Ok, my buddies said "you need to sell yourself. you're too modest". How the hell do I do that??? "I can make anything you want out of sheetmetal" sounds too arrogant???? I can PROVE it but it sounds too arrogant to me... HELP????
Ya gotta be confident. Go to wherever they need your skills and say " I'm (say your name) the metal fabricator your looking for." and go from there, usually with positive results. a certain degree of intimidation is a plus also. Billy
Are you wanting a "real job" or trying to sell yourself as a fabricator working out of the house? (not that you don't work when self employed)
Design types usually put a portfolio together with visuals that show past work. I can't imagine any serious shop manager looking through photos of your best work and not getting the point...
Do you have examples of your work? Small items you can show potential employers so that they can see your skills up close and in person? A photo portfolio of stuff you've built might help, too...I did that when I interviewed at a small repair facility years ago. I brought a simple photo album with me filled with pictures of my cars and project vehicles. It impressed them enough to hire me...although it was just as a light mechanic and tire buster! Still...I used photos of my work to sell them on the fact that working on cars wasn't just something I did for a living...it was something that I live for doing! And, yes... a certain confident swagger helps to sell it, too! Don't be OVERLY cocky, but look 'em in the eye and let 'em know that they're dealing with someone who KNOWS he can deliver what they're looking for! Good luck...true craftsmen and talented individuals who know what they're doing and are willing to work are no easy find...someone will realize what you can offer before too long and be happy to have you aboard!
Letters of recomendation from respectable metal workers in the area would be a good addition to your portfolio also...Good Luck To
Just give potential employers the address for the HAMB! Then they can talk to hundreds of people who respect your work. Relax man...your NOT gonna have any trouble getting a job with your skills. Just show a few pics and look em' straight in the eye when you talk! You'll be "in like Flynn". Bill
To reiterate what has already been said, Show them examples of your work, either pictures or actual parts and/or cars. Show them confidence in your knowledge and abilities but NOT cockiness. Skilled, reliable workers are hard to find. A quality shop would be lucky to have you on their team. You will be able to find a good job. Don't settle for a crappy one. I heard a story in my travels last month. Don't remember where and don't know how true it is but the principle applies here. There was a young guy who was trying get a job at a custom shop. He had the skills and experience but didn't have any ezamples of his work. The proprieter of the shop sent him packing and told him to come back when he could show some examples of his work. He went home and sectioned his dad's 55 Nomad, took it back to the shop and they hired him on the spot.
So are you wanting to work for someone else or just be better at pimping your own business? While we're on the subject of your work...let's see some pics! You know everyone here digs lookin at it.........
[ QUOTE ] Are you wanting a "real job" or trying to sell yourself as a fabricator working out of the house? (not that you don't work when self employed) [/ QUOTE ] a real job is what I'm looking for. I have a portfolio... kinda... it's online too...kinda... lemme find the link, you guys tell me what you think.
http://photo.starblvd.net/akakiller56 page one and two. Now I kick myself in the ass for not taking pictures of everything I've done...
Just bookmarked your StarPhoto page. Now go make something cool and forget about all this "real job" nonsense. Actually, I just quit my part time job that I picked up for 4 months. The good thing about working it, was that it reminded me why I needed to REALLY hustle at my sign work...I don't work well for idiots! It's amazing how many dumb-asses are supervisors. It's also amazing how much politics is involved in even a blue collar job. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, though.
Jason, in a marketing course that I had some time ago while working on my graduate degree, I learned an interesting concept that tied together the whole chain of events leading from a concept to a viable product. In marketing terms they call it the 4 P's: product, place, promotion, price. The product in this case is YOU. The place is wherever you choose to make your services available. Promotion is what your buddies are doggin' you about, it's the sell yourself part (important but still only one piece of the picture). The last is price, what is your product worth. These four P's are all inter-related, a change in any one will affect all the others. In your position I would start with your product, that is, what you have to offer to people willing to part with money to have it. I think that this is the easy part because you know how good you are with metal and the artist eye you have for hotrods. Now it gets harder, what place is most viable for you to "sell" your product? Where you currently live may not be the most profitable location for your product, that's your call, it may be a trade-off you have to make. Now that you have identified your product and the place where you are going to sell it you can start with the promotion part. Who is your market? Who has money to part with to get your service? Once you can answer these questions (and there are many more, just not enough time and space here to cover them all), you can decide on how to best promote your service to the market that needs it. You will come to find that after the first three P's have been mastered the fourth will fall out naturally, price. You know your product, you know where you are selling it, and you know who you are promoting it to...how much the market will bear will dictate the price you can demand for your service. I am an engineer by trade and tend to look for the big picture before I decide which piece of the puzzle fits where. These concepts have helped me to better understand why some very good products don't sell and why people are willing to spend over a dollar for a pint of bottled water. Good luck...
