Whine like a baby, now with 500% more drama!

Learned more information about the job today (I was posting comments here during breaks today):

-After the training (1 month), they're sending me and the other 4 guys out to British Columbia to work on the job for three weeks. None of the work is local as I'd been originally told. It's 3 weeks on somewhere, then 9 days off (paid travel and expenses).

-Those 3 weeks are 6 days work and 1 day off. Probably 50-60 hours, with average 10-hour days, sometimes more.

To say nothing of the job itself. He led us through some of the details of cutting and stripping cables, etc. All the terminology, numbers, labels, etc, made me go cross-eyed.

I...I don't know. I don't know if this is the job for me.
 
It honestly not that difficult once you get into it. I know I never thought I would memorize the tel colour code or all the different acronyms. But it doesn't take too long to get it when you use it every day.
 
My eyes always cross when people start long explanations of something, mostly because I can't focus on people talking for that long. (see my entire college career) That being said, it's almost always easier for me to sit down and figure it out, and then I can't figure out why the people talking had to make it sound so complicated.

I'm not going to speak to whether or not you keep the job. A job like that would drive me nuts because I really prefer consistency to things constantly changing.
 
So I'm learning more about how this new job works. It's three weeks on, nine days off. And right now, they'll be flying me (and the other guys) out to Vancover area. So lots of travel. It's not working locally like I thought.

But...I mean, I've always wanted to travel more and especially see more of Canada. Ive never been further out west than Toronto. And I guess they'll also fly me elsewhere other than home if I want, say if I want to visit friends in Alberta for the 9 days.

But...I don't know. This is sounding less and less like what I thought it'd be.
If you make it out to Vancouver I'll buy you a beer.
 
Nick, it's going to be overwhelming in the beginning. After awhile, though, what you'll find is it's really boring, tedious, and monotonous in the long run.

Aaaand I just realized I've gone off the deep end thinking and writing about this. Being the rant thread you're not really asking for advice, so I apologize, but I'm also not going to delete it. I hope it's not out of line, I care about you and this is the only thing I know how to do when someone expresses a difficulty they're having...

I don't know if it's for you.

However, what I've discovered about life and jobs is that generally people misjudge what's required and the difficulty level and are often surprised at how easy things turn out once they jump in the deep end, so to speak.

You don't have anything to lose by trying. If it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out and you stop doing it. If you only get in a week or two, well, that's a week or two more of "employment endurance" you've practiced. If you can only manage another few days of training, you'll've still gained something. If the stars align and you can clock in day in and day out for a longer period of time, and maybe even go on a few trips, you will benefit.

It's also entirely possible that sometime during training they'll let you go.

The point is, you don't know if you can handle it, and you should seriously consider continuing on until you're absolutely certain that you cannot proceed. There's always an exit, you've got the time, and if nothing else you could even consider this a form of employment therapy. If you stay at each job a little longer, or take a little harder of a job than the last one, you'll eventually work your way up to the point where you 1) can hold onto a suitable job and 2) you'll have so much experience in different jobs, different fields, different industries that you'll have a very good idea of what you can and can't do, or are willing or unwilling to do.

----------

I have no idea why your father is counseling you against it. However, if one of my children had the difficulties you have described, and was considering a job that took them far away from home, my primary concern would be how can I best help them if they are thousands of miles away and they became unable to ask for help, and unable to return to home by themselves? They might be in a bad situation halfway through a week long trip, and if they aren't answering their phone because they don't want to talk about it, but also don't feel like figuring out how to change their plane ticket, or spend the money to get a new one home, it might be days before I could help them resolve the situation, or even know there's a problem.

Again, I don't know your parents, and I don't know enough about the issues you face, and I'm probably blowing things way out of proportion here, but as a parent who wants to protect my children, that's what comes to mind.

So if you do want to do this, always, always, always have an exit plan and a concrete set of triggers that will tell you when you should enact that plan. I don't know what that looks like for you and for this job. For the exit plan, make sure you understand what your ticket options are - you'll always have a round trip ticket from your employer, can you change the return leg and move it up? How are you going to get to the airport? Do you need to carry an emergency $50 visa card for a taxi/uber/etc?

