# a little hesitant



## newguy07 (Sep 22, 2007)

I was a little hesitant on putting this on here but I got fired from my job today. So much for getting into the electrical field I guess.

I was told I was not cut out for construction and I have a lots of brains but he said we don't need to much brains out here we need hustle and I don't think you are giving me all the hustle you can give me.

Oh well what can I do... I guess I will just keep working on my B.A. I have about 2.5 years left to go with it or if I can work on something else or my real estate license.


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## send_it_all (Apr 10, 2007)

I think I remember when you posted about interviewing for this job. You got a lot of good advice. Sounds like you didn't follow it. I don't think you shoul dgive up. I think you should try to get another job, and when you do...remember what your role is. It is to hustle, do what you are told, and stay busy. Use your head to try to predict what needs to be done next. They don't want your opinion on how to do anything. You are pretty much just a gopher at that point.


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## mahlere (Aug 6, 2006)

don't feel bad...i fired a kid on friday for the same reason.

he couldn't understand that his sole purpose was to make his mechanics life easier. 

then he could learn how to do electrical work. but first he had to help the mechanic get the job done quicker. then the mechanic could take time to teach him...

other than that, i agree with send_it_all...you got some good advice, but obviously didn't follow it.


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## 220/221 (Sep 29, 2007)

Well damn!


You've got balls to post that here and THAT is worth something...at least to me.


It must be tough out there. If I had someone with your positive attitude come to work I would have given you more than a week....unless you smoke. Then I would have found a way to make you quit (smoking) or have "the talk" with you.

"Not cut out for it"? WTF?

Stay positive and learn from it. Do NOT let it get you down. 

It's JUST A JOB. Like a bus, there will be another one along in a few minutes.


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## Bkessler (Oct 8, 2005)

I think of green apprentices like a hammer. A useful tool. You have to work your but off because it's not an easy trade to get into and thats all you can offer.


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## gravtyklz (Dec 24, 2005)

Do you happen to know of anything else going on in your company?

It may be that some budgets got cut, a big job was lost, something happened at a job that made the company lose some money...

Companies will lay off the greenest first without calling it a lay off.

Just a thought.

Did you hussle? Did you stay busy all the time even if you had nothing to do?

Not everyone is fast. There are some people slower than others when it comes to getting things done. But you may have the ability to learn twice as much as those people going twice as fast as you. If you get another shot at another company(and I'm sure you could), then slow down the learning a tad bit, and speed up your progress.


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## Magnettica (Dec 19, 2006)

I had a boss tell me the same thing when I started out. Screw him! 

There are companies out there that will still hire you because now you have some experience.

I don't wanna get into how many different EC's I have worked for, but your situtation is somewhat common among those in the industry. So you didn't fit into this guys company, but that doesn't mean you're not valueable somewhere else. Stick with it would be my advice.

Good luck! :thumbsup:


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

This probably will not help you now, but may in the future. When you get another opportunity, keep mouth shut, eyes wide open, listen carefully, and remember, you don't have opinions...on anything. Work like you would think you would expect someone to work.....

I had an employee once who got the idea when I stopped, he should also stop. I didn't need an excuse, and his was he shouldn't have to work if I wasn't.....and it was my name on his checks. Attitude can kill. My guys, including my son, do not stop when I stop...they take breaks at designated times. 

Maybe this will help you wherever you land. If you never fail, you never have tried. I have been fired once, and it sucked bad....but you pick yourself up and take a good look in the mirror, and see what they saw....and move on.


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## Celtic (May 23, 2007)

newguy07 said:


> I was a little hesitant on putting this on here but I got fired from my job today. So much for getting into the electrical field I guess.


You're giving up?

Some of the most successful people get fired from their jobs.


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## Joasis (Mar 28, 2006)

My post may have been a little harsh, considering I do not know what actually happened.

