# just seeking for some wisdom before I get invested



## SP2 (Apr 23, 2021)

I know I might get chewed out for this by some of you, but either way, I have to be straight up about it and ask to get the answers that I need to hear.

I am 27 years old and finishes electrical trade school.

I got a job as an apprentice for a contractor. I was working in the construction sites for about 6 months.
I worked a total of 3 different job sites during that time. Recently I had to quit working for the company for reasons that I wont go into detail here. But long story short, one of the foreman's threatened my life in a serious way, so I knew I had to get out.

Anyways, this month that has past, I've really been reconsidering my life and wether I want to be an electrician.
I always wanted to move up, but truth be told, I don't want to be a foreman.. it just looks too stressful and a lot to deal with.

I feel like I wasted my time in trade school since I'm re considering pursuing the trade.

I'm thinking of maybe seeking a "maintenance" position, because I didn't really enjoy working in the construction sites (I know that makes me sound like a b**ch, and I do feel like a b***ch for saying that.. but it is what it is).

But as an apprentice, is it possible to find a maintenance/troubleshooting job, or do I have to go into construction sites and suck it up?
I don't want to be one of those guys in the sites that hates my job and is angry all the time,and half ass's everything.. so if I have to walk away to not be that guy and make everyone else's job easier, then I'll find my way out.

Thanks for anyone reading this, and my apologies if I've offended anyone.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

SP2 said:


> But long story short, one of the foreman's threatened my life in a serious way, so I knew I had to get out.


I would hope you reported this threat? No one needs a foreman walking around a job site in a homicidal mood.


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## SP2 (Apr 23, 2021)

backstay said:


> I would hope you reported this threat? No one needs a foreman walking around a job site in a homicidal mood.


Honestly I don’t plan to. I just wanna move on from it and not look back. There are other reasons why, but I’ll just leave it at that.


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## wiz1997 (Mar 30, 2021)

If you can stick it out, get your schooling done and get your journeyman's license.

That license will open doors to other aspects of the electrical trade, such as maintenance.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

SP2 said:


> I know I might get chewed out for this
> 
> Recently I had to quit working for the company for reasons that I wont go into detail here. But long story short, one of the foreman's threatened my life in a serious way, so I knew I had to get out.
> 
> ...


You know what you ought to do? Go work at a dice plant painting dots on dice. Play your cards right, work hard, and with a little luck in a few years maybe they'll let you dot the fives, that would be sweet. 

FFS lot of drama there. If there was any question, we can all now agree it was a terrible idea encouraging young men to express their feelings more. 

If you want to go into maintenance, go into maintenance. Nobody cares. If they did, why would you care? You're a grown man. Why are you asking permission here?


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Being a apprentice at 27 is always going to be tough. On most sites your JM and probably your foreman are going to be younger than you and still have a lot to learn when it comes to dealing with people issues. Building sites are kiddy's play grounds and threats of violence are common but hardly ever carried out much like high school.

Maintenance requires skills that you learn in trade school but they don't require a formal apprenticeship so there is nothing stopping you from applying if you find it interesting. You might get lucky and find one that will sponsor you. As company's have HR departments its a more mature atmosphere. 

Mess up on a building site and someone might threaten to kick you arse if you ever do that again. In maintenance it generally a quick trip to HR to be wrote up or fired.


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## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

in an effort to find the answer to whether you should stop being an electrician
ask your self this ... did i do what i was told when i was told to do it?
for each time i was given a job to do ...
did i have enough training and skill to do the job correctly and satisfactorily?
did i do the job correctly and satisfactorily?
was i performing up to par?
was i learning?

it is pointless for me or anyone else to help you answer that, only you can unless you want to show us at least 80 hours of video of you on the job
and no i wouldnt watch it anyway

this is part of growing up, it is the same dilemma that every young man faces in this world today
i did my time in that spot
if you are not sure about continuing as an electrician for life
leave that job and find another one as an electrical apprentice in construction
if this job goes better, maybe you should stay, if it goes worse, maybe you should leave

how bad do you want to be an electrician?
or is there another trade you might prefer?

man up and get a grip on your life, not just your job
if you are floundering, face it head on and put your mind to work to figure it out

and stop asking other people to figure out life for you, no one else can help you

this is not a joke but serious advice, if you find you simply cannot figure this out .... join the military
they Will solve your problem for you, and no you dont have to fight with a gun just because you join
even if you did have to fight, it is an honorable thing to do


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

My first day on the job as a fresh electrician, I had a conflict. First minute.

