Job in Vancouver or Area

[RHDskyline]

Hey


So im seriously considering moving out to the Vancouver Area in the next month or so. I'v been in Alberta my whole life and I'm not, nor do i have any desire to be, involved with the oil business.

I think BC is a beautiful place. I know its super expensive there and everything costs more, and you make less money. But i think the payoff is the scenery.

I will just be packing my skyline and heading to Vancouver from Lethbridge, Alberta. I have 2 brothers on bowen island and 2 really close friends in downtown Vancouver.

I've been browsing kijiji and stuff for jobs and places to live already.


Of course I want what everyone wants, but i was hoping i could find a job that dealt with import cars. Specifically tuners. Like skylines, s13's, supra's, rx7's, soarers. And the many more their are.

I know there are quite a few tuner shops around the vancouver area and in BC in general.

IF anybody knows of any shops that could use an extra hand, or if some of the sponsors on here think they could use an extra hand. I'm offering myself.

If you want more info about me just ask.

Im an 18 year old caucasian male. Graduated highschool last year. I have been into import cars around the time i got my learners (14). My first car i got was a Mk2 supra when i was 16. I've had over 30 cars in that time frame. A lot of my personal cars were imports. I had 2 more supra's, a civic, a laser, 5-240sx's, silvia, skyline and then my current skyline.

EVERY SINGLE CAR I've had, I've made money on when i sold it. I've been driving for just over 2 years now. No tickets. I have a photo radar but i wasn't driving. I've never been pulled over. Even in the year I've had my skyline now.

I am not short of experience when it comes to cars and other jobs. I worked at Little Caesars Pizza for 9 months. I ran a recycling business with my dad. I also ran a Yard care business with my dad. And we also had a sign business. I worked with my dad with those business for the past 2 years while working at little caesars. I also worked at Sears doing night close out. So i know how to close a business up and do cash out.

As for my car related jobs. I worked at a GM dealership in Taber just filling in for 2 months. I worked in the wash bay. Washing new and used vehicles and detailing them.

Ever since i was 14 I've been working on cars since my dad is a journeyman by trade so he taught me the ropes. this last November and December I did a sr20 swap into my 240. I did the whole swap alone. I had no help at all. I pulled the ka by myself, did all the prep work, swapped sr20 in and got it running by doing my own wiring.

I have no mechanical schooling so I am not a technician. But ive done a lot of car related stuff. I've installed numerous car stereos including decks, speakers subs, satellite radios, etc... Ive installed gauges, seats, harnesses steering wheels anything you name is. I did a HICAS lockout bar on my car. Pretty much the average stuff. I've done it.

From January 4th to March 4th of this year. I am at another GM dealership just for 2 months filling in. This time i am doing oil changes, semi annual inspections and other random jobs.

If i seem like the kind of guy that could help you out

Fire me a PM. Id be interested in talking to you

THanks

[Shadao]

i wish i could offer you words of encouragement, but this is the worst time of year to move and look for work, especially in vancouver area... unless you have an education, be it whtie collar, blue collar, no collar its not gonna be easy to secure employment that will pay you enough to live on...

i myself live in the kootenays, which is not anywhere near vancouver, the only reason im still here is because i can barely afford it... im planning on going to BCIT in sept. for a trades program because of the retiree's happening in trades over the next 5-10yrs, there will be a seriously huge demand for skilled trades workers... ive been out of work since Oct. and out of ALL my resumes i have handed out i have not got one single phone call...

my suggestion to you is to secure some kind of job BEFORE you go, dont move down there and expect to find something... contact some employment training places, see if they can help... while you may have no desire to work in the oil/natural gas industry, it may be a temporary means to build up funds to fascilitate moving to BC... almost every place i have called inquring about possible work has either told me "we arent hiring atm" or "we are currently overstaffed" my usual response to such places is " well then can you kindly take down your online job postings because its causing me false hope in thinking i may find employment, which is adding to my already overwhelming stress levels "

i may even end up going up to northern alberta for a couple months to work because i need to work to live, in that couple months it will provide me with enough income to survive for a few more months after i return. and before going to school.

BC may be the best place to live, but its one of the worst places to find a job if you are an unskilled worker. By unskilled i dont mean useless i mean someone who does not have any official document stating they are a qualified person(ie Red Seal program)

[benelli]

yeah.....what Shadao said is true. It is the worst time of year to move and look for work, in the vancouver area. I have both a diploma and a degree in finance/business, but it's still challenging to find a job here. Mostly, because companies seem to want people with a lot of experience, but they want to pay you entry level salary/wages. It just seems like companies are afraid to take risks right now, and you can't blame them given the state of business in the last 2+ years.

