Interview date next month!

Hello everyone, I have a scheduled interview date next month for the IUEC Local 18 and was wondering if anyone had any advice/feedback on how to better prepare myself for this interview. Also if there is any study material/books to read up on and learn more about the industry. Thank you, any feedback will be greatly appreciate.

Yes, dress up arrive early and bring all your paperwork, resume, diplomas etc. They told me that they don't take anything into consideration that you do not have paperwork on. In my interview they asked I think 10 questions, they were pretty easy. Goodluck

Where are you located Junior? I applied as well to local 18 in Vegas

Thank you for the advice greatly appreciated.

I'm currently in Los Angeles, have you taken your EIAT exam already?

Yes sir, took it a month or two ago. Message me if you have any questions (I typically check the forums every few days)

Hello, I have an interview next week for local 18 also. Bomfire, I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of questions they asked...are they going to ask me about my current job? I read that they will discuss mechanical abilities. I'm worried I don't have enough experience in the field of mechanics, but I am more then willing to learn. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I went in june, they do not ask job specific questions meaning they did not ask questions about elevators or anything. They ask like why would you be good for this job and What would make you a good instructor, they asked how can your skills relate . It was only 10.questions I think and everyone is asked the same. They do not expect you to know everything just be able.to learn.

Thank you TxVet! Much appreciated! Wondering if you got news yet on how you did on your interview? are you local 18 also?

I am in Austin I was number 3 after the interview.

wow, that's great! awesome! I hoping at least get in top 100

How many people are interviewing? Do u know?

Basic interview questions, nothing job specific. Just be honest and you'll do fine.

Thanks bomfire. I don't know how many are interviewing, but I do know that there is at least two days of interviews. (I have a friend interviewing the day after me)

Dang, I think Austin had only 27

They may ask about mechanical aptitude, which is critical for a lift mechanic. I suggest do a internet search on a mechanical aptitude test and understand what they want before the test. It really is a simple thing like the way a car engine uses the main drive belt to crank the crank shaft, alternator etc. The question would be, what the direction of rotation of the individual wheelS are? Things like this would be what they want to know.

Here is an example of what I mean.

http://www.psychometricinstitute.com.au/how_to_prepare_for_mechanical_reasoning_tests.html

Wow tx vet Austin only had 27 ? I could have sworn more than that took the test..there were AT LEAST 25 ppl just in the second testing class and he said the first one was full too.

Maybe that was all that passed the test ?

Yeah I meant that's all that interviewed, do u remember in that waiting room before you interviewed and there was that guy from New York helping out? I asked him and he told me.

Wow, that test must have stumped alot of people then. Crazy.

Yeah I guess so.

But he could of meant 27 that day

True.Man Vet I bet the wait is killing you man.

Yeah it is, every morning I wake up thinking this is the day and have my phone on the whole time and then when I get a call from an unknown number I get excited then nothing hahaha. Oh well it'll happen soon enough.

I wonder how fast they would want u to start after they have called you ? I know you have to go take a drug test but I also read you have to do some classes before you start working.

I don't know man, I will be sure to tell you tho. Hey what's your favorite cut of steak?

Sirloin or ribeye.. Ribeyes if I have the money since they just hit over 10 dollars a pound here at my store.Sometimes we bring in Kobe sirloin and I will buy those because we discount them if we can't sell them at full price.Sirloin is by far the best bang for your buck though especially if you wife or girlfriend doesn't like fatty steak like mine.

I agree with you, I love ribeyes, I can't get enough of that fatty meat!

Hey Vet, I'm assuming you'll get the call from the same hall we've been calling to check the list.

I have that number in my phones contacts as "elevator guys" so I don't get faked out.

After getting your call you'll drug test (paid for) probably within a day or two and you're off to the contractor who picked you up. They wouldn't be calling the hall for help if they didn't likely need it after all.

That's what I assume at least, hopefully this next week you get a call Vet and can fill us all in.

Yeah. I was in a plumbers union here in Austin before I was an electrician , ( my dad is still in) that's about how it happened there. I hope it is next week the wait is killing me.

Didn't realize you had plumbing/electrical outside of the coast guard experience also. No wonder you ranked so well!

