientated,but also gas, wet plumbing and electrical works etc as we class ourselves skilled we will take most jobs on but I honestly think not being experienced will hold you back. Your option of employing a skilled tradesman would be the better route
 
we do a varied amount of work a lot of it refrigeration orientated,but also gas, wet plumbing and electrical works etc as we class ourselves skilled we will take most jobs on but I honestly think not being experienced will hold you back. Your option of employing a skilled tradesman would be the better route

Interesting to have different view points. I was actually thinking my wife and I could work more on building the business side of things whilst employing one or 2 guys and me learning alongside them, just not sure how realistic this is?
 
Hi Quality

do do you carry all trades and how many of you are there? All self employed or some employees?
 
Can I not work under 2 gas safe numbers? One for my own work and one for the metering company?
 
They are only paying 25k it's not a fortune. I'm getting the impression they really need qualified sensible reliable people. If they don't want me to work under my own number I suppose I won't work for them.
 
Quick update on this. Had 2 interviews last week with metering companies. Also popping in to see the boss at the company I did my placements at - heard they're looking for a few guys and have given one of the guys I did the course with a trial period. So, we'll see what happens over next few weeks!
 
Some of them don't want you to do it
 
Yes but the point being some companies don't want you doing work outside their work
 
I was under the impression that you could only sign off work that you've done for that company so if you wanted to work outside of that you'd need your own registration. That's what I've done anyway. Luckily my employer doesn't mind what work I undertake outside of their hours.
 
That's my point some employers don't mind. Lots do
 
I was under the impression that you could only sign off work that you've done for that company so if you wanted to work outside of that you'd need your own registration. That's what I've done anyway. Luckily my employer doesn't mind what work I undertake outside of their hours.

So you payed for your own seperate number just for private work?
 
So if you work for a company under their license number you still have your own gas id number cant you use that?

It depends on your contract of employment, irrespective of having your own registration.

This is the point we're trying to get you to understand.
 
And how would they know?

Because when something goes **** up and gas safe investigate they will contact the user of the gas safe registration number. I.e. The employer.
Using an employers gas safe number for your own private use is a p take in my opinion.
 
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