Its funny how no one likes to talk about the Great Depression, especially since the similarities in unemployment rates between now and then beg for comparison. Despite having a bear of a time finding work when I graduated from college last summer I recently caught a glimpse of how deep the need is out there.
We're currently working on the schools up in Snowflake, AZ. Their plumbing has more or less rot out and its a complete remodel. Well, its funny how you go from not enough work to way too much, but we did and needed to get another plumber. I tried to get the posting up on Craigslist under the free gig posting but they kicked me off of there, not temporary enough.
25 dollars and a few sentences later and the ad was up looking for applicants at 10:15 PM on a Tuesday. This is it:
Looking for a plumber with 10+ years experience for 4-5 40 hr weeks of work in Snowflake re piping Highland Elementary. We will provide food and housing in a resort house rented out for the job.Wages offered are $15-18 an hour depending on demonstrated ability and references.
We are looking to hire immediately, reply to this ad with references/
resume and we will schedule an interview. A positive review upon job
completion may lead to more permanent employment
in the Phoenix area.
Seventh Generation Plumbing
Now, understand that the average pay for a plumber like this in
Phoenix is usually $23-28 an hour with unionplumbers making
closer to $35. The problem with that is we can't afford that,
we'd like to pay it and I know the gentleman we hired is worth it,
but we just can't run the margin that thin right now.
The ad was up and by 3:00 PM the next day, less than 24 hours later,
we had 27 responses. Of those at least 10 weren't qualified but the
vast majority were. My partner grimly commented that there still
would have been good qualified applicants if we had offered $10 an
hour and that one applicant was in tears when he was told that he
wasn't hired.
It feels wonderful to be able to offer a decent guy a job, but it makes
you heartsick to have to pick one out of a crowd. If anything, to
anyone reading this, pay attention and hone your skills. Who can
guess how much competition you'll have at your next interview?
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