Total outstanding federal student loan debt is a staggering $1.59 trillion. How long does it take to pay off a student loan? And who pays if the borrower can’t?
Anyone considering college will want to consider the cost, and what he or she really wants out of a career. What follows is a story worth reading if you, or someone you know, faces these kinds of decisions.
Josh Smith first worked at Mechanical Extremes in spring 2010. However, he did not intend for HVAC to be his career.
A decade ago, Josh was attending Western Michigan University with a geology major and a biology minor. As he searched for a summer job, a friend of a friend told him about someone who had just started his own HVAC company. This would not be Josh’s first encounter with Harold Wilkes. Harold and his wife, Stacey, had come to the aid of Josh’s family at a time of need years before. No one knew it at the time, but that helping hand had also planted a seed that would later sprout and bloom.
In late February 2010, Josh called Harold about a job. Harold was not looking for help at that time, especially from someone with no installation experience. Harold told Josh “Try back after a bit and if the work is there, I could probably use some help.” Josh took that to heart, but redefined the word persistence. For the next 3 and a half months, Josh called like clockwork. Now remember in 2010 times were tougher and work harder to come by, especially for someone opening a new business and a guy with no previous experience looking for work. Then this happened. Harold landed a large project to install the HVAC system at his own church. More work followed. And Josh’s relentless begging for a job paid off. Harold instructed Josh to be to work at 7 am June 22nd, 2010.
Everyone has heard of “Two Men and a Truck”. Well, this was two men, a truck, and a trailer. Josh worked for Harold the entire summer of 2010, putting in as much time as possible. Two more joined the crew that summer, but did not stay. In late summer, a highly experienced person came onboard freeing up Harold to do estimates and some service. The company was growing.
Josh returned to Western Michigan University in the fall, going to class 4 days a week. On Fridays and most Saturdays, Josh came home to work with Harold. Josh started to realize he enjoyed learning from Harold and doing the HVAC work much more than going to college. The people he met in the field and the projects he was involved in were much more satisfying to him than a G.P.A. (plus the money didn’t hurt either). Josh had reached a turning point.
During Christmas break 2010-2011 Josh faced a tough choice—take classes fulltime to finish his remaining 18 credit hours, or move home to pursue the trade he had grown to enjoy. He discussed it with Harold. They agreed–as long as Harold had enough work, Josh would have a job. The path was decided, but probably not the one you think! Josh had found a third option. He would work full time and attend JCC part time for a year and a half to earn associates degrees in science and general studies. Most classes would be at night, but a few day classes could not be missed. Josh says “it was the best of both worlds.”
Josh Smith
Josh moved up the ranks by learning as much as he could from others, and made a name for himself. Today, eleven years later, Josh Smith is Mechanical Extremes’ installation manager. He oversees everything from ordering materials to supervising large commercial projects…and everything in between.
So, what’s the moral of the story? In spite of what you see in the media, college and a 9 to 5 job isn’t for everyone. It’s not necessarily a mark of success, nor does it ensure attaining wealth. The trades offer a wonderful career experience if you’re attuned to it. And one more thing. When did you last hear that HVAC installers, service techs, plumbers, or electricians were about to be replaced by an algorithm?
Want to learn more? Watch this video. Harold Wilkes tells his story.
