I’m serious, I’m tired of working solo. I’d be an asset to any company I work for but you’ll never know it if I don’t get a chance. So, I’ll work for free for a week, but only for the right company. If your company is well established, doing high end work on the North Shore, then this offer applies to you. I’ll bring my own tools, pay for my own gas, and be there every day for 5 working days. Then if you want to keep me on, we’ll talk. If not, we’ll shake hands and walk away.
I’ll have to finish up what I’m currently doing before I can start. If you’re interested, call me. (773) 989-6902
Got questions? Post ’em here.
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Replies
My brother is an architect/green building consultant in your same area code.
Currently working with a company who's name escapes me...I'll try to give him a call for you.
Probably not the kind of work that you are looking for, but I know that they need people. He suggested that I fly out from Cali to work for at least 8 weeks... no go for me, kid in school.
Not sure if I will ever get it right, but I will continue to roll that marble around my pea-brain until I figure it out.
I'd be very interested in working green. Will have a lot to learn, but to me that's just an added benefit. Thanks! :D--------------------------------------------------------
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He is working with Shaw Environmental in some capasity, though, I am not sure of the specifics of his involvement.
I do know he has many friends/people/neighbors needing work done on their older houses in Wicker Park.
See my email.
Not sure if I will ever get it right, but I will continue to roll that marble around my pea-brain until I figure it out.
Got the email, and thanks for thinking of me.
Needless to say the free work offer doesn't apply to individual customers, but I'll gladly take good care of them. I sent you a reply, couldn't get onto his website but I know the Wicker Park area well and his friends there are welcome to give me a call. --------------------------------------------------------
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I knew a guy who worked green. Seemed like every job he did ... he was a greenhorn all over again. Never learned."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Not sure if that had to do with working green. Sum 'em jist dun't lurn. :D
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Edited 5/25/2008 11:05 am by Ted W.
I tried that twice. Before going out on my own, I just wanted to avoid all the paperwork and headaches and made the same offer.
Basically, I ended up just working for free. The guys I worked for did not appreciated my talents, probably because I did things they couldn't do and things they wouldn't do. It was important in a negative way that I was doing things differently, even if I did them faster and better. They didn't like that. If I did something that showed greater quality, even if it was faster and didn't use more materials than they would have used, they complained that I was doing too much. In other words, I could make them even more money as a fast hack.
I scrapped the program and chalked it up to knowledge gained.
I am retired now and only do work occasionally, but always on my terms. Since I went out on my own, I have never done a job where I did not get tipped. I have gotten anywhere from 5% to 100% as a tip for my work. I don't have to work at all, but like to do things for nice people. I also love to frame. When the weather is nice, there is no better job that I can think of.
Thanks for your concern but I've considered that possibility (contemplated for 2 days before posting this) and at this time I can afford the risk. Barely, but I can just the same. It wouldn't be the first time I've worked for free, just the first time it was intentional. :D
I realize I have to be careful who I work for. I think I can tell whether a company is up to par when we meet at the job site. Bottom line is if it works out it's a win/win situation. If it doesn't, I'll probably post my offer again. And either party, the contractor or myself, can walk away at any time.
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Edited 5/25/2008 5:39 pm by Ted W.
Edited 5/25/2008 6:11 pm by Ted W.
Ted,Not to be too personal but why do you want to go to work for a company? Is it not enough work or right kind of work. There are advantages & disadvantages and most guys who work for themselves don't like working for others after a while.Keith
The long and the short of it is I'm good at my work but I'm not so good at business. Besides that, I'm tired of working solo. I just want to jump in my van in the morning and go straight to the jobsite and get busy with a bunch of others who also just want to get busy. Let someone else worry about building the business, gathering the materials, deal with the customers, etc, etc... --------------------------------------------------------
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Just a thought, but you may want to go around an find 3 or 4 jobs which reflect the kind of work you would like to do. Find out who the builder/whoever is doing that job and ask for a job. Then ask again in 3 days, then ask again in 3 days, then ask again in 3 days, etc. It has worked on me before. Knew the guy was serious if he came back several times. Even if I didn't have anything at the moment, when I did that was the first person I called.
