A green know it all... haha! yeah right.

Ball Valve

Dont beat yourself up over another guys hacker abilities. Your quality of workmanship will always shine through. It sounds to me like you have a good basic understanding of the essential skills. I have been in your shoes. Four years ago I was you. Fresh from a two year trade school with a wealth of information. It is a very delicate situation to tell an older and more "experienced" tech why something wont work the way they have it cobbled. Generally, these kind of guys dont have the basic knowledge you do. A good tech will listen to you and say "good idea kid" and have a big grin. The good tech will also have a good basic knowledge data base permanently etched into his brain. Bide your time, there are still a few years of the "school of hard knocks" ahead. You cant listen with your mouth open but, dont be afraid to say something if you are right. Feel free to email me with any questions.

David_13

poor work

hey, im a senior at a vocational school.. and am on a co-op program where i go out and work in the field every other week, try to learn and get paid at the same time... a real good program for everyone, but im reaching some problems after being with my employer for the last couple of months... now i realize i am green to the trade although my fathers a plumber and ive been exposed to the heating end of the trade for a long time... im proficient at electrical wiring and trouble shooting, but i do know that i dont know everything and i think thats my best asset as a worker...now onto the problem... the company i work for also has employed a couple guys that seem to be real hackers... and noone seems to care that the work they are doing is so poor... if they cant figure out how to fix it... they condemn it, lol... the other day the guy i was with (hes been in the trade roughly 7 years ) replaced a thermopyle t-stat with a honeywell t87... and it wouldnt run... when i told him why, he got real pissed at me... this kind of stuff happens all the time... ill hint to him that he is doing something wrong because im " not supposed to know anything " and he will do it anyways and break more stuff... and then he does very sloppy work and if i dont like it... too bad, im thinking about leaving but the money is real good... and in 2 months ill be 18 and they will give me my own van so i wont have to put up with it... although the company will still be doing hackjobs... i dont know if working for these guys will taint my reputation as a tradesmen if i go to find work elsewhere.... any ideas or comments on whether im a moron or not would be much appreciated... thanks

Floyd_5

Keep your chin up man.....

we need more guys like you in this trade...
Hang in there and learn all you can, I'm sure that if nothing else you can learn what "not to do"......and then you sound like your smart enough figure out how to do it right!
Where do you live, I would love to find a couple of smart, talented young guns to train to doing things my way.
My son is a lot like you and he gets very frustrated with some of the other contractors, and the way things get done.....
I have to calm him down sometimes and remind him the we can't change how others do things, but we can control what we do and how we react......

Always take the high road, and anybody who really knows what's going on will be able to see that your a cut above the rest. Just keep up the good work and the learnin'.

Steve Whitbeck

Learn what you can and work for them for a year then go out and get a job at a company with a better reputation.
Every big company has at least one of those types.
The big companies don't want to get rid of them because they sell a lot of parts and equipment.
The last year that I worked for someone else ( I now own my own company ) I was told twice that I should be finding more bad parts. I told them that I was finding all the bad parts but I wasn't going to lie to the customer and sell them something that they didn't need and that I wasn't a parts changer. ( I was the senior service tech.)

jackchips_2

David

have you spoken to your instructors about this? Here in Mass there is an excellent co-op program that my company has taken part in for many years and have hired quite a few of the students as apprentices after graduation.

I would think the school would want to monitor what you are doing and with whom. Your teachers or the VokeEd coordinator should be able to and want to give you guidance in this area.

If what you say is happening, the school should correct it or get you out of that environment and with an employer that follows the code and the law and does things right.

Good luck and do not discount college before entering the trade full time. Getting a good, sound BA from a two or four year college will be a huge benefit in the future.

Murph'_5

No one will condemn you....

For wanting to better yourself, unless of course their jealous. At such an age you may encounter more problems getting your own truck to work from. some may not take you seriously, but keep an open mind. there will be some even you will not be able to solve and will need to tap into someone elses experience! keep learning and exposing yourself to different applications. take care.


Murph'

lchmb

take pics

Although a company rep will alway's follow you to a degree, taking a picture of the install's you do and keeping a record of them will go a million mile's when or if you decide to change job's..Alot of companies have hack's..the bigger they are the more apt you are to find one...take pride in your work and make sure you can show it off down the road...If the pay and beni's are there and you like who your working for those are hard to replace because of another person..IMHO

J.C.A._3

David,

So far, you've been given GREAT advice! I too think you should just "stick to your guns". If a seinior tech is having trouble taking advice or instruction from you, it's their loss. I've learned more from listening than speaking, but if you know something to be wrong, SPEAK UP! The senior guy may get his panties in a bunch, but if it gets him and you onto the next job faster it's a no brainer.

I will also agree to the advice about going on to further your education. I could just kick myself for not finishing what I started in college. You'll be able to mingle "related" classes with "required" classes and get a lesson in both, learning and (if you're SMART....)business. If you ever dream of having your own company, get the business courses and stick with it.

Like most everyone here will agree with, finding GOOD help is getting harder and harder.Sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders. If you follow the advice given I think you'll do just fine. If your in the eastern Ma. area, give me an email. I bet I could find something to keep you busy for the summer.( no hackers in this company!) Keep plugging! Chris

ed wallace

hacks

I was in the same situation yrs ago when i was just starting in the oil burner business the other 2 guys are no longer in the heating business I am still in the trades keep your head up be proud that you are not a hack take courses the more you learn the better you will be

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John Jr

David , Where do you live? You got the right attitude! and it also sounds like you have some brains:)

GEO_3

restored faith

You've restored my faith in the voc school student. The kids I've gotten were pathetic. So much so I'd given up on them. Maybe I'll try again. As to the hacker, you did learn something from him. No matter how late it is or how tired you are or how much of a jerk the people around you are. if you do it right you have nothing worry about.

Jim Walls

make sure you thank him

David, what he is teaching you, also has value,(what not to do) You can learn from him,watch him, seperate the good & the bad,I have found that I learn things from everyone I work with, sometimes the source really suprises me. Be careful though, I used to work with a gentleman whose work I did not respect, he had an idea one day that i totally blew-off, it was not until he was released from the company sevral months later that I tried his idea & it worked like a charm, I had closed my mind to his input because I did not respect him. Experience is long and winding road, I have been in the trades for 26 years this month & I learn something new every day, sometimes when I least expect it, or from whom I least expect it. Bottom line though, is always be proud of what you do,& the rest will fall into place

steve carlson

pride

You are on your way to becoming a great asset to this business. We need more young people with good attitudes.

Take pride in your workmanship and you'll blow past those clowns in no time.

If you need a summer job drop me a E-Mail.

steve

Joel_3

Hey!!!!

Where do you live kid! Want to work for people who do care?? If your in mass and want to work with a company dedicated to doing it right, and you care about your future pick up the phone and call me NOW!!!!!!!

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