We promise not to get that annoying Beach Boys song stuck in your head — impossible now that we’ve brought it up. Aruba, heading up that list of tropical islands sung about in “Kokomo,” is often incorrectly lumped with the Caribbean, when in fact, it couldn’t be more unique from the rest.
Like the others, Aruba has the gorgeous beaches and stunning coral reefs. What it doesn’t have are hurricane seasons. Tourists never have to worry about planning a vacation to the island that lands in the middle of hurricanes Brad, Manny or Zach. Instead you’ll be met with cacti and warm, dry breezes.

My Career

Taming of the office shrew

When the workdays grow longer, the workweeks start to bleed into the weekends and the next federal holiday seems unfathomably far away — that, career counselors say, is when messy, regrettable emotions tend to spill out into the office.

Music

Run this town

No living man but Jay-Z could get a sold out Boston arena so excited about New York City. But for two hours last night, the sold out crowd at the Garden was in an Empire State of Mind, as “The Blueprint 3” tour rolled into town.

Published 01:58, November the 16th, 2009

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An HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) technician is really an electrician, plumber and chemist all rolled into one.

Making your way into in-home repair

Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for HVACR mechanics in 2006 was $18.11 per hour.

Back to school

Community colleges are an excellent resource both for HVACR training, and a good barometer for examining private technical schools for both cost and quality.

Springfield Technical Community College
Because of the statewide community college system in Massachusetts, the HVACR program is centralized in Springfield. Even if you can’t hack the commute, STCC represents an excellent barometer for other programs near you.

If you could only have one maintenance person in your home for a year, the best choice would be an air conditioning and refrigeration technician. That may sound like a narrow expertise, but these mechanics have the widest skill set of any in-home repairmen.

An HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) technician is an electrician, plumber and chemist all rolled into one.

The refrigeration cycle is the first thing mentioned in any HVACR course. That’s what’s going on in the coil of your fridge or air conditioner. Basically, the refrigerant is changing from liquid to gas, back to liquid again. But in order to get the job done, technicians must be at least part electrician, having some knowledge of volts, watts and amps in the machine. Finally, you won’t get very far as an HVACR tech without plumbing skills. Pressure drops, and pipe repair is common.

Although HVACR licensure might mean the learning curve is a bit higher, refrigeration and air conditioning is usually much easier to break into than most other mechanical trades.

Q & A

A chat with an expert

In 1980 John A. Colontrelle bought Barker Electric, Air Conditioning and Heating Inc. He started out with just two employees, but today Barker includes two business locations and 45 employees.

Other than the technical knowledge, what are some other important skills for an HVACR tech?

The people skills are about as important technical skills. You’re in a person’s home for the most part. They have to trust you. If you make a mistake, they have to be willing to let you back into the home.

What do you look for when hiring a HVACR tech?

Someone who knows it isn’t an eight-to-five job. We need to be of service in the evenings and weekends. I also like to see ambition to learn the changing technology.

What are some simple things someone can do to impress you at an interview?

Well, you don’t have to wear a suit. A polo shirt is fine. The easiest thing you can do is to own a set of your own tools and be able to talk about them with me.

METRO/BW

BRUCE WALSH

Music

MMMpod

The March MMMpod features conversation and music from Surfer Blood and The Allman Brothers Band (There's a double-bill you're not too likely to see. However, Gregg Allman does mention Hannah Montana!). We also speak with Vampire Weekend and the Dropkick Murphys.

My Money

‘Lindsay’ sues E*Trade over ‘milkaholic’ ad

NEW YORK. The actress Lindsay Lohan has sued E*Trade Financial Corp. for $100 million, saying a “milkaholic” baby girl who appeared in a recent commercial was modeled after her.

US – Friday, March 12

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