Certified

Well I am proud to say as of Saturday I am officially Nicet level II certified. I actually decided about 2 years ago that I would get my Nicet certification around this time to make myself more employable in the field. It feels good to follow through with a plan successfully. Originally I just planned to take the level I with just my knowledge I obtained in the field as a 2nd year apprentice. When I went to sign up for classes Rich gave me a little different prospective and talked me into taking the level one class. The first day my teacher opened my eyes a little wider explaining to us that to really be taken serious we would be better off obtaining our level II certification. So after 12 sessions of vigorous training and a little procrastination I finally got my application together. I tell you what I'm glad Rich talked me into taking the class because the Level I exam was no joke. It was actually heavy in code and level of involvement definitely took me by surprise. After the test I was relieved that I passed but I thought to myself if this what the level I is like I'm scared to see what level II consist of. I set my test up so that they were a day apart so that I could take the first test and have time to take in the layout of the exam and prepare myself for the level II. Well when the day finally came I was presently surprised. The level II in my opinion was actually easier than the first exam. It felt like there were a lot more questions based on my previous field knowledge and finished the test with plenty of time to spare. Once I finished and was handed my results I was still a little nervous to see the outcome, so I took a deep breath slowly opened up the folded paper and moon walked my way out the test center in joy. So thank you Rich for your advice and thank you Sal for teaching and preparation. Now on to the next.

First Night Class Down

So a few weeks ago I finish my first night course which was fire alarm. I actually learned more than I thought I would and now I'm trying to focus myself towards taking the test to get my Nicet certification. I'm going for the level 2 which might be a big part in making sure I stay employed. It feels like the hardest part of taking this test is getting my application finished to actually sign up for it. I'm hoping I can kick myself into gear before I start forgetting some the precious knowledge I picked up over the past few months. I'm just beginning my power quality night class and I'm hoping I can learn just as much.

In other news I think I've fully adapted to my new company. The last job I was on I think my foremen appreciated and recognized my work so he sent me to another foreman that needed a good apprentice. The new foreman I was sent to delegates me a lot more responsibility and puts a lot of trust into me which is real good at this phase of the game being that I'm getting closer and closer to big boy status. It feels like the jobs I get are always mind numbing tight places but he seems to be happy with the way I've been handling everything. The other day we actually had a little challenge going. He asked me how long it would take me finish the room I was working on and I paused for a sec and told him I could probably have it done by break time. After looking at me like said something crazy he told me he doubted I could have it done by the end of the day. Me being the person I am that only motivated me to make him eat his words. I actually ended up going about 30 minutes past my deadline but he was impressed nonetheless. Things like that make the day go by for me. So I'm building confidence and feeling pretty optimistic about my future especially since I have about another year and a half to develop and sharpen my skills.

Change of Scenery

Good even folks. So last week I transferred from my small contractor JWE to the much larger Freestate. I'm definitely missing all the guys at the last company and the family environment they had going on. Plus I felt like the foremen trusted me with a lot of different task so I usually got to see most of the different aspects of every job I was on. First day with my new contractor my foreman had about a 20 minute conversation with me and another apprentice pretty much letting us know that he had no problem laying anyone off and just wanted us to work from start to finish and play it straight. I definitely could respect where he was coming from and understand that with the way times are companies are a lot tighter, but I just felt that down to earth easy going vibe at work would be a thing of the past. So I'm on the lighting crew and I've been slamming in fixtures a task that I've become all to familiar with. On the plus side so far I've been getting over time and the extra money definitely is a bonus. At times it feels like if I touch another fixture or wire nut I'm going to lose my mind. The mechanics at the company are pretty good guys and it seems like the line between apprentice work and mechanic work are nonexistent at least on the lighting crew. I'm hoping to some how get in with the switch gear crew or the service department so over the next few weeks I'm going to try to work my magic and see what I can make happen.