I've considered doing that. Only thing is it takes time to go driving around the north shore, and the GC often isn't at the job site, which could mean several trips to several different jobsites and a lot of gas and time consuming. I've got plenty of work going on right now - remodeling one bathroom and 2 more lined up, some windows to install, a small porch to rebuild and several other project in the waiting. If I lose that much time (which is money) I won't be able to afford a week of working for free.
I guess the thing is I would have to do one or the other. I'll hold out for a while and see if anyone takes me up on my offer. If not, I'll retract my offer and go with your idea.
Another point is that to do that I really shold be ready to start the very minute they say okay. That means I can't have anything of my own going on at the time. Maybe a good time to do that is when I've completed one project but haven't started another one yet.
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Edited 5/26/2008 10:40 pm by Ted W.
Edited 5/26/2008 10:43 pm by Ted W.
Looks like Chicago's going to need some help in the BI Department. Up for that?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-federal-zoning-probe-webmay23,0,850028.story
Haaa haaa... Yep, that's the windy city for ya. I'm guessing the ones that got busted are those who didn't know to bribe the mole! LOL
But seriously, I have no interest in working for the city or any involvement with all the corruption that goes on here. Work, do a good job, get paid... no room for skeletons in my closets. --------------------------------------------------------
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I grew up watching the Daley machine from the SW side. Seems these folks didn't pay attention during class.
Didn't need to. They had connections. :)--------------------------------------------------------
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This is just a suggestion
Here in Wichita we have a local builders assoc
They have a beautiful building and several office staff
They will provide you a written list of every contractor in town
Maybe these are just the member but its a long list
Here's there website
http://www.wabahome.com/
They may have something like this where you're located.
You could meet with the Director and he might have a recommendation for a company that would do what you're proposing
Good luck and I hope it works for you.
Thanks, I'll look into it. --------------------------------------------------------
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Ive got a friend that likes to travel around . In his younger days he used to make the offer to work for minimum wage for a week. He was a good hand . If they didnt pay him more that week he would move on. He figgured if they paid him minimum wage they werent fair people . It worked out for him.
Tim
There is the possibility they may be required to pay me something. I wouldn't kick them in the knee and call them names for that. :D--------------------------------------------------------
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See? Now this is the kind of builder I'm lookin' to work for.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=105088.6
Except in Chicago/North Shore area.
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Too Late! :D
I just took a deposit for a long punchlist of miscelaneous repairs. Along with my current work, this will keep me busy for the next month or so.
I gotta go.
Later Gaters!
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See some of my work at AWorkOfWood.com
Did that offer work for you? I tried the same thing, only I let them set the wage up-front. No takers.
Not a single reply. Go figure, eh?
Personally, if I was running a larger company I would have given someone a shot at it. Oh well, it's their loss.
I'm glad to report that I'm booked solid through January, and by the end of Jan I'll be booked till summer. However, my offer still stands. I would really rather work for a high end company than doing it all myself.
Any takers? :-)See my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net
I saw your ad when I was posting one for a project my company is doing adjacent to MDW airport next week.
I've copied and pasted my ad below. Do you know of a good rental yard, or someone that we can pay that has a forktruck?
Thanks, Steve
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Hi Everybody,
I am installing a drop arm barrier and a plate barrier at the Alamo-National rental car lot at the Chicago Midway airport next week (12-9-08 thru 12-11-08).
I am trying to locate a forktruck to rent, or pay someone to operate theirs.
On the afternoon of 12-9-08 we need to unload the barriers from a flatbed. On the morning of 12-10-08 we need to place the barriers on their new concrete pads.
About one hour of use on 12-9, and one hour on 12-10. The heaviest barrier part weighs about 3000 lbs.
Anybody out there near MDW? We'd be glad to pay you or someone you know!
"Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words." - St. Francis of Assisi
Hi Steve,
http://www.olearysequipment.com/rental.asp
I don't know them but they look like a pretty good outfit. Search google for chicago construciton equipment rental and you'll find plenty to choose from.
Good luck with your project! =)
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If you haven't already done so, please update your profile. Since many issues are dependant on the region in which you work, we often look at your profile to see where you are writing from.
Thanks Ted, I appreciate the help.
"Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words." - St. Francis of Assisi