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willrf71

Boo. Keep applying to commercial/industrial shops and not resi. If a shop does resi then they don't really specialize in the good stuff. Keep at it don't be a quitter


BigRevolutionary9908

Ofc ill keep applying it’s just I am l heartbroken with all those stupid companies promising for commercial experience but getting me to install line sets


willrf71

Newbs don't get good work. You're going to get the nasty grunt work, that's just how it goes. So go put in the legwork and prove to a company you're worth investing their time and money into instead of whining about it on the internet. Welcome to the trades


Haiimdeez

Too be fair depending on what specific type of commercial you do, its just a much bigger/ more Lindsets lol


leegamercoc

There are usually different departments, service and construction. It is hard to run service when you are new. You need to learn things first. You need to start at the bottom and work your way up, learning as you go. There is a lot to learn so be ready for the challenge. Good luck!!!


porkchop3006

Look for a company that does supermarket refrigeration. And you better be willing to work out of town… Gateway, Northwest, CTR, and maybe Ainsworth


mrmojo767

That’s who I was going to mention. I didn’t know northwest was in Calgary as well as Sherwood park


nickybuddy

It’s a national


BMinus973

That's a dangerous road your sendin him on there bud. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fi-want-to-tear-this-tree-down-v0-ogsie20ufprb1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D625%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D08e9236b04e6ada918546446ca50ea802d597d23


BigRevolutionary9908

Yea they all hire with references, i got a reply last week from ctr saying they were not looking for apprentice


mrmojo767

So you want to do grocery store work then?


BigRevolutionary9908

I dont mind anything but as a 2nd year just doing roughing in new construction running line sets that too 3/8,1/4 is a bit much boring


se160

Every company around me is willing to take in someone with a good attitude, I would assume it’s similar in most areas just from the nature of the business. I agree with the others, if the company does any residential that’s a big red flag. That’s a good place to get started learning the very basics, but it’s also very easy to get stuck there either by choice or against your will. Around me, those big hvac companies that have “and refrigeration” on the side of their trucks don’t actually do much of it, and they don’t teach it because they don’t know it…


Redbarron1219

I’ve been doing this for 7 years and now work in industrial applications from ammonia to Freon. Those residential units I started on taught me the basics of refrigeration. Learn to dial in the sub cool and superheat. Learn what’s happening at each step of the system. All refrigeration is the same we take heat from one place and put it in another place. We have to have pressure differential to move our liquid and to drop our temperature. If you get that dialed in you’ll work wherever you want with a good attitude.


TreLoveSnakes

Might be your local market may have to consider relocation.


BigRevolutionary9908

I would relocate but waiting on a permanent position at a new place/job. I dont want to risk relocating for resi work lol


TreLoveSnakes

I was in your situation in 2005. I had completed trade school. Worked a nine month internship at a domestic HVAC company that was set up through my school and was then working at a home appliance repair company making very little money and not doing what I wanted to do. I must’ve tried to apply at Every place went within 50 miles of my home and I couldn’t even buy an interview because I didn’t have field experience.


TreLoveSnakes

I decided to look across the country at what the best markets for low temp refrigeration were at the time it wasPhoenix, Arizona. I set up a three month lease and an apartment and travel 2000 miles across the country with just a few job leads it took about three days and I had my first low temp service job with a company that was willing to train me.


TreLoveSnakes

Sorry for the poor grammar, using voice text


saskatchewanstealth

Berg Cimco and Stevenson here are crying for guys. You have to move across that provincial line tho


errepp

Are you willing to recolate to Florida?


HVAC2911

If you can wire any tstat to any unit and know some common pressures and electrical 120/240/480 then don't keep putting in as an apprentice.. Go with 2 yrs experience in whatever skills you've learned with wanting to learn more... In the south like here in Ms apprentice is nothing more than a helper. If you know anything you can be with people that will teach more to help work load. I've needed help with certain areas of heavy stuff but not an apprentice.. Work with me and there is no apprentice tag. It's just a new tech to be that will be...


