I met a labourer from a different company on site who is 66 with a bunch of physical issues. If he can make it work out here, then really anyone can.

Ok this week I said fuck my job I feel like looking for something else. Here's a data sheet on looking for work in Calgary for one day in the trades.

Calgary

Woke up early, printed off the resumes at Staples then hit the downtown core of contractors listed in this thread at 8:30am. From my experience of one day, two were very nice and tried to help me get a meeting to speak with someone, but people were in meetings. I asked for exactly what Ferro asked for, a fly in fly out job. A couple said "why the fuck are you here?", apply online. Mostly it seemed like the trend was to apply online and wait for a call back.

Hit the union. They were very helpful, told me right now was slow and told me to come back next week to look over my resume and get advice. I said sure but I wanted to do some prospecting today, give me some names I said. Guy gave me some leads.

Then I drove around the various offices of these places to drop off the resumes. I would say a car is highly advantageous to have in Calgary. Doing this without one would add a lot of extra time and effort. I had secretaries smiling at me until they realized I was there to see someone about a "starter" position. Their hamster defence mechanism kicked in. I hit a few walls with "leave your resume, someone will contact you."

I decided to use google and see if I could find some other places hiring. My goal was to see if I could get an offer by the end of the day. I found two, one said "leave resume", the other had me do an interview.

Proj Manager sat me down, went over resume, and asked why I wanted to hit the trades up etc. He brought in another guy, he asked me a few questions, they talked a lot about the work they've been doing. Other guy approved of me and they offered me a job at around 12:30pm. Wage around $20/hour to start me as a 1st year apprentice, but limited overtime work. I'm making more in my job now, so I told them I'd think about it. Their jman rate was around the $38/hour mark.

All in all this is an experience of just one day. I had an offer after doing just 4 hours of prospecting, thanks to the resources in this thread. I think I'm going to be holding out with my job for now and see if I get any call backs next week before I think about making a move on things.

Full disclosure: I dressed nice and didn't look like a piece of shit. I've never done hard labor in my life. I have a car and I have a Bachelor's degree. I only have my WHMIS and Fall Protection.

thanks mate am hoping to do the same in Calgary in the next few weeks

(02-09-2013 03:50 PM)NFallin Wrote:  Ok this week I said fuck my job I feel like looking for something else. Here's a data sheet on looking for work in Calgary for one day in the trades.

Calgary

Woke up early, printed off the resumes at Staples then hit the downtown core of contractors listed in this thread at 8:30am. From my experience of one day, two were very nice and tried to help me get a meeting to speak with someone, but people were in meetings. I asked for exactly what Ferro asked for, a fly in fly out job. A couple said "why the fuck are you here?", apply online. Mostly it seemed like the trend was to apply online and wait for a call back.

Hit the union. They were very helpful, told me right now was slow and told me to come back next week to look over my resume and get advice. I said sure but I wanted to do some prospecting today, give me some names I said. Guy gave me some leads.

Then I drove around the various offices of these places to drop off the resumes. I would say a car is highly advantageous to have in Calgary. Doing this without one would add a lot of extra time and effort. I had secretaries smiling at me until they realized I was there to see someone about a "starter" position. Their hamster defence mechanism kicked in. I hit a few walls with "leave your resume, someone will contact you."

I decided to use google and see if I could find some other places hiring. My goal was to see if I could get an offer by the end of the day. I found two, one said "leave resume", the other had me do an interview.

Proj Manager sat me down, went over resume, and asked why I wanted to hit the trades up etc. He brought in another guy, he asked me a few questions, they talked a lot about the work they've been doing. Other guy approved of me and they offered me a job at around 12:30pm. Wage around $20/hour to start me as a 1st year apprentice, but limited overtime work. I'm making more in my job now, so I told them I'd think about it. Their jman rate was around the $38/hour mark.

All in all this is an experience of just one day. I had an offer after doing just 4 hours of prospecting, thanks to the resources in this thread. I think I'm going to be holding out with my job for now and see if I get any call backs next week before I think about making a move on things.

Full disclosure: I dressed nice and didn't look like a piece of shit. I've never done hard labor in my life. I have a car and I have a Bachelor's degree. I only have my WHMIS and Fall Protection.

You have a BFA in what? And what Trade are you looking to get into? Right now I'm seeing a lot of opportunities for Pipefitting.

I'm currently doing some Seismic out here in a camp.

It's tough as shit but I'm loving every minute of it.

Thing is -- I want to break into a trade this summer so I can really up my income and bankroll in my off months.

What would you recommend in terms of pure income potential? What has the potential to make the most money? A welder? Electrician?

@RossTan

Bachelor's in History, Minor Business. I think there is a lot of opportunity right now for pipefitting, but I'm interested in electrical.

When people talk about advance through courses and tickest, how hard are those courses anyway? Are they like college with lots of math and physics and such complicated stuff, or is it more practical that any fool with will could handle?

So met a guy last night and here's how the conversation went:

Me: So what do you do?

guy: I run heavy equipments at xxx and you?

