[Jewelry making - Article 00104] - Re: [Orchid] Employment in the Metal arts/Jewelery Field

[Dennis Loss]

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    Hello, Several years ago, I became really tired of the self
    employment game. I had always been self employed and so I went
    looking for a job, it sort of fell in my lap really, one of my
    consignment stores was looking for another bench jeweler. Even though
    they knew my work I was asked to take their basic job test. You get a
    pile of repair envelopes and are told to do what you can. Don't try
    and do them all, just do the best you can do. Four hours later, they
    looked it over. It was ring sizings, chain repairs, stone settings
    etc. somethings I had never done. I still got the job and they taught
    me how they wanted things done. 

    They hired 2 or 3 other folks the same way while I was there. One
    was a fresh out of art school guy, He cleaned up lots of castings and
    soldered lots of repairs, and he got really good fast. I worked later
    at another store in another town and it was the same thing, they test
    and then reteach. So what I am getting at is from my experience, you
    learn as you go. 

    If you go in looking for a job and you are well dressed,
    enthusiastic, direct and honest, then you have a chance of getting a
    job. People like to hire folks who they can get along with.
    Generally, politeness and cleanliness go a long way in a job
    interview. If you tell them up front that you are a student wanting
    to learn then you can probably get a job. If you can practice
    soldering chains, sizing rings, soldering on earring posts, retipping
    prongs etc. for a while before you go in, I suggest that you do so.
    Practice makes perfect and doing the basics easily and quickly can
    synch the deal. 

    You can go buy a few old 14K and 18k bands at a pawn shop and size
    it as many times as possible. It will be good exercise to learn to
    work on pieces that have previous multiple solderings, lots of repair
    work is done on old junky pieces. Also, buy some silver 4 prong and 6
    prongs settings from Rio and set CZ's. and work on some white gold as
    well, it is really different than yellow. If you have to spend a
    little money that is just the cost of getting a job. You can always
    sell the stuff as scrap later on. 

    Right now I am looking for a jeweler and can't find one. I spoke
    with the instructor at the local Jr. college here,[ it has a great
    program], and I have yet to get a call. [Usually art school students
    want to make their own stuff. I know I did for years]. I have offered
    a pretty good wage too, and no calls yet. I think that it should be
    pretty easy for you to find a job. 

so good luck, 
Dennis
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