What triggers might you consider? How can you tell, of yourself, that you've become lost? Perhaps you find a friend you can text daily, and you have them text you "go home" if they detect a problem. It'd have to be someone you can trust to judge rightly - including knowing when you're just in a temporary lull and giving you encouragement to stick it out. Perhaps it's as simple as noticing when you don't feel like eating dinner, or significant (multi-day) insomnia. Maybe you commit to doing DDP every night you're on the trip, and if you don't do it three days in a row it suggests you're struggling.
 
I think this is the most important sentence:
The point is, you don't know if you can handle it, and you should seriously consider continuing on until you're absolutely certain that you cannot proceed.
Learning more about yourself is always useful.

--Patrick
 

fade

Staff member
Man, I paid extra for a house on the bayou, and neither of these two knuckleheads of mine ever go down there unless you force them.
 
Can't sleep. Again. Forget it. I'm quitting this job. I can't do it and it's not what I was told about in the first place. When I first learned about this job, I was told it was local, working downtown. That the traveling would be occasional.

So, that's it, then. The one hope I had of making enough money to move out is gone. Failure once again after getting my hopes up.

Just like when I thought I could be a writer.
Just like when I thought I could be a teacher.
Hell, just like when I thought I could be a wrestler.

I give up. It's official. There's nothing for me.
 
@ThatNickGuy , was all of your training today done in a lecture format or was it more hands on? I can only imagine the amount of details that they piled on you!

This sounds like a great opportunity and I think it would be worth seeing the training through and learning more about the work and getting to know your team.
 
@ThatNickGuy , was all of your training today done in a lecture format or was it more hands on? I can only imagine the amount of details that they piled on you!

This sounds like a great opportunity and I think it would be worth seeing the training through and learning more about the work and getting to know your team.
Doesn't matter. I just e-mailed the woman at human services, tendering my resignation.
 
Can't sleep. Again. Forget it. I'm quitting this job. I can't do it and it's not what I was told about in the first place. When I first learned about this job, I was told it was local, working downtown. That the traveling would be occasional.

So, that's it, then. The one hope I had of making enough money to move out is gone. Failure once again after getting my hopes up.

Just like when I thought I could be a writer.
Just like when I thought I could be a teacher.
Hell, just like when I thought I could be a wrestler.

I give up. It's official. There's nothing for me.
I wish I knew what to say or how I could help.

The only thing I can think of is to suggest that you give it another chance? If you still have reservations by the end of training, then of course, you shouldn't travel for them, but I think that you could learn a lot from the training when they get to the hands on part.[DOUBLEPOST=1491275849,1491275675][/DOUBLEPOST]
Doesn't matter. I just e-mailed the woman at human services, tendering my resignation.
I am the slowest iPhone typist ever. Please disregard the post I was typing as you posted this.
 
Doesn't matter. I just e-mailed the woman at human services, tendering my resignation.
I'm really sorry you do not feel ready for this level of challenge. Perhaps, there will be another opportunity with the company in the future that will better fit your needs. I hope you can find something that you can enjoy doing, whatever that thing might be. I know my words dont mean anything, but I really do feel for your plight having been in similar straights myself. I'm pulling for you Nick, may you go with god speed into your next endeavor.
 
I have accidentally hit disagree so many times when I meant hug! I really hope I've changed them quickly enough that the person only ever sees the hug.
 
I have accidentally hit disagree so many times when I meant hug! I really hope I've changed them quickly enough that the person only ever sees the hug.
I wonder if @GasBandit would be kind enough to move "disagree" and "needs a lock" off to a corner by themselves.

And add in "You're driving me to drink!" for when a post (like this one) is fucking frustrating.

Eh?
 

GasBandit

Staff member
I wonder if @GasBandit would be kind enough to move "disagree" and "needs a lock" off to a corner by themselves.

And add in "You're driving me to drink!" for when a post (like this one) is fucking frustrating.

Eh?
I worry moving it might strip existing instances of the ones moved from posts. I'm not certain, but I don't think accidental mis-rating is a big enough deal to risk it, when ratings can be easily undone/changed by the user.
 
I practice "a place for everything and everything in its place"

So where are my watch and nail clippers? And why was my deodorant in the mittens and torques box?
 
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