Me: Working as an accountant.

guy:Did you do a degree and does it pay well?

Me: Yeah spent 4 years to get the degree and it pays around $40k
guy: I make that in 3 months

Me:


oh well, at least he gave me some tips and names to call...motivates me that much more and just goes to show the kinda possibilities are out there

(02-10-2013 02:12 PM)Thehustler Wrote:  So met a guy last night and here's how the conversation went:

Me: So what do you do?

guy: I run heavy equipments at xxx and you?

Me: Working as an accountant.

guy:Did you do a degree and does it pay well?

Me: Yeah spent 4 years to get the degree and it pays around $40k
guy: I make that in 3 months

Me:


oh well, at least he gave me some tips and names to call...motivates me that much more and just goes to show the kinda possibilities are out there

hahah. yeah looking into the science side, it's humbling how an Exploration Geophysicist makes less than the guy driving the damn drills, lol.

(02-10-2013 01:40 AM)DLZ Wrote:  I'm currently doing some Seismic out here in a camp.

It's tough as shit but I'm loving every minute of it.

Thing is -- I want to break into a trade this summer so I can really up my income and bankroll in my off months.

What would you recommend in terms of pure income potential? What has the potential to make the most money? A welder? Electrician?

Pick a trade you will like. Head here (link below) and do your research on the Trades available, youtube search some of them as well. Keep in mind Heavy Equipment operators make major bank as well. And you can do more than one trade if they have related tasks. I met a guy who was a Journeyman Welder AND Pipefitter. He was 24.

http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/

(02-10-2013 01:51 PM)Jourgensen Wrote:  When people talk about advance through courses and tickest, how hard are those courses anyway? Are they like college with lots of math and physics and such complicated stuff, or is it more practical that any fool with will could handle?

Dive in. Level of difficulty is relative. Depends on the Trade. If you are tested in english on the tests, make sure your english is fluent.

Anybody who moved there and didnt get a job?

(02-10-2013 06:39 PM)pitt Wrote:  Anybody who moved there and didnt get a job?

My sister's ex roomate's cousins's former dog walker's brother in-law moved there back in 1974 and didn't get a job but I think it was the patriarchy's fault, that was before Canada had all of those crazy new affirmative action laws.

The huge demand for pipefitters is probably because the Kitimat pipeline is going through. It's a pipeline that connects alberta's oil to asian markets who pay significant premium for oil vs the discount canadian oil companies are getting in the states. I duno about how much people are needed, but they need to redo a TON of infrastructure and the whole thing is gona cost 13 Billion over the next few years. I don't want to get too optimistic, but we might have a another massive boom once the project finishes.

http://www.theprovince.com/business/plan...story.html

(02-11-2013 06:15 PM)zeeman Wrote:  The huge demand for pipefitters is probably because the Kitimat pipeline is going through. It's a pipeline that connects alberta's oil to asian markets who pay significant premium for oil vs the discount canadian oil companies are getting in the states. I duno about how much people are needed, but they need to redo a TON of infrastructure and the whole thing is gona cost 13 Billion over the next few years. I don't want to get too optimistic, but we might have a another massive boom once the project finishes.

http://www.theprovince.com/business/plan...story.html

Good find!

Does anyone know if a veteran can use the GI Bill to learn a trade? I already have a BA in Economics. I finish my service in the Army next year and would very much like to take advantage of this opportunity.

(02-12-2013 08:37 AM)cool Wrote:  Does anyone know if a veteran can use the GI Bill to learn a trade? I already have a BA in Economics. I finish my service in the Army next year and would very much like to take advantage of this opportunity.

Most probably. http://www.gibill.va.gov/resources/educa...s/ncd.html

I've been reading some stuff about the XL pipeline. The one that will potentially take the oil down to the gulf for refining.
Scotian mentioned it earlier in the thread.

Apparently a yes or no is imminent by Mr. Obama on whether it will be built or not. I know very little about it other than that. It's hard to get good sources of info on it. Depending on where you read about it, it's either virtually a done deal or it will not be built due to environmental concerns and subsequent protests etc.

If anyone has any good links for up to date info or opinions or wants to discuss, would be good to find out more. Whether it's a deal-breaker or not, what effect the decision will have on Alberta..

Lets hope its a yes

(02-12-2013 04:15 PM)salmonfella Wrote:  Lets hope its a yes

Fingers and toes crossed salmonfella!

hahah i will be laughing all the way back to the bog if it does are you still creeping on boards? you should make yourself known its a great little community

hehe yeah Boards is alright.
I'm getting all the tasty data I need on here though, from the big dogs who know the score.

oh for sure

Are there pros and cons for joining the union after you get your start?

(02-12-2013 04:15 PM)salmonfella Wrote:  Lets hope its a yes

Where there's a will, there's a way..

"Last week, Alberta Premier Alison Redford met her New Brunswick counterpart, David Alward, to discuss ways to get oil sands to Canada's largest refinery, the Irving Oil facility in St. John. Redford said what's ultimately important for her province is "getting access to world markets," regardless of the route."
http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Ene...-rejection