Employment

Thank you for taking the interest in Reilly Painting & Contracting. Please take a minute to read this introduction. If you are still interested in applying, please come into our office and fill out an application at the address given below or click on the link at the bottom of the page to fill out an online application. If you have any questions, you can click here to email us.

We want this job to work out for you as well as for us. We take our role as employer’s seriously. To do this we feel it is important that you need to understand what you can expect if you work here. Please make sure you read this very carefully. There will be questions on the application based on what you are about to read. So let’s begin.

Who and what is Reilly Painting & Contracting: Our business started in 1974, as the proverbial 'college painters' working our way through college. After finishing school, the business was beginning to grow. We thought to ourselves, "Why stop and take a cut in pay and work for someone else year after year?" In the early 80's, we built up an office and added general contracting, carpentry, masonry, plumbing, and electrical to our service list. You could say we do everything connected to "This Old House." After 30 plus years, we're still going strong.

Who likes to work here: Reilly Painting employees are successful people who enjoy working with their hands doing a variety of work. Our motto is the more you know how to do, the more fun you will have.

So, are you organized? Do you want to 'go somewhere' in your life? Do you want to make the 'This Old House' work a career? If so, then being a foreman in this company may be just what you are looking for.

What type of person won't last long here: Before getting all excited about this job or company, ask yourself the following questions:

1. When you work, do you talk on your cell phone while you paint?
2. Are you a slob when you work? Do you drip paint on the masonry entryway, on the brick, or windows? Do you keep forgetting to clean up the job site? Do you like to leave your tools laying around?
3. Are you afraid of working off a ladder or a scaffold on a two storey house?
4. Do you talk more than you listen?
5. Do you expect that you will be paid a raise based on what 'you need to live on'?
6. At your former or current jobs, do you always have a problem with your boss or co-workers?

If the answer is YES to these questions then this job is NOT for you.

Other issues to think about:

1. You will need to adapt, change, and grow to be successful at this company. For example, if you are a carpenter, you cannot choose to only do carpentry because you will be asked from time to time to help finish a paint job, or a tile job. Some painters are good outside, but not very good inside.
2. You may have two rates of pay: one for outside and one for inside painting. This is NOT a school. We are not in the business to teach you how to do something.
3. You MUST be able to handle a 20 ft ladder on your own.
4. Did you have your own business working as a sub for a general contractor or an apartment owner? If so, do you know how much you REALLY made? Think about this before coming in to apply for a job. Most subs have no idea how much they make per hour. When the job is finished, the GC pays them (sometimes!) But how many hours did you actually work to make what you made? Often the actual hourly rate is LESS than what they make here. Make sure you know what your number is.
5. What's the commute to the Cleveland Heights area? If it takes you an hour to get here, don't even bother to fill out an application.  Given the cost of gas these days, it's just not worth it.

When you fill out the application, answer the questions honestly. The application you will be filling out is designed to answer those two basic questions.

Here is how to fill it out: The first part is basic bio facts. Your age, social security, etc. We do background checks on your driver’s license and any felonies. Do NOT have amnesia when filling this out. The second part involves your work history. If your only job is working with relatives, friends, or on your own, that is not what we define as a JOB. When you work with friends, attendance can be pretty casual. When you work for a company (listed in the phone book), they’re not interested in why you aren’t in for work, and after a few missed days, you are usually out of a job. So if you have only worked for yourself or friends, check the box off and move down to the third part. If you have worked for a company, give us the phone number. We have a phone book for you to use.

The final part involves professional painting and carpentry questions. If you know the professional painting and contracting business, then you will get most of these right. Often people ‘think’ they are painters or carpenters, when in fact they are strictly amateur handymen or apartment painters. Our work is mostly residential homes in upscale neighborhoods. Sometimes the work involves working with oil enamel on 80 yr old moldings using a $30 oil brush, or rebuilding a soffit. This is different than working with a roller on a apartment that is ready to rent. We use these questions to understand what you really know.

If you work with us, here is what you can expect:

• Work all year, with a 3 week break from Christmas to early January.
• Paid every two weeks like clockwork.
• Work 40 hours a week with many opportunities for overtime. Foreman are expected to average over 40 hours a week, usually in the low 40's in the non winter season.
• Opportunities for advancement if you have driver license, can manage assignments on your own, show up on time, not leave early from work, able to work Saturdays, and work neatly and cleanly.

WHAT ABOUT THE JOB ROUTINE?

In late spring and summer our work day begins at 8:00 a.m. and operates through 6:00 p.m.. In the fall and winter, we may start at 8:30 to 5:30 with long days when the weather is decent. We basically work 8 - 10 hour days. The long days allow us some flexibility with the weather, since on some rainy days we won’t be working. If we miss one day due to the weather, we still haven't gotten in a full work week.

When you are assigned to a crew, you will get instructions on how to use your crew voice mail number. You are to call this number in the morning between 7:00 and 7:30 to find out if the weather has affected the schedule. You can also leave a message for your foreman.

You are to come to work in white painters’ pants. If you are working as a carpenter or roofer, you are to wear jeans or tan carpenters pants. We will provide you with shirts which you must wear. There is no charge unless you lose them, or quit within a month. Do not come to work in street clothes. You will be sent home to change.

You are responsible for getting to work regularly. Most of the work is on the east side (Heights area). You are to get to the work site on your own. Most jobs last an average of one week. You will be paid every two weeks on Fridays by 2:00 p.m. We do not miss payrolls, so count on being paid regularly. You are to turn in your time sheet on the Monday before payday. Your foreman will show you how to fill it out.

Rates of pay are as follows:
$7 for inexperienced painters with aptitude to learn.
$8 for semi experienced exterior painter with potential/aptitude.
$9 for experienced exterior painters who can prep and paint windows, but inexperienced with the interior painting.
$10-$12 experienced interior painters.
$12 for general carpentry, masonry work.
$12-$14-$16 running small job as jr. foreman/solo carpenter, electrical, plumbing. Plus job bonuses.

You may/will be paid a lower rate in the 1st 2 weeks until you prove your skills and aptitude.
There is a $7.00 penalty rate if you quit without one week’s (40 hour) notice. All bonuses are forfeited. There are absolutely no excuses for quitting without notice. We don’t care if your old boss called with a hot new job offer, or that big side job came in, or that Martians abducted your children. You will be having a variety of rates of pay depending on the type of work you may be doing. This gives us the opportunity to see what you can do.

Finally, and most importantly, a word on ATTENDANCE. There's the old saying, "Success is 50% showing up." We pay based on your skills and your ability to show up for work. For new hires, we have a very strict attendance policy. Your application will have a line to indicate any upcoming personal days for the first month. Please make sure that is filled in. If you are hired, we will discuss our attendance policy in details.

If you have any questions, you can email us or if you would like to fill out an on-line application click here. For those who wish to fill out an application at our office, see the map.

We accept applications between the hours of 10 a.m. & 12.00 p.m. Monday through Thursday.