I was going to interview with the IUEC during last years recruitment but I probably would have failed the interview by simply not having any applicable experience at the time (had just gotten into IBEW).

It's nice knowing these guys can be so selective, there is really no point to joining a union if it doesn't have strength/power after all. I really want to go to work with guys who have pride and enjoy their jobs. I work with some really poor attitudes and it brings me down, I'm hoping by joining the IUEC that problem is mitigated a little.

What have you been doing in the meantime Vet? You better keep us informed after you get hired, I've already resigned myself to a 4-10 month wait so I'll need to live vicariously through you.

Well I got out in February in Washington state, I moved back in May and have been enjoying the Sumner with the kids before I start working

Ya I bet you already being in a union for plumbing AND electrical helped you rank high,that's awesome for you man. Hey , I wonder when we get a call of they give us uniforms for the company we are working for ? I didn't know if apprentices received uniforms or not.. If not I definitely have to go pick up some new work boots all mine are worn out.

I don't know about their uniforms, maybe if we do service calls. I can't imagine construction work getting them, my guess is as good as yours.

You might get some company shirts at most.

They are expensive, but I've put my Redwing boots through hell and they've held up over a year so far.

Also, don't hesitate to buy some bad ass coveralls for the winter.

Hey guys, got a call this morning. I'm number 5 on the list here in Nashville now. I guess 5 got called up last week. He said that business is really picking up and he sounded pretty confident that it would be pretty soon.

Nice man !

Yea he said that I was number 1 on the list and then 4 other apprentices got laid off Friday. But he said he would have all 4 back to work this week. And I should get the call soon.

I guess till we get that six months in, there may be a day or so at a time of layoffs.

Wait..so they got laid off only for Friday then all got out back on the list ?Man that's crazy.

I know. I thought it was funny too. I'm just going to put a little more in my "rainy day fund" just in case.

Sounds like they had just finished up a big project and now they are starting on a big one..they probably just didn't need all the ppl there Friday to help finish.

Yea I was thinking the same thing. I wish I knew someone on the inside that could let me know how it all works. But I guess I'll find out for myself when it finally happens.

Dang that's awesome man, congrats.

Now I wish Austin would hire some guys.

You're telling me. I'm losing my patience.

Thanks. I hope everyone is working soon also. I was thinking that I might start by next spring but after talking to the rep today, I'm thinking within a month or so.

Titans that's great, sorry I keep stealing your thread lol. But yeah solution I am too, its stupid I am thinking of going to ibew to see what is going on there if I don't hear soon.

Titans is gonna get hired before all of us in Austin! Lol congrats I'm sure you or vet will get called by the end of the month

I know, it's all about patience .

Interview done, there sure were a lot of guys. I heard someone say there was 800 interviews.

Geeze 800 is insane. I hope you did good.

That's why I still find it so weird how few people interviewed in Austin. It's not like it's a small town anymore. I guess it has a lot to do with being sandwiched between dallas/houston/san antonio.

800 is nuts though, I wonder how easy it is to be a traveler after you get your ticket in this union. Would be fun to do some jobs around the country every now and again.

I find it weird too solution.But I'm almost certain more people will apply in the next few years..Have you seen how many buildings they have announced upcoming in Austin? It's pretty unreal. A coworker of mine actually is dating a retired elevator mechanic of 31 years and he told me he has NEVER seen so many projects going on so fast here.I'm surprised they haven't already called at least 10 ppl to start working already.. Only 2 new hires blow my mind.

I know waiting sucks but it is good Austin local is taking on slowly, my dad is in the plumbers union and it is more like a temp agency than a union. He is out of work more than in. I would rather them hire slow than take on a bunch of people they don't really need.

Ya I was thinking about that earlier..maybe locals have learned the hard way not to take in too many at once.. I can see them hiring 10 or so probates for a new install but if it's done just in a few weeks or months and there is nothing else on the map, well then all those probates are out of a job till sometime else shows up.

That's why I got out of plumbers union and stopped being an electrician and joined the coast guard. Got laid.off both times.

How long were you laid off for ? Is it the same as iuec where they just out u back on the hiring list ?

The plumbers union was stupid, they do it that way but they're laid off for a super long time because they only bid on projects that are really expensive so those jobs do not come up often. the electrical company was not a union company and when I was laid off I was looking for a change anyways so I didnot go back.

