Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: sunshine windows on January 22, 2016, 09:09:50 pm
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Just curious what level of education each of you have.
Window cleaning is notorious for attracting the dregs of the educational system. School drop outs etc. I was wondering if there are any well educated people turning to window cleaning, as there's good money involved?
I have no shame in admitting I couldn't have given a crap about my schooling when I was there, but regret not applying myself, as I consider myself far from stupid.
I only gained 1xC, 2xD and 3xF's at GCSE level.
Any brain surgeons out there? ;D
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No, but I was a plastic surgeon. I've raised a few eyebrows in my time let me tell you.
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Pretty average
CSE's in my day - ccouple of grade 1's some grade 2's and a 3
The rest are trade qualifications such as city and guilds, ilm ( management qualification ) nvq's level 3
I can also inspect and certificate ladders ;D
Ipaf ;)
But it's not all about education certs, knowing the molecular make up of water and vision additive won't make you a great window cleaner...
Darran
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Degree in English Literature & Philosophy. ;D
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I left school at 15 back in the 70s; it was the last year that this was permitted. I could have done well at school but my home life was badly against me.
I'm in my late 50s and went to evening class a while back. It has always wrankled a bit that I left without any GCSEs (O levels back then). There were free maths and English classes under some government scheme to encourage numeracy and literacy. After a few weeks the English teacher asked me why I had bothered. Apparently, some of the work I was submitting was close to A level standard - in a GCSE class. I was genuinely shocked as I thought most people could write like that. Anyway, I was one of four people (out of about a hundred) who got the A star grade, with the feedback that I would have received a higher mark if the rules permitted.
It left me contemplating what might have been ...
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None and i also do the job my teachers said i would end up doing. 8)
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Pretty average
CSE's in my day - ccouple of grade 1's some grade 2's and a 3
The rest are trade qualifications such as city and guilds, ilm ( management qualification ) nvq's level 3
I can also inspect and certificate ladders ;D
Ipaf ;)
But it's not all about education certs, knowing the molecular make up of water and vision additive won't make you a great window cleaner...
Darran
Maybe not but it would certainly stop somebody taking you for a mug and remove the possibility of you making a fool out of
yourself in front of a customer.
Can you imagine trying to use Vision as a selling point to a customer with a basic knowledge of chemistry :o, it certainly
wouldn't do anything to improve our already poor reputations.
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No, but I was a plastic surgeon. I've raised a few eyebrows in my time let me tell you.
Dave always funny nice one
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None and i also do the job my teachers said i would end up doing. 8)
Nice one but they didn't think you would earn more than them
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I left school at 15 back in the 70s; it was the last year that this was permitted. I could have done well at school but my home life was badly against me.
I'm in my late 50s and went to evening class a while back. It has always wrankled a bit that I left without any GCSEs (O levels back then). There were free maths and English classes under some government scheme to encourage numeracy and literacy. After a few weeks the English teacher asked me why I had bothered. Apparently, some of the work I was submitting was close to A level standard - in a GCSE class. I was genuinely shocked as I thought most people could write like that. Anyway, I was one of four people (out of about a hundred) who got the A star grade, with the feedback that I would have received a higher mark if the rules permitted.
It left me contemplating what might have been ...
Brought a tear to my eye that did mate!
Never give up your dream of literary perfection. If you made the top 4% at the local nightschool you truly are wasted as a window cleaner! Dream higher!
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Brought a tear to my eye that did mate!
Never give up your dream of literary perfection. If you made the top 4% at the local nightschool you truly are wasted as a window cleaner! Dream higher!
No one is wasted as a window cleaner, what ever that means exactly. You go to work and you earn your money by your own efforts. What is so 'wasted' about that?
I have good qualifications and I think a being window cleaner is perfectly good enough.
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Brought a tear to my eye that did mate!
Never give up your dream of literary perfection. If you made the top 4% at the local nightschool you truly are wasted as a window cleaner! Dream higher!
No one is wasted as a window cleaner, what ever that means exactly. You go to work and you earn your money by your own efforts. What is so 'wasted' about that?
I have good qualifications and I think a being window cleaner is perfectly good enough.
That was exactly my point after reading the 'what could have been...'.
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I got two honors in my leaving cert exam.
The honor of doing it
and the honor of failing it.
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Bsc 2.1 eng lit.
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That was exactly my point after reading the 'what could have been...'.
