Getting Out Into The Working World
Getting out into the working world can lead you to meet some very famous people. I met Bill Cowher when he was still coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers football team. I’ve also met Rolling Stone journalist P.J. O’Rourke, singer Christina Aguilera, and Social Distortion punk-rock legend Mike Ness. Meeting Bill Cowher was a big one, though. I’m from Pittsburgh, where everyone loves football. It was a pretty big deal when Pittsburgh got a brand-new football stadium a few years back.
This led me to thinking about the new Arizona Cardinals stadium. That building has so many air conditioning and cooling units. I wonder how many HVAC techs and installers they need to work on the stadium! I’m guessing a lot. I’m also wondering how many famous athletes stadium workers get to meet. I’m guessing, also, a lot.
RSI refrigeration and air conditioning grads can find these kinds of opportunities in Phoenix and elsewhere. Hockey arenas and baseball stadiums need HVAC professionals, too. So do office buildings, factories, and newsrooms. These opportunities pay really well. But, I think the greatest part of any job is the people you get to meet. Maybe you’ll get to meet the Cardinals coach. Or, maybe, you’ll meet your future best friend, a person who changes your life. HVAC and air conditioning specialists have to work with and communicate with so many different people. Each person you meet during this kind of career will teach you something important, no doubt.
I was never very excited about school, I’ll confess — especially college. And, I really didn’t figure out why I didn’t like school that much until recently. It’s because there’s no participation. Sure, you can raise your hand and shout out an answer, but there’s not much opportunity for you to solve problems for yourself (not counting math class, of course). Shop and art classes were much different, though. There was just so much to do: measuring, hammering, ripping, drilling, getting down and dirty, working with your hands.
That’s why I think it’s cool that RSI offers hands-on training in many different career fields. Working with heating and cooling systems or engineering new HVAC systems really requires you to think and do — at the same time. You really understand the machinery and circuitry inside and out. And it’s the best feeling in the world to have solved a cooling or electrical problem, because it means you put together your hands-on skills and your thinking skills.
For career satisfaction, you have to feel a sense of accomplishment, and take pride in what you can provide. If you’re working on heating and cooling systems that will ultimately help people in Phoenix work — or help the Cardinals play — you’re doing something that’s worthwhile. RSI trains students with the hope that they’ll enter worthwhile professions like HVAC, air conditioning, and refrigeration. And, using your hands lets you approach problems straight on, working through them until completion. It’s just like painting the perfect picture — or watching the perfect touchdown: very satisfying.
