The $9 - $12 per hour for a green helper sounds a little high for my area, but your mileage may differ. Most of the advertised positions that you will see will be for experienced electricians. A person in business would like to hire someone that will immediately start making money for them, however every company of any size also needs laborers to do the "grunt" work. They really can't afford to pay a skilled electrician to dig a ditch or carry light fixtures. They often do not have to spend money advertising these positions, there are many applicants available. For these positions, the employer is looking for someone that is RELIABLE. Will you show up on time, ready to work? Will you notify the boss in advance if you need time off? Are you willing to work overtime? Convince an employer that you are willing to do these things and you will find a job. Convince them that you have good communication skills and are willing and able to learn and you will have more job offers than you can count. They may be very willing to help train you.
I talk to employers almost every day and they insist that they are looking for people that can be trained and that are reliable. I point out to them that their employment ads do not support that position. Many large companies are finding that their biggest problem is their own HR Department. Good people that don't have experience are not called for interviews. If possible you need to talk to the person that is looking for help, not the HR representative. That person can then help you get throughthe HR procedure.
As always, it is often not WHAT you know, but WHO you know that makes the difference.
It is getting to the point that many HR Departments are attempting to automate the hiring process. One thing that they are doing is scanning your application for "key words". If you do not use the correct key word, you do not get interviewed. For example if they are looking for the key word "procurement" and you use the word "purchasing" you may not be selected for an interview. You need to by-pass this scenario and talk to the person that has the authority to hire you.