Apologies.
I now understand what you meant. My mistake.
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I left school at 15 back in the 70s; it was the last year that this was permitted. I could have done well at school but my home life was badly against me.
I'm in my late 50s and went to evening class a while back. It has always wrankled a bit that I left without any GCSEs (O levels back then). There were free maths and English classes under some government scheme to encourage numeracy and literacy. After a few weeks the English teacher asked me why I had bothered. Apparently, some of the work I was submitting was close to A level standard - in a GCSE class. I was genuinely shocked as I thought most people could write like that. Anyway, I was one of four people (out of about a hundred) who got the A star grade, with the feedback that I would have received a higher mark if the rules permitted.
It left me contemplating what might have been ...
Brought a tear to my eye that did mate!
Never give up your dream of literary perfection. If you made the top 4% at the local nightschool you truly are wasted as a window cleaner! Dream higher!
I'm perfectly happy cleaning windows as it's a low stress occupation for the most part, but I do enjoy writing in my free time. I would go nuts without having that as an artistic outlet. Some like to be involved with photography, drawing or painting maybe. I like writing.
I also received the top marks available for the maths course. I took the courses initially to be able to help a young lad do his GCSE work. He received the highest grades for English. The maths exams are pending. He finds that more difficult so we will be stepping up the sessions soon.
Window cleaning is an ideal occupation (if self-employed), as it allows some flexibility for study time. Even if I had a degree, I would still do it due to low stress and being my own boss at work.
I'm reading some irony in that "wasted as a window cleaner" comment.
My remark about "what might have been ..." is open to interpretation. I know what I meant by it and it was nothing to do with having a downer on window cleaning.
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It's not politically correct to call a black person black, black boards are now called chalk boards, ba ba black sheep is now ba ba f***in wooly sheep, school Christmas panto is now a "panto for a universal audience" with f***in aliens on the stage! You can't call a gay person a poof or a Paki a Paki, Jews are still Jews, an Irish person can still be called Paddy, Welsh... Are still thick!
Window cleaners almost expect people to look down there nose at them, why? Anyone else would start a protest or riot or set bombs off!
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Picked up two new custies in a posh area 'cos they saw a copy of the 'Times' on my dashboard. Wet weather reading for sure, but would they really be happy if they realised their windy was smarter than them!
4 o's
4 C.S.E 1's
I.Q 143 apparently according to MENSA
but still happy splashing water (wiv me washy stick)
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Bsc 2.1 eng lit.
Do you mean BA?
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Bsc 2.1 eng lit.
Do you mean BA?
I suspect he's a fraud. ;D
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There's a couple of teachers have come out of education to take up window cleaning not far from me, because of stress! An accountant I know is going into education to have a less stressful life! These people work a minimum of 60 hours a week..we can work school hours 9 til 3, earn a good living, fresh air stress free meeting people everyday, it keeps you fit.. I went on a low level accountancy course a few years ago, just to see if it was for me....I was as bored as I was at school. I don't think you'd come bottom of the class for choosing a stress free life ;)
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Come on guys we all know that window cleaning is a hateful job that nobody in their right mind would do if they had any
other choice, we are at the bottom of the social heap and we know it, a guide dog would be better qualified than us.
Personally I only do it because I wasn't qualified to do the job I'm passionate about which is teaching motivation and positive
thinking.
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Come on guys we all know that window cleaning is a hateful job that nobody in their right mind would do if they had any
other choice, we are at the bottom of the social heap and we know it, a guide dog would be better qualified than us.
Personally I only do it because I wasn't qualified to do the job I'm passionate about which is teaching motivation and positive
thinking.
as paul says window cleaning allows time off/flexibility so you could study if you wanted.
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I have a B. Com degreeThe University of Stellenbosch, but coming to the U K late in life could not get work in my field as been to old, so ended cleaning windows. It frustrated me working for some asses with less life experience than myself. With little cash needed to be a window cleaner and being my own boss. I am not too proud to work manually to earn a living.
Ps as far as I know eng is a Bachelor of science degree and not a bachelor of arts degree. So BSC is correct.
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Come on guys we all know that window cleaning is a hateful job that nobody in their right mind would do if they had any
other choice, we are at the bottom of the social heap and we know it, a guide dog would be better qualified than us.
Personally I only do it because I wasn't qualified to do the job I'm passionate about which is teaching motivation and positive
thinking.