Sometimes you need to stand up for yourself and have some balls. If you are going to change direction ever time there’s a bump in the road, you’re going to have a terrible life.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

I would stay the course. While not impossible, I feel you would never realize your full potential as an electrician by taking on a maintenance position so early in your career. 

Reading your post, I don't see any "I love the work/challenge/knowledge" type statements. If your heart is not in your work, you are left to dwell on interactions with other idiots on the jobsite. Those idiots are everywhere and you have to learn to deal with them.

Everyone goes through the same old same old as an apprentice. 

If you have found that electrical is not for you, then admit it to yourself and move on. Lingering, while pointing fingers, won't get you anywhere.


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## ZacharyBob (May 3, 2020)

SP2 said:


> I know I might get chewed out for this by some of you, but either way, I have to be straight up about it and ask to get the answers that I need to hear.
> 
> I am 27 years old and finishes electrical trade school.
> 
> ...


At 30 and a 3rd year, I'm not far ahead of you.

This forum is a good representation of what you'll be exposed to in the field. Lots of different opinions from lots of different walks of life.

You're situation isn't unique, if anything you'd be the exception if you didn't get exposed to god awful JW/Foremen.

My advice is to learn from each of them to determine what kind of journeyman YOU want to be. Even if it's identifying what you never want to be like, there's something to be gleaned from working with ass holes.

@splatz is one of my favorite people on this forum, for me he represents the views of my fathers generation of tradesmen. Do I want to be him? No. I am my own man, but I learn a lot by being willing to see his side of things how ever frankly they may be presented. By taking a page out of his book, among so many others, I can write my own.

I say that because it sounds like you're trying to figure out what you want your story to look like. I believe you'd be doing yourself a disservice to view the experiences you're having on this job site as not worthwhile.

As different as one person is from the next, so are electrical contractors and individual job sites. If one doesn't fit you, try another. As an apprentice, giving up now would be giving up before you've even begun.

What's that saying about throwing out wet babies?..  Well anyways I gathered you're not supposed to do that. 

As far as the maintenance vs construction, you might find with a quick search on this forum that I asked the very same question not long ago. I decided to stick with construction. Should you do the same? Maybe.. but it's your decision and I think that's the consensus that you'll get from this group. 

I will say that maintenance is a very general term and could easily be misinterpreted from one state to the next. Here in California for example, we have a plant maintenance electrician license, very different from apartment maintenance which really has no credentialing at all. Again, that's just here in my state.


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## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

ZacharyBob said:


> At 30 and a 3rd year, I'm not far ahead of you.
> 
> This forum is a good representation of what you'll be exposed to in the field. Lots of different opinions from lots of different walks of life.
> 
> ...


i think the saying you were looking for was dont throw the baby out with the dishwater

believe it or not it got started because first everyone washed their hands in a pan which was in the kitchen/only sink in the house
after the meal the dishes got washed in the same water
after that some one might give the baby a bath in the same water and leave it there for a moment
some one else came by to throw out the dishwater and was talking and didnt notice the baby still in the water

now obviously that could hardly be true, but it is the only answer of why it started that i have heard


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

splatz said:


> You know what you ought to do? Go work at a dice plant painting dots on dice. Play your cards right, work hard, and with a little luck in a few years maybe they'll let you dot the fives, that would be sweet.



 You say this like just anyone can just waltz into a job like that. You know as well as I do that those are guild jobs passed on from father to son. The craft is such a closely guarded secret that no one could ever do the job without years of apprenticeship and mentoring.
To tell the OP to seek such a position is akin to telling them that they should just become the King of England.


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## Mbit (Feb 28, 2020)

Shooting from the hip here:

This forum is not representative of the trade in general, people on here are smart and knowledgeable. Most construction electricians are dumb. Many have personality defects, drug issues, small things set them off, blah blah.

The guys youre working with sound like typical construction guys honestly lol.