So here is a little tale: many years ago, I was hired to teach aviation maintenance technology. In a matter of a few weeks, I found myself in the lead instructor's position. I had 15 dead airplanes, one that would run, and students hungry to learn. Instead of boring them to death with 6 hours of classroom lecture and an hour in the hangar doing meaningless "work" on dead airplanes, I spent 1 hour every day in lecture, 15 minutes of quizzes, and 5+ hours of hands on, getting the dead planes to run. My students began to call my class the oasis.....now you know where joasis comes from...my name is Jay, and the students got the oasis part and calling my end of the building and hangar "club paradise". At the end of a year, I had 14 live airplanes, 2 graduated classes with a 100% pass rate, and a letter of termination. Why? Because I was creating a hostile work environment. I didn't set out to do it deliberately, but I made the other instructors look really bad....and I was a shining star...and anytime we would be eating or on a break, anything and everything I said was used to build a case to get me fired. A joke can turn into hostility when repeated. 

I was crushed when I was fired....I had a glowing letter of achievement from the superintendent of the tech school one week, and a "we no longer need your services" letter the next. It hurt for a long time, but I learned a lot of valuable lessons from that experience, and what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger.


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## Heritage (Mar 20, 2007)

I like them words Jay. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

Most of us started out in this trade as grunts on one level or another, you are not alone.

We all earned our badges son!

Hustle is what this industry is all about. Time is money my friend. 

This weekend I got my electricians coming in to wire 3 storey house. New panel, same service, all new wiring, outlets, etc etc. I buy material.

Price=$2600 labour. Him + 3 employees. 1 day. 3 employees at $300/day (not likely)=$900. $2600-$900=$1700 for one day work.

Now if his employees weren't "hustle" guys...:shifty:...and it took him 2 days, check out the math...For this scenario let's say he pays his guys $200/day.
$1200!...$2600-$1200=$1400=$700/day.

$700/day VS $1700/day..........see what I'm saying? 

That's the bottom line my friend. I hope you understand it and I hope one day you'll be the guy making $1700/day!:thumbsup:


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## L. B. Condulet (Aug 23, 2007)

newguy07 said:


> I was a little hesitant on putting this on here but I got fired from my job today. So much for getting into the electrical field I guess.
> 
> I was told I was not cut out for construction and I have a lots of brains but he said we don't need to much brains out here we need hustle and I don't think you are giving me all the hustle you can give me.
> 
> Oh well what can I do... I guess I will just keep working on my B.A. I have about 2.5 years left to go with it or if I can work on something else or my real estate license.


My advice is stay out of real estate. Get another electrical job, never let pricks like your boss define your worth. While you are learning the electrical trade, go to college and get a degree in electrical engineering.

Once you're an EE, work on getting a job at the local power company, working as an engineer, designing the "big stuff".

I'm from California so I know what I'm talking about.


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## mickeyco (May 13, 2006)

You could always lower your standards and become a deck and porch builder, just kiddin', it would be a "step" up. Just because somebody tells you can't do something doesn't make it so, just the other day I was walking my dog and this homeowner comes running out and tell me my dog can't sh*t here, I proved him wrong. You have the Klein tools already, the attitude will come in time, all you have to do is learn the job. In all seriousness these guys are right, don't give up if it's something you like and want to do. I remember reading in another of your posts that you had a problem with one of the other guys, he may very well have went and complained or they might have asked him how you were doing and he might not have been to complimentary. I started a industrial job when I was 18 and had problems with coworkers, the boss called me aside and told me that some of the guys were bitching about me. The boss thought it was because I knew more than some of them and I was young and new (I had years of experience in a family business), anyhow he told me to dumb it down, play nice for a while and it worked itself out in time. What I'm saying is that you seemed pretty ambitious, maybe to ambitious and these guys gave you some great advice, sometimes you just have to keep your head down and do your job the way they want you to.


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## JamesNLA (Jun 2, 2006)

joasis said:


> My post may have been a little harsh, considering I do not know what actually happened.
> 
> So here is a little tale: many years ago, I was hired to teach aviation maintenance technology. In a matter of a few weeks, I found myself in the lead instructor's position. I had 15 dead airplanes, one that would run, and students hungry to learn. Instead of boring them to death with 6 hours of classroom lecture and an hour in the hangar doing meaningless "work" on dead airplanes, I spent 1 hour every day in lecture, 15 minutes of quizzes, and 5+ hours of hands on, getting the dead planes to run. My students began to call my class the oasis.....now you know where joasis comes from...my name is Jay, and the students got the oasis part and calling my end of the building and hangar "club paradise". At the end of a year, I had 14 live airplanes, 2 graduated classes with a 100% pass rate, and a letter of termination. Why? Because I was creating a hostile work environment. I didn't set out to do it deliberately, but I made the other instructors look really bad....and I was a shining star...and anytime we would be eating or on a break, anything and everything I said was used to build a case to get me fired. A joke can turn into hostility when repeated.
> 
> I was crushed when I was fired....I had a glowing letter of achievement from the superintendent of the tech school one week, and a "we no longer need your services" letter the next. It hurt for a long time, but I learned a lot of valuable lessons from that experience, and what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger.