This is irony, isn't it?
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Come on guys we all know that window cleaning is a hateful job that nobody in their right mind would do if they had any
other choice, we are at the bottom of the social heap and we know it, a guide dog would be better qualified than us.
Personally I only do it because I wasn't qualified to do the job I'm passionate about which is teaching motivation and positive
thinking.
This is irony, isn't it?
Yes ;D
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Thank god for that. If it wasn't I knew one of us must have lost the plot ;D
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I have a B. Com degreeThe University of Stellenbosch, but coming to the U K late in life could not get work in my field as been to old, so ended cleaning windows. It frustrated me working for some asses with less life experience than myself. With little cash needed to be a window cleaner and being my own boss. I am not too proud to work manually to earn a living.
Ps as far as I know eng is a Bachelor of science degree and not a bachelor of arts degree. So BSC is correct.
English Literature isn't a Science. ;)
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Idontgoto University five years.
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This is an interesting thread.
I'm 52 and left school with 9 or so CSE's with a Grade 1 and a couple of 2's. Back then in my neck of the woods, Blackpool, no-one went to university. I mean I know of no-one that went to Uni from my school. Most lads went to work for ICI, BAC or BNFL; girls did some sort of secretarial training and then had babies at 24 or so. I put my poor exam results down to complacency - I got 4 Grade 1's in my mocks and thought I was home and dry :-)
I worked in the local council rates department before going overseas at 22. To cut a long story short I did a lot of travelling in the Middle East and Asia for many years eventually in 1993 leading overland adventure holidays in that region. Subsequently I worked for a couple of companies as what is called a Product Manager - I was responsible for the creation of itineraries, planning the logistics, contracting local suppliers, costing, pricing, brochure text creation and all operational logistics including responding to and reacting passenger feedback. In my last role I have approx 135 trips to look after, though I also managed a team of people who did the grunt work.
The company I joined in 1996 was a start up, backed by money from Travelbag. There were 3 directors. me and another guy for the first couple of months. In time we grew it from loss making to a company that was bought by eBookers, then sold to First Choice. It is still going and is one of the top 3 adventure travel companies in the UK.
I eventually left the industry because it had become extremely stressful. Small companies are now gone, or are rather owned by large companies. The start up I mentioned is now part of TUI. Producing 3 or 4 brochures a year each with a dozen deadlines whilst managing people who don't give a stuff is hard. I felt that whilst it was well paid (not stratespheric but certainly way above average) it wasn't worth the stress. I was going to be a heart attack candidate by 45.
So we moved to Wales and I became a window cleaner. Sure, there is a loss of so called status in being a window cleaner - there is no doubt that people look down on you. But that's good. They all think we earn £12k a year. Let them think that. It's also good because it mainly attracts those with few qualifications; they tend to charge little, work in summer only, and come and go. This is good because as pro window cleaners our position is secure - imagine if everyone was diligent - they'd be a hell of a lot more competition.
So here I am. 52. No mortgage, working 4 days a week, 9am - 2pm and earning way above the average for the area in which I live (i've just paid a £5k tax bill, so you can probably work out what I make). I'm up to date on my cleans given the better weather. Because it was so poor in Nov and Dec I have re-jgged it all and i'm off all next week :-)
Now, i'm willing to accept i'm only a window cleaner for that kind of lifestyle. Unfortunately we now live in an age when qualifications are essential; when I was a lad it was more about experience and if your face fitted. In my time i've interviewed too many people with a degree whose English language skills were lamentable, barely readable. Why did we interview them? Because that's the standard nowadays and so many people passing through today's education system have a similar standard. It's the norm.
Qualifications mean little to me. What you have achieved in your life, however old you are, is more important (and achieve doesn't necessarily equate to owning a big house and flash car).
I'm just a lad from Blackpool with a few CSE's but I own my own house outright, have been to Petra in Jordan a dozen times, i've trekked in the Himalayas, been across the Mongolian steppe, seen Palmyra before ISIS destroyed it, been in jungles with stone age people etc, I have a thriving business, i'm well respected with a great reputation and have friends around the globe. I'm happy and am proud to be a window cleaner - a job that rewards an honest day's work with an honest day's pay.
