Once you learn some of the comercial basics like bending, metal studs, material, equipment, etc. then you can ask for more $. Otherwise go ahead and look for another comercial place. At least then you would have some comercial experiance. The key is to get your foot in the door.
Just like an non experianced person that wants to be an electrician. Some may find it difficult to get started. But if you say the pay rate is not as important as getting started you will get a job much faster.
Think of it this way. Many people pay huge money for an education. On top of that they have to cover living expences. A number of graduates have a student loan to pay for many years. In the trades it tends to be different. You hopefully learn on the job while getting paid. Some places will even send you to classes and pay for it.
Now look at it from the emploiers point of view. Are you better paying a JW that should know what to do in a reasonable amount of time without mistakes. Or a newbe for 1/2 as much that takes 2 times as long to do the same job. The cost to perform the same fuction may be the same. The disadvantage of the newbe is the work quality may not be as good, more chances of mistakes, damage, injury, and they should be supervised more closely.
The only advantages of hireing a newbe are:
A. They are doing more unskilled phiscal work when a JW is not needed but it also will mean less of a chance to learn.
B. The newbe is faster, does not take twice as long as a JW with reasonable quality, and no major mistakes
C. The newbe is paid less then half a JW.
D. I hate this the worst. When an emploier will just use only apprentaces. Drop em off at a job till they are done. Then fix what is taggeg or does not work. Not only will you not learn so much you will probibly learn things wrong. Because not one person on the crew seen the inside of the NEC but one herd from another that the code was this.
I mean no offence to people just starting and there are some great workers out there and some bad JW too. Just tring to explain the business side of it too.
Tom
[This message has been edited by Active 1 (edited 02-18-2006).]