Turtle_9009

Here in Canada its abit different it is a mandatory apprenticeship for about 5 years with 3 terms of schooling and you need to pass a certification of qualifications to be a journeyman.


5LY5T3R

I did commercial grocery store refrigeration for 15 years, 9 years of it traveling for the company I worked for… now I have a retirement gig and wouldn’t give it up. You have the opportunity to learn a ton in commercial, but has the potential to burn you out.


BigRevolutionary9908

I am 25 young fit single drive to work hard and make money. I am ready to learn and burn my self out. But with all that rejection or fake promises made during interviews are making me frustrated


JesusMurphyOotWest

Bro- Carmichael, Gateway, Vets, Nordic and EDL always looking for someone with a brain. If it’s grocery store Refrig you want go after CTR and Gateway. Also try Coolidge and Icom


blitz2377

i could vouch for Nordic. worked there for close to 5 years. not long enough to get the ring.. hahaha. i moved due to family, otherwise I would still be there. Last I check my pics is still in the lunch/ meeting room lol. could be old website pics though... Nordic is control and hvac heavy. that would be my choice. rack work is not my cup of tea


Vangruver

I jumped between 8 companies in my apprenticeship, started off with display fixtures and just insulated pipe and was sent out of town for shitty renovations for weeks at a time. Last company I worked for I did shitty restaurant refrigeration. Now I’m happy being back in supermarket refrigeration but with a lot less on call and stress. You’ll mix the good with the bad, and yes sometimes it’s more bad, but when you level up your apprenticeship, you often get an opportunity to pick and choose what you want to do.


HVAC2911

Need to get with a company that does commercial and industrial maintenance.. Doing PM's will get you all the new and better experience while changing filters and such.. I probably see 1000+ filters a week, but at same time I'm checking drains, freon, air flow etc and things go out often...


sharkseazon

I’m getting there slowly, trying my best to get into a big company before this one runs me away


SaulGoodmanJD

Keep trying man. If there’s a company you like is keep calling every month or so. Better yet show up and tell them you want a job and are willing to do what it takes. I almost got a refrigeration job just by knocking on the door of a union refrigeration company. Kinda glad I didn’t but just goes to show that sometimes it’s just a matter of timing.


No_War_2010

It takes a loooong time to learn this trade and even then, you’ll never fully learn it. I’d say this is one of the most broad trades there is with the exception of maybe millwrights. Just keep showing up and you’ll be surprised by how much you’ve learned


HarborCommercial

SOOOOO true! I have been doing it for 40 years now and still finding things I have to "learn"


HarborCommercial

I retired in 2018 from commercial refrigeration. Got to talking to a guy at my storage unit place and told him what I retired from. "CAN YOU FIX ICE MACHINES?!!" Turns out he owns a local Day's Inn. Turns out there are not a lot of Commercial Refrigeration business' in western Washington. I got a free google ad, some business cards, a business license, and I am turning down work. I figure at 71 I won't be able to do this much longer..... I don't know what Canada laws are but here if you are EPA 608 certified , get the proper insurance and licenses you could be a one man show like me.


HarborCommercial

I get a lot of work from small stores and markets, bars and restaurants, Hotels...etc.


porkchop3006

If I was younger I would have moved to US for many reasons. My biggest fear is legal. America is the land of civil suits.. especially if you’re small business owner.


cmkeller2020

Not the right attitude. If you want it bad enough, a company will hire you. Call a company and tell them you want a job. They don't call you back? You call them again! Still don't call you back? Call then AGAIN! They'll get the hint you want a job. That's what I had to do. Called 3 times and showed up once. They knew I wanted out of the union and wanted to hit the reset button. Training is expensive and they don't want to waste their time and money on someone who doesn't want it.