Moving on up

Good evening folks. So a lot has been going on over the past few months. I finished day school finally after 3 not so long years. It was bitter sweet because I no longer have to worry about a test the night before class and hope that I studied enough but I don't get the little break in work every 2 weeks as well as getting up a little later and kicking back in class with some people I've grown accustomed to. I think the my superintendent and foreman like the fact that they don't have to worry about man power on my days off any more. So another bit of good news is my raise that I received last week. Past couple of years my raise has been delays due to hours and the fact I started working a little later than the rest of my classmates so it finally feels good to be all caught up and have the extra cash in my pocket. Not too much has changed at work I'm still in a good comfort zone where I feel confident enough to take on any project and my foreman's and mechanics don't have a problem letting me. Actually seems they come to expect it. Recently I went from a fast pace balls to the wall job to a real easy going cruise control type of project. I think I prefer the fast pace jobs just because they make the day go by but I'm working on my versatility. Next Thursday I'll start my first night school class. I been considering going to college for engineering since I can apply credits from day school. I'm hoping to start this year or next year before I become too complacent. But things are looking up I transfer in October and I'm hoping things continue to get better.

A walk down memory lane

So about 3 years I remember walking on to my first construction site eager to learn, get my hands wet and all that good stuff. Well I got my hands blue from all the mc I pulled with another first year for about 3 months or so with no idea of the big picture. Than after that we processed to slam every fixture into the grid while an older mechanic pointed where he wanted them and spray painted these green dots. I'm sure these sound like bitter memories and I'm not going lie back than I was a little exasperated by the monotony. But I didn't realize until this week it's been about 2 years since I've been in that same type of work setting and it's like having a completely different job. I remember my foreman would talk to my mechanic, they'd look at some prints and than he'd come back in and point some more. Today my foreman just brought me to a room set out the prints and said take care of the power and the lighting. Honestly it's not very hard of a task and at this point in the game it shouldn't be a problem. But as I worked in that room alone and laid out the device, ran that mc, wired everything and even had time to give my foreman a little grief for pulling some extra wire I couldn't help but to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Past few months

Over the past few months I've been back and forth between several different jobs and several different mechanics. Bouncing around is cool sometimes because usually if you finish a job close to quitting time you get off early and it's usually a lot more laid back. Now on the other hand it sucks having to lug all your tools around especially when I'm in the mood to ride my motorcycle into work. I'm pretty familiar now with most of the foreman and mechanics at my company so usually work goes smooth, it's nice when your familiar with the way someone works and can trust each others work. Occasionally I get that one that feels it necessary to watch me closely and baby me through everything but I guess some have a different feeling out process than others. Once i get a good feel for the whole job I usually try to stray away from my foreman and just do what I feel needs to be done. I've gotten myself in a little trouble that way a few times but most of the time it leads to good things. There's nothing like hearing mechanics are requesting to work with you.

So in a few months I'll be going into my 4th year into the apprenticeship. I think my skills are progressing nicely, but I always wonder what the next company is going to expect of me. I really want to get a little more switchgear experience under my belt. Not to say that it's one of the harder things than anything else, but it I've yet to be part of a complete gear install and it's a pretty common thing in the trade. It might be a little premature to start thinking about my transfer already but the way I see it I only have a few more months to get comfortable with the things that might make me look like a superstar with my next company and get me on the more talented work, or look like a newbie and end up doing the grunt work.

