Looking for Rehab Employment
#1
10-31-06, 09:18 AM
Looking for Rehab Employment
After buying our house a year and a half ago I am not ready to chuck my computer career in favor of a construction / rehab career. I just love working on the house and want to learn more about all aspects of rehab. Having no experience other that what I have learned through books and the internet, what would be the next logical step in getting into this career? I found an online college (Penn Foster) with a concentration in rehab and construction. Should I do this, should I try to find a company that would hire a newbie as an assistant? Not sure of how one gets into the biz. Any advice would be great.
Thanks!
Thanks!
#2
10-31-06, 04:40 PM
Member
Most construction laborers learn through informal on-the-job training, but formal apprenticeship programs provide more thorough preparation. Online schools may provide info on theory and technique, but they are no substitute for hands-on learning. Construction work tends to be cyclical and demand for workers tends to vary from area to area.
The work is physically demanding and in all kinds of weather. There is the opportunity for exposure to lead-based paint, asbestos, and other toxic materials. Safety is very important.
Income for construction workers tends to be low and reduced even further during inclimate weather and down times between jobs.
Of course, if you are very handy, you can hire yourself out as a handyman and be self-employed, learning as you go and not taking on jobs that are over your head.
I once knew a gentleman who was retired from the military. A friend of his asked him to finish a basement for him. He told me that when he got out of the military he planned on retiring, but his friend and others kept passing him around to do household repairs and interior remodeling projects that he had been at it for 15 years. My home, of course, became one of his projects. He patched plaster cracks, wallpapered, painted, did wiring, plumbing, and a multitude of other things required to fix up and old house.
I knew another gentleman who went into business for himself. He called it 'Rent-A-Husband.' He was a dandy, too.
I know another dandy. Folks are willing to wait 2-3 months to get their hands on him. He's never without work and is so highly recommended that he gets passed around and has a waiting list.
The work is physically demanding and in all kinds of weather. There is the opportunity for exposure to lead-based paint, asbestos, and other toxic materials. Safety is very important.
Income for construction workers tends to be low and reduced even further during inclimate weather and down times between jobs.
Of course, if you are very handy, you can hire yourself out as a handyman and be self-employed, learning as you go and not taking on jobs that are over your head.
I once knew a gentleman who was retired from the military. A friend of his asked him to finish a basement for him. He told me that when he got out of the military he planned on retiring, but his friend and others kept passing him around to do household repairs and interior remodeling projects that he had been at it for 15 years. My home, of course, became one of his projects. He patched plaster cracks, wallpapered, painted, did wiring, plumbing, and a multitude of other things required to fix up and old house.
I knew another gentleman who went into business for himself. He called it 'Rent-A-Husband.' He was a dandy, too.
I know another dandy. Folks are willing to wait 2-3 months to get their hands on him. He's never without work and is so highly recommended that he gets passed around and has a waiting list.
