Looking for work

[K@rlos]

Has anyone got a mechanics job going in the Ipswich area? My current place is going downhill and fast.

I've got level 1 & 2 NVQ's in both car and HGV mechanics and did a 5 year apprenticeship in an HGV workshop at the local council depot (current employer) I've also got a class 2 HGV licence which is clean and a forklift ticket. I have all my own tools and even my own tea mug :lol:

Cheers

Karl

 

[67panel]

join the club :roll: any one want an old school /air cooled mechanic in the worcester area(morgage to pay :shock: )

 

[Trikky2]

Westy Richardson and 67panel, I am sorry to hear of your situations and also a little surprised.

Judging from the numbers of people asking for recommendations on where to take their vehicles for servicing and repairs, I was under the impression that your kind of expertise, providing quality work, was in short supply.

For example, a non mechanically minded female friend in London, with a T25 westy TD, is having a miserable time of it. Her garage did a repair which ended with her stuck with a seized rear hub and wrecked rear brakes last month and then, despite a thorough check up, earlier this week on her way down here, the engine seized and its having to be recovered back to blighty.

With the more difficult economic situation I would have thought more people are having their older vehicles fixed rather than lashing out on a replacement and that this would mean more demand for your skills.

I sincerely hope you both find better positions soon.

 

[67panel]

as you can see on here most peeps are trying to fix there buses them selfs ,with overheads you need a lot of work just to pay the bills running a workshop,rent, rates,insurance can be 1/2-2k a mounth easy before puting dosh in your pocket.cant find any spannering jobs in my area,well not unless you have previous main agent experiance :roll: ect,ect and being 56 dont help either cos they all want 20somthing wizzkids to work for peanuts.all the small independants seem to be just getting by for work so no jobs there ,tried all my contacts.might have to try something else but its all i know :msn4:

 

[K@rlos]

My situation is a bit different to 67 panels. The place where I work is run by a bunch of monkeys, I started my apprenticeship when I was 17 and there was 7 mechanics and a motor electrician, the sparky has left, 3 fitters have retired and the 4th had been made up to assistant manager so he sits in the office all day. The 3 of us that are left are expected to do the work load of 8 men and are getting a roasting because we can't keep up with the work load which is now even greater due to more lorries in the fleet.

I feel the need to change jobs because the attitude towards me at work is really starting to get to me. Those of you who know me well Eg Grazy, Oroo and Nick Rackham know I'm pretty laid back and don't let much bother me but this is far from a joke. Rant over haha.

Karl

 

[Lee C]

Good luck finding work fellas.

A mobile air cooled mechanic would be a cracking business idea????
Not much overheads all you need is a 8) signwritten panel/pickup???





Stoopid idea?? Just thinking out loud

I've had my own paint/bodyshop since I was 23, 8 years now,
it's hard work put is rewarding starting from scratch every monday knowing how much you need to make by friday :lol: well it is when you actually manage it at least :lol:

 

[K@rlos]

I would love to work on v dubs for a living, but I'd rather it be working for someone else. Everything I know about buses is self taught or what I learned off my dad because the technology in them is very different to what I was taught at college or at work, which is why I ask on here or just swear at it and muddle through :lol:

 

[Lee C]

Swearing at it ALWAYS works, I think I've even made up some new swear words during the resto of me splitty :lol:

 

[Ands1]

My situation is a bit different to 67 panels. The place where I work is run by a bunch of monkeys, I started my apprenticeship when I was 17 and there was 7 mechanics and a motor electrician, the sparky has left, 3 fitters have retired and the 4th had been made up to assistant manager so he sits in the office all day. The 3 of us that are left are expected to do the work load of 8 men and are getting a roasting because we can't keep up with the work load which is now even greater due to more lorries in the fleet.

I feel the need to change jobs because the attitude towards me at work is really starting to get to me. Those of you who know me well Eg Grazy, Oroo and Nick Rackham know I'm pretty laid back and don't let much bother me but this is far from a joke. Rant over haha.

Karl

Sounds exactly like the company I work for ( I repair Garage equipment ie jacks, lube equipment, lifts etc ) It really gets me down
the amount of work I get through yet when I get back to the office more work has piled up & theres not enough time to do it which results in letting customers down = not good for business. On the other hand I'd prefer it this way rather than no work at all...
Chin up Westy, crack on & leave it all at work at finish time, worry about it when you start again the next morning...