Try a different company. Better yet try for IBEW if available in your area. Trade school and your 6 months experience will easily land you a job somewhere. Huge labor shortage right now.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Frank was the Forman. Frank made me fit into a small electrical room with him in order to learn how to properly wire up 3 phase 480 volt panels, step down transformers, and 3 phase 120/208 panels. Frank smoked the old kind of rope cigars that just about nobody smokes any more except for moronic trendy's and even they don't much now cause that got big ten years ago , but is once again mostly died off and not trendy. Anyhow , me , a non smoker for life, I had to stay right there for about 3 days learning everything with Frank about how to run a building service. Frank knew I hated the smoke and didn't give a sh!t about that, even relished the torture he was imposing on me. You know what else he imposed on me? Quality work. I stuck it out, didn't whine, and nobody messed with me in that company afterwards. Cause Frank said "hey, this kid's ok".


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## aidonius (Jul 10, 2018)

If you have six months experience you should focus on getting your hours in before you even start thinking about being a foreman or moving up(whatever that means). By not telling us everything you make it hard for us to give you useful advice. You don't say why you do or don't want to be an electrician. Nobody deserves to be put in danger at work but unfortunately it's basically guaranteed to happen and often nobody will stand up for you except yourself. This becomes even more true as you are given more responsibility and start working on things that need to be locked out for example. Are there things about the trade you don't like or do you not like how you were treated? Those are two very different things. Six months is not long enough to decide you don't like any of the work there is to do and more than long enough to decide that you should go work somewhere else because you are not treated with respect.

Also unfortunately is that in construction nobody cares about your feelings. Many of them are emotionally constipated men that make their lives harder because nobody showed them how to express themselves so they yell at each other or drink. This means that they will think you are weak if you tell them how you feel. They will also think you are weak if you spend your timing moping about something that is done and dusted. Yes you had a bad time and it may have been traumatic but unfortunately that is part of the game and things are not changing overnight. Like others have said dealing with an inconsiderate or incompetent journeyman/foreman is something that you are going to have to suffer through unless you are exceptionally lucky. If you are really having trouble letting it go then you should go see a therapist and there is no shame in that. You will be a better and more resilient person for it.

Around here there are basically no apprenticeships outside of construction so almost everybody gets their construction license and then moves over to maintenance generally as they get older. You are expected to have a fair amount of experience. If all you do in construction is run pipe and pull wire forget it. This means you need to put your foot down with your boss to be given other tasks and if they refuse then you need to go work somewhere else. It's really that simple. Worry about whether you are best spending your career in construction or maintenance when it's time to make that decision.


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## HertzHound (Jan 22, 2019)

Alright, now that we got his life straightened out, let’s go over this baby and water thing.
Who the hell washes their baby with dishwater? Maybe you wash a baby in the kitchen sink, but not with dishwater.

The phrase is “Don’t throw the baby away with the BATH water”.


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## SP2 (Apr 23, 2021)

Just wanted to thank everyone for the advice and for taking the time to read my posit. Appreciate you all!


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Ya got a lot of answers to that one question, and I really can't im17 year olds who would ask something like thisourself because honestly it used to be the prove on them other that to say a while ago on this and many other similar message board cites all the newbies all joining and asking the same set of questions that have real complicated answers got tired and annoying. 

I agree mostly with the poster who advised why you even asked the question in the first place, at 27 and trade schooling done (hope it was a real one, accredited recognized place you attended with ands-on training) you should be in a position to think about this problem for yourself because back in the day no one over the age of 22 would even ask it. 

So, I wish you luck in whatever you decide your next move is, because honestly the entire ask is likely because you've had tour hand held a little too much already, and you do with excersizing your brain because far bigger issues will present themselves in your future no matter wher you go or what you decide, and you got mto build up the confidence to tackle them yourself someday, well.. today became one of those "somedays." ANd you could use the practice.

Nothing wrong with getting others opinions though, but you have to do what both makes you happy or you can live with, that can realistically help you support your future self and eventual family. This is real life kiddo and you're not going to have a mentor/teacher forever...

Maybe have you considered the option of joining a union as most of them foment a brother-helps-brother bond and you'll pick this up while we're also not in the habit ofr threatening a fellow brother with physical harm and few are afraid the not call that crap right out, pronto. 

We all blow off steam and lose our cool once in a while, nohbody's perfect, so maybe before you pull and triggers towards a radical change in plan you cath a deep breath, relax, pop a couple of beers maybe or whatever your vice, and but this career-changing on the back burner on a very low simmer for a wile and think this through what you're about to do.