Guys, one huge factor is there is non-union competition for the electrical jobs and plumbing jobs. The IUEC has over 90 percent of all elevator work. And the further north you go, the stronger the union has a hold on work.

Ah..well the good thing for me is I'm a certified meat cutter..they are actually extremely hard to find now in Austin. I can literally get onto any store I want in Austin . The thing that sucks is we are ALWAYS short handed .I would love to work at Costco as a butcher but the one is south Austin is never hiring..starting pay is 25 a hr and 1.5 time on Sundays and pretty regular hours there too..At HEB where i work the opening cutter has to be in at 4 AM.yeah...I opened this morning.. I have been awake since 3 am..no fun

Titans you are correct. Down here for the other trades they are not really union. Strong.

I know my state,Tennessee, is a right to work state and they hate unions but the IUEC still holds it down. I think that it's amazing how strong this union has held together.

Keep in mind butcher that the IUEC is going to have a 1:1 ratio policy. So for every apprentice on a job they need to have a mechanic. You can't have 2 apprentices and one jman on a job unless I think certain requirements are meant.

So if there aren't apprentices to be had, a contractor is going to have to just bite the bullet and pay a ton of money to have all journeymen on the job. This is why when big jobs open up we'll get hired in waves to keep the ratio right and save the contractor money.

You are cheap labor as an apprentice, it's that simple. Because of this you will discover apprentices are employed easier than the journeymen are.

I heard that they took 26ish apprentices in last year which was extremely out of the ordinary I think and likely the reason they haven't called us all out yet this year. So don't get me wrong, the demand is still there and it's still a good time to get in, but we don't get hired until all apprentices are working and the books are cleared.

It's possible in a couple years they don't even hold a recruitment because this year and the last few will have had such an influx of apprentices.

Vet also made a great point, lay offs suck and we can only hope this union keeps demand up by not over saturating the work force. It's a growing city though so again, not a bad spot to be in. 20 years down the line though, who knows. By then you would have been smart to have found yourself into a foremanship or service truck.

Either way these big projects can't start soon enough, I'm itchen to get started. I'm also looking forward to a pay raise so I can save up from some property hopefully, renting in Austin is getting absurd.

Ya i have personally known one guy in Union in Austin and he was in the iron workers union...he made decent money however he said its extremely physically demanding and dangerous.

Once we get in we have to fight and claw to ensure that we keep the union true and and hold together what our predecessors have built.

Hahaha hell yah renting in Austin is absurd..I'm paying 1100 for 1 bedroom out here in oak hill and its about to go up AGAIN.

Same thing in Texas. My electrical union is weak as hell and lots of guys leave for open shops because the perks are just as good. However the IUEC is incredibly strong for a state like Texas, that's why it's so appealing to me at least.

Also realize that this unions negotiations are likely driven by the 3 main contractors like otis and are I believe the contract is actually nationwide. This means some of the strength is being derived from more powerful union states and we are seeing the benefits of that. I could be wrong though, and I'm unfamiliar how this overall agreement conflicts with the local agreements.

It's impossible to know until we sit down to read our contract and stuff.

My lease is up at the end of the month and I'm scrambling to find a cheaper roommate situation. I ain't gonna keep burning so much money on rent. It's frustrating.

Yeah. I said screw it when I was in the coast guard I bought a house and just rented it out now I am out I just kept renting it because I am making money, I got lucky and bought it right with the housing rebound.

Maybe that's why the "old guys" on here are very reluctant when answering questions about testing and interviewing. Makes since when ya think about it.

OK fellas I have some free time, so I will give you some info, at least how local 19 works. First off you work for the union, you are employed by the company. For me, there is absolutely no conflicts with the other companies. last lunch I sat in on was 4 guys from Thyssen, 2 from Kone, 2 from Otis. Pretty standard stuff, we are all brothers up here.

Second, because the companies employ you, they actually are the demand in this equation. The union doesnt have much say, other than they have no more,people to be hired, when work picks up. Thyssen takes on 4 big jobs in a month, 2 more than they have manpower for, they go to the hall for people. Now add in Otis, or Schindler, doing the same thing, there is a snapshot of the demand. Does this mean the companies have enough work for this new workforce for the future? Absolutely not, hence the layoffs. Now layoffs are used by the companies,for many things, like was mentioned the end of a large project. The company may have 1-2 guys that are not working out as planned, here is their shot to drop them, without showing cause. Maybe a guy was late, bad attitude, other things that might not show in a file, here is how they move them on. Some guys need a new place to really take off.

