Free advice to guys looking for work..... - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

oldman · 07-14-2009, 10:57 PM

don't let your life's drama become evident until you actually show up for your 1st day with the new company....

cguillas · 07-14-2009, 11:06 PM

What prompted this, old man? Share some drama with us!

Timster · 07-15-2009, 12:34 AM

Oldman, give the kid a job! He might be the best worker you ever had! Sometimes life is like that...

oldman · 07-15-2009, 07:07 AM

2 times in the past month, we have hired and fired guys, not kids, but experienced mechanics (both with families) before they actually worked their 1st day for us....

1st guy - calls looking for work. sends over resume, looks good....call him up to come in for a quick meeting...day of meeting, calls me up to tell me he can't come in, his truck has been repo'd....ok, call me when you get transportation...

calls me about 4 days later, he's got transportation...ok, c'mon in...he comes in, we talk, i tell him to start on the following monday....on sunday, i get a phone call that the engine in his new car blew up...over the next 5 hrs, i get 12 texts to my cell ranging from the engine blew up, to the alternator is bad...to he's at pep boys, but they can't fix it....to he's going to try to swap the alternator himself....

but he'll be in on monday...fine...

monday comes....no guy....call him, got voicemail....finally hear from him around 8:30a....he overslept, and will try to get a ride to the jobsite (since his car isn't working)....

so, i gracefully tell him good luck with life....

2nd guy - talked too much...he knows one of the guys that works for us now...when i spoke to him on the phone, he talked too much about what he could do, how motivated he was, etc.....

last tuesday - we ask when he can start....his response is 'anytime'...ok, great, I'll call you in a bit and let you know....

call him about 5pm on tues, get his voicemail - leave a message on where to be on weds and what time....around 9pm that night he leaves me a vm on my phone that simple says "this is XXXXX, please call me".....

7am weds morning, i get his VM and call...straight to his VM...finally hear from the guy around 10:30a.......turns out he really couldn't start yet, he has to get things squared away with daycare for his kid (he's been home for the past 8 month out of work, so they haven't had to use daycare)....

ok fine, take care of that, start monday...ok...

send him all the info for where to be on monday....again, i get a vm from him arund 8pm....call him back and get his vm...

well monday morning comes, get ahold of him, give him the jobsite info....ok...

around 10am, i here from my foreman that this guy hasn't shown up...so i call him, and get his voicemail...

around 10:30, he sends me a text that he is in Verizon getting his phone fixed because someone pushed him in the pool over the weekend, with his phone in his pocket...

and do i just want him to start fresh on tues morning....

i'm not even going to go into the issues here...lets just say that I told him to take all the time he needed to get done whatever he needed to get done....

sorry about the rant, but i've come to the conclusion that many of the current unemployed are basically unemployable...they had jobs when times were good, and companies literally just needed bodies...now that companies need people who are competant and can produce, many of these people are unqualified....

so, guys looking for work....hide your drama until you actually have the job....

bobelectric · 07-15-2009, 07:45 PM

Not to be cute,but are you advertising on signposts at the shopping centers?

oldman · 07-15-2009, 08:04 PM

Actually, not even advertising. These guys called looking for work. You would think they were actually ambitious.

MDShunk · 07-15-2009, 08:10 PM

During the interview process, at some point I always ask the person if their driver's license is valid. Did this recently with a guy, and hired him. Before he started, I called him to make sure he brought his driver's license with him on his first day to be Xerox'd and a voided check for the direct deposit. (I only pay by direct deposit, but that's for a very specific reason). He agreed to bring those items. Couple days later he calls in and leaves a message w/the one office girl that his license is from Florida, and would that be okay. I called him back and told him that I really didn't care where his license was from, but that it had to be good. He said something like "yeah, yeah, never had a ticket in my life, blah, blah, blah.". Guy works a few weeks and the payroll people call and say that his check for direct deposit was for a closed account. Okay, whatever. Cut the guy a hard check. I get with the guy and he has some sob story about wife bouncing checks and the bank closed the account and he doesn't have any money to open another one. Okay, fine. Couple days later the insurance company calls to say that his FL license is actually suspended. For what, they didn't say, but I really don't care. The license is not valid. The guy was fired as soon as I could drive to his jobsite, get my truck, and call him a taxi.

I agree with Oldman... I wish people would just get their freaking personal affairs in order.

Mr. Sparkle · 07-15-2009, 08:17 PM

It seems the older I get the less faith I have in the common man. I try hard not to judge.......real hard.

steelersman · 07-15-2009, 08:27 PM

There sure are a lot of hardcore slackers out there. Oy ve.