You should at the very least have some sort of job secured before coming here or have enough money to live on for about 2-3 months with no job. Keep in mind that housing is expensive in vancouver especially in downtown.
I am not trying to be mean or anything, but plan out what you will do in vancouver for the next 3 months. Plan for the worst, BUT hope for the best! That way there are no surprises.

good luck to you!

[NismoS-tune]

It's unfortunate you don't want anything to do with the oil business, they pay some of the highest wages in Canada. Here's a stupid example: we've got a 17 year old squid who got a job with us, freshly graduated, hasn't start electrical schooling yet and started at $28/hr.... pisses me off, the kid is green, useless cause you can't left him alone (can only really watch or fetch parts, oh wait, no drivers license either) with no experience, full of pompous attitude though he's nearly wrong about everything and worst part is, doesn't even know what a car jack is. He's not dumb, he's just inexperienced in life and he's merely coming off mom's boob. I'm only sickened cause I had to start at $6/hr and I had to work to earn my paycheck (thank you crappy little commercial companies lol.

Anyways, he's over $100k a year just to show up and watch/learn. He works the oil patch lol.

I think he lives in him mom's basement too, so he's pretty much 100% in pocket revenue haha. SICK!!!

As for moving anywhere for work, try to solidify a job first or atleast somewhere to live. The rest is all talk

[DreadedFist]

Good luck. I've been looking for a part time job for a while now because I'm bored. The only stuff I've come across that I found the least bit appealing was warehouse type stuff that doesn't pay well, but keeps you busy all day (I enjoy the heavy lifting aspect, don't ask why because I couldn't tell you).

Have you considered waiting a little while longer, for the economy to unfuck itself? I'd recommend that if you can stomach AB for a little while longer :P

[xyz999]

You sound like a very talented individual. Not many people at your age can do all those stuff you have done, if you have done it. Have you thought about getting some kind of education, be it trade school or college or apprenticeship. They could do you good in the long run.

I am 19 as well, that's just my 2 cents bout life @_@. Good luck in Vancouver, really nice place!

[falcon]

Seriously, there are tons of people just like you looking for work here right now. Including myself. I just got laid off and am having difficulty finding work. And I have more experience than you as well in sales and service work (advisor). My recommendation is if you have a job now, keep it. Now is not the time to be moving from one of the provinces with tons of work to Vancouver.

[RHDskyline]

To Answer some of your guy's questions. First off. Thanks for the head up. I have my friends in downtown van right now, barely living off what they are making telling me they will never come to Alberta, they love it out there. Then i got people like you guys and a guy at my work who has been there and came back cause he could live out there. He had a family though and had to support them.

He was telling to me to get a trailer and go in the campground to live 350 a month with cable and internet. Now thats the life eh.

As for the other questions.

I hate the oil industry and i do not want to be associated with it in anyway. For reasons you stated. Generally the people aren't the smartest. But im not making judgements cause there are a lot of oil people who are educated. But its not my scene

Right now i am making 11 bucks an hour at a GM dealership. MY sisters boyfriend is making 23 bucks an hour sitting in an office. They had an opening and i didn't want it. I would rather make 11 at a job i enjoy than 23 at a job where i drag myself to work.

To me. Its not about money. Its never been about money, and i hope it never is about money. Its about making me happy. Do what you want, but do it honestly.

I always get by somehow on the money i got and i love it. My days are more exciting when i'm penniless.

I got 2 brothers on bowen island that do concrete counter tops and business is steady for them.


As for going back to school....no. Im going on like a 5 year world trip with my best friend in JUne of 2013 so im not making any serious commitments before then. And besides. 12 years was enough for me

[QuietChaos]

I wish you luck. Personally, I'm going to finish university before considering doing anything drastic. It will hopefully pay off in the long run.

[Shadao]

As for the other questions.

Right now i am making 11 bucks an hour at a GM dealership. MY sisters boyfriend is making 23 bucks an hour sitting in an office. They had an opening and i didn't want it. I would rather make 11 at a job i enjoy than 23 at a job where i drag myself to work.

To me. Its not about money. Its never been about money, and i hope it never is about money. Its about making me happy. Do what you want, but do it honestly.

I always get by somehow on the money i got and i love it. My days are more exciting when i'm penniless.

I got 2 brothers on bowen island that do concrete counter tops and business is steady for them.