So there is a small picture of the workforce. It is the unions "job" to provide qualified elevator personnel for the companies to hire, its the companies job to get enough work to hire them. Hope this clears it up a little, and for the record, I will be in for 14 years in September. I have been laid off once, for 3 days, and was rehired by the company that laid me off. Was a union standard, no temporary mechanics while we have mechanics on the bench. The 2 put in their letters, and until they were hired, all companies dropped their TMs down to apprentice. For every TM dropped, it displaced 2 apprentices. They both were offered jobs, declined them, and the companies could go back to using TMs. Giant cluster at the time, but my own "rainy day fund" allowed me to keep my sanity. Good luck guys, and I hope this thread is not a preview of how much you all will be talking in the field!

I have been trying to get into Local 9 for a few years now, this is the first time in several years they accepted apprentices. its just how construction trends have been going. been really slow here for several years and so they dont want to haire too many apprentices

Thanks silly.

Thanks for clearing some of that up for us, Silly. If you got time, I was also wondering how big crews are typically. Obviously the bigger the project the more guys you might need, but how many guys does it take to install an average elevator system?

Hey silly, how would it work if you're laid off while you are attending school? Would you continue to attend or would you wait until you went back to work?

Typical crew size for new installation is 2 guys for an elevator. Timelines dictate,bigger jobs how many 2 man crews we may send out. Example 6 elevators on a job, each elevator takes 5 weeks to complete, jobs timeline has elevators complete in 6 months. Company may send only 2 crews out, get to the midway point, and remove a crew, or maybe they send out 3 crews, finish the first 3 cars, then leave a single crew for the remainder. Again time available and projected workload sort of dictate how companies run these jobs.

The old school question. As far as I can remember you are allowed to finish school for a certain amount of time during a layoff. School criteria does dictate you are employed by an elevator company to attend school. Top of the head, I want to say its like a 30 day period from layoff notice, until you must be rehired to stay in school. Very possible that this number is different for other states, as my state has an approved apprenticeship program, and so is most likely regulated.

you say that the last lunch I sat in on was 4 guys from Thyssen, 2 from Kone, 2 from Otis. Pretty standard stuff, we are all brothers up here....
wow..in the Otis world that IS a HUGE nono...conflict of interest and all that crap.....Im sure all the other majors ethics brownnosers would be drooling trying to catch you out on that one!!!!

Hey silly, when a new apprentice starts are they usually assigned to new construction or service calls or does it not matter and a luck of the drawl thing?

Usually Newbies start off in New Construction or Modernization. I have not met a Service Helper in a couple of years, they really dont exist anymore, sad.....

That's what I figured, it makes sense. They want u to know how it all works first.

Does anyone know if Elevator Constructors are able to also pursue an Electrical license via the on the job hours they receive?

I know they do their own electrical work, and am curious how that works. Will I continue to accrue hours towards my Electrical license while working through the IUEC if my contractor has a master electrician on staff?

Solution, as far as I thought your hours have to be signed by a licensed electrician, so unless there is one I don't think it'll work.

I have not heard from anyone from Austin on here in a few days, it has been two weeks since I found out I am next on the list and have not heard anything, do y'all think it would be weird if I called about work going on? You guys know what it's like when you call, they seem irritated so I don't want too name then mad.

Well I just called the Nashville local. 8 people were just laid off. Now I'm back to #9. This is torture. He said that were expecting some company to put about 7 or 8 of them back to work pretty quick though.

I check the thread almost twice a day..honestly for me I am getting married on September 8th so I actually hope they don't call till afterward or I will have to cancel the entire thing..I would be happy if I got a call before January, I would be REALLY happy if it were before the holidays but at this rate I don't see that happening.

Butcher that's awesome, my anniversary is Sept 8 2007 haha congrats man.

