Potential fast trackers beware I fell for it and I regret it!

[coonster]

Hi All

Back in 2007 I was working in an office bored to tears and was looking for a career change, I had always been a bit of a DIYer and noticed the adverts promising huge wages to be earned as a plumber well I'm ashamed to say I fell for the Fast Track Route.

I paid for a 4 week intensive course at VIY in leeds, who are no longer trading,(suprise suprise) I must admit I really enjoyed the course and it did give me the basics and the practical side was very interesting however I left with a few C&G certificates in bathroom design 6032, sanitary accomodation 6032, copper pipe installation 6022 and bpec water regs and bpec unvented.

On the last day there was a presentation on how to become self employed etc and off we were sent into the world a shiny new bunch of (plumbers).

Well I got home and it was like when I passed my driving test and I got in a different car.... I couldn't drive..... or couldn't be a plumber in my case..... I called around a few plumbers offering to work for free to gain confidence and one chappy agreed and after a few weeks watching I got my first job and I went alone from then on.

I have been struggling by for the last 3 years and am in more debt than I have ever been.....I must warn people who are thinking that a plumbing career change is a good idea ...just be very carefull, the jobs I can do are very limited and there is no chance of working for any company with my basic certificates and I have found that the market is heavily saturated with competition and there just isn't enough work out there no matter how much I advertise.

I dont know where to go from here, I'm just about still going and picking up the odd small jobs and ocasional bathroom job (I've had to learn tiling to get by!) but the work is getting less and less frequent.

If anyone else on this forum has been in a similar situation, or have any advice on what I could do next their advise would be greatly appreciated

Cheers Guys

 

[WHPES]

Are you in an area with oil fired heating systems? Oil qualifications are far easier to get than Gas.

 

[joe brown]

I thought it was supposed to get better and not worse! so much for word of mouth. Im on a 6129 from what i can gather its the best one as far as c&g go. You say no matter how much advertisin u are still not getting work, Can i be cheeky and ask how much you are spending and what methods,lengths etc....and where are you advertising

 

[coonster]

Hi guys

Business plicked up for me briefly in my second year via word of mouth, but has since slumped to next to nothing.

I advertise in yellow pages, yell.com, local mags and papers as well as flyers which I had 20,000 printed when I started up and I post them whenever I have a day with no work.

Cheers

 

[Winston]

I have been trading 16 months and dont regret a moment its been wonderful. I have learnt such a lot met loads of very nice customers, and plumbers with years of experience who are a godsend.

 

[WHPES]

There is work out there. Perhaps you need to rethink your advertising strategy. Target the parish magazines as they are cheap to advertise in and everyone who get them reads them. Have a fresh look at your advert. Get other people to give you an opinion of it.

Everyone has had it tough last year. A reliable, long established plumbers here had to put their staff on 3 day weeks during the first half, and even then they were not fully occupied.

You do however need to look at your training. Four weeks is not long and I would try and get some experience.

Plumbers are only ever going to get anywhere near those kinds of wages that are hyped if they (when fully established) work lots of unsociable hours, do 24 hour call out, and have no life of their own.

 

[coonster]

Don't get me wrong fellas I'm not saying its all bad, I have learnt alot have great customers who I have worked for many times etc just financially its been a killer and if I had the choice I wouldn't do it again.

 

[wnjswozo]

stick with it what you lack is experiance,i did 5 year apprenticship,took afurther 10 years to be confident in all gas/plumbing/heating work,i worked for bg for 18 long years

 

[johnmcginty]

Hmmmm, I feel for you mate, how much are you spending on advertising a month ? have you got a website on google maps in your area?