Good luck and welcome to the ET board.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

460 Delta said:


> To tell the OP to seek such a position is akin to telling them that they should just become the King of England.


You know I think I see what you're saying, and you're right, excellent point. 

To the OP: I would like to join @460 Delta in suggesting that you look into becoming the King of England. I hear just lately, though the pay and benefits are not what they used to be, still excellent, and they are not NEARLY as picky as they used to be.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

You said you had to quit for reasons you don’t want to talk about (and that’s okay; your choice) and then the foreman threatened to kill you when you came back. I’m thinking there’s relevant information missing here.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

splatz said:


> You know I think I see what you're saying, and you're right, excellent point.
> 
> To the OP: I would like to join @460 Delta in suggesting that you look into becoming the King of England. I hear just lately, though the pay and benefits are not what they used to be, still excellent, and they are not NEARLY as picky as they used to be.


It's the pension that can't be beat!


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## SP2 (Apr 23, 2021)

99cents said:


> You said you had to quit for reasons you don’t want to talk about (and that’s okay; your choice) and then the foreman threatened to kill you when you came back. I’m thinking there’s relevant information missing here.


No, I didn’t come back. I left because of that reason.

But anyways, I want to thank everyone for their input. I wasn’t looking for anyone to make any life decision for me or ‘asking for permission’ of any sorts , I just wanted some opinions in the matter and maybe see if there are some other avenues as an apprentice.

I’ve gotten some pretty useful responses here though, so thank y’all .


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

ZacharyBob said:


> At 30 and a 3rd year, I'm not far ahead of you.
> 
> This forum is a good representation of what you'll be exposed to in the field. Lots of different opinions from lots of different walks of life.
> 
> ...


Something tells me success is in your future. Very very good post.



LGLS said:


> Ya got a lot of answers to that one question, and I really can't im17 year olds who would ask something like thisourself because honestly it used to be the prove on them other that to say a while ago on this and many other similar message board cites all the newbies all joining and asking the same set of questions that have real complicated answers got tired and annoying.
> 
> I agree mostly with the poster who advised why you even asked the question in the first place, at 27 and trade schooling done (hope it was a real one, accredited recognized place you attended with ands-on training) you should be in a position to think about this problem for yourself because back in the day no one over the age of 22 would even ask it.
> 
> ...


Well said brother. Well said.



99cents said:


> You said you had to quit for reasons you don’t want to talk about (and that’s okay; your choice) and then the foreman threatened to kill you when you came back. I’m thinking there’s relevant information missing here.


Revelent information that I'm sure we all wanted to hear.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

You can always apply for a maintenance job or I would suggest looking for a small, and I mean small electrical contractor. You will be treated better, learn lots and probably not see any large construction sites.
Either way, good luck.

Tim.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> Something tells me success is in your future. Very very good post.


I can see it too.


> Well said brother. Well said.


Yea evey once in a while I get some wood on the ball.


> Revelent information that I'm sure we all wanted to hear.


Pretty sure we all know this story's 4 possible endings.


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## CWL (Jul 7, 2020)

splatz said:


> You know what you ought to do? Go work at a dice plant painting dots on dice. Play your cards right, work hard, and with a little luck in a few years maybe they'll let you dot the fives, that would be sweet.





460 Delta said:


> The craft is such a closely guarded secret that no one could ever do the job without years of apprenticeship and mentoring.


Do they use leaded paint on some of the dots to load the dice??


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Get your electrical apprenticeship, the world of maintenance is open for licensed electricians.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

CWL said:


> Do they use leaded paint on some of the dots to load the dice??


I can't BELIEVE you just adm........

Lokk sorry but some guys are coming.


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## Flashedout (4 mo ago)

99cents said:


> You said you had to quit for reasons you don’t want to talk about (and that’s okay; your choice) and then the foreman threatened to kill you when you came back. I’m thinking there’s relevant information missing here.