More responsibilies more to learn

As I get a little further into the apprenticeship I'm beginning to see more and more the subtle transition from apprentice to mechanic. In the last few months I've been taking more initiative and working on a lot of projects by myself when I can. Now these are projects that it feels I've done time and time again to the point where it should be easy but I'm learning bending and running pipe is probably the easiest part of running pipe. Even when I'm working with a mechanic and we're both kind of doing our own thing I never noticed how helpful that extra set of eyes could be until it's not there. Now don't get me wrong I think I'm pretty good at working through problems and putting things together, but sometimes I over look things that can come back to bite me. For example I might plan out a pipe run than start working and realize the floor isn't level and now my pipe is running downhill, or the walls aren't square, or the block isn't level and make my pipe run an eye sore comparative to the room. There's so many little things that can go wrong from forgetting a connector and having to walk all the way back to the container to measuring to a rack for a 90 than forgetting to add the diameter of your pipe. Sometimes times a mechanic might have these things worked out and I just have to follow a preset plan and just concentrate on the install, but now that my eyes are a little more open I try to make it my business to take a little more responsibility in my work. It's really not as much of an issue after I've been doing the same project for a while but different task require different level of planning speed and attention and I think the ability to transition and adapt smoothly is what really separates the rookies from the vets.

Off Day

Today was just really one of those days. It started off with me getting call from my foreman which I thought was at 3am. Turns out it was 5:55am and the job started at 6. I'm rarely late but when I am it always feels like a big screw up. So than upon finally arriving to the naval base my foreman and I had an issue with the directions which led him to get frustrated and his frustration was really starting to irritate me but I felt I had to restrain my annoyance because I was already late. And I'm definitely someone who doesn't like to bite his tongue. When I finally arrived to the job I could tell it was going to be one of those days, the work we were doing was one of those task that could be real easy if everything went right but unfornuately it was opposite. So after pulling some pipes apart accidentally that were in wet cement, drilling into a direct burial cable, getting lost and coming in late I felt like my apprentice rating was definitely declining. Lately I've been bouncing around job to job so I don't feel I've had a chance to really get comfortable on a job and prove myself. I'm hoping this doesn't land me on a crew doing mindless task that require no thought or skill.

Layoffs

So this past Friday a mechanic whom I had been working for a few months was laid off. It's been about a year since I've actually seen somebody get laid off so I had almost forgot the gut wrenching feeling. It's a crazy feeling when you work with someone everyday get to know them and a little about their lives, goals, family and than all of a sudden their world get changed. I made me realize I'm very fortunately to be in the apprenticeship at this time because until we graduate we have kind of a bubble of protection. My prayers go out to all of those who are having a hard time finding working. Sometimes I really concerned for my own future. I have no doubts that I'll make a good mechanic and be a productive worker but I wonder will that be enough in the future to keep me employed. I'm not a guy with a many connections so all I really have is my work to speak for me. But I'm sure just about everyone knows a good worker or two that are unemployed. Well I hope everyone enjoys their holidays, and may the new year bring better fortune.

Checking In

It's been a little bit since I posted but I'm extremely happy to say I am done with my motor control project. We handed them in yesterday and every time I got next to the computer that thing was just staring me in the face. Just felt like I was being harassed by relays and floats and solenoids. As far work goes somethings have changed I think my mechanics are starting to see and respect my abilities more. I just been taking the initiative whenever I'm given a task. When I'm told to pull the mc for fixtures I'll do that plus wire all the 3 ways and junction boxes and just starting completely the whole task rather than focusing on the piece. I try to make sure by the time the foreman comes back to tell me what's next he gets lost in what's been done so he either has to talk to me and give me the whole picture or give up and leave the rest to me. It's a risky strategy because if things don't work you take all the blame but it's been paying off and time goes by a lot faster plus I either learn from my mistakes or become more confident. I try to take more risk while I'm an apprentice in the learning process because I have a little more job security right now and if I mess up they'll just say well your only an apprentice. When I'm a mechanic I think I'll probably stop just jumping in random equipment that I don't know how to operate yet and jumping into work I'm not completely comfortable with, but the way I see it if I do all that now when I'm a journeyman I won't have to.

