A little overwhelmed and looking for the right direction??

Well i just found this site today and wanted to post a question in hopes someone may have a few suggestions and if not it's ok i'll figure it out soon enough. My story is i enrolled at a school here in modesto ca called Instititute Of Technology for Heating,air-conditioning, and Refrigeration and it's been a great help in learning the functions of all the componets but i just don't feel i've had enough hands on and way too much bookwork. I now have my EPA card and my R410A card for

2010 already that way i won't have to go back to some special class for that as well. I also got a water-cooling tower certificate as well. All this is great and made me very happy at first to have all this but now as of tommorow will be my last day and i'm done with the school it was only a 9 month course. Like i said the school has been very educational for me because i was as green as it got when i started and we covered REFRIGERATION,HEATING,AND AIR-CONDITIONING. Now i'm really worried about how to explain to an employer that i just spent 9 months in school and am all certified but hardly any is hands on?! I was promised from the school there would be plenty of hands on after i finished the first half and some of the better teachers that actually have experience have now left and i'm stuck with teachers that have no hands on experience themselves?! I asked a teacher the other day could he stand by me to watch for mistakes while i attempt to pump down the system and do a vacuum and then hopefully recharge "I basically got laughed at and told if he knew how to do it he would'nt be there teaching?! I'm extremely discouraged and just wondering if anyone reads this please could they just give me any guidance they can on how to still land a job without the employer laughing me out if his office cause i have all bookwork but no hands on and am scared to try it all by myself on someone elses unit of course for fear of messing up someone elses stuff which i don't have or would'nt have the money to fix. Any suggestions would be very greatly appreciated please all i'm looking for is a headstart in the right direction i payed a lot of money for this school i'm 25yrs old now and this is the first time i've actually took the initiative to actually do something and improve my life for the better by going back to school and i just dont want to see it go to waste ya know Sincerely Ricky P.S.If anyone reads this and knows of any companies in or around modesto ca that are hiring and you think they would work with the book knoledge i have and help me easily turn this into hands on i would appreciate it. I've been running my resumes and have'nt had much luck yet and the schools employment services is'nt any darn help at all. I'm almost wishing i had went to any other school than INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Reply to
HVAC&R newbie
Loading thread data ...

Shoot for the bullseye. Go ask around and find the three companies with the best names in your area. Start with them. They won't start you at top pay, but the training will be priceless.

Walk in, and tell the truth. A lot of employers, (ME INCLUDED) prefer to take young heads full of mush and mold them to their standards instead of pulling someone in off the street with experience, but a bad attitude and bad practices. Most of them know everything there is to know, and it's hard to retrain them. Just look at the current hvac posters if you want to see a bunch of idiots that are educated beyond their capacity.

NEVER EVER lie to your prospective employer, and don't belittle yourself. If you don't know how to do something, say so, rather than mess it up. That will get you into deep doo. You aren't an experienced workman yet, but you have spent time, effort and money to do what you've done so far, and that should show them that you are serious and will hang in there.

The following is advice, take it or leave it. Find a good company and stay with them. Job hopping doesn't look good, and you'll end up working for a series of smaller companies with less benefits, less retirement, and a boss that could spend all the money in Vegas and you'd be out of work again. Shop for a company with a 401k program, or start your own. Put in 10% of what you make, and when you retire, you'll have the bucks to enjoy it.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.