I agree with with 99cents. There are two sides to a story. 
Most older men in the trade take on apprentices with the idea that the apprentice need to prove themselves and climb the latter like most have done.. 
No matter what field you decide to take on you will come across all sorts of people and personalities, some hardheaded people are the best people to have on your side when you win them over and show your passion for what your doing.. Conflict is a part of dealing with people and how you decide to handle it makes you the man you are.. You got alot of great advice here and the biggest I would listen to.. Is do you have passion for electrical work? Because most of the people on this forum Have absolute love for what they do and put there all into their work and learning..(which never stops)
You can't assume every sparky has a bad attitude all day at work..even thou we all have our days.. Where I think your self talk might be filled with emotion is throwing away a great opportunity to become something you can be proud of.. 
I could speak for myself. But I would never throw away my passion for some a**hole all I would do is continue to learn and do it well.. You should have love for what your doing rather than the people your around.. And if the people your around share the same passion as you, then you will eventually come together do to a common interests.. Now if trouble continues to occur daily then look for another job..
As for a electrical maintenance position..depends on the company your working for.. Moving through the ranks is gonna open a whole lot more opportunities to have a good electrical maintenance job not including your skill set to really understand what your doing rather than being a parts changer.

One thing continues to weigh on my mind what set him off in the first place.??. Sometimes we let our egos get in the way of what really matters in life..


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

I agree the OP is leaving out important but personal stuff. I think this is more of a life character question than an electrical trade question.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

oldsparky52 said:


> I agree the OP is leaving out important but personal stuff. I think this is more of a life character question than an electrical trade question.


We also need to realizee and understand the we all make mistakes in life and that's not a bed thin exclusively, it's also a learning and therefore can be seen as a great thing
because the lessons we teach ourselves inadvertantly via our own self imposed "tough love" method are usually the best lessons were have dispite how bad they may ave hurt at the time.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

My son who is currently a second year apprentice, has close to journeyman skills due to a 2 year degree in Electrical, a year working for a open shop contractor, and in no small part from me .
He was tormented and resented by the other apprentices and even the CE/CW’s on every job he was on due to the fact that he understood the task at hand and the journeymen wanted him as their apprentice.

He’s a big guy, but completely non-violent, up to a point of no return. He complained some to the journeyman about things going on but was just brushed off. I told him to cultivate a “death stare” to ward off the first layer of idiots, but beyond that would be on a case by case basis.
While in a ditch, another apprentice hit him in the boys with a chunk of clay, he flashed and launched a piece himself and broke the guy’s glasses. The guy is now all whining that these are expensive and he’s going to tell. My son said let’s go now and tell the whole story so we both can get thrown off the job. The guy was suddenly not that interested anymore.
Another drilled a hole in his hard hat because he insists on a full brim hat and not a cap like they all had. The Forman was in on this one and said he couldn’t wear the hat now due to damage and would have to purchase a new one due to intentional damage. He refused to buy one and showed up the next day with another full brim with another contractor’s logo and went to work, somehow a new full brim hard hat materialized free of charge.

The OP needs to get some grit and go nose to nose occasionally to get his point across.


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## ZacharyBob (May 3, 2020)

HertzHound said:


> Alright, now that we got his life straightened out, let’s go over this baby and water thing.
> Who the hell washes their baby with dishwater? Maybe you wash a baby in the kitchen sink, but not with dishwater.
> 
> The phrase is “Don’t throw the baby away with the BATH water”.


Hey back off guy, this is my first kid and I'm still learning. I suppose you're going to tell me I should take the cloth diapers off to wash them too? You sound just like my ex wife!


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## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

HertzHound said:


> Alright, now that we got his life straightened out, let’s go over this baby and water thing.
> Who the hell washes their baby with dishwater? Maybe you wash a baby in the kitchen sink, but not with dishwater.
> 
> The phrase is “Don’t throw the baby away with the BATH water”.


as far back as i am talking about (maybe the late 1800's) there was no bath tub
other than something you brought into the kitchen to fill with hot water from the kettle on the stove (which burned wood)
not to mention the "only water in the house was the kitchen sink"
because it came from a hand dug well they put in before they built the house over it
and the hand pump was next to the sink so that the water went into the sink
further more , the same and only soap they had was used for washing everything to be washed
so washing a baby in the dishwater was no different than mixing up a fresh batch with the same soap
besides that, they couldnt afford a lot of soap, which is why they reused the soapy water as much as they could before throwing it out
the baby needed daily washing, children and adults not so much

watch some really old western movies ... you may see an example


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

Almost Retired said:


> as far back as i am talking about (maybe the late 1800's) there was no bath tub
> other than something you brought into the kitchen to fill with hot water from the kettle on the stove (which burned wood)
> not to mention the "only water in the house was the kitchen sink"
> because it came from a hand dug well they put in before they built the house over it
> ...