 
I like you Jay..... Higher learning...AnP....PP....builder...

That is what I am working on in my life. I like being good at alot of different things. I too was fired once...from a pizza delivery job. God it pissed me off. I bugged my old boss for 2 weeks till he finally took me back. Left to start plumbing a month later. I just hated the idea that someone wanted to fire me. I'm the kind that sees what one does, and figures out how to not only do it, but do it more efficient. 

Day one of electical engineering Mr. Kelter from W.VA "If you want to be good at electronics, you need to think about electronics - read about electronics - talk about electronics - do electronics"

I have applied that mentality in almost all that I do. Hence the GC thing for me. 

As for the kid.....boy, grow a set and grab em.
Get your mind OFF the negatives about this situation you have created for yourself. Taking responsibility for your actions (ya know...being an actual man) is key in all you do. Accept WHAT IS, spend a moment thinking about it, and move on. You are the only one holding you down. Now your "passion" for electrical is getting a little test here. How will your report card look? Will you fold up and just go back to being a full time student? If you do (and that is not a bad thing) than your boss was right to can you as quick as he did. He saw you don't have the real fire in your flame. And in this business....well, you can die - or kill others. Now, if your boss has it wrong for you.....show us.....show me. Prove to all the other professionals on here that in a sence have taken you under their wing and guided you. It's the least you can do to truly show your appreciation. Time to step up boy. Because if it isn't this job, it will be another...or it will be when your GF tells she is pregnant...or you don't have enough to pay the rent....step up, square off that ball and take your best cut. If you are destin to go down, G-damn it go down swinging.


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## Putty Truck (Oct 6, 2007)

What doesn't kill you, hurts like hell.

I've been fired by more buttholes than I can remember. To this day, I can get pissed thinking about them. But I always knew I would be my own boss, so I went from job to job until I qualified for a license. Besides, I'm not the office type and darn sure ain't a good butt kisser.

It sounds like newguy is listening to the advice of the person who knows him. If he is good at school and more comfortable selling property, more power to 'em. There's always fresh meat for the Great Journeyman Machine to chew up.


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## newguy07 (Sep 22, 2007)

Celtic said:


> You're giving up?
> 
> Some of the most successful people get fired from their jobs.


 

No, I am not I am just going to finish my school. I am in the honor society and everything there and I guess it is what I am good at. Why not get it done when everything in my life is "easy" no family and minimal bills. I am just going to do the thing I should of done before and go back to school. Some kind of engineering. I will get it done. I am 3 classess away from my A.A. degree


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## newguy07 (Sep 22, 2007)

and also the real estate job would be to "just get by" and pay some bills


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## silvertree (Jul 22, 2007)

I got fired for working too hard at one job, the crew had a pace and I just kept cranking my labor out. That didn't work for them. Got fired for being late 2 days in a row, by less than a minute. Got stuck behind a school bus both times and couldn't safely pass the vehicle. Since then things have gone well.
Maybe you don't hustle, not everyone does that naturally. Sometimes if you look at your position you see it's not you but them that holds you back. I'd say give it another try.


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## gravtyklz (Dec 24, 2005)

L. B. Condulet said:


> My advice is stay out of real estate. Get another electrical job, never let pricks like your boss define your worth. While you are learning the electrical trade, go to college and get a degree in electrical engineering.
> 
> Once you're an EE, work on getting a job at the local power company, working as an engineer, designing the "big stuff".
> 
> I'm from California so I know what I'm talking about.


Why would you tell someone to stay out of real estate? It has a part in everything you do.


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## 220/221 (Sep 29, 2007)

****, I have had more jobs in my life than I care to count and have been canned a few times but things worked out well for me. I have been self employed for the past 25-30 years.

Live and learn, it's just a job.


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