How many Jews does it take to change a lightbulb?
Solid, dependable tradespeople are a throwback to a time when we knew the postman, milkman and fishmonger by name.
Growing up in the ‘Beattie Generation’, we were geared towards getting an ‘ology’ and nabbing jobs typically pushed by the school careers officer in medicine, law and finance. An admirable living for sure, but how many of them truly love their jobs? In a time where mental health really does matter, 100% job satisfaction is common theme for this group of grafters who don’t mind getting their hands dirty…
Nick Collins – Electrician
As a kid I was always taking things apart and fixing them – I still do that! I’d been in lighting through the family business and in 2007 I shifted into electrical installations. I think it surprises people that I’m involved in the design and the physical installation and I’ve worked on some of the most incredible properties in London including one which we installed £150,000 worth of lighting – it was spectacular. There’s no better feeling than the big reveal of switching the lights on and seeing clients over the moon with my work. The downside is having to work outside in winter and getting older really takes a toll on my knees and hips. My advice? Don’t work with cowboys.
Scott Kaye – Handyman
I’ve been doing this for about seven years as a change from sales. I was the typical kid fixing things, playing with Meccano. My job definitely draws interest from wives bemoaning that their other halves (often Jewish husbands!) are useless around the home. I once retrieved a diamond ring that had gone down the plughole – I saved the day and the marriage! Property maintenance throws up challenges which I love finding solutions to, especially if someone says it can’t be done. The worst part is getting a face full of cobwebs and getting covered in crap, often quite literally if I’m working with sewage. My advice? Buy a DIY book. It has everything you need to do really basic stuff and most problems can be avoided!
Sophie Yershon – Gardener
I’ve been doing this officially since Covid and love the landscaping and styling aspect. As a kid I was always in the garden making mudpies and mini rockeries. People are always surprised by my job – it’s not often you see a Jewish girl schlepping giant bags of compost and planting up flower beds. We once found a rat in a famous client’s garden – we got rid of it, but only in exchange for a selfie! I always love installation day and seeing everything come together – it outweighs the sadness of never being able to have my nails done. The admin stuff isn’t fun but it has to be done. My advice? ‘Grow your own’ if you can.
Ellie Taylor – Decorator
I’ve been doing this successfully for four years, having worked previously in events and always being creative with an eye for design. When Covid killed the events industry, I started doing DIY through watching YouTube. Clients are always shocked when they find out I’m Jewish, let alone a woman working such a physical job. It earns me a lot of trust especially with female clients as there’s no intimidation, with one even having me move in and dog sit for her whilst she was away. It’s tough when you’re squeezed on a job – some people want more than originally quoted, but I truly love my job. My advice? Buy the best tools you can afford for DIY and keep a list of your property’s paint colours – it’s never ‘just white paint’.
Johnny Haik – Builder
As a kid I would always try to figure out how stuff works – your hands do the work, but the brain figures it out first. My dad’s a builder and I’ve been going 17 years now and proud of my company I’ve built, focusing on refurbishments and property maintenance. You have to be prepared with every single tool for the job, so it’s pretty annoying when stuff gets nicked. My advice? Don’t do it yourself – call the pros.
Nick Harris – Window Cleaner
After working in retail and IT recruitment I wanted something I could do for myself and window cleaning suited. My wife was my biggest encourager as I do all of the cleaning around the home – I’m quite finickity. I’ve been doing this job successfully for 18 years and have seen some things in my time, including ‘forgetful’ clients who take a shower just as I’m doing the upstairs windows, which aren’t frosted I might add! The summer months are great for work; obviously winter weather tends to make my job tricky, plus I’ve fallen off my ladder a couple of times. Par for the course though. My advice? Whatever it is, just give it a go!
Adam Goldman – Plumber
I was the typical Lego-playing kid, always fixing things and good with my hands. I knew I didn’t want to go down the traditional University route and follow my parents – my dad’s an investment banker and my mum’s a mortgage broker. I wanted to do something hands on and practical and I love working for myself – when clients find out I’m a Jewish it’s always a talking point. During Covid I was often the only visitor for elderly clients and my ‘quick job’ would turn into another half hour because they wanted me to sit and chat over a cup of tea and a biscuit. My advice? Leave it to the experts.
Joel Woolf – Handyman
What started as a bit of a sideline at weekends and evenings doing favours for family and friends has given me nine years of steady work. Even now if someone says they’ve got an Ikea flatpack to build, I’m there! I really love my job, exhausting as it is sometimes. I’d say 95% of my business is word of mouth – North London Jewish community can be your best friend or worst enemy. Since 7/10, a lot of clients especially the elderly ones, feel more comfortable with me in their home because I’m Jewish. My advice? Watch YouTube for simple stuff but don’t touch the plumbing or electrics.
Michael Ben Haim – Carpenter
I studied cabinet making in Israel in high school and ever since then I’ve had a love for the feel of wood, working in carpentry and kitchen fitting for 45 years. I get complete job satisfaction and I truly find it relaxing. My advice? If you’re not sure, call a professional.
Simon Leach – Heating Engineer
Originally I was in product development, got made redundant, got married and bought a house. It needed everything doing so I gutted it and got to work, employing contractors to help with areas I couldn’t handle. I recall paying the heating engineer the most money so I retrained as one and 15 years later, alongside some electrical work, it still suits me. You often have to mediate when dealing with tricky customers – when my kids were younger the ‘mummy network’ at the school gates was a brilliant source of income and I remember going to work on a flat and the neighbour downstairs was super grumpy about the disturbance from upstairs when trying to fix the problem. He eventually became a really good customer of mine and actually brought me in even more business through the locals in Muswell Hill. Happy customers means you’ve done a good job – I’ve never had to advertise. My advice? Fix a problem straight away before it ends up causing you more problems and more money.
Jason Roth – Mechanic
I’ve been in the motor trade for 30 years, working in the family business so I was always around cars from a very young age. Working with my family isn’t such a bad thing and it’s a convenient trade with loyal and longstanding customers. Winter is the toughest part because no one wants to work in a chilly garage! My advice? Don’t neglect your vehicle.
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