I think you need to finish one of those BAD ASS projects you've started. Do what ever it takes to build and finish a car that blows people away. If you do, the work will find you.
Figure out where ya wanna work,tell them you'll work a week for free.In that week,there are several things will happen.1-You'll know if you really want to work there,2-you'll get a feel for the slackers who they could get rid of when they hire you,3-they will know if you'll make them money.In a way,your giving them a test run and they won't be out anything.After a week,go back and have a face to face and see where ya stand,let them know what ya think about their operation,how them hiring you would greatly improve the flow of work thus getting their profit margin up.
Jason, Ya got's lotsa talent and vision. It may help your portfolio to do some kind of bike work Tank,fender and some aircraft as well. This would show a perseptive employer that you are diverse. You could also do a fender repair or door skin replacement. Cronicle it from sart to finish. I think these would help show somebody else what we here already know. Best of luck with job hunt. Gordon
[ QUOTE ] Figure out where ya wanna work,tell them you'll work a week for free.In that week,there are several things will happen.1-You'll know if you really want to work there,2-you'll get a feel for the slackers who they could get rid of when they hire you,3-they will know if you'll make them money.In a way,your giving them a test run and they won't be out anything.After a week,go back and have a face to face and see where ya stand,let them know what ya think about their operation,how them hiring you would greatly improve the flow of work thus getting their profit margin up. [/ QUOTE ] That's a page straight out of an Ayn Rand novel and a valiant idea, but I don't think any legitimate licensed business in California can even allow a person to do that giving the workman's comp laws fiasco we have going on here. They can't allow you to do work without workman's comp insurance and they can't register the insurance without "hiring" you. Unless you come in as a subcontractor and then you're supposed to "employ" and license and insure yourself... It can get sticky, if there's an accident. Good luck Killer!
Hey dummy, I talked to my boss today, if we can get you cerified, I can put you on as a welder, $28 an hour + full bennies lemme know Skip
[ QUOTE ] mc donalds is always hiring. they love giving guys like you a chance too [/ QUOTE ] Loverboy, I already tried... seems I don't weight enough... They said I needed to be at least 300lbs. to flip burgers??????? [ QUOTE ] where are u lookin to work? I know of some local shops lookin [/ QUOTE ] ANYWHERE!!!!! I don't mind drivin.
Jason, Call Brian Wheeler at Wheeler's Speed Shop. He has an AWESOME High End shop. Plenty Busy. Having trouble findin & keepin good help. (Alot have left to do their own thang) 714-842-1881
If you wanted to move to MN, I might be able to help you out. The rod and custom shop I work at is moving to its new facility and looking to hire a few extra guys. We'll also be getting into the custom chopper scene, as well. PM me if you're interested....
Damn! Fonzi steps up. Way to go, bro! Good luck with the lead. I might be able to throw you some work on my car. It might just put food on the table, but at least it will buy you some time. e-mail off the board if you're interested.
if i were you... i'd bust my ass to work at this place Calson & Co. or somwehere like it. the following is the title from an article about them in last sunday's la times. SCULPTURE; The art factory; The crew at Carlson & Co. makes artists' large-scale visions a reality, but they're not big on taking credit.:[ it's basically a fab house for one off stuff that's eiter really wierd, or really big, or both. i think it's in the SF valley. look for the article- i'm sure someone here still has last sunday's la times (i would be suprised if DrJ didn't save it.) i know i'd like to work there.
are you near victorville? somebody asked me if I knew a mechanic for a shop there. I'll get the # when I talk to them.
Fuk Ayn Rand, cracksmoking ho-bag. You need to build an "Ultimate Show car". I volunteer mine, won't even charge ya a cent! -J
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