KEY POINTS:
Name: Jason King
Age: 36
Role: Master locksmith, Smiths Locksmiths Ltd, Ponsonby
Working hours: Variable, rostered on call 24/7 every three weeks.
Starting salary range: Depends on experience. School leavers start on $12 to $14 an hour
Qualifications: Master locksmith (MLAA).
Describe what you do
I'm a master locksmith, which means I'm a member of that association and have passed the tests that give you the qualification and the certificate. But you have to have been in the industry for two or three years before you can sit the exams
We do people's homes, commercial buildings and vehicles. Depending what companies you work for - like Chubb, Armstrong and a few others - you can work in the prisons, the psychiatric places and then there's the military. Anywhere you put a key really and there are not too many places there aren't keys and locks, never mind the banks and everything else. The work can be sensitive and require privacy.
Here at Smiths, we mainly do residential and a little bit of commercial. My work involves installation, through to changing people's locks, to cutting keys for cars and different types of locks and there's hundreds of thousands of those.
Your history?
I have been with Smiths for about 18 months. Before that, I worked at Chubb Lock & Safe for 18 years. I did my apprenticeship in the late 80s, and then sat the MLAA's trade certificate. Back then, it was a series of tests. There were four hours for sitting the written tests, as well as a four-hour practical. Now it's a lot more practical.
Why did you choose locksmithing?
To get out of school! I saw a brochure on locksmithing but I already had the bug and enjoyed playing with keys. There was an apprenticeship on offer. It was learn as you go. There was some workshop time but the experience came from other people who were willing to teach me. Now, it's a structured modern apprenticeship.
What would an "average" day involve?
Some days you'll do one job, especially if you're working on somebody's place or a commercial premises, where there is a lot of work to do. I was speaking to some locksmiths who have the contract to re-key Eden Park so they will be there for weeks. You can go to the same place day after day and then another day you might get eight jobs.
How do you gauge how much security someone needs?
You assess the situation, ascertain what the client requires and then draw from your experience to give them a few solutions.
What sort of training/skills do you need?
These days you find yourself an employer willing to let you do the Competenz course in Australia where TAFE has locksmithing classes. That gives you a solid base. You also need good people around you who are willing to teach you.
You need to have a desire to help people, to be compassionate.
Circumstances can be hard for people who have been burgled. With police jobs you could be walking into any crime scene - maybe situations where people have been raped. You have to have a clean record, as well.
And the computing side is coming into the industry with car locks and electronics. Transponders are increasingly used in car locks.
Why is your job important?
It's important because people rely on you for their security. That's the most rewarding part of the job, knowing you are helping people feel secure in their homes and businesses.
You must have some funny tales?
Too many to list, especially after hours as you work 24 hours of the day. You get used to helping people out when they're stuck at 4 in the morning. I can't count the number of times I have had to open doors for women locked out first thing in the morning, still in their dressing gowns.
What would you like to be doing in five years?
I have been doing this so long, I will probably still be locksmithing. It is an interesting job, especially if you are mobile on the road.
And there is always a shortage of good locksmiths. It can get pretty hard on your knees. You're kneeling and squatting a lot. From a health and safety point of view, it pays to have steel caps on your shoes and some knee pads.
Advice to someone wanting to do same thing?
It takes a specific type of person to do this job. Some people last only a couple of weeks. It requires a lot of patience and you can be dealing with extremely small and fiddly parts. For someone starting out, it can pay to work for a big firm, as it will be an intense learning curve with a wide variety of different experiences
