Work Problems

[Elfy]

OK, well I thought I had problems before but they are nothing to how I feel now.

I started a new job yesterday an almost immediately things have gone badly for me.

The job is factory work as a trainee electrician and involves a lot of manual labour, something I have found I am very much not suited to, I have no problems with the people who do do it obviously, I wish I could!

I'm finding this job hard to bear right now, I haven't been given any training in what I have to do and subsequently feel worthless as I see others working on the most complex things whilst I struggle to even tie the right knot or strip a wire in the right way.

I don't fit in at all with anyone else who is there, everyone working there are very much manly men and "lads" whereas I'm very much more shy and about as unmanly as it gets.

It's got me feeling so incredibly down, I have been on the verge of tears for a majority of the last two days through stress and hating my job.

The only reason I haven't already quit is that my end game is at the begining of July when I have the opportunity of moving in with my partner, but to pay the rent I need money, therefore I need a job. I'm scared to think where I'd be if it wasn't for him.

I've worked before and got through it, and even enjoyed it and the only reason I left was because my contract ran out and the company was making cuts. So I don't think its me being workshy or anything.

[DailyDi]

Give it some time, your body has to adjust to the new routine of hard labor. Hang in there and do your best. If you need to know more about what you should be doing: ask!

best of luck to you

[Elfy]

Everyones been giving me that same bit of advice!

Honestly, I think the main problem is that this trainee position is 4 years as a trainee before becoming a full electrician at the company... Now, the thing is the learning of what is going on is expected to take four years, and it looks really tricky so that doesnt surprise me!

I think the problem lies in that I have been through school, college and Uni and quite frankly I think I'm a better learner when I am told something a few times rather than shown it.

A lot of problems are probably borne out of frustration that I can't do a lot at the moment

[DailyDi]

Can you get a hold of an electrician training manual to read over? If you learn better through reputation it might help to have a book you can read and re-read

[Elfy]

The problem with that is the electrician stuff we do is very specialised, all about aircraft galleys. I'll see what I can do though, its a good idea

[Bettypooh]

About all I can offer is to say that jobs that take a long time to learn usually pay more and are often more secure because most people won't or don't dedicate themselves to making that kind of effort. The physical part will take care of itself in time so work on the rest. Everyone else who is doing what you're learning had to learn just like you- that means you can do it too.

Hang in there!

Bettypooh

[Elfy]

Well today I had my first good day at work.

I enjoyed it and for the first time I don't dread going in tomorrow I won't say I'm over it yet, we will have to see what tomorrow and the next week bring before I know if I'm beginning to like it.

I hope I am though!

[wetman]

!

[LILJIM]

I've worked in factorys for years. I've seen alot come & go. There are tricks to every job; the more you do them the more you learn those tricks. The books do not tell you everything. My first factory job my trainer showed me the book way to do it. Then the next day showed me some of the tricks to make it easier to do.(not as hard on me) On another job I was shown a few ways by 2-3 people how they did the same job. Harry said "We'll show you how we do it then you figure what works for you. There is no set way as long as it gets done & the boss is happy." Maybe get someone to show you a few. Factory floor work isn't like sitting at a desk; it takes time to get into the labor & hours of it. Give it alittle time. It does get better!!! (The more you do it) I felt lost on the job I got now when I first started. Now=

[Elfy]

I was just so out of my depth!

Having been in the education system all the way up until now I wasn't prepred for the transition to pick it up as you go along learning. But now I've made a few friends and been shown how to do a few things, and I've been eassured that no one expect anything from me as they said "You are a few days into a training that takes four years!" Not to mention my boss who refuses to retire (he is 70 years old!) told me the week before I started someone had shown him a new technique for doing something. The moral is, you never stop learning!

I'm so glad I didn't quit as I would have regretted it hugely. I am on a very good wage, with good hours, working with good people and doing something I'm starting to enjoy. It just took me a few days to see all this.

By the way if anyone flies on Saudi Air (Or whatever the Saudi Arabian national airline is called!) and one of the ovens is broken because of a faulty connector, I apologise in advance! It was my first one!

Oh, and I'm now even consideing a career at the factory since with my degree if I can work hard and get pretty good I might be able to move up the chain

I never thought when I was growing up and when I got a History degree that I would work in a factory, much less enjoy it!

[Guest littlejim]

Not to mention my boss who refuses to retire (he is 70 years old!) told me the week before I started someone had shown him a new technique for doing something. The moral is, you never stop learning!

I never thought when I was growing up and when I got a History degree that I would work in a factory, much less enjoy it!

Some "older folks" feel if they retire they will die. I learned years ago LOL "I don't know it all." I've have learned alot over the years about different things. Simple wiring, pluming, roofing, etc.; & doing it myself has saved me alot of money. BUT I know my limits too. Exsample: I can wire plugs & lights to the power box; but not the box to the main line coming in. Never stop learning new things!! & pass it along to someone else. You'll never know how far it will go from person to person. New friends= I don't miss some of the jobs I've had just those "friends" I left there. Good-luck & hang-in there!!!

[BBB]

You're most likely working on Emirate Air's jets I'd assume. I just finished up doing alot of interiors for them, and I know they were being installed in the UK.

The aviation community can be a tough nugget to crack.

