Plumber
(Male, Age 28) from Garner, NC
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Male aged 28 who works as a Plumber in Garner, NC. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Plumber |
|---|---|
| Salary | $20,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Garner, NC |
| Years Experience | 3 months |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I currently work for a small plumbing company out of Clayton, NC. We do commercial plumbing only. New or existing. We have anywhere from 25-35 people at any given time depending on work load and the amount of additional help we need.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Rough-in and trim out of commercial plumbing job sites. We do from the very beginning with the digging and putting pipes in the ground to installing sinks, toilets, etc…
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
none at the moment
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I usually work with the same crew that consists of another plumber who has more experience than I do and an unskilled laborer who helps us. We also has daily contact with eletricians, drywall guys, painters, etc… on a daily basis.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in the field with hands-on. I love my job because I am not stuck at a desk everyday. We also get to move from location to location so one day I might be doing a school and the next a restaurant.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 4
Hours: 5
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 3
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 6
The Actual Work: 7
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | On the job now for over an hour on any given day. We survey the area and begin work. We collect materials that we need. Also we call back to the office to let them know if we will need additional supplies so they can hopefully get them out to us ASAP. |
| 8am to 9am | With the materials in hand we begin our tasks for the day. This involves reading blueprints to determine where fixtures, pipes, etc are to be placed in the final plan. We usually also take a 15 minute break because we have been at work for awhile now. |
| 9am to 10am | We dig into the ground to replace old pipes or install new pipes. All of the work we do is commercial and mostly new commercial so tieing into old lines is usually a one day thing. We also mark out the area where certain pipes and fixtures are supposed to go. |
| 10am to 11am | Place fittings on the pipes that we will not be using right away. We have to wait for the drywall guys, etc… to do their portion before we can finish ours. After the drywall guys are done then we can come in and put the pipes and fixtures on the outsides of the walls. |
| 11am to 12pm | Test to make sure no leaks exist. First we test with air pressure to make sure that we don’t have any leaks and that our soldering is going to hold up. After the air test is a go then we test again with water. |
| 12pm to 1pm | This is our lunch time. Also we use this time to run to the supply house if we need something. Sometimes the office might have some extra but if not then we have to make a trip to the supply house. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Resume work after lunch. Install fixtures in other portions of the building that the drywall guys have already done. Also begin a new room so that the drywall guys can come behind us. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Test to make sure fixtures work and no leaks. We also have to make sur ethat Hot is coming from Hot and Cold for the Cold taps on the sinks. And again we always test with air first. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Tie up any loose ends and we are usually off a job site by 3:30 or 4pm at the latest. We also clean up after ourselves a little bit so that we have a fresh start the next day. You also don’t want to leave lots of stuff laying around for another worker to trip over, etc… |
| 4pm to 5pm | Home by 4 sometimes earlier and sometimes a little later. This depends on where the job was located. Once I get home I usually wash my hands and shower to get any dirt or insulation off of me from the day. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Home |
| 6pm to 7pm | Home and eating dinner with the family. |
| 7pm to 8pm | Home |
| 8pm to 9pm | Home and going to bed. |
| 9pm to 10pm | Asleep. |
| 10pm to 11pm | Asleep. |
| 11pm to 12am | Asleep. |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
referral
What was the application process?
paper application
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, one to make sure that I had the knowledge to do my job. I had an individual interviewed with the owner of the company.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
He asked about my past plumbing experience and why I had left my other jobs. He also asked me basic plumbing questions that I would know the answer to if my references and past work experience was correct.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, I was told up front what was expected of me. I was also told after a trial I would receive a raise. Also I was given a list of tools I needed to start and what I was expected to have after 6 months to a year.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Just learning on the job.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
I have a GED only and don’t think my job requires any knowledge outside of that and common sense and hands-on experience.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
not applicable
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend getting on with a plumbing company and working your way to the top. Any certifications that you would need you can often get the company to pay for. Also any tools you need to start are relatively cheap and can buy the more expensive tools as you make money from working.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Ultimately you need to be able to read blueprints to determine where pipes, etc… need to go. You should also be good with your hands and always think about safety.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Eventually to make more money you will need certain certifications.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Talk to the employees at the company and make sure they like the boss. Many plumbing companies are Mom-n-Pop operations.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, I need to make money to pay the bills and pay for the certifications for my computer business.
What are your current career goals?
I want to provide for my family. Eventually I would like to open my own computer business.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Everyone deserves a second chance.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Plumber’s Helper | 1.5 year | 20000 | Same as current job. But now I have more experience so my title is different. |
| Prior Job 2 | Plumber’s Helper | 1 year | 18000 | Same as current job. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:GED
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
|||
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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