Who actually
employs
tradespeople

Forty calls, one sitting

Expect one to three yeses out of forty. That's not failure, that's the rate. The people who get hired into trades are the ones who made the calls, not the ones who found the perfect posting.

1. Call. Don't email. Small shops don't read email, and a résumé attachment reads like someone who doesn't understand the work.
2. Call between 6:30 and 7:30am, or after 4pm. That's when the owner is in the office instead of on a job. Mid-morning you get voicemail.
3. Ask for the owner or the service manager. On a shop this size there's no HR department to route you.
4. Lead with what you actually are. Don't oversell — they've heard it.
   "I'm trying to get into the trade. I don't have experience. I'm reliable, I've got a license and a vehicle, and I'll start as a helper doing whatever needs doing. Are you taking anyone on?"
5. Don't ask about pay on the first call. Ask whether they pay for schooling or run an apprenticeship — many do, and that question tells them you're thinking past next week.
6. If it's a no, ask one more question. "Do you know anybody who is hiring?" Contractors all know each other, and a referral from one shop gets you further than forty cold calls.
7. Mark the teal ones first. Those run registered apprenticeships or pay for schooling — the best outcome on the list, and it costs you nothing.