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I was issued and intrusted with what seemed like an unlimited credit card for corporate expences and entertaining vips in one of my many jobs if that counts...Needless to say I had a great time. ;D
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Hope you've still got it for Monday Alan 😂
Great post Carl. Sounds like you've lived an interesting life so far
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Hope you've still got it for Monday Alan
Great post Carl. Sounds like you've lived an interesting life so far
Nope Lance as had to hand it back in more the pity.
Regards Monday are you still good to go Lance...If so will give you a bell shortly. ;)
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Yes, no problem. Finished till the 8th Feb ;D
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4 city & Guilds, various RSA's and University education but get bored easily, love learning new things, never too old to learn new things, keeps the mind active and interested, more a passion really. Never look down or take advantage of less fortunately educated people. love teaching youngster willing to learn. Helped my girlfriend's daughter through her nursing education when she couldn't hack it and was struggling to understand all the medical course, she stuck at it and was so grateful I helped her to understand and digest it better than her mum could. Love helping people who struggle to learn but are so glad when they've done it, makes me feel good when they pass and good knowing you've helped someone to achieve something they thought was impossible, just takes time, patience and understanding the person and how to motivate them.
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Public school, GSE's, HND Business and Finance, various other certs. 20 yrs sales and management. 2 courses at BWCA , City and Guilds.
The HND taught me what a brilliant business window cleaning is.
It meets just about all the requirements.
I've never been happier, wish I'd done it years ago.
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6 GCSE'S all grade 'C' & a Bobby charltons school of soccer certificate.
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Cycling Proficiency and 25 metres Front crawl with me pyjamas on.
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I wanted to enter Jordan years ago.
Until I heard her speak on the telly. :-X
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To the fella's with mainly A's, University Degree's or higher education than just passing school exams, Do you run window cleaning businesses employing people or are you one man bands?
How many people with very little qualifications have turned window cleaning into a lucrative business for themselves? I know Mick Kent has, but anyone else?
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@sunshine
Define "lucrative".
A sole operator well groomed part time round turning over £35K?
A mama and papa well pruned compact round turning over £50K?
A family business with a handful of vans turning over £200K?
Pink Elephant and his £1,000,000 plus empire?
DMSI who sneezes at half a billion and calls himself "Moderator"? ;D
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Cycling Proficiency and 25 metres Front crawl with me pyjamas on.
;D ;D ;D
yeah i had loads of swimming badges!football trophies etc at school.
as for exams not so good.we were the guinea pigs for the GCSEs and a lot of teachers were on strike for the last 2 years of my education plus the school wasnt the best.
i already had a rebellious rock n roll streak so only ended up with ART and ENGLISH GCSE.
I used to bunk off school quite regular.i was also in the school band playing drums.
my mum and dad could see i was gonna be a waster if they didnt do something quick! ;D
so i started on a local plant nursery working long hours straight from leaving school and going to college in nantwich,cheshire day release.i liked it for a while but working nearly 60 hours a week(sometimes more!)partying hard at clubs,playing gigs and general womanising took their toll.
they say youth is wasted on the young and i have to agree now at 44.i just didnt realise what i had back then.my memory was very good and i learned very quickly,i knew hundreds of latin names for plants and was running round doing the foremans job at 17 years of age.driving tractors/forklift trucks.
some of the other guys resented the fact a young guy like me was telling them what to do.i had very good organising skills and the dutch manager was going to send me to holland to train as a manager.
one day i found his payslip in the brew room(it must of fell out of his pocket)and i was shocked how much he came out with(£270)for working up to 80 hours a week!(i kid you not!)this was 1989 though.
by this time i hated the job and basically told them to get lost.
i then worked at a landscaping firm and loved it for a while but same problem.long hours/crap money.i got sacked in the end.then i was on the dole for 10 months.(the only time in my life ive been on benefits).
looking back i could of got myself into a lot of trouble,.
then one day at a mates house with a terrible hangover,skint and basically in pieces.i turned round to him and said"i cant carry on like this!i need a job!" and RIGHT ON CUE HIS WINDOW CLEANER TURNED UP TO CLEAN THE WINDOWS! ;D
i asked him for a job.at first he was hesitant as i probably looked like a total scally waster.then he said the magic words"right!ill pick you up at 845am tommorrow!"
that was it.he even says today i was the best worker he ever had!
i worked with him for a year,learnt a few things in that time then started myself back in 1993 after buying a maestro van!
i used to work a few days with him while i was building my round up.i went out nearly every night and sat/sun canvassing for 6 months.
like most people ive had a lot of ups and downs,debt problems,personal issues etc but window cleaning has always been there to allow me to make a few quid and keep my head above water.for that im eternally grateful.
ive been close to being homeless a few times but that was a long time ago now.