As for going back to school....no. Im going on like a 5 year world trip with my best friend in JUne of 2013 so im not making any serious commitments before then. And besides. 12 years was enough for me

ok couple things with this i gotta comment on... coming from a guy who is 30, just had his hot wifey leave him due to bad financial situation, shes taking one of the dogs and a bunch of her stuff.... remember im out of work and wanting to go back to school... life is not exciting when you are broke...

as time ticks by things get harder... and harder, depression will set in and you will be fooked.... yes you are young but take some advice from an old guy... you may think 12 yrs was enough school, and you're gonna take 5 yrs off.... well back in the day some 13 years ago, i decided to take 5 yrs off, turned into another 8 years after that and now i am where i am...

you wanna travel the world? nice so do i, and by going to school for a specific trade it will allow me to do such a thing, travel the world, and MAKE money.... a good friend of mine got back from china a few months back after being the foreman for a powerplants construction, he was there off and on for 8 months. and made about 100k... he stayed in 5 star resorts and was treated like a god, taken to all the best spots to eat, and be entertained... upon returning he has been offered 2000$ per day jobs, and turned them down...

the trade im wanting to do requires a gr 11 education, and 6months of schooling... it may take me 4-5 yrs to get to the level of workmanship my friend is at, and it will take alot of hard back breaking dirty tough work but it will be worth it...

so re-evaluating your plans is a GOOD thing to do right now... with all the baby boomers retiring and trades already in high demand for skilled qualified workers now is the time to get in... work hard now then travel later.... and get paid to travel...


remember too, that women, houses and our cars are only going to get more expensive to buy and maintain... so plan SMRT for the future...

[RHDskyline]

trust me. I fully understand everything you are saying. And i take it. Im not someone who listens and forgets.

But let me say this again. Money doesn't matter to me. You might all think i'm crazy and i know that 1 day i might regret something but as for right now I'm happy. IM not saying i don't like money. Cause money is good, it buys me the stuff i like. But it doesn't matter. I get by on such little cash its not even funny. All the extra money i make is spent on dodads anyway.

with that being said. IM travelling the world with my best friend in a van. We will take whatever money we have and go. ANd see how far that gets us. Where we stop. is where we work, get enough money to keep going. We aren't traveling the world to see the world. We are traveling the world to experience the world cause we both have the same mindset on society and how society creates these false people. Let me be the first to say. I'm not happy of the world i live in. I don't want to be a part of the unhappiness. The world has so much potential with all these amazing people with these amazing gifts and its wasted on garbage.



I say this with no intentions at all of being a **** Shadao, but If your wife left you because of financial problems, i don't think she was the right woman in the first place. A person who loves you for everything you are, doesn't leave you when you don't have a certain object. Cause thats all money is, its an object.


I may only be 18. But the "real world" isn't so different from high school. ITs pretty much the same. And i dated a my ex gf for 2 years and their was periods were i was broke as hell. I couldn't even afford to drive to see her. All she did was get more excited for the next time i could. Love has no restrictions on what it should and shouldn't be. If you admit that love can be ruled by reason, all possibility of love is destroyed.

True Love is a dying concept in my generation and it kills me to see. A lot of stuff that makes life great is dying in my generation. My generation is slowly ******* the world.



On topic though. My brother has a place in Bowen island, pretty big actually, i seen pictures, and he said i could crash there no problem.

[dah_hunter]

I like this Kid.. RHDskyline your my new favorite person..

First off.. dont use kijiji down here... for some reason its cool everywhere else in Canada but in the Vancouver area is sucks balls..

Use Craigslist to look for work:
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/

This is what i would do if i were you.. go work for your brothers one Bowen Island.. save up 3 months worth of cash, so like 3 k.. then get a place in like surrey or outside of vancouver.. then get a crappy job.. (Dont be picky) work that crappy job, and scrape by until you can find a better one that you like..


Your mind set is just what i like.. Screw school. screw money.. i did my 12 years.. then i just worked at what i love doing (Computer stuff) got a good job now thats flexible.. so i can travel, got cars, motor bike..just bought a house.

do i want to make 100k a year.. No! Most people that do are dicks.. i would rather have less money and be happy, then more money and be stressed.. I ahve been to africa a couple times, and seeing people dieing of aids, with no clothes, food or water.. yet they are happier then 90% of the people i know.. that really says something.. so screw all the haters..

if you need a place to crash hit me up in this area.. hit me up.

*End morning rant*

[Paradis]

I support the OP, get out of alberta as soon as you can, and make it work wherever you go. I'm moving to Van this next fall and i can't wait. I hate alberta. If you don't work in the oil industry, this province is provides no existential fulfillment whatsoever. Like someone else pointed out, yes there are opportunities to make a ton of cash, but i could give a crap. Money is no exchange for happiness and time. ...and this place is a cultural blackhole.

Granted i have degree and several years of experiences in the HR-consulting industry, but regardless i regret not leaving earlier.

[Snow]

To each their own. I side with Shadao in thinking you may one day regret your decisions but maybe I took the safe route by getting a degree and a decent paying job.

Also don't limit yourself to cars and mechanical. You might find joy in building your own business of any type (sounds like you have some experience with your dad).

I do feel this is a terrible time to come to Van. If you do insist on it I suggest you at the very least sell your car (one of them) for a slush fund at the very least.

[dah_hunter]

Money is no exchange for happiness and time. .

Amen to that.