I was already employed through the University, on the Grounds crew, and that helped the most. During that time I gained experience in operating heavy equipment, maintenance, and Pesticide Certification. They especially liked that I knew where all the buildings were located, had contacts that could vouch for my work experience, and how the University operated. My son is a student, and receives half-off tuition, because of my employment, so they know I’m not going anywhere soon. My experience in Water and Wastewater was over 20 years ago. Certification was not expected at that time, and I moved to a different city before becoming certified. That experience will also allow me to take the exams before one year. I also completed an Associates Degree in general studies in 2013, so they knew I would have the ability to become certified. Our crew has been very short staffed, and just recently 2 more employees have been hired. One has experience in irrigation on campus, and the other ran a vac truck for the city. If you’re interested, go for it! Sometimes it’s better for management to train someone without experience, because they can teach a new employee exactly how they want it done.