My dad relocated the family for work in the 70s. (not military) New town had next to nothing available for housing except an old 2 bedroom house with no running water. I remeber hauling water, heating it on a wood stove and sitting my azz in a galvanized wash tub to get cleaned up for school.

Eventually the old man bought a more modern house in a nearby town. We torched the old house, poured a basement, moved the house. Installed a well and septic field.


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## HertzHound (Jan 22, 2019)

Almost Retired said:


> as far back as i am talking about (maybe the late 1800's) there was no bath tub
> other than something you brought into the kitchen to fill with hot water from the kettle on the stove (which burned wood)
> not to mention the "only water in the house was the kitchen sink"
> because it came from a hand dug well they put in before they built the house over it
> ...


I understand that. I was washed in a tub in the kitchen sink. But the phrase is “bathwater” not “dishwater”.



> the proverb did originate in the 1500s. 'Throw the baby out with the bathwater' is a German proverb and the earliest printed reference to it, in Thomas Murner’s satirical work _Narrenbeschwörung_ (Appeal to Fools), dates from 1512.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Flashedout said:


> I agree with with 99cents. There are two sides to a story.
> Most older men in the trade take on apprentices with the idea that the apprentice need to prove themselves and climb the latter like most have done..
> No matter what field you decide to take on you will come across all sorts of people and personalities, some hardheaded people are the best people to have on your side when you win them over and show your passion for what your doing.. Conflict is a part of dealing with people and how you decide to handle it makes you the man you are.. You got alot of great advice here and the biggest I would listen to.. Is do you have passion for electrical work? Because most of the people on this forum Have absolute love for what they do and put there all into their work and learning..(which never stops)
> You can't assume every sparky has a bad attitude all day at work..even thou we all have our days.. Where I think your self talk might be filled with emotion is throwing away a great opportunity to become something you can be proud of..
> ...


You coulda saved all of us about 50K to the tenth power in wasted pixilated electrons and just said "Pestiealence."... I know I spelled it wrong on pourpose, (that's the test...) :_)
:_)


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

SP2 said:


> I know I might get chewed out for this by some of you, but either way, I have to be straight up about it and ask to get the answers that I need to hear.
> 
> I am 27 years old and finishes electrical trade school.
> 
> ...


 Hey listen to this and listen good... I've thought about this issue and I may have figure something out unintentionally...

Consider you got an interest... in this kinda work but now, when you should be going gunz blazing like most do, headstrong and cocksure... what s floating this leaky boat of an idea in your head is... "I just wanna test the waters and bow out gracefully..." 

Are you afraid of challenges? NO... for now at 27 ya should be still egar and have "No FeAr: so they say... 

so consider, you are afraid... OF COMMITTMENT. And that's because you fear something even more shameful and unforgiving... which is...


(What DID happen to you or IS currently HAPPENING to you that's driving this madness?? ?) What is this demon that you're afraid of , and ask yourslf if it's logical foryou to so conclusively and so confidently conclude the solution here is you "Play it safe?"

AT AGE 27???

This is the age of risk and daring. 

And that's the almighty unforgivable act of ordinary, simple, human,...

FAILURE.


SO ask .... oops no ....................I meant to say, let me rephrase...

ANSWER FOR, AND TO YOURSELF (only) WHY you are afraid of being rejected by a failure and why this or these people rate so high that you think you must shoot for a lower goal you know you're sure to hit....

and why do ya think his,

or hers, are theirs

or ANYONE's else 's "NOD OF APPROVAL" or Worse... "APPLAUSE" is so desperately needed to YOU.

In the meantime while you're deciphering and igesting all that wordsmithing... SHOOT FOR THE MOON and AIM HIGH because like it or not you must fail AT EVERYTHING YOU DON'T TRY.


Sure judgement day is here, but not now. NOT ON THIS DAY!!! 

THIS DAY WE FIGHT!!!

-DDD

(As for that judgement... Success as nothing to do with it. )

Never did. It never matters if you win or even if you lose----->> it's HOW YOU Play "THE GAME". (OF life.)
So it's not important... Not this. NOT in the grand scheme of things.