Titans what do you ask when youcall? I never get any info when I do it, maybe I am asking the wrong thing

Ya I booked the hotel and everything in Destin Florida..I don't think the union would care if I was I'm my honeymoon when they call.hopefully they will give me at least a week notice before the drug test and everything. It would also suck to get a call and start and then get laid off...we just spent almost all of our saved up money for the wedding so I would be screwed.

Yeah that would pretty crappy, buggy luckily it seems like they don't lay people off for too long if it happens.

Well it seems like they haven't rehired back the guys in Titans union . That sort of has me concerned.

Yeah. I think you'll be five till after your honeymoon, howlong u going for?

7 days. We get back on the 14th

Ya I have learned it's all about patience.It could be worse...we could be in New York where their hiring list is 500 plus and sometimes they don't even hire every year..I'm sure the elevator mechanics on this forums get a kick out of reading our threads.It's very exciting but also a very lengthy process to get in.

When I call I just tell them my name and asked if the list has moved. The guy is always really nice and let's me know what's happening.

I remember when I was preparing to interview last month, I spoke with a fourth year apprentice. He said that he had only been laid of for a total of 3 weeks in his entire tenure. I felt really good about it because he was hired in 2010, and times were really tough for the construction industry then

Yea that 4th year apprentice said that he had the chance to go back after a week or so but just decided to take the entire month.

That's good to hear man .

Have any of you guys been through a medical evaluation for the trade?

No. I haven't .

I have read that there may be a pre employment screening but there isnt much detail on it

Probably just seeing if you have had major injuries and if u are able to perform the job.

When I started working as a telephone lineman for AT&T we had to do a physical lift. It was just a basket on the floor that had 80 lbs in it. All we had to do was pick it up and then set it back down. I bet the IUEC screening is similar along with your basic health exam.

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I also interviewed for Local 18 and heard the same thing. Made it on the list and waiting. Do you have any idea what number they are on?

I do applied for local 18, check your inbox

Anyone here recently taken the aptitude test for Local 12 and have an interview date set? I have one coming up on April 5th.

Hey all, I am rank number 66 here in Hawaii and they were on 61. I recently got an email about re-interviewing. If I don't then I will be taken off the list, It hasn't been a year yet. I got placed on the list since August 2015, and they are opening a new recruitment. have any of you heard of this happening?

I had to reinterview as well, but that's because two years had passed and the number is only good for two years.

I see, well the thing is it hasn't even been a year and they are so close to my number but I get an email this morning offering to re-Interview. And if I don't go for that they will remove me from the list, I don't know why this is happening.

I hear you, but looks like you have to go. During the interview you can confirm how long your number is good for, but then again it looks like they will be calling you soon anyway.

Thank you for the feed back

I just don't get why'd they even place me on the list if you're not gonna even each my number.

They rate everyone that paases the test and shows up for an interview. Many people end up passing on the job so they never really know exactly how many they are going to need. The first time I interviewed I believe there were over 600 people on the list....i know someone who was in thd high 400's. They only got too around 170 I believe before the two years were up.

How did it go today?

unfortunately i did not receive a passing score. I would like to try again next time they have open enrollment. does anyone know if they make you take the test again? Id hate to pay to take the test again if they continue to have poor judgement in an interview. Ive never been good at interviews but once im hired im a hard worker. never late. no complaints from managers. I be willing to work at 10$ an hour for a few months just to prove to them that im worth the starting rate. a 15 min interview asking the wrong questions is not going to tell you how my work ethics are.

I'm sorry to hear that John..I did not understand their interview process either, however I had a passing score... Honestly I think their entire hiring process needs to change.

Yeah, sorry to hear that as well John. Try to keep your head up . I don't think you would have to take the test again...but I'm not 100% sure about that.

I recently passed the aptitude test and had an interview with Local 12 in Kansas City. I received the results and I'm number 22 in the applicant pool. The interview went okay but not great. I accept responsibility for that. I was nervous and not at the top of my game.
Local 12 currently has 257 members. How long if at all, do you think it will be before I get a call?

That's a good question. It all depends on how much work is coming and if any of the current members are retiring anytime soon. 22 seems like a decent number if you ask me, but then again that's 10 percent of the current membership there.

Maybe you can ask someone in the local how many people were called the prior two years and go from that. Nobody can know for sure though.

More cranes = more work, more work = more people. You just gotta love the cranes.