Getting Adjusted

So I've been with my new contractor for almost 2 months now and it definitely is a different experience. This week has kind of been the lows of my experience thus far. Today after driving to about 50 miles to Quanico marine base we worked about 2 hours only to find out rain was going to prevent us from being able to work the rest of the day. So we spent more time traveling to and from work than we actually spent working which was definitely an unexpected pay cut. This is my second experience with rain causing a pay cut which is beginning to make me not to fond of working outside. Not that I mind the actual work but the rain doesn't stop the bills from coming. Another thing I've really had to adjust to is getting used to different peoples work methods. It seems like a lot of older mechanics have the mentality that all "helpers" were created equal and won't really let you exercise some of your abilities. Now I know there is a lot in this trade I still have to learn but at the same time I feel given the opportunity I am very productive. When a mechanic tries to turn me into just a tool passer my mind begins to go numb and I lose motivation. Don't get me wrong I don't mind taking a backseat when working with something new I might not be unfamiliar with, or working with someone on the same task together. But when there's ways I know I can be productive and I'm prevented from doing so because of someone's preconceived doubt in my abilities I can't help but to feel a bit salty. I'm hoping things change a little more for the better, but I know you have to take the good with the bad.

Just another aspect of the trade

I've been with my new contractor for about a month now and it's another completely different experience not only working for a smaller shop but type work I've been doing. In my first year with Perl I did a little bit of outside work on rooftops and a little lightning protection but for the past months just about everything I've done has been in the ground. Most of the work consist of running pvc, getting boxes in with the masons, setting up pole bases, and finding pipes that have already been buried in the ground which happens to be one of my least favorites. You can say this is new to me but I've noticed that it's all still pretty much the same thing. I've dug dirt before I've ran plenty of pipe and I've set wire and pulled pipe before so the different circumstances of which they are done doesn't really take much time to adapt to. I kind of expected to feel green again and take a while to get adjusted so I feel much better than I've gotten a chance to get my feet wet in this part of the trade. I find myself talking to a lot of guys about their different experiences and not being able to find envious thinking that I might be missing out on some of the good experiences I need to make myself more valuable. I guess in due time it will all come so I try to breath easy but sometimes my nature just won't let me. All and all I'm enjoying my experiences with the new company and once my raise finally comes which it seems I missed somehow by 40 hours :-\, I'll definitely be a much more happy camper.

On to the next one

So today was my last day as a Mona employee. I'm kind of excited and about transferring and getting a change of scenery but at the same time I still have my reservations. I'm going from a very large contractor to a much smaller contractor and I've been told a lot of different things some good and some bad but come Monday I'll find out for myself. It's funny how things work out though, it seems like every time I feel i start to get good and comfortable at a task my new contractor throws me for a spin by doing something completely different. This definitely isn't a bad thing though my goal as an electricity is to have a pretty solid foundation in every part of our industry. At my first contractor Perlectric it was mostly tenant work with a little with a little bit of base building. At Mona I worked on existing fire alarm systems in completely occupied buildings with a good bit of preventive maintenance and occasional general electric work. Now as of Monday I will be running bus duct and from my understanding basically be setting up from the utility to the building outside in the dirt. Honestly I've been kind of anxious to do some deck work just because I've heard so many mechanics speak of it in their experiences as if it was some right of passage, so I'm excited to get my hands dirty and acquire one more stepping stone on my path to becoming a knowledgeable worthy mechanic

Finally finish with multilink

So for the past few months I been strictly on a wire mold crew installing raceway for the outside hallways of a condos. Now the first few days actually were cool dealing with multilink which we don't typically install too much of to my knowledge. But after about 30 floors of doing the same thing over and over again with no deviation and the same crew it was a bit tiresome. I am happy to say today we finished the last floor and I will be more than happy to get back to running some pipe and trading in my tinsnips and razors for channel locks and a hacksaw. Don't get me wrong I am appreciative to have acquired a new talent and been working steadily but what can I say I'm a young eager apprentice who wants to learn it all.