I've been in it for 6 or 7 years now and can literally just jump into new work groups. Once you figure the people out, you'll recognize the personalities that are helpful and/or hurtful. (to both you and the program) Choose wisely which one you're gonna be.

Keep positive. I'm a pretty knowledgable guy when it comes to the places and spaces I work within, and I still start off with "I don't know what you're doing, but what can I do to help?".

No one can know everything. But you can still ask questions. And get a notepad. Keep a pen with you. Write down your questions ahead of time, and ask when appropriate.

I'm gonna say this, and it's an important rule. And there are caveats to it.

Don't be a tattle tale, a snitch, or any other name you can think of.

If it endangers lives, then speak up. But if Willy is taking 5 minutes extra on his breaks, or Johnny is banging Sally-Rotten-Crotch in the bathroom it's best to keep your head down and mouth shut.

I hope you'll grow to love the industry. You are working among some of the most loyal people You'll ever been around.p

[Elfy]

No one can know everything. But you can still ask questions. And get a notepad. Keep a pen with you. Write down your questions ahead of time, and ask when appropriate.

I'm gonna say this, and it's an important rule. And there are caveats to it.

Don't be a tattle tale, a snitch, or any other name you can think of.

If it endangers lives, then speak up. But if Willy is taking 5 minutes extra on his breaks, or Johnny is banging Sally-Rotten-Crotch in the bathroom it's best to keep your head down and mouth shut.

I hope you'll grow to love the industry. You are working among some of the most loyal people You'll ever been around.p

I've already got a notepad and have made, all together, about 9 pages of notes (Mostly on how to construct the one thing they want me to build at the moment)

And I understand about the snitching bit but I think it won't be a problem since everyone seems to take longer breaks and even go to breaks when there isn't a specified time to!

Its a very relaxed atmosphere which is helping me get used to it

[LilFozzyJ5]

Im really glad you have settled into the flow mate. it can be daunting, any busy environment which has also got some labour attached can seem very difficult.

As everyone has said and you have done... you have to give it time and allow the job to show itself to you, the rest will follow.

Hopefully now your concern about not knowing what you are doing has been put to bed, No-one expects someone starting a 4 year training job to know anything in the first week.

well done mate, I hope your proud of yourself, you should be

Fozzy

[Andy]

Life's not easy at the bottom.

No one expects an apprentice to have the knowledge of a journeyman at day one. You will be shown the important things you have to do in your job over and over. Sometimes until you are fed up from it even. When the journeyman and/or masters around you recognize that they can let you do something alone, they will.

[Elfy]

Well I started on the 28th of November so it been around 4.5 months in this job now and some things have changed and some things haven't...

I do have more of an idea as to what they want me to do although I'm really nervous of what will happen when they ramp it up and I am given the much more complex modules to do instead of the relatively simple looms. The modules are something I'm apparently going to be starting soon.

I still have no idea what to do with regards to me moving 70 miles away at the start of July. I am going to move in with my partner which is something I need to do as I know my future is with him.

But with regards to work I don't know... I can't do that commute to work everyday so thats out of the question and if I do what I do now which is stay with my parents near work during the week and then going down to see my partner on weekends then I know I won't be able to cope because I'm going through panic attacks and crushing stress every other day when I'm away from him and worrying about work.

The only reason I haven't quit is because I know how hard it is to find any job at the moment. My partner is a student coming to the end of his degree and will be looking for work too soon and I really don't want us both out of work at the same time. There is money there so that we wouldn't be in dire straights right away but I don't want it used and the uncertainty of how long we would be out of work makes me worry.

Things will come to a head in July, I just don't know what to do about work.

Do I hand in my notice and move down there when there isn't a job sorted out?

I need advice as currently the stress of it all is just too much.

EDIT: Just thought I should add that when I do move down there I will be back to square one since I haven't done the job long enough to be able to just join an agency or anything... I will mostly be looking for jobs at the bottom of the spectrum doing stuff like retail for less money than I'm on now, which I don't mind... If I could get a job near my partner for lower wages I will be happy because I just want to be with him... Without him I'd have gone insane by now, I'm only putting up with this job now so that I can save a little bit of money and prove I'm not workshy, just unhappy!

[sarah_ab]

START LOOKING FOR JOBS NOW!! start applying, for everything and anything...

thats it.. start looking, do this job until you have another one... not sure why you are having panic attacks about being away from someone for a few days when you know you will see them again.. thsi would be a reason to go see the dr. Panic attacks can have seriously consequences on your physical health... higher bloodpressure and rasied heart rate can lead to a whole host of problems, so this needs to be taken care of.. immediately....

so yeah.. 1. go to the dr, 2. start applying for jobs, even if you don't think you would qualify just do it... the more you apply for and the more interviews you go to, the better prepared you are....

[Elfy]

I'm thinking this may be a deeper thing because this whole situation is dominating my every waking thought... I can't see past it, its like a wall that has been built in my way and I am just pushing against it.

I can't stop worrying about it and have broken down crying twice this evening as well as having my stomach tied in knots all day.

I'm going to see a doctor about this as soon as possible as I'll probably need to go on the anti-depressants that I was on a few years ago.

I'm just scared that if I move in with my partner and neither of us have jobs that we will grow to hate each other and the money we have will be used up and in the end we will just resent each other over all this