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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Paul,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I agree with you 100 percent on pretty much
everything you said. I am not knocking CAUT workers at all. Anyone
can see the benefits of those positions, however some of those jobs are just
hideous! Picture this, I was asked to apply for a university job here in
the Midwest. The school has 100 pianos and the advertised pay
range was one of the lowest that CAUT workers have witnessed in the past 8
years. The Director of the Music Department swore to me that they had to
advertise the lowest offered pay amount because of some state regulations.
So dumb me goes down and takes the Civil Service exam, works on 2 badly
neglected instruments and goes through the interview process only to find out
that the pay offered is as exactly the amount advertised. So I had 2
trips totaling 1400 miles, basically 4 days of lost work not to even speak of my
fuel, food and lodging costs. All of this just to find out the University
had more or less lied about the hole thing. All of my time and hopes were
wasted on a job that would have paid just shy of $28000 per year. I didn't
spend all this time studying, apprenticing, going to school to gain the
necessary knowledge and skills that would make me more employable, studying for
and passing the RPT exams and constantly trying to better my self as a tuner and
technician to take an almost poverty level job. A short time into my
apprenticeship I asked my mentor what I had to do to get one of these university
positions. His reply was that I needed to go to school. He said that
would give me more valuable experience in a short time than anything else and
make me more employable. So that's what I did. While in school I
asked the same question to my instructors and other members of the PTG, the
answer was to get my RPT. So I did that and while I'm ecstatic to be an
RPT who's graduated from an accredited piano technology institution I can't
say that it has helped me a hole lot on the employment front. So, here I
am making more money than a lot of the CAUT folks but I have a lot more expenses
to go with it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Shawn Brock, RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>513-316-0563</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.shawnbrock.com">www.shawnbrock.com</A></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=pwilliams4@unlnotes.unl.edu
href="mailto:pwilliams4@unlnotes.unl.edu">Paul T Williams</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 20, 2008 5:53
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Best approach for acquiring
new business.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Shawn,</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT
face=sans-serif size=2>There is a very good reason I took a CAUT job. It's the
now lack of driving 50K miles a year, having full benefits, a 401K, all the
insurance, driving only 5 miles to work, getting to work on what really needs
work without having to "sell" something, nobody looks over me, I have full
reign on the pianos and I say what is to be done!! I spent 15 years in
the Pacific NW living on an island with 4 RPT's and a couple of
joker"tooners" who got most of the low-end business, but good money....also
worked among the most awesome nationally known techs who got all the best of
the best...so I had to scrape up the in-between. I don't know your
area's business, but don't knock the CAUT position. It's very
nice...much over the $35K and when you figure in the benefits, works well into
the 55-60K range or more. I know I deserve more for the 130 pianos I care for,
but there is some sort of peace I get for getting to "play around" with what
I've got to work with....I want damn good money, too, but right now, in the
current downslide of the economy, I'm really greatful for what I have...
In the Seattle area, whenever Boeing had a strike, I suffered,
immediately, as well (so supports the middle of the road piano customers I'm
talking about) .</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>Price yourself
accordingly and with proper follow-up, you'll make enough...Just good luck
with health insurance, business insurance, retirement package, travel
expenses, and the like....</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=2>Paul</FONT> <BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2> </FONT>
<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>
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<TD width="40%"><FONT face=sans-serif size=1><B>"Shawn Brock"
<shawnbrock@fuse.net></B> </FONT><BR><FONT face=sans-serif
size=1>Sent by: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</FONT>
<P><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>10/20/2008 03:24 PM</FONT>
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<DIV align=center><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Please respond
to<BR>Pianotech List
<pianotech@ptg.org></FONT></DIV></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR></P>
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<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>To</FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>"Pianotech List"
<pianotech@ptg.org></FONT>
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<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>cc</FONT></DIV>
<TD>
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<TD>
<DIV align=right><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Subject</FONT></DIV>
<TD><FONT face=sans-serif size=1>Re: Best approach for acquiring
new business.</FONT></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
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<TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><BR><BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Wem and all,</FONT> <BR><FONT size=3> </FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>. Making a decent living is all fine and well but I want more
than decent! I want damn good! I'm to the point in my business
where I would not think of abandoning it for some $35000 university gig.
Its funny to think that a college job was all I ever wanted but now I am
seeing the down side to that life. </FONT> <BR><FONT
size=3> </FONT> <BR><FONT size=3><BR></FONT><BR><BR><FONT
size=3><BR></FONT>
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