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Be careful what you wish for!

987 views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  kenseth17 
#1 · (Edited)
JOB HUNTING? Be careful what you wish for!

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=38# Several months ago I fired off a resume to a local auto restoration shop that was looking for a restoration-technician. In my cover letter and introduction I mentioned that for a chance at a job like that I would almost work for nothing, or something worded very close to that! Several months pass- I hear nothing- then today, on the very same bulletin board that posted the original ad is one that now reads: 'Auto/restoration-technician INTERNS wanted! (2) positions available for someone willing to work 12 months (NO WAGES) in exchange for the work experience you will gain!'
I somehow feel violated. I'm still looking for work but will perhaps choose my words with a little more thought from here on out! :mad:
Ratpoweredvette
 
#5 ·
Well an education is not inexpensive, no matter where you get it.
I suspect the place is poorly managed, and not at all correct in offering that kind of opportunity..If the place is doing well, they will be able to hire someone to train on the same plan and pay them a wage.. If they can't pay you, then can they pay for your workman's comp, or ss, or give you any benefits? What if you get hurt on the job? Their insurance might not pay at all if you were not a paid employee...You need to at least have workman's comp. Last time I checked it was about 17.00 per 100.00 in wages for comp insurance for an auto repair shop job, (street rod shops fall into that catagory). Do they offer housing or meals? You need to be able to live while you are learning...I don't know if you have a wife or kids or bills, that would be hard on them.

I'm not sure that the labor laws will allow someone to work like that anyway, unless the shop is accredited with the state as educational establishment. IIRC, those places that use student employees must say so to their customers, and then charge a drastically reduced shop rate for work. (if they can charge at all) As a matter of fact, I don't think that any regular shop can sell services utilizing free labor,no matter what the deal is.
When I was setting up and administering hands on aptitude tests for possible workers at the fiberglass shop, , the big catch was that nothing they built or worked on could be used in any commerce, the practice parts needed to be throwaways.

I'd have them write up a contract stating their deal, and then give your local labor board a call, before I'd think it was a wish come true....If they won't talk about a contract, it's no deal at all, and just a scam.

When you are "trained" will they give you a paying job there?Or a certificate of any kind?

This isn't the old days, when shops had apprenticeships and there were guilds and all that. Even back in the '70s, when I started working, I begged the company to let me work for the experience, but they would not let me, I had to get my ss card and they still paid me...big money...2.25 an hour.

Just something to think about.

It might be real as rain, and if you could afford it, it would be a good opportunity, but you would do well to check it out to see if it's even legal.

Sounds totally fishy to me too.

Later, mikey
 
#6 ·
read some of this.
http://www.onedayoneinternship.com/blog/are-unpaid-internships-illegal/

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division created a test to determine whether a “trainee” or intern is considered an “employee” based on a 1947 Supreme Court decision
Pay close attention to the conditions of # 4.
. If the employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees and, on occasion, the employer’s operations are actually impeded;
If a company offering an internship fails to meet any one of the 6 conditions of the test referenced in that link above, they are considered employees, and entitled to wages.

An apprenticeship is administered through the state, and has it's own set of rules.

I think that company offering the "internship" really needs to be looked at, by someone at the Ca labor board, so no one gets took for a ride.

If a guy wanted to volunteer his time, that's one thing, and there are also labor laws that cover volunteers.

Later, mikey
 
#7 ·
Hopefully any prospective customers will see that and realize that they do not want their ride built or worked on by unpaid prospects.

I know I wouldn't, unless I were able to be there and supervise- and it was gratis. Maybe not even then.

Very poor business model, in any event.
 
#9 ·
This internship BS is getting WAY out of hand. With so many schools requiring internships to pass their classes both high school and College kids are being forced to work for free. In fact many students are PAYING companies to find them internships.

It reminds me of when my wife got her internship for Washington County in Oregon. She was being paid $10 an hour, about half the going rate. When her boss passed away, she ended up running the department for over a year. Still making only $10 an hour. About 1 week before they where required by law to giver her the job they hired a black lady to replace her. This was a clear case of affirmative action, as she had almost no experience in the field and the paper just had an article about the lack of minority's working for the county. They even wanted my wife to stay on for another week to train the new person :thumbup: I think internships are just a bad idea in general.

If you want to work for free thats your own business but it should be illegal for a school to force you to work for free to get a degree.

Jordon
 
#10 ·
xxllmm4 said:
This internship BS is getting WAY out of hand. With so many schools requiring internships to pass their classes both high school and College kids are being forced to work for free. In fact many students are PAYING companies to find them internships.


If you want to work for free thats your own business but it should be illegal for a school to force you to work for free to get a degree.

Jordon
Yeah those darn medical interns don't need the training anyways. :thumbup:
 
#11 ·
classicautoresto said:
Yeah those darn medical interns don't need the training anyways. :thumbup:
Medical interns in Canada get paid, quite well...about 45 000 a year depending on what you do and where you work. Add in the low cost housing usually offered close to the hospital and they are far from starving.

That is a starting wage BTW.
 
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