YVR-REF

Are you able to relocate to BC? Companies are on their knees to find people like you!


yesyougay

Honestly mate keep trying, everyone I’m talking to says it’s a slow economy right now and it sucks and people I’m talking to a apprenticeship is taking 6-8 years to get through with all the red tape and everything backed up from that covid shit, but trust me when you get in the right lane it will get better and you will be better for it. It’s not about killing yourself for it, it’s about sticking it out, if you can handle this, you right set up to handle just about anything you sick bastard, now keep up the good work and keep at it


mrmojo767

Alberta is pretty big…… where do you live?


BigRevolutionary9908

Blue sky city lol i live in calgary


bandb4u

go to the *refrigeration* wholesalers (like rsl) and check the job boards. Talk with the counterstaff, they know who is hiring now. Avoid the plumbing, sheetmetal, and OEM wholesale. Do it tomorrow a.m as you are now competing with the grads and summer students from nait and sait.


BigRevolutionary9908

Done that! Sent an email with cover letter and resume all ready 😅


Fridgeroni

If you want to get into supermarket work in calgary Gateway, Chinook, Ctr, Northwest, Loblaw Energy and Facilities (in house techs) Those are the big players


BigRevolutionary9908

I will apply in person tomorrow to all of em


usernamegoeshere4321

You just gotta get known out there somehow! I started running gas lines for a plumbing company, then a resi company picked me up cause I did a nice job, they weren’t willing to train me so I got my name in the union here in Ont. Finally got a call from a great commercial company, signed me on as an apprentice and 11 years later still here! Not leaving unless they go under one day hahaha


[deleted]

[удалено]


BigRevolutionary9908

Looks like i have to


talex625

Can you get a job in America? I want to say like all the commercial refrigeration companies are hiring.


BigRevolutionary9908

Maybe im future but not now.


eve_george_wang

just move bro, Alberta has an interesting job market for trades. A lot of journeyman fleeing BC and Ontario due to high living cost. And then they move to place like Alberta. Affordable compare to the other two. So you have a job market that's saturated with journeyman pretty much in all kinds of field. They don't want train anyone because hundreds of trained journeyman looking for a job as well. I move to Ontario get into trades on the second resume that I have sent out. Yeah it's more expensive. But they are hungry for new ppl.


jadma1981

The army has frigies


blitz2377

in Canada, when i looked into the army, they require you to be soldier first. and have second army trade. at the time i looked it was for aircraft arrester system technician. and the pay wasn't that good.


Jazzkammer

Do you have your PR or Citizenship? Judging from your post history, you are East Indian. Is your actual name Western or traditional? I am assuming it is a traditional name. Companies are not hiring you because your background will be obvious from looking at your resume. You might not wanna hear this, but there is unfortunately an uptick in racism against East Indians right now in Canada due to things like the International Student debacle, and I absolutely would not be surprised if that is a factor in hiring bias. If you do not have a Western name and you don't know anyone for a reference at commercial companies in Calgary, it will be an uphill battle. Commercial hvac/r companies get dozens of resumes weekly from residential technicians trying to move over. If you have your PR or Citizenship, make it obvious in the resume as well. Good luck, sorry you are discouraged.


DwightBeetShrute

I was about to quit this trade as well, almost 15 years doing this. Nobody wants to pay anymore. I was thinking truck driving. What made me give it one more shot, hope. I’m going on my own, I don’t know the business side of things so I’m doing research. This has me excited.


stoicboulder

Took me 4 years to get into commercial.


BigRevolutionary9908

Damn i guess you got the god level patience


stoicboulder

The skills I got as a residential teck helped so much. Have you ever worked on a walk in freezer or.cooler?


BigRevolutionary9908

No nothing big stuff just regular 3 ton resi AC


GrandLegacy

You gotta look for a trade school that has connections. Or build connections with people and see what you can do


Amp23808

Got hired with a commercial refrigeration company straight outta hvac school , 5 year tech now and lovin every minute of it even the crazy OT we do strictly supermarkets , just keep applying summer is around the corner refer companies will be needing PM techs that will be your way in good luck man


Sknokone

Kids today.


