The coronavirus pandemic is having a profound impact on the job market as millions of Americans are now working from home, often at reduced hours, or, unfortunately, have lost their jobs altogether.
Even before the pandemic, signs of a fundamental shift were occurring in the global labor market, with many jobs requiring more specific skills, and new industries emerging as others decline. Many of those jobs that are increasing in need are jobs that often relate to residential and commercial plumbing, large water vessel leaks and repairs (pools, spas, etc) and irrigation systems. Our infrastructure is tied together with pipes and plumbing lines. These are among the fastest-growing sectors in the world.
On a recent visit to an expo in Florida, I talked with owners of pool and plumbing repair businesses from up and down the eastern seaboard about the role education must play in developing a skilled workforce ready to fill the jobs required in their fields. Whether the jobs are related to plumbing, swimming pools or irrigation systems, or other water related fields, one thing remained clear throughout the conversations – new challenges consistently present new opportunities for well trained and equipped contractors.
To emerge stronger from the shadow of this pandemic we are all working through, and to continue to build a prosperous global economy, people who want to work must embrace the opportunities presented by the new job market dynamics that are directing how, when and where people will be able to provide for their families. They have to learn the skills needed to be successful in the future.
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One person I talked to shared his personal story with me in an email as he felt people would benefit from it. It may offer some value to those who have experienced a job loss or are considering a career change is necessary during this stressful period to continue to thrive and provide for their families.
Geoffrey shared, “Going all the way back, as I prepared to graduate high school, uncertainty was the only certain thing in my life. My family’s financial ability to send me to college simply didn’t exist, so I aggressively began developing vocational skills: I learned auto mechanics from my father, who worked in a car dealership; I learned plumbing skills in my grandfather’s business before he retired, and a little bit about welding from friends who later became successful business owners. Each skill provided me with reasonable income for an 18-year-old.
At age 20, I joined the Military. It was only through Military service that I would improve my education and I earned my Bachelor’s Degree. When I left the military, I was unsure what I wanted to do next. My career choices were still limited, regardless of the degree I earned simply because I had limited ability to do actual skilled labor, in any field that needed contractors. A degree in Communications meant nothing in the real world. Entry level positions, part-time pay and no health insurance – this was what I was competing for, even with the degree.
I spent many years moving from one job to another with no room for advancement. A mailroom attendant, parking cars on nights and weekends, working in restaurants, delivering packages; all these jobs kept me employed, paid my rent and fed me, but then what? Tomorrow was the same day as yesterday and my bank account grew slowly. Then my landlord told me he had a leak in his swimming pool at his home and asked if I knew anyone who could find it. Online research brought me to LeakTronics.
I watched videos, I read blog posts, I did Google searches and learned all the information I could about finding the leak in my landlord’s pool, and when he did get a contractor there the following week, I watched him work. He dove into the pool in a wetsuit, used a lot of dye, squirting it all around the pool, spent nearly 3 hours swimming around and in the end, he still didn’t find the leak. I asked him if he had a microphone that goes in the water and his response was that if he couldn’t find it, no microphone was going to. He was very wrong.
I called LeakTronics, put $3800 on my credit card for the online swimming pool leak detection training and equipment package and started the online training course right away. It was a risk, but what did I have to lose? I’m not out at night, I can’t afford to go out. I still have a day job, if this doesn’t work, I just keep going to work, but if it does work .…
My equipment arrived on Thursday morning. I had been reviewing the online training modules in LeakTronics training course since Sunday morning and I had a good idea of what I was doing. I got out the equipment, familiarized myself with what I’d learned and I called my landlord, offering that if I could find the leak in the pool, would he pay me $350, like he was going to pay the guy with the wetsuit. He agreed, but stated that if I didn’t find the problem, he wasn’t paying. Fair enough for what I would consider a training run.
I approached the pool and looked it over. It had been filled, the equipment was off and I started listening inside the water with my PoolScope. To cut this shorter, because I know it’s getting long, I was finished in 28 minutes. I found two issues, one inside a return line that was the real culprit, and I got my first $350 for performing a leak detection on a Saturday. A weeks pay for an hour of my day. When I shared my story at work on Monday, my boss hired me to find a leak in his pool and paid me $400. It just grew from there by word of mouth and I banked easily, fourth months pay, just working Friday, Saturday and Sunday for three months. I opted to market myself as a full time leak detection professional, departed from my $14 an hour job and have been working daily ever since.
This was three and a half years ago. I have a staff of 4 employees, all full time, two work trucks and an office phone that rings every day with new customer calls. I am living proof that the path to a given career is not always direct and it certainly isn’t easy. Take the time to understand what is important to you, focus on obtaining the right skills, and take advantage of opportunities whenever and wherever they present themselves.
History teaches us that people are adaptable and resilient. We meet the challenges of economic hardship with a desire to get through it. I strongly believe that out of the adversity of the this pandemic, new opportunities, like the ones presented to me by LeakTronics exist, you have to take the risk and put all you’v got into it. Somebody told me that opportunity only knocks once but In reality, it sits there waiting for you to find it. Call LeakTronics NOW, opportunity is knocking!”
Geoff Mulvaney – Leak Detection Specialist, LeakTronics Certified
Truth be told, Geoff is one of the thousands of success stories we have at LeakTronics. Training for a successful career in Leak Detection can be done with LeakTronics Online Training Platform in a week and you can be performing your first leak detection immediately, and getting paid! Go online and learn about it HERE.
LeakTronics Swimming Pool leak Detection and Certification program includes the Pro Complete Leak Detection Kit, with everything a technician needs to perform the job. You get the support of LeakTronics to answer any questions, even when on the job and you work on your own terms. Launch your career today for around $4000 and set yourself up for a lifetime of success with your own leak detection service company, we will teach you how and help get you working today.
Call LeakTronics at 818-436-2953 for more information. We’re here to help.
