I have recently completed a 600 hour vocational course in construction carpentry. I have been actively seeking an entry level or carpenters apprentice position and have been having quite some difficulty. Any advice from veteran carpenters would be greatly appreciated.
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Prescriptive codes don't address the connection at less common angles, so base the connection off more typical ones using bolts, structural screws, blocking, and steel tension ties.
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construction, is booming, and is what's driving our economy, you should have no prablema finding a job if you are in a major metropolitan area. How about the unemployment office?
no turn left unstoned
What was your motivator for the 600 hours of vocational training. Have you tried day labor so that you can show a potential employer how hard you are willing to work and how reliable you are.
Steve - in Northern California
Ten years does probably not qualify as "veteran", but I have started up a "career" in this field in three different cities, so I have a little experience in the startin-up trenches...here are my two cents:
A) Where are you?
B) I would steer clear of day labor unless it is specifically understood that you are an "apprentice carpenter-in-waiting" who is just proving he can work hard OR it is for the top company in your area. Even those strategies have problems.
The first situation supposes a boss that wants you to "prove" you can work hard instead of having to "prove" to himself that he is competent enough to hire good people. You will probably be "proving yourself" for years.
The second situation is problematic because when top companies have carpenter vacancies, they are often able to fill them with experienced talent and your shot may be a long time coming.
When I first started, a lot of people I knew were taking very low paying "internships" as a way to break in. An older friend of mine who was already established told me "Never work for nothing, because once you do, that's all anyone will think you are worth." He convinced me that a hardworking body attached to a quick-learning mind is worth quite a bit of money, even if both parts are extremely green. I held out, got a shot making decent (still low) money and quickly worked my way up and past a lot of guys who had been responsibly "interning" their way into the business. It is a small world, and when you show up for an interview at another contractors office/truck/barstool, you don't want him to recognize you as "That Day Laborer I Saw At That Job Site."
Hold out. I'm not sure if that will be controversial advice or not.
Good luck no matter what you decide.
Don
Contact the nearest Union carpenters local. If they have work, they probably do, you will go through apprenticeship of 4 years. If you enjoy carpentry you will never regret it. I started my apprenticeship in 1962 and retired in 1997. Good benefits, good pay and great people.
Call and make an appointment to talk to a union representative.
Good Luck Mike K local #8 retired