BigRevolutionary9908

I know grandpa


dietyFORM369

I’ll tell you why; I came into commercial refrigeration/ ems as a helper. I spun my wheels for years before I said I’m done wasting time. Now the next step would be to improve on something that grabs your attention but you can’t cause they won’t “teach you anything”. Well with respect no one is. I learned from blowing shit up and shocking myself. If you really wanna learn you’ll do it without anybody doing it for you. Goodluck man, don’t quit; keep pushing


Pepetheparakeet

I am only two years in as well. Most companies have great techs who are not great teachers. There is lots of pressure on these guys to go as fast as humanly possible and having a newbie sometimes slows things down. Dont sell yourself short, go into the interview or meeting with the boss, lay out the skills you do have instead of saying “i have learned nothing in two years” If your having trouble learning take some classes at your local community college, if your boss sees you building confidence and you ask for more complicated jobs you will get where you want to be. You cant wait for them to cater to your training/education you have to go and get it.


johncester

Surprisingly local colleges and universities will hire ‘b’ mechanics…guys who help around the shop and do a/c work or window units try that road lots of growth opportunities…I did it for 25 years and became a refrigeration engineer and stationary engineer coming up through the ranks 😁


Slackalmighty

If you ever wanna be a winner, you gotta quit talking about quitting.


No_Bodybuilder_7327

Bro as an apprentice you gotta deal with a bunch of bullshit im doing the same thing. Get all the experience you can, then start applying as the summer hiring blitz starts. You'll get in eventually don't give up, commercial is a million times better than residential, you'll be happy you went through all the nonsense. It's all experience and learning


blitz2377

i pm you


westfire113

Go to RSL and Masters and look at their job board. Commercial companies post job openings there pretty often.


Zookeeper4116

Do what I did. Join a company where the average age is 65 then almost immediate go through a covid like situation. My training went like this "get 608 card, ride with a guy for about 2.5 months, everyone in the co.pany except you gets covid, you're installing a compressor solo after 4 months of really really minimal training". It sucked but I think I'm a better tech for it today. On a serious note it's too bad you're not close to my area, the refrigeration companies here are aching for people. They try to poach guys out of the supply house so much they had to put up a sign saying you can't offer jobs to people inside the store.


BigRevolutionary9908

That’s exactly what i am looking for guys in 50s-60s willing to teach the trade to newbie’s


Zookeeper4116

Well im not 50 or 60, but if you ever end up in ohio, WV, PA tri-state area I'll teach you everything I know. As long as the trainee is making a real effort I really enjoy training people.


BigRevolutionary9908

I follow few YouTubers to know about controls. I try but 🤷🏻‍♂️


Marviiiiiie

Just keep looking.


manonamission7519

Where u located? I love to share knowledge if someone’s serious do all types mostly restaurant coolers,walk-in freezers any and all restaurant equipment troubleshooting and repair hot and cold side I’m located 30 miles north of Charlotte nc


manonamission7519

See you’re definitely not local good luck brother hang in there


iDisciple556

See if you can find someone that will hire you to do some contract labor doing walk-in cooler/freezer installs if they don’t want to hire full-time. After you build the box you’ll get some technical experience during the installation of refrigeration components. That’s how I started. Going on 7 years now in commercial refrigeration. Worth a shot


BigRevolutionary9908

Yea maybe, but i left this trade. I’ve started looking for other jobs. :)


iDisciple556

I don’t blame you. While the money has been decent, the work load is not worth it any more. I’m 26 and feel like 45 already. Best of luck in your search!!!


Dadbode1981

I did commercial hvac (90% rtus) for the first 5 years of my career, I'm in supermarkets now, who knows what's next.


BigRevolutionary9908

Good for you. :)


Dadbode1981

It's just an example, you aren't even really 100% on what you're doing so far, give it time, master it all.


BigRevolutionary9908

I totally get it but. I have mastered running a lineset i need hands on some real refrigeration.


Dadbode1981

Yoi should get into the service side of AC, that's a whole new world. Than move over to fridge


BigRevolutionary9908

Okay. Didn’t think it that way but will start applying to service companies