That was one of the best jobs I ever had. Needing a job in a big, unfamiliar city, I went outside and looked for the biggest clump of apartments on the horizon. I rode my bike over (always use the cheapest commuting method to look for a job!) and asked some guys planting flowers if they had any openings. Since I didn't speak Portugese, they didn't need me, but they took me down to the basement of one building, and introduced me to the electricians. They had been looking for a new guy for a month, but I didn't think I was qualified to answer the ad that head office was running. I told them I could fix house wiring, but not appliances. They assured me that it was easy, took me up to main office, and got me on. Stoves did turn out to be easy - those complex wiring diagrams are just the same pattern five times, plus a few extras.
There is also a lot of opportunity for guys who can fix things with more ingenuity than new parts. I got to work on my own most of the time, and didn't have to resolve personal conflicts, just fix or replace according to policy.
29 Dec 2016, 4:49 pm