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## Jefferson Jakes (Jun 26, 2021)

SP2 said:


> I know I might get chewed out for this by some of you, but either way, I have to be straight up about it and ask to get the answers that I need to hear.
> 
> I am 27 years old and finishes electrical trade school.
> 
> ...


Just stick with it, there are jackasses in literally every profession. Go with the advice from others here and get your journeyman's license, that way you can go into business and run things your way. I've been in the electrical business over 40 years and it still confounds me how most electricians that start their own business are high school educated at best, yet because of demand and knowing a regulated trade, I've seen several start making 6 figures in a couple years! Then 75% of those guys blow all their money, don't pay their bills, go out of business then go right back in... lol


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## jim.makepeace1 (5 mo ago)

Sometimes people get into a line of work for the wrong reasons. You should probably figure out whether that applies to you, before you do anything else.

Whether that is true in your case (which you should really be spending time figuring out), there are a-holes and lazy people everywhere. You will find them in the boardrooms of gleaming office towers, wearing scrubs in surgical suites, and as you've seen, at construction sites.

How you deal with people like this is way more important than your chosen profession. You can choose to give in to people like this, and then become one of them, or you can choose a different direction. Maybe try doing what they are asking, and doing it (objectively) well, and then see what happens.

No matter what you chose to do for work, apply yourself to your tasks, keep learning, and keep asking questions. Life has a way of helping people who work hard and do good work.

Learn to do quality work, no matter how small, and then appreciate it for what it is. Take pride in it, but don't boast about it.

Be warned, it rarely happens overnight - so be prepared, it will take time, and maybe a lot of it.

Someday you'll be glad you didn't take the easy road.


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## wmwitt (Jul 20, 2010)

SP2 said:


> I know I might get chewed out for this by some of you, but either way, I have to be straight up about it and ask to get the answers that I need to hear.
> 
> I am 27 years old and finishes electrical trade school.
> 
> ...


You might look into work with a small--one/two man--shop that specializes in maintenance. Also, pool contractors, HVAC installers (re-fit), and other "not electrician" contractors might have a slot which fits you. And, utility companies might be a good fit.


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## Wardenclyffe (Jan 11, 2019)




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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

jim.makepeace1 said:


> Sometimes people get into a line of work for the wrong reasons. You should probably figure out whether that applies to you, before you do anything else.
> 
> Whether that is true in your case (which you should really be spending time figuring out), there are a-holes and lazy people everywhere. You will find them in the boardrooms of gleaming office towers, wearing scrubs in surgical suites, and as you've seen, at construction sites.
> 
> ...


Damn Jim... color me impressed! What a wordsmith, and likely a great mentor! And this is only your 2nd post here?!?!?! Looking forward to more of what you got hidden in that nugget of yours... welcome to E.T. buddy!


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

gpop said:


> Being a apprentice at 27 is always going to be tough. On most sites your JM and probably your foreman are going to be younger than you and still have a lot to learn when it comes to dealing with people issues. Building sites are kiddy's play grounds and threats of violence are common but hardly ever carried out much like high school.
> 
> Maintenance requires skills that you learn in trade school but they don't require a formal apprenticeship so there is nothing stopping you from applying if you find it interesting. You might get lucky and find one that will sponsor you. As company's have HR departments its a more mature atmosphere.
> 
> Mess up on a building site and someone might threaten to kick you arse if you ever do that again. In maintenance it generally a quick trip to HR to be wrote up or fired.


One thing I realized working in a corporate environment is that HR is there to protect the company and not the worker. They are there to keep the workers happy and in check.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Trade schools around here cost about $10,000.00 or more so it seems like a lot of time and money to give up because of one bad incident. Did the trade school prepare you for the real world and the various things we have to know. Not just electrical theory and practice but how to get along and what is to expected? Dress and grooming. Communication skills. One school here covers many such items because we are a service industry. Now we need sexual harassment training so we do not inadvertently say something to a homeowner that could be misconstrued. Then there are trade schools that just take your money whether it be student loans, state grants, or your own cash and do not prepare the student for what is to come. 
We all get our feelings hurt both in construction or in a factory as a maintenance worker. There was talk about a baby and dish or bath water. Now here is one about water and a duck's back. Let it roll off and move on.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

The work world is full of dis functional people. These are other jobs to go to. This doesn’t have to define your whole work life. Adapt to what you have or find another job.


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