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Blimey m8 I enjoyed reading that it was quiet emotional actually.
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Genuinely Dazmond, you are an inspiration.
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. @sunshine
Define "lucrative".
A sole operator well groomed part time round turning over £35K?
A mama and papa well pruned compact round turning over £50K?
A family business with a handful of vans turning over £200K?
Pink Elephant and his £1,000,000 plus empire?
DMSI who sneezes at half a billion and calls himself "Moderator"? ;D
I would say a one man band turning over £60k+ not busting your balls would be a start. I wouldn't consider £35k lucrative, not trying to belittle anyone here, so apologies if it sounds flippant.
I like to hear of other people's success stories. It drives me to want to do better myself.
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I've got a tractor driving proficiency certificate.
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60k a start I did like that comment lol.
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You know very well NWH that anyone who takes this profession seriously can achieve that very easily. £250 a day, 5 days a week with 4 weeks holiday.
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. @sunshine
Define "lucrative".
A sole operator well groomed part time round turning over £35K?
A mama and papa well pruned compact round turning over £50K?
A family business with a handful of vans turning over £200K?
Pink Elephant and his £1,000,000 plus empire?
DMSI who sneezes at half a billion and calls himself "Moderator"? ;D
I would say a one man band turning over £60k+ not busting your balls would be a start. I wouldn't consider £35k lucrative, not trying to belittle anyone here, so apologies if it sounds flippant.
I like to hear of other people's success stories. It drives me to want to do better myself.
do you know any one man bands earning £60k+ a year?........yeah....me neither!
most domestic one man window cleaners wont even earn half that in a year(turnover that is).
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You know very well NWH that anyone who takes this profession seriously can achieve that very easily. £250 a day, 5 days a week with 4 weeks holiday.
no they cant.lots of us take this profession seriously but cant earn them figures day in/day out/week in/week out/month in/month out.its just not realistic for most of us and will just result in disappointment.
to AVERAGE them figures you d have to earn much more a day.
in typical CIU style its over inflated,unrealistic and out of the grasp of most cleaners
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Daz I know what your saying and you are right m8 but down south it's easily done pal on your own and it ain't even a full day.
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You know very well NWH that anyone who takes this profession seriously can achieve that very easily. £250 a day, 5 days a week with 4 weeks holiday.
no they cant.lots of us take this profession seriously but cant earn them figures day in/day out/week in/week out/month in/month out.its just not realistic for most of us and will just result in disappointment.
to AVERAGE them figures you d have to earn much more a day.
in typical CIU style its over inflated,unrealistic and out of the grasp of most cleaners
Yes they can. It's a doddle in the south.
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ok there is a big north/south divide in regards to pricing.my brother was paying £1600 a month RENT for years in wimbledon while i was paying £300 a month up north,£10 for a burger!where up north you can get 2 burger meals,fries,2 drinks and still have change left over out of a tenner! ;D
so he was paying an extra £15,000+ a year in rent alone! :o
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This is why I bang on about the right kind of work not the amount of work,I think so many windys get it in there head that more work is better,yeah more is better if its better work than you've been doing. Let's say I have 300-400 jobs I might earn more than the bloke with 2 blokes working for him doing 1200 jobs as a 3 man team. This is the misconception when people ask you what you do for a living they have absolutely no idea really,they would just think you earn just over the basic wage and why wouldn't they to them it's just window cleaning isn't it. I've said it before if you have 1 £100 job who's saying you can't go out and get another 100 £100 jobs it's up to the individual person running there business. I understand that in different parts of the country it's harder to do but If you take your best job-jobs what position would you be in earning wise if your day was full of similar jobs.
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i earn well at this game these days but its only happened over the last 5-6 years really since i went wfp.for years i just plodded on and nearly threw the towel in a few times.glad i didnt now though! :)
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£10 for a burger yeah it is on the south bank m8 not quiet that a bit further south though lol,don't forget the real big city earners have a different view on money one of my customers I know well a friend really goes out in London comes home the next morning still ped glances at his credit card bill and says blimey that must have been a good night I spent 3 grand lol. So when they see your bill for cleaning there silly size house for decent money to us it's peanuts m8,if you've got no money any money is a lot but if you've got S£££ loads you see things different,what you need to live down south is far higher if you had a mortgage and bills to pay down here your struggle on that 35 grand.
