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ideas for jobs for inexperienced 55y.o.?
-bean
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hi, I'm trying to help a friend find a job that requires no experience and not too much training; a man who's 55.
Training seems to be a big deal at this age as companies have been reluctant to teach him as he will only be with them about 10 more years maximum.
So, does anyone have any ideas where he could start out? Things he's tried for are salesman jobs, shop clerk, working behind a bar.
Any help's much appreciated!
He used to be a plumber, but recently there's become too much competition in the field and he's not been getting work.
edit: Living in England.
Training seems to be a big deal at this age as companies have been reluctant to teach him as he will only be with them about 10 more years maximum.
So, does anyone have any ideas where he could start out? Things he's tried for are salesman jobs, shop clerk, working behind a bar.
Any help's much appreciated!
He used to be a plumber, but recently there's become too much competition in the field and he's not been getting work.
edit: Living in England.
-bean on
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I put inexperienced as it doesn't seem to matter that he's got plumbing experience, as he hasn't been able to get into a firm (he was self employed before).
1. Get him to take a bartending course (they're short, cheap, fun, and fairly easy to do), then apply as a bartender, to the right sort of places: hotels designed for businessmen, well-established pubs, that sort of thing. If he applies for a job flipping bottles at some trendy nightclub, of course he's going to lose out to some wet-behind-the-ears hipster punk so young he hasn't even *seen* Tom Cruise in Cocktail. But if he cleans himself up well, puts on a good suit, and puts his application directly in the hand of the manager of a quiet, upscale hotel, he'd have a much better chance.
2. If he's willing to move, his plumbing experience could probably get him a fairly easy job as the superintendent of an apartment building, especially if he brushed up a bit on basic electrical repair too. Again, that's the sort of job for which people would honestly rather hire a stable, dependable 55 year old guy than a 20something kid. Supers usually get free rent in a place on-site, plus a monthly salary, in exchange for unclogging toilets, fixing leaky pipes, and taking care of other low-grade maintenance stuff.
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Pub work is also a good idea, but pubs are usually run by the landlord anyway, so there probably aren't any jobs there.
Could he perhaps teach plumbing at a vocational school?
The superintendent and apartment concierge aren't avenues he's tried yet, so I'll pitch those too.
He's done apprenticeships before, but I don't think he's done teaching at a school. The airport and call centre ideas are not really feasible because the city he's in is relatively small.
Hope this may give you ideas.
Good luck, I know how that feels, my dad has been there.
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Fuck, yes. There is no better shopping experience than having some old hand at plumbing / home repair walk me through what I need to buy and what I need to do.
From somebody who's worked in call centres most of his adult life - The old guys who had to do telesales after doing something decent their wholelives are always rubbish at it, and usually get sacked within weeks.
Generally the adaptation from being responsible and respected to being a worker bee where the only thing to worry about is what to have from the sandwich lady and "oooohhh my gawd did you see what Tasha were wearing last night dehn club?! " is too much for them.
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B&Q and local council seems good.
What? Seriously? This isn't supposed to happen with tradesmen. If it's true, why are they all still charging extortionate callout fees?
Also, I should point out that if he's a plumber, he isn't unskilled or inexperienced. DIY shops sounds like a good idea. What about janitorial work at a school or some other large building. I'd imagine having actual trade skills would be very useful to a headteacher trying to keep budgets down and kipping in a boiler room for six hours a day can't be a bad way to make a living.
No idea. Must depend on where you are. He's been doing it for most of his life, and did quotes for free. But still, ad's are getting nothing now.
Apparently they're sought after in London. But then other people I've spoke to here (a city far North of London) all think that plumbers earn mega bucks!