Andy

 

[ZedBed]

Small garages / old car sales are dropping like flies round here. It's generally poor people with old cars that use smaller garages and they are simply driving around in broken cars, doing the bare minimum to keep legal or having a bash themselves.

If you want to work for someone else you'll have to cross your fingers. If you want some control over your life in this reccession you need to work for yourself. It ain't easy though.

From my own experience you will not get to work for a small dub place. I tried employing someone and it just didn't work out. He was excellent, but to pay him a decent wage meant I was covering the overheads, taking all the balls-ups and down-time on the chin and ended up working for next to nowt so it had to stop. Back on me todd now. Now if something takes 2x as long as it should at least I'm earning half money now rather than nothing at all.

If you go solo, keep your overheads as low as you can because you won't turn over much.

Good luck to both of you.

 

[67panel]

yup been there and done all that ,at one point had 5 employes ,2lads on shop floor ,an aprentice ,secetary,forcourt attend ant /dogs body and myself mot testing and running it all :shock: that was 10+years ago,as cars needed less servicing ect it ended up that we hade to have twice as many customers for the same amount of work .missis wont let me work for myself now as still have BIG morgage cos had to borrow to clear loans ect when finished bussiness :roll: so be warned,zed is right ,but its a bugger trying to do top starter bolt on your own :msn4:

 

[ZedBed]

I can only afford it because I'm and old git with a small mortgage, but I'm going down hill steadily as Missus buggered off and left me with all the costs at home. Once I get house sold and buy a small one to rent out and a boat to live on I hope I'll only need to earn beer money which should be possible even for me.

Couple of turns of leccy tape jam the starter bolt in place while you get the nut on.

 

[67panel]

masking tape ,it sqiges( :shock: )better.

 

[panalvan]

Hope you find somthing soon karl working at a place you dont like is not nice but one way off looking at it is atleast you have a job in this climit.Like it says above go in do your job and forget it until the morning you can only do 8 hour work in a 8 hour day they will always want more wherever you work they do at my place and the problem the more you do the more they expect.Chin up mate just look foward to using the van and having a few beers at the next show.

 

[K@rlos]

Hope you find somthing soon karl working at a place you dont like is not nice but one way off looking at it is atleast you have a job in this climit.Like it says above go in do your job and forget it until the morning you can only do 8 hour work in a 8 hour day they will always want more wherever you work they do at my place and the problem the more you do the more they expect.Chin up mate just look foward to using the van and having a few beers at the next show.

Cheers Chris You can't imagine how much I'm looking forward to this years shows! Will be good to see you again too, has been AGES!!!!

 

[71Westy]

Hey Karl - sorry to hear your woes. Given your experience, have you looked into the job situation at Felixstowe Docks? I know a couple of fitters who made good money there...

Good luck - hope 2012 brings some good new opportunities.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[K@rlos]

Hey Karl - sorry to hear your woes. Given your experience, have you looked into the job situation at Felixstowe Docks? I know a couple of fitters who made good money there...

Good luck - hope 2012 brings some good new opportunities.

Cheers,
Nick

I am trying to pursue a career there, my girlfriends dad operates a quay side crane and is trying to get me a job which is good of him.

Cheers Nick

Karl

 

[71Westy]

Fingers crossed

Nick

 

[Klaus]

Good luck finding work fellas.

A mobile air cooled mechanic would be a cracking business idea????
Not much overheads all you need is a 8) signwritten panel/pickup???





Stoopid idea?? Just thinking out loud

I've had my own paint/bodyshop since I was 23, 8 years now,
it's hard work put is rewarding starting from scratch every monday knowing how much you need to make by friday :lol: well it is when you actually manage it at least :lol:

Think this is a great idea. Don't have to leave your prized bus down some alley while they wait to get to it. And the Mac will get to a bit of change of scenery as well as make new contacts and expand the business area.

 

[thejinx]

good on anyone who would start their own business. I would love to but dont have the BALLS, would like to open a second hand book shop where people could come and buy or sell books. :msn4: :msn4:

i live in swansea now but was living in Warrington where they had a brilliant old book shop. That gave me the idea. but as has been said Monday morning you wake up knowing you need to make x pounds to live, by Friday if you havent made it you is well fooked. :shock: