Who wants a job?

gortnipper · Jan 19, 2015

I am not fully qualified, nor am I in the UK. But it sounds interesting!

http://www.andover-norton.co.uk/Job%20Description.pdf

acotrel · Jan 19, 2015

You'd need to be a draftsman who'd built bikes , also someone who'd worked in engineering at shop floor level - not so common.

Kt-88 · Jan 19, 2015

Well.. I fit that pretty well. I emailed. I'm in the US though.

Rohan · Jan 20, 2015

That would have been my dream job a while back when in the UK.
Autocad skills are a bit rusty these days - if they even still use it....

andychain · Jan 20, 2015

Would do it but too old and too busy.

Shame TD and apprenticeships are a thing of the past.

Andy

SteveA · Jan 20, 2015

andychain said:
Would do it but too old and too busy.

Shame TD and apprenticeships are a thing of the past.

Andy

I though apprenticeships were the new thing Andy?

Onder · Jan 20, 2015

If not they should be. So many today graduate both from high school and college and are clueless
about doing a job and getting a job. Call it an internship for college boys but the idea of getting
clued in is priceless.

andychain · Jan 20, 2015

Steve they should be but it aint happening.

Kids today want to go out and earn good money day 1. If they can get
money for doing nothing but play all day on games why should they earn
meagre money working.

I worked for beer and food as a race mechanic and learn more about race
engines and car set up than any college could have taught me.

There is a place for cad and degrees but there is still nothing better than
40 years in a profession. There have been some absolute cock ups by major
companies relying on computors especially with chains. I was put on the scrap
heap by a young upstart German at 50 and never looked back. Do what I want
not what I have to, take no crap ( you may have noticed on here at times) and
will continue until I peg it.

Andy

gortnipper · Jan 20, 2015

Yes, Andy that is true. MEEEEEE generation.

But, a lot of kids fresh out of uni here in NZ still take Graduate positions in hi-tech which start out at reasonable rate and ramp up their salaries incrementally every 6 mos for a couple years till they get to a competent Junior level.

Rohan · Jan 20, 2015

andychain said:
There is a place for cad and degrees but there is still nothing better than
40 years in a profession.

While this is true, AN get all their manufacturing done by outside suppliers ?
So the drawings HAVE to be good - and accurate.
The '40 years in a profession' have to be on the shop floor of the firm doing the making....

On the other hand, I've had parts made up, and smaller operators often can't even read a drawing (!!),
a measured sketch or even a measured sample often works better.
Unless its complicated...

Part of the job desc. also mentions answering phone tech and sales enquiries.
That is a separate skill set again. ?
I'd have thought that might be more than a full time job already.
Unless all staff do phone answering duties ?

gortnipper · Jan 20, 2015

Kt-88 said:
Well.. I fit that pretty well. I emailed. I'm in the US though.

Good luck!

BTW - I am a 45, 2A3 and GM70 guy (used to have KT88 PP monos).

dennisgb · Jan 20, 2015

I learned CAD and CAM in the 80's, upgraded along the way as technology improved...so that was 35 years ago...also worked on the floor and on pit crews for free when I was young.

A little confused about the comments on computers...couldn't do much without them including measuring engine performance.

Most of the "new" parts we all buy for our Norton's wouldn't exist without computer's.

Rohan · Jan 20, 2015

[quote="dennisgb"
A little confused about the comments on computers[/quote]

If you are including my remarks amongst the comments (plural) against computers, then read my remarks again, more critically..

I worked for a large computer concern, if the power went down we couldn't even assign employees to clean the toilets,
let alone anything productive.

wakeup · Jan 20, 2015

What I got from that advert is that they want someone who understands what something does, how to specify it so that a 3rd party can make it so that it works, and how to provide support so that it gets into service with no dramas.
To me that's not something that a modern engineering graduate could do. It would probably take at least someone who has completed a "real" apprenticeship, has at least an (old fashioned) HNC level of qualification if not a degree, has at least 20 or 25 years of experience in a technically similar field.
In other words a dream job for someone in their 40s and fed up with big business.
All the very best of luck to them, both AN and whoever wins the prize!! It's good to see.
cheers
wakeup

Rohan · Jan 20, 2015

Reads a lot like my CV and quals - but no commercial experience in that field. (went into computers).
Not in the UK either.

Its possible they already have someone in the company lined up, and just need to advertise the position. ?
Or want to hire Les when he 'retires'. !!

I'll nominate LAB as the man they need for phone enquires,
he knows at least twice as much Commando as anyone ...

Do I get a finders fee ?

rvich · Jan 20, 2015

Where does it say you have to live in the UK? You could probably perform this job from Colorado.

Rohan · Jan 20, 2015

I think you would ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BE THERE to eyeball the inital/prototype parts,
to approve them for full production.

Nothing like having them in your hands, turn them over, feel them, glint them in the sun,
test fit them to a bike, try them out, go for a ride.
You cannot substitute a million photos for this....

You would probably also need to be there to do a lot of handholding for the myriad of manufacturers involved.
When they have a question that the drawings and samples cannot resolve, you simply have to be there available
on the phone in the same timezone for a quick yes or no. Or things go on the backburner, and delays breed delays.
Or errors go into production...

??

Having done customer phone support, being in the same time zone is also almost essential.
Unless more of your calls come from overseas than locally...

dennisgb · Jan 20, 2015

Rohan said:
If you are including my remarks amongst the comments (plural) against computers, then read my remarks again, more critically..

I worked for a large computer concern, if the power went down we couldn't even assign employees to clean the toilets,
let alone anything productive.

Yeah there are downsides to computer's for sure, but working in the manufacture of 3 dimensional products (my background), we couldn't have survived without them. Today everyone is all excited about 3D printers, we did that 30+ years ago. Running machine tools to cut 3D shapes in steel would be impossible too which was critical to produce products. When they fail it's a pain, when they work right amazing stuff can happen with the proper input.

Kt-88 · Jan 20, 2015

gortnipper said:
Good luck!

BTW - I am a 45, 2A3 and GM70 guy (used to have KT88 PP monos).

Thanks! I'll admit I'm checking my inbox obsessively at this point. I have an amazing job here, but the call of adventure..

And I'm glad someone caught the thermionic reference! That too is a bit outmoded these days.

Rohan · Jan 20, 2015

Do you know your Commando models, uber well ??

Someone here recently sold a pair of McIntosh valve amps, in delapidated condition.
Reached an amazing price, for something that will need a small fortune to restore them to pristine.
The (rust spotted) chromed chassis looked like a challenge in itself....

Who wants a job?

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