Need to hire a mechanic for performance shop in Orlando

I'm currently active duty military, so haven't been in the job market for 12 years, and won't be for at least another 8.

But what options are there for an all around handy man in today's market. No certifications, just self taught. Been tearing stuff apart and putting it together since elementary school. Toys, bicycles, lawnmowers, cars, motorcycles, generators, home remodeling, plumbing, electrical work, welding. Great work ethic, known by all to always do quality work and also be a perfectionist. Can someone like that still start a gig, learn as they go and work their way up, all while earning a wage that keeps you out of the poor house. Or are the certs a must have? I've always done these things on the side, and as a hobby, while working my main job.

Just curious.

 

The historical pipelines that supplied skilled trades and skilled manufacturing technicians have dried up, they’re merely a fraction of what they used to be. There’s an abundance of rational justification for this, but it’s collectively become a significant vulnerability of our economy. There is a lot of really good things going on now, in an effort to address these issues. It’s a significantly convoluted challenge though and will certainly not be addressed overnight, if it ever is fully addressed.

 

Hell Yes. I would hire a vet over any card carrying MMI kid.

 

One of a few..

https://veterans-motorsports.com/

 

No, I'll admit at times I suck plenty. I do my best, and I can recognize when someone else is doing their best as well. The problem stems from the people who don't bother to even try. As for the carrot, I've got 2 guys I pay 6 figures on the production floor. 3 more in the mold shop. I pay if the people make the effort. The $15 you mention? The lowest position in my facility is a packer, and they're above that. Button pushers are $20-22. As Rebel said, if it's an employer looking for people at that rate, they're dreaming. I'm in the Chicago area, which has some of the largest thermoformers in the country. A true Technician can almost write a blank check around here. We were headhunting a guy from a competitor (see, I suck for doing that), and threw $140k at him. He turned it down for more at a different competitor. We all live in the bubble of our direct experience I guess, and to some degree I'm no different. That said, I've put an extraordinary amount of time and effort into finding some good team members and have come up empty. Perhaps my company is a crappy place to work, though the fact that we have almost ZERO turnover, speaks to the contrary. Most of my people are 20+ years with me, and we all have the same goal. We just can't find people that actually want to HAVE a goal.

 

All due respect, Officer, I wasn't trying to be condescending. Long day, frustrating challenge to solve, and issues are growing by the day. Oh...we don't really have cubicles. The team agreed that a more open work area promotes communication, and vetoed the idea. And my whole thing about the pension is just the reality that the concept has broken good companies in the past. Whether it's a good or bad idea, it would eventually put us out of business. I'd rather still be here to provide the jobs, and better than market pay for those that contribute. In truth, given your chosen profession (I'm making some assumptions here due to past posts), I can understand your feelings about pensions overall. I'm not sure that's the best analog for the private sector, as my understanding of certain public sector jobs (and the military), is that you deal with the somewhat meager pay for longer term stability through pensions. I've got a relative who went that route in the SW burbs of Chicago, and the city is no longer able to keep the pension fund solvent, so he's sacrificed for almost 30 years and is now getting screwed. Again, this is the bubble I'm in, your mileage may vary.

 

A long time friend in Las Vegas started his own handyman business and does quite well now. Much of his success is due to the three traits that you described for yourself.

 

Not sure where you're located, but Abbvie is near me, and they'll hire former Navy almost over anybody for a lot of the mechanical and maintenance positions. May not sound glamorous, but they pay really well and have great benefits. The power generation plant is almost entirely former squids.

 

With 12 years in the military and 8 remaining, depending on your interest, you could easily build a wealth of credentials before you exit. There are many institutions that provide generous military credit transfer policies, waive licensing exams for active military, provide free credential exams, etc.

 

Some people just settle with a situation that just gets them by. And then complain and/or bitch about opportunities that are not made available to them. That is obviously not your situation nor your employees.

 

Ferris State Univeristy Plastics program would be a good contact for you to have. For interns/grads/and people looking for jobs.

 

Lately, more and more of good hires are coming from your experience path. Me included. I have zero qualifications, or certifications to work in this industry. Im not a millwright, or have my red seal, or any sort of certifications for electrical or controls. My friend knew i was a good mechanic and told me his company was hiring, the company took me on for low pay and i stair stepped my way. Word spreads if you show initiative, hard work, respect and honesty. Im constantly offered job positions from my customers due to my work ethic and how i treat them and their machines. Like they are my own. I dont do 9-5. My customers dont go through the normal remote support protocols, they call my cell phone, and they know i'll answer. I speak frankly and honestly with them 100%, and they all respect that... They may not like what i tell them, but they'll know i wont ever lie to them, or sugarcoat it to make me or my company look better.

You just have to find that crack. Screw HR or upper management, you need to go door knocking and asking to speak with the supervisors/techs on the ground. Like Master Chiefs, those are the guys who get shit done and run the place.

My hiring at current place was done over talking about harleys with a heavily boston accented old guy. He unofficially ran the place and once i got the nod from him, everything else was mere formalities. To this day i remember "As faaaar as aaahm cahcerneeed, yeer haaajred....just gotta work on the numbers" God i butchered that boston accent.

 

More..

https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-vet2track-embedding-veterans-with-four-teams/

 

Property maintenance would be a good fit to keep food on the table while you build your side hustle.

 

Im sorry. I probably read into that more than I should have. Im quite angered at the way this country has turned out and where its heading. The gov. has made it nearly impossible to get back to where we were. And that sucks.

 

qualify as a licensed construction contractor then supervise some big & small jobs. You would be in more of a position to learn vs being in the trenches. Handyman/jack of all trades will get you thrown into all kinds of unsatisfying work situations.
Another construction position requiring skill and brain power is a layout guy.

 

Is it government? At the risk of being dungeony (sp?), our society takes the path that the general populace chooses. There's a fundamental lack of accountability everywhere I look, and it's time to stop making excuses. People use their situational lot in life as an excuse for why they can't succeed, and yet they do nothing to change it. I grew up poor in a very affluent area, and plenty of people I went to school with had financial success already handed to them before they even graduated. While I may never reach the level of wealth they started with, I've done well enough through dogged determination, to overcome whatever disadvantage I may have had. I could have just pointed out how unfair it all was, and sat back and wasted my life. That seems to be the status quote now, where people are so busy focusing on the inequities in the world, that they forget they have the power to improve their situation. Is it easier for certain socioeconomic groups? Sure. But I've seen plenty of people rise above their disadvantages, simply because they owned their future and wouldn't accept less. Government becomes what we allow. Unfortunately, society has followed the same pattern for thousands of years, where prosperity breeds apathy, which then breeds oppression. You would have to have a mass awakening of the entire world, for people to change that pattern.

 

Well, the wall you face is the fundamental building block of an ideology that is now weaponized because of the gov.

By the time people wake up, it’ll be all gone.

 

Gonna have to disagree with you on the pay. Pretty sure I'd be making $20k/year more than I am now if I was in a decent trade. MS mech eng in fluid dynamics. Maybe a military contractor would be a big bump, but that's likely it outside of independent contractor.

The 08 recession did a bunch of damage to the trade field. I moved from machining to engineering because of it. Who wants to move to a field with no work? (Insert list of silly college degrees here)

 

And now the machining industry is going gangbusters. Actual machinists are like gold now. Quite a few businesses are now trying to onshore production but there isn't the capacity.