Things to look forward to

Well 3 books down and 2 more to go until night school. School really slowed down my class but we've finally made it. I kind of glad we're done with our more OSHA dominated curriculum, and I'm hoping to see some more theory and technical stuff and I'm pretty anxious to learn about motor controls. But most of all I can't wait for the upcoming raise when I transition from a 2nd year to a 3rd year in a few months. This will be my biggest raise up to date. One cool thing is I was so focused on the 3rd year raise that I completely forgot about the contractual raise that just kicked in. So that was a little nice surprise. Lastly I'll be transferring in August. It was cool to learn fire alarm but I'm looking pretty forward to taking on some new and old responsibilities. I can't wait to see what the up coming months bring I just hope things continue the way they've been going.

My thoughts on fire alarm

I've been in Mona's Life Safety division now for about 9 months and it's definitely been different been different from my previous construction job experiences. We have generally been replacing old systems so I've been in nothing but exist businesses during business hours. Working around finished carpets and walls and clients means you have to be a lot more conscientious of your environment so not to be intrusive or disruptive. The crews also seem a little more reserved than what I become accustomed to. I think as an electrician though fire alarm has really helped further my understanding of circuitry. In fire alarm you have to be able to identify characteristics of circuits pretty easily in order to function. Mishaps such as ground faults, reverse polarities, missing devices, troubles and dreaded false alarms that dump the building can easily turn a good day real bad. Right now I'm trying to make the best of my time here and absorb as much as I can but every now and again I do miss being surrounded by nothing but concrete and guys you might not find in an office building.

Life after work

I think I'm finally adjusting to this new 8 to 4:15pm work schedule. I used to be home around 2:30pm everyday and be able to lay down, go to the gym eat maybe watch a little tv play a game or 2 and it still felt like my day after work went by fast. Now I'm home usually around 5:30pm and now time really flies. At first I'd just lay down or chill and relax and before I knew it, it was bedtime. I recently started to go to the gym on the way home from work and try to avoid the little nap, and also cut down on the tv and computer time so my days are starting to feel a little more balance.

Rough Month

The past month it seems like I been out of it. At work it sometimes feels like I'm just going through motions, days just drag on and I can't tell the difference between Friday and Monday. Not exactly why that is I'm sure getting off at 4:15pm oppose to 2:00pm and getting home with just a few hours before bedtime has a little something to do with it but o'well that's life. Through I do find when I'm allowed to just work on my own plan my own pipe runs and things of that such the day does go by much faster. Hopefully some warm weather or something will help me pick things up :-\

Unpected Pay Cuts

It feels like the expenses that we least expect hit us the hardest. I couple of months ago I ended up out of work for about 4 days due to tonsillitis. And let me tell you there's no worst feeling than seeing that check or should I say lack there of the following week. This week I'm sure a lot of people are having a similar experience as I am once again. I happen to be working on a job that starts at 8am which is blog worthy in it's own right. Well this snow has heavy impacted our schedule and I haven't been to work since Thursday. I've been able to make due but over the past few years I've really learned the importance of tightening my belt and having back up plans in case of situations such as these. I hope everyone is safe and maintaining out there.

Easy Money

So I think today might have been one of the easiest days of my career. You know you're in for a treat when you're foreman says nah you don't need your tools but you might want to grab your ipod and some headphones. This morning for the first time I did something called a load bank. In nutshell you hook the generator up to these massive heaters that you can adjust the wattage on and slowly increase the load until it is at 80% of the generator capacity and hold that for 3 hours. Well basically what that amounts to is hooking up some heaters, sitting in a lawn chair and getting up every so often to turn up the heat lol. On a side note I must say I'm pretty pleased with the diversity of work I been seeing with Mona. During the week I work on fire alarm which is pretty technical and a specialty not every mechanic can say they have training in. And on the weekend I usually do prevent maintainenance which consist of tightening and clean panels, switchgears transformers, disconnects and all that that good stuff. The work can get a little mindless sometimes but the overtime is great and I get to see different equipment set ups in a variety of different buildings from old to new. I think if things keep up I might end up a pretty well rounded journeyman in 3 years.