Graduate Connections – Meet Alvin Beasley

Alvin, 23, is from Baltimore, Maryland. Alvin completed the Electro-Mechanical Technologies (EMT) program at RSI in November 2023 after several years in the military. 

Thanks for your time, Alvin; what did you do before coming to trade school? 

After high school I joined the United States Army. I served as an aircraft mechanic, working on helicopters, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, for three and a half years.

Thank you for your service. Did you join up with that field in mind?

No, but I’ve always been interested in mechanical work. When I saw it was an available occupational specialty, it caught my interest. It was about 18 weeks of training. 

So, after the military and leaving Hawaii, what did you do?

I worked at Boeing in Mesa, AZ, building Apache helicopters for about six months. But I got a little tired of manufacturing, tired of doing the same exact thing, every single day. I wanted to get into something where I’d be able to exercise my brain in a job where I could troubleshoot, solve problems, and repair things. 

Maryland – Hawaii – Arizona. What brought you here?

My wife is from Arizona, so when I got out of the Army, we decided to move out here so she can be close to her family. She moved around for me, so it was only fair! 

Yep, sounds fair! How did you discover RSI?

I have a few friends who have been through RSI programs. I wasn’t 100% sure which field I wanted to get into when I was looking at the RSI programs originally. I decided to go with EMT because it covered the most fields – HVAC, Electrical, Solar. I thought it would give me the best opportunity to access a variety of trades.

Solid thinking. What did you enjoy most about your time at RSI?

What I enjoyed most was all the hands-on experience, and honestly, the wealth of knowledge that my instructors had. All my instructors were 20- or 30-year HVAC or electrical people. So having teachers that knowledgeable meant I was able to really pick their brains. That helped me understand certain concepts throughout the program. By picking their brains, you can also pick up hints and tips, ways to do things that go beyond the curriculum – stuff that happens out here in the real world. That was really enjoyable for me.

Did the program come easy to you with your prior mechanical experience?

I’d say the majority of the work came pretty easy to me. That meant I was able to help others in my class who didn’t have that prior experience, who maybe struggled with certain concepts.   

That’s awesome. So, where are you working?

I work for DP Air Corp in Phoenix as a service technician. DP Air specializes in comprehensive green solutions for data centers and other critical environments. I got the job offer about two weeks before I completed the program in November, but with the Holidays and then some changeovers in the company, the hiring process took a little while. I started February 5, so I just finished my first two weeks. 

Did Career Services help, and was it interview based or did you have to take a test?

Yes, Cooper in RSI Career Services actually sent out my résumé, and DP Air got in contact with me. The hiring process was interview based, but there was a written test just to show my electrical knowledge. They wanted to see that I knew how to read schematics, that I knew how to properly use a voltmeter and what to expect in certain parts of a circuit. It was all stuff we covered in school.

Congratulations. Are you happy with the money you have started on and the potential?

Yes. $27/hour is definitely a good starting point. I’m also excited that I was able to get into a commercial company instead of a residential company. A lot of the residential companies were offering lower wages with sales incentives. That just wasn’t something I wanted to get into. I didn’t want to depend on commissions and selling people things. 

What kind of work are you doing for them?

So, it’s all air conditioning, comfort cooling, in critical environments. In two weeks, I’ve done a lot of work with transportation companies, mobile device carriers, prisons, and casinos.

That’s a lot of variety in two weeks! Is that what you enjoy most about this job, and this trade? 

Yes, I like working in different environments, going to different places, and having a job where I’m actually using my brain to actively try to problem solve and to think of all alternate fixes, in some situations, quick fixes. So, yes, definitely the best part for me is the travel and the change of scenery on a daily basis. It’s what I was missing at Boeing.

I’m assuming there’s a period of training or shadowing.

Yes, I am accompanying an experienced tech for three months. They did give me my own truck on the first day though! So, I do have my own truck, my own tools; I’m just partnered up with someone else to learn the different preventative maintenance they do, the different customers and what their buildings are like, what equipment they have. It’s really getting my bearings with who I’ll be working with and what projects I’ll be on. After three months I’ll be running my own service calls and be on rotation for after-hours calls.

What’s your ultimate career goal? A lot of RSI grads want to own their own business one day.

As of right now, I want to get to a point where I’m really comfortable and familiar with my work set. I want to test my troubleshooting capabilities and use what I’ve learned in school for a few years until I feel confident enough to know whether I could run my own business. I don’t know yet if that’s something I’d be interested in doing, or if I would rather just work for a company like DP Air. 

Could you see yourself staying with DP Air for a while?

After just two weeks working here, I definitely feel that DP Air is a good company with good benefits. There are a lot of good people here, a lot of knowledgeable people. The guy I partner with is a 23-year HVAC tech, so he’s super knowledgeable, and he is showing me lots of tricks of the trade. I think it’s one of those places where if you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll definitely learn a lot, see a lot, and experience a lot. I see myself staying here for a while. There’s definitely potential for growth.

Sounds like you landed in a good spot. Did you make friends at school that you stay in touch with? 

Yes, I did. I keep in contact with a number of my classmates just to see how they’re all doing, what’s going on. One called me just yesterday actually, to see how DP Air was going for me because they were on the fence about going into commercial or residential. So, yeah, I have people that I keep in touch with to see how they’re doing. The majority of them are working; I know one or two classmates that haven’t landed a job yet. They’ve had interviews but haven’t landed anything yet. Some are getting $17/18 hour offers but are holding out for more. 

Sometimes you have to pay your dues and build your experience, though. Not everyone gets $27/hour straight out of school. What advice do you have for new students to be successful at RSI? 

I’d say the biggest thing is showing up every day. I know a lot of people who struggled because they thought they could miss one day every week or be gone for a couple of days. If you do that, you’ll fall behind because it is a very intensive course. So, show up, and when you’re in class, pay attention. Take the homework seriously; try to absorb the information that you’re reading or the work that you’re doing. Unfortunately, nowadays, a lot of things can be Googled, and answers can just be given without understanding them. You need to know the ‘why, not just the ‘what’. The reading will be very beneficial for when you’re taking things from theory to practicality, when you’re going from just learning to actually using the information. 

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. There were things throughout the program that may have stumped me for a moment, but after talking to my instructor and picking their brain a little bit, I had a lot better grasp of what was going on.

If you’re an RSI graduate and would like to share your success and be an inspiration to others, please email [email protected] to be considered for a Graduate Connection interview. Please include details such as your graduation date (month/year) and program.