Re: How does one find employees, including trainees?

[JoeRaisin <joeraisin@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

shady wrote:
> "mm" <NOPSAMmm2005@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:7r4m721d30i0tefa8o2lq5phu4orc9b8gv@xxxxxxxxxx
>
>>How does one find employees, including trainees?
>>
>>I have a friend with a burglar alarm business, installation and
>>monitoring, homes and commerical property (no autos).
>>
>>He needs more installers and repairmen.   Any ideas on where he can
>>get them?
>>
>
>
> I got my start about two years ago from an ad posted at an employment
> agency.
>
> I had tons of computer experience, a little home construction experience,
> but no alarm experience at all... never even touched a keypad before.
>
> He was looking for someone experienced, but was willing to train too.
>
> There isn't really much training when you get someone like me.  Now I'm the
> only person doing installations and service.  15-20 installations a month.
> Residential, commercial, cameras, and whatever else I get thrown into.  It's
> a small town so we manage to keep up but are generally booked solid for a
> week or two in advance.
>
> As far as ohm's law goes, I've never used it.  What would I need it for in
> the alarm field?  Electronics, sure... electrical, maybe... alarms, no.
>
>

Knowledge of Ohm's Law, however, implies a certain background or
training in electronics.

Someone who knows Ohm's law is almost certain to understand the
difference between a series circuit and a parallel circuit (very
important in installing and troubleshooting alarms).

The last guy my company hired (and who is no longer working for us)
overstated his training on his resume.  He was a telephone "tech" in the
military, and made it sound as though he was versed in electronics while
all he really did was splice wires.  Had they asked him that simple
question (Ohm's law) we would have at least been working with a known
value.  Instead there was a lot of frustration before the rest of us
figured out he really didn't know what he said he knew.

A few of us took him under wing and tried teaching him but he decided to
quit instead.  In his words, "its only a matter of time until they fire me."

So, while knowing Ohm's law may make one over qualified... it still
means that they are likey to be able to handle anything the job throws
at them (electronically).