InPhase277 · 07-15-2009, 08:51 PM

My old boss was the world's best at being kind to slack asses. You just couldn't get fired. That was great if you really needed a day off for something, it was OK on short notice. But it really sucked if you needed some man power. Every Friday and Monday, it seemed like someone was always having trouble of one kind or another. Car wouldn't start, grandma died (again), no daycare, etc. I practically begged him to fire some of the worst guys, because I couldn't stand it when they cycled around to my jobs. I just got to the point where I'd give them a shovel and tell them we needed to locate the generator pipes or some other ridiculous job to keep them away from me and my real job.

Mr. Sparkle · 07-15-2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InPhase277

My old boss was the world's best at being kind to slack asses. You just couldn't get fired. That was great if you really needed a day off for something, it was OK on short notice. But it really sucked if you needed some man power. Every Friday and Monday, it seemed like someone was always having trouble of one kind or another. Car wouldn't start, grandma died (again), no daycare, etc. I practically begged him to fire some of the worst guys, because I couldn't stand it when they cycled around to my jobs. I just got to the point where I'd give them a shovel and tell them we needed to locate the generator pipes or some other ridiculous job to keep them away from me and my real job.

Wow man you sound like you dealt with exactly the same sh*t I dealt with at the last company I was a long term employee (foreman) for...although my old boss loved hiring brainless lazy young kids for $9-10/hr, sicking them on me and sitting home all summer working on his boat stuck in his driveway.......and this was before the downturn........the walls have ears...he is floundering now.

william1978 · 07-15-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDShunk

I wish people would just get their freaking personal affairs in order.

I agree 100%

480sparky · 07-15-2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDShunk

.......... I wish people would just get their freaking personal affairs in order.

I could care less about their personal affairs.

As long as they show up on time, put in a full days' work, and not be high or drunk.

Mr. Sparkle · 07-15-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 480sparky

I could care less about their personal affairs.

As long as they show up on time, put in a full days' work, and not be high or drunk.

Not that I have any employees aside from my part time younger brother, but I do share the same opinion.

Magnettica · 07-16-2009, 12:05 AM

I had some issues with my drivers license when I was in my 20's but it didn't effect my job status with the company I was working for. I lost it for not paying some old tickets and later got busted while driving on the revoked list. My boss at the time wasn't happy about it but he kept me because I guess I was a good worker and always showed up on time. I had a kid I played hockey with who was still in high school drive me 15 miles to work each morning for X amount each week and then at night I took the train home.

Larry Fine · 07-16-2009, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDShunk

The guy was fired as soon as I could drive to his jobsite, get my truck, and call him a taxi.

How did he feel about being called that?

oldman · 07-16-2009, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Fine

How did he feel about being called that?

probably not as bad as I feel after reading that corny joke

oldman · 07-16-2009, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnettica

I had some issues with my drivers license when I was in my 20's but it didn't effect my job status with the company I was working for. I lost it for not paying some old tickets and later got busted while driving on the revoked list. My boss at the time wasn't happy about it but he kept me because I guess I was a good worker and always showed up on time. I had a kid I played hockey with who was still in high school drive me 15 miles to work each morning for X amount each week and then at night I took the train home.

but you waited until after you had the job to let the drama unfold...

and you did what you had to do to get to work....

and that's my point - walk to work your 1st week if you have too...show the boss that you are good, then let him know you are really a complete clusterf***....

Fredman · 07-16-2009, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDShunk

During the interview process, at some point I always ask the person if their driver's license is valid. Did this recently with a guy, and hired him. Before he started, I called him to make sure he brought his driver's license with him on his first day to be Xerox'd and a voided check for the direct deposit. (I only pay by direct deposit, but that's for a very specific reason). He agreed to bring those items. Couple days later he calls in and leaves a message w/the one office girl that his license is from Florida, and would that be okay. I called him back and told him that I really didn't care where his license was from, but that it had to be good. He said something like "yeah, yeah, never had a ticket in my life, blah, blah, blah.". Guy works a few weeks and the payroll people call and say that his check for direct deposit was for a closed account. Okay, whatever. Cut the guy a hard check. I get with the guy and he has some sob story about wife bouncing checks and the bank closed the account and he doesn't have any money to open another one. Okay, fine. Couple days later the insurance company calls to say that his FL license is actually suspended. For what, they didn't say, but I really don't care. The license is not valid. The guy was fired as soon as I could drive to his jobsite, get my truck, and call him a taxi.

I agree with Oldman... I wish people would just get their freaking personal affairs in order.

Good Lord! If that guy only knew, he was working for THE MAN! Honestly Marc, I have followed and learned from you for years and daydreamed what it would be like to have a boss like you. That guy lost alot more than a job. (My old boss had issues...) Someday I will find someone with at least half your smarts to work with. Just had to say it! Peace.

All_amped_up · 07-30-2009, 02:21 PM

I don't get it. In these times when work is so hard to get right now.
As a late teen and into my 20's I was a slacker....not showing up or coming in late after partying. But now...with a family, I'd ride a girls huffy bike in the rain and eat my lunch in the porter john if needed to be able to work.