Here it is, middle of the summer and still no work. I still have not gotten a call for work. Albeit I am only a Jr. HP, but how can an experienced JR HP(~3500 hours) have a hard time getting outage work? I have been working commercial outages since 2005. I worked 10 outages as a Jr. deconner, then made the move to JR HP my last 11 outages. I have been finding it more and more difficult to get work. Not only am I having to fight new blood getting into these classes or getting credit for their online schooling, but I am having to hurdle recruiters.
I recently had an experience with a recruiter which has made my blood boil. I started submitting my resume to this company in early may. Filled out their little form online of top 4 places I wanted to go, even though I knew I wanted to work at one site for the fall. I started making the routine phone calls (not my first rodeo, I know how the game is played). I got an email back from the recruiter only to be approved for a decon position, when I submitted my resume for JR HP. I called the recruiter back and asked to be resubmitted as a JR HP. The recruiter said they would do that for me.
Now, here is where it gets interesting. Right after I got off of the phone with the recruiter, I took the bull by the horns and put the ball into my court. I emailed a house employee at this site with whom I have a great rapport with and told them the situation. Within an hour I was APPROVED as a JR HP by the site! This was June 5th. So I then continue to play the game, call the recruiter and email them as well daily. They claim to not have heard anything back from utility. I give it a rest for a week after three weeks of harassing them. A week later I get a call from the recruiter with whom I had been in contact with. To my amazement when I speak to them, they acted as if it was my first time ever calling the company for work. They asked me if I was still in the business?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I just spoke to you last week!!!! And last I checked I submitted my resume which has my most recent work history! If the recruiter took the time to just look at the fist line of my resume they would see I just worked an outage in June...so yeah I would say I am in the business still. LOL Lastly, they said all JR HP positions were staffed and I had to be put on a back up list.
I understand this company staffs the majority of outages and has an enormous pool of people they deal with on a day to day basis. I am not trying to give them an excuse but what more can I do to get more work? Every place I have ever worked I have left a good impression based on my work ethic. I have networked with people at various plants and sadly it is they who I end up having to get ahold of just to get work...not the recruiters! I give them a chance to do their job and only get burned in the end...or should I say LIED to?