Why is it so hard to get hired with a tree company

DonaldRobertson

DonaldRobertson

Location
Youngstown, Ohio
This might actually belong in the rant and rave section but since it deals with looking for a job I'll just put it here. Why is it when you tell someone the amount of experience that you have and they push you away when your looking for a job? I only have one summers worth of working for an actual tree service but then do some on the side. I think people are missing out on a good hard worker who knows how to handle a saw safely and hell I know how to use a porta wrap and tie a timber hitch and running bowline. Companies just aggravate me cause they don't wanna give no one a chance.
 
Start your own biz and teach em all a lesson.
Its just around the corner.
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I think you need to expand your search area... How many legitimate tree companies are there where you live?

I am sure there are good companies in Columbus and Cleveland area's that are closer to your home.

Call Chris Alhum of Alhum and Arbor... Great Company in Columbus and I'm sure there are others!
 
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Start your own biz and teach em all a lesson.
Its just around the corner.
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If I had some money I would do it in a heart beat. I do some tree jobs on the side and always have my one friend help.
 
DO NOT tell them, you work for yourself on the side.. they figure they're just training the future competition.
Beef up your resume with some training, learn to footlock or do domething else that makes you stand out a little and just remember its a numbers game. I got my last tree job by calling every tree company in the yellow pages.. Git laid of the spray crew on Friday, got a call back on Sat. and started Monday.. never missed a day.. think that was 1982..

SO just keep asking.. tell them you want to work for a comapny that can provide steady work so you can get married and start a family.. tell them what they want to hear to get your foot in the door.. offer to put in a free day on the weekend to show them what you can do.. And get another job in the mean time. It makes you look better.. Some companies will not hire an unemployed person... true story.

If the economy picks up, you'll get a job. Might be with a hack to start.. take it for the experieince, and keep looking..

Good luck
 
Re: Why is it so hard to get hired with a tree com

I'm not trying to defend any of the companies you called but I'll put in my 2 cents. I cringe thinking about having to hire new workers, everyone says they know everything but only 5%, if that, know what they say. I've climbed with you and I know your telling the truth Donny, but the next guy does not know you from Adam. I've contract climbed for companies who said they had ground guys that knew how to run ropes. I'm being serious here only 25% of them would I trust on the rope on a big rigging job. I've taken butt ends way more than I have liked to due to unskilled help. I think the best ground guys are ones that have climbed, done some rigging, and stared that 10" twenty foot long log in the face that could swing and whack you or has a chance of compromising the only weak rigging TIP you have, and know what is going to happen when the ground guy does not run the rope right. This is what i think about when hiring someone new. I'm sure someone will give you a chance, just gotta be patient. Your more than welcome to use me as a reference too, i've contract climbed for a few people in our area, and know others as well. Keep your head up man!
 
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DO NOT tell them, you work for yourself on the side.. they figure they're just training the future competition.

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This makes sence too. For now on I will just tell them only about my actual tree service company work. A few days ago I called a local company and asked him if he was hiring ground guys and he then asked if I had experience as a ground guy and I said yes and and told him the company I worked for last year and I told him how long I worked for them. I said that I been doing tree work for only a couple years which I only worked for the tree service company for a summer and then I mentioned that I done some tree work on the side and once I said that, he told me to call him back later that evening and he "might" give me an interview and he hung up the phone right away since he mentioned that he was on a job but he said this stuff in a rude way and I found it very rude to hang up the phone on me when I am still talking so I never gave him a call back.
 
Rex, you have a good point there. Yeah when a company asks me what my skills are and I will tell them the honest truth cause if you lie to them during an interview or on a phone call with a company saying you know how to do this or that but in reality you really don't have them skills, they will figure it out when they put you to the test. I'm the kinda guy that wants to learn all of this stuff and someday I will, patience is the key but I'm getting a little anxious to start working again. I think I might go apply to Davey Tree tomorrow or sometime next week. I wanna make a current resume so I could turn that in with the application. We'll see what the good brings out in me and I will use you as a personal reference too like you say I can and I thank you for that.
 