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Daz what was your tax bill for the last 12 months?
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You know very well NWH that anyone who takes this profession seriously can achieve that very easily. £250 a day, 5 days a week with 4 weeks holiday.
no they cant.lots of us take this profession seriously but cant earn them figures day in/day out/week in/week out/month in/month out.its just not realistic for most of us and will just result in disappointment.
to AVERAGE them figures you d have to earn much more a day.
in typical CIU style its over inflated,unrealistic and out of the grasp of most cleaners
Yes they can. It's a doddle in the south.
True. I laugh to myself on a regular basis what's to be earnt on the glass these days, and gutters for that matter.
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I have heard that up north they only earn £60 an hour. Got to feel sorry for them really.
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Guys come on, we have shiners on here who think by adding a teaspoon of a cleaning solution to 600lts of water turns
it into a superior cleaning solution and better still restores the shine on plastic.
Does that not tell you that this job still attracts the biggest bone heads in society, the thing is a dimwit can still make it in this game
and until that changes we will all be tarred by the same brush.
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Dimwits make it in politics, and micro-additive cleaning fluid sales.
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[do you know any one man bands earning £60k+ a year?........yeah....me neither!
/quote]
Yes, I do!
My figures were based on averages to hit the target. When £500+ days are achievable it's easily done
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Isn't is sad that the education world sorts us into categories defined by how well we did in academic exams when leaving school. The more 'O' Levels or GCSE's you got and the higher the pass mark means your status is higher than someone who didn't achieve that.
Does that mean that you as a 'non achiever' are a worse person than someone who did achieve that? No.
Unfortunately the world doesn't set any other standard to rate achievement. What about those who are mechanically minded? There is no measure of that. So does a mechanically minded person become less of a person than a university graduate? In the modern world, yes.
This point is based on a discussion I had with the wife's cousin last week. He is a retired high school teacher.
Citroen UK wouldn't employee anyone in the sales or service team in Slough who didn't have a university qualification. It didn't matter what that qualification was, you just have had to achieve it. Did that make sense? No. They gave a job to a university graduate rather than to a well experience job applicant from another motor manufacturer who didn't have the qualifications. (This wasn't me BTW.)
The chap who got the job was like a fish out of water.
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Find one of these IQ tests and post it on here, we can then post the scores with a little added on :)
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GSCE s were mainly C grades although i was predicted A in most subject untill i started playing truent, didnt do any homework and spent more time getting suspended etc.
NVQ lvl 2 and 3 in Vehicle Mechanics - hated it
Certificate in IT - I was half way through a batchelors degree when i quit it and my job to do this game - didnt fancy being stuck in an office
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GSCE s were mainly C grades although i was predicted A in most subject untill i started playing truent, didnt do any homework and spent more time getting suspended etc.
NVQ lvl 2 and 3 in Vehicle Mechanics - hated it
Certificate in IT - I was half way through a batchelors degree when i quit it and my job to do this game - didnt fancy being stuck in an office
Obviously you missed the spelling lesson. ;D
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ok there is a big north/south divide in regards to pricing.my brother was paying £1600 a month RENT for years in wimbledon while i was paying £300 a month up north
Was your brother renting a council flat Daz?
Don't think I'm taking the mickey but a council flat down here is roughly the same
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Isn't is sad that the education world sorts us into categories defined by how well we did in academic exams when leaving school. The more 'O' Levels or GCSE's you got and the higher the pass mark means your status is higher than someone who didn't achieve that.
Does that mean that you as a 'non achiever' are a worse person than someone who did achieve that? No.
Unfortunately the world doesn't set any other standard to rate achievement. What about those who are mechanically minded? There is no measure of that. So does a mechanically minded person become less of a person than a university graduate? In the modern world, yes.
This point is based on a discussion I had with the wife's cousin last week. He is a retired high school teacher.
Citroen UK wouldn't employee anyone in the sales or service team in Slough who didn't have a university qualification. It didn't matter what that qualification was, you just have had to achieve it. Did that make sense? No. They gave a job to a university graduate rather than to a well experience job applicant from another motor manufacturer who didn't have the qualifications. (This wasn't me BTW.)