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DO NOT tell them, you work for yourself on the side.. they figure they're just training the future competition.
Beef up your resume with some training, learn to footlock or do domething else that makes you stand out a little and just remember its a numbers game. I got my last tree job by calling every tree company in the yellow pages.. Git laid of the spray crew on Friday, got a call back on Sat. and started Monday.. never missed a day.. think that was 1982..

SO just keep asking.. tell them you want to work for a comapny that can provide steady work so you can get married and start a family.. tell them what they want to hear to get your foot in the door.. offer to put in a free day on the weekend to show them what you can do.. And get another job in the mean time. It makes you look better.. Some companies will not hire an unemployed person... true story.

If the economy picks up, you'll get a job. Might be with a hack to start.. take it for the experieince, and keep looking..

Good luck

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Donald, don't get desperate and basically start lying like Daniel is telling you to do!

Be as honest as you possibly can be. A smart owner will hire you on the honesty part, not the tweaking and playing with words and the truth. If you are honest about things in the interview that most people would try to steer away from, a smart owner will really like what they see. Of course, I guess on the other hand; you aren't honest anyway, then be yourself and don't get hired.

That's what I do. If you only say what you think I want to hear, you won't likely get hired.

If you think you are a good find: meaning, hard dedicated worker that will bust your butt and learn fast. Then offer to start working at a low hourly rate, just so they can see what you are like. If you do this with a good company, they likely will not take advantage of you. I've given guys a raise of around $5.00 in like 3 months I think.

Heck, offer to just work for a week at first, just short term employment agreement, then tell them to evaluate after a week and go from there.

With the economy bad, there are an abundance of decent American workers out there looking for a good tree service job, so that's not good for you. I've had the best crew of guys since I started our business 16 years ago and we keep getting good people asking for employment too. So I don't think it's going to be real easy.

I don't recommend you working for a hack though. You might get hurt or killed or learn some really bad habits. Also a hack company will leave you at a really low rate of pay and always be promising to give you a raise soon; when things get better.
 
I'm not that desperate to get hired with a tree service where I would have to lie to get a job and I don't plan on lying in the future either but it just aggravates me for no one that is hiring and I know the economy isn't that great but there has to be someone out there that is hiring.
 
I gotta throw in that honesty is respected, so is a bit of humble pie..most guys I see get respect in this trade are those willing to learn and grow. It seems most would like to hire a guy with "some" skills, but a willingness..over a cocky know-it-all. Be honest and show that your skills on the job and on the side are just another step towards improvement...and if I can quote Roadhouse "be nice"..
 
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We'd love to have you in Columbus, I can't find anyone willing to climb. Give me call or email.

Chris Ahlum
614-876-5622

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You better be all over this one... or else no more complaining!!!
 
DonaldRobertson,

Bugger the emails, Dash the phone! Reduce your resume to a business card.

Get up early, dress for work. Stuff your PPE and climbing gear in a a bag, get on a bus if that is how you get around.

Get you and your gear to an affluent neighbourhood at an hour before tree crews may be arriving, stand back and listen for the sound of chainsaws.

When you hear one fire up, proceed in that direction until you find a crew in action. Once you've found tree work going on:

Don your PPE, stand in an obvious position but out of the way. Smile and knod your head, if you see hack/unsafe work, now's the time to boot it.

You may have to wait some time before anyone has a moment, but there will eventually be a break. Ask to speak to the person in charge, hand them your card, tell them you can do this and that job, you're ready to go and want to pitch in RIGHT NOW!

You might not get a job on the spot, but your willingness, determination and preparation will put that business card of yours 10X ahead of a resume, 100X ahead of a phone call or email.

Alternately, if you know where a good local crew marshalls from, follow them to a jobsite, equipped for work and show them you are good to go.

I wouldn't steer you wrong, go out like this for a week, you'll have work by next Monday.

Northwind
 
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