The chap who got the job was like a fish out of water.
I know of an academic chap that when he went to fit draft excluders on his internal garage door of his home decided to stick it all around the actual door not the frame. The best one was when he decided to take some wood down the tip instead of realising they were too long and cut them down proceeded to shut the tailgate down and smashed the back window obviously in his mind to make then fit ;D ;D ;D
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Another fully qualified Mechanic here. Spent about 30 years in the Commercial side.
Then went and did Health and Safety reports and repairs on Children's play areas before getting into Window cleaning as my Semi Retirement job.
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7 cse's 2 at level 1 city & guilds in mechanical engineering and tech3 in mechanical engineering time served machinist . Like the less hassle being window cleaner and being able to work when I want
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Few standard grade exams from school. Mainly general marks. 2nd year city m guilds car mechanics. Hnc mechatronics from two years college. Iso internal auditor, IOSH & NEBOSH certified from last job and ipaf ticket.
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I went to high school it was built on a bank
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Isn't is sad that the education world sorts us into categories defined by how well we did in academic exams when leaving school. The more 'O' Levels or GCSE's you got and the higher the pass mark means your status is higher than someone who didn't achieve that.
Does that mean that you as a 'non achiever' are a worse person than someone who did achieve that? No.
Unfortunately the world doesn't set any other standard to rate achievement. What about those who are mechanically minded? There is no measure of that. So does a mechanically minded person become less of a person than a university graduate? In the modern world, yes.
This point is based on a discussion I had with the wife's cousin last week. He is a retired high school teacher.
Citroen UK wouldn't employee anyone in the sales or service team in Slough who didn't have a university qualification. It didn't matter what that qualification was, you just have had to achieve it. Did that make sense? No. They gave a job to a university graduate rather than to a well experience job applicant from another motor manufacturer who didn't have the qualifications. (This wasn't me BTW.)
The chap who got the job was like a fish out of water.
I know of an academic chap that when he went to fit draft excluders on his internal garage door of his home decided to stick it all around the actual door not the frame. The best one was when he decided to take some wood down the tip instead of realising they were too long and cut them down proceeded to shut the tailgate down and smashed the back window obviously in his mind to make then fit ;D ;D ;D
;D ;D ;D
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I left school at 16 with GCE 'O' Levels in English Literature and French, and a CSE grade 1 in Spanish. Got a royal fail in maths and a 'D' in English language.
I worked in an office for 16 years before going self-employed, and started window cleaning 2 years after that.
I don't believe qualifications mean a thing other than that it demonstrates the ability to put on paper what you remember about the subject at the time.
If people look down on us window cleaners, let them. It's honest graft for fair pay, and you don't have to spend years of your life and a king's ransom on a university education to learn to be able to do it and be successful.
John
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if i told you,you wouldn't believe me :P :P :P
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if i told you,you wouldn't believe me :P :P :P
We wouldn't if you told us you had a cycling proficiency certificate. ;D
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I have a degree in psychology and started into window cleaning. Honestly wouldnt even look back
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I have a degree in psychology and started into window cleaning. Honestly wouldnt even look back
I've found that about 0.5-1% of customers in this game are nutty as a fruit cake.
What's your take on this?
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I feel sometimes a counselling qualification would come in handy. The amount of people that bare their soles to us window cleaners is staggering.
Also I think that 99% of window cleaners being completely off their rockers is a good balance for the 0.5-1% of the public ;D
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I feel sometimes a counselling qualification would come in handy. The amount of people that bare their soles to us window cleaners is staggering.
Also I think that 99% of window cleaners being completely off their rockers is a good balance for the 0.5-1% of the public ;D
Me being off my rocker no chance Lance... Well that's what the little chap on my shoulder keeps telling me anyhow so it must be true ;D
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None and i also do the job my teachers said i would end up doing. 8)
Nice one but they didn't think you would earn more than them
Though this question is not relating to qualifications but how do you price an office cleaning contract job in London ?
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@Charms
Welcome. I would put up a thread in window cleaning issues and ask the same question. Provide some details as to the size/type of contract and you'll get some help I'm sure.
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I have a degree in psychology and started into window cleaning. Honestly wouldnt even look back
I've found that about 0.5-1% of customers in this game are nutty as a fruit cake.
What's your take on this?
I would suggest that the true number is far in excess of 0.5%-1% lol