Whose considered a helper - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

heyhi · 10-02-2008, 11:43 PM

Its goin on 5 years that ive been a electrician.I do anything im told and i respect every one.BEEN IN THIS COMPANY IN NJ ALMOST A YEAR 15 HR. WORK LIVE,HELP EVERYONE WHO I SEE NEEDS A HAND,DONT REALLY TAKE OFF,I KNOW MY CIRCUITS, SPLICES,PREETY GOOD WITH THE PRINTS,PREETY GOOD WITH CODE, HARD WORRKER AND I ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT MY JOB. I TIE PANELS IN ONLY THING IS IM NOT GREAT WITH PIPE. BUT SOME HOW ONLY THIS FORMANE CONSIDERS ME A HELPER AND GIVES ME NO RESPECT. HES THE TOP FOREMAN WE HAVE AND IVE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT IT AND HES SAID I JUST WANT U TO GET BETTER. BUT NO ONE ELSE THINKS IM A BAD WORKER. THERES GUYS CONSIDERED MECHANICS THAT SUCK WHY AM I STILL CONSIDERED A HELPER

nolabama · 10-02-2008, 11:53 PM

because you scream on the internets

Bkessler · 10-02-2008, 11:59 PM

If you work as good as you post the answer is obvious, if not try just taking control. Don't wait to be told what to do. Run you ideas past your boss and don't expect him to take action but let him know how you are thinking. Most times I see this it's the person own mentality that holds them back. Press the cap un lock button now and then.

heyhi · 10-03-2008, 12:18 AM

I do that,especially when i know whats going on.For some reason he wont let me take charge.When i had a talk with him he goes i have to let u know whose in charge. I think he just doesn't like me but that shouldn't effect what i do for the company, we are working for the same guy with the same goal, get the job done

Bkessler · 10-03-2008, 12:23 AM

YOu will have lots of difficult foremen, do your best to go above and beyond what you think he wants. And be the first one on the job and the last one cleaning up.

nolabama · 10-03-2008, 12:23 AM

how long have the other hands been with this company ? years? if so they probably are gonna be pretty hard on you for a while - i worked for a company for 7 years around guys that had been on board for 20+ years - never did get along with them always the new guy , always less experienced but my production was always as high or higher that them - got fed up with it and left - found a new company that i get along well with the guys - you might look at other companies

heyhi · 10-03-2008, 12:53 AM

Thats exactly my situation.Theres 11 guys 9 been there from 10 to 20 years then theres me and this kid, that just started in this trade not even 1 year into it,and i get the same respect as him.

I been doin it 5 years and honestly my production is mostly higher then them.One guy does absouletly nothing but hes good with motors been there 15 years. another guy is been there 8 years ,hes good but most of the days does nothing becuaase hes childhood friends with the foreman.

Today I started out wiring about 15 high hats in a tight space.Then i was puttin up high hats where the wall is round so I had to build a frame around each one ,so they match the print and fasten them. Every one saw I was having a tough time and no 1 offered a hand.The foreman just kept breaking my balls to hurry up.I got the other kid to help me but hes no help he just makes us both look supid the things he does and the foreman has the balls to say i dont need 2 helpers on 1 high hat passing ideas back in fourth, instead of just telling the kid to help me and do what I say.
I ended up flippin on this kid cause he doesent listen , he has no experience and he wants to put his 2 sense in every 2 second, I just needed him to hold the light in place while i fasten it in.
But when it comes to the other guys there would be 4 guys doin 1 thing that id do by my self.
To top it all off everyone wants to be a dictator and boss me around all day. I like the company,its close to my house , im home by 4 every day, but when I work on this guys job it drives me nuts.
Il get sent on service calls with other huys and no 1 has a problem, we just get it done. Now Im starting to notice this guy treats me like a helper and all of a sudden little by little every ones treating me like a helper.

Next time he says it I might just say if im a helper then i should be doing helper work. Cleaning and helping people not splicing live and working alone when im really the one that could use a hand most of the time.
I dont mean to vent out like this but i just want some advice ,thanks, by the way its 1 am and this is still on my mind that should show u what my job means to me.

alcoelectrical · 10-03-2008, 12:55 AM

I would take pictures of all the work I've done, build a portfolio and then go wash the bosses car without asking first.

**480sparky** · 10-03-2008, 01:41 AM

Marco Electric · 10-03-2008, 04:57 AM

In my experience, they will always see you as a helper. I found this buisness to be transiant and really the only way to move up. Start looking for another job with companies who don't know yours.Ask for more than you think your worth. When you get the job you will find that you know more than you thought,feel more confident in what your doing, be better than some of the other guys there,teach them a few things and learn alot more! Good Luck

nolabama · 10-03-2008, 06:47 AM

you must start looking into a new company - and like marco said one that doesnt know yours - and do ask for more money - its how you build respect for yourself - if you ask for more then the employer expects more from you - and lastly be able to back it up - Journeyman cards help in this situation when looking for a new company and not wanting to be labeled a helper

brian john · 10-03-2008, 07:36 AM

And sometimes it is just a personality conflict, and there is little you can do about, other than try to figure out what it is you do that rubs him the wrong way OR leave the company.

KayJay · 10-03-2008, 07:51 AM

At least here in my area, once you get your license there is almost always a noticeable difference in the way guys get treated around the shop and on the job. Granted, you will still have certain guys busting your chops, but it is generally quite different from the dog crap treatment you get as a helper. I know there are a lot of very good, highly experienced helpers out there, but without a license they cannot run jobs or be left alone on jobsites, at least around here. It seems until you are licensed, even after say, 20-years, you will still considered just helper, not an electrician, and never get full recognition for your efforts.

Marco Electric · 10-03-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KayJay

At least here in my area, once you get your license there is almost always a noticeable difference in the way guys get treated around the shop and on the job. Granted, you will still have certain guys busting your chops, but it is generally quite different from the dog crap treatment you get as a helper. I know there are a lot of very good, highly experienced helpers out there, but without a license they cannot run jobs or be left alone on jobsites, at least around here. It seems until you are licensed, even after say, 20-years, you will still considered just helper, not an electrician, and never get full recognition for your efforts.

Start busting chops yourself,don't just take it. Pick on the big guys too. That will gain you some respect. It will show you have balls and knowledge.

brian john · 10-03-2008, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marco Electric

Start busting chops yourself,don't just take it. Pick on the big guys too. That will gain you some respect. It will show you have balls and knowledge.

Sure would, I'd give him the opportunity to work elsewhere the first time he busted my chops.

I think Marco summed it up best sometimes a move is the best thing to overcome a situation like this, if the economy allows it.

heyhi · 10-03-2008, 04:27 PM

You guys are right i should get another job, but first i wanna learn how to bend pipe. Again today hes bustin chops, first jokingly after he bitched about how long im taking to figuire out a way to get these lights to fit where they wont fit, I said to him at least if im a helper can i be the number 1 helper. 10 min later he goes to the other helper "johnny ur the number 2 bitch and im the number 1 bitch" that pissed me off but I gave him some back talk choosing my words wisely.
After finishing 8 lights buliding a frame for it and making it fit where it suppose to hes like it took u 6 hrs, I was like look at the first one and look at the last one each one i made looked better and better and i went faster each time, I was like next time itl take me 2 hrs and itl look perfect and I shut him up.

At the end of the day he told me and the other kid to put lights back in the trailor, we usually use his pick up becuase its alot faster but he had a extention ladder in it.The other guy was like can i use ur truck he goes theres an extention ladder in it,I said well take it out and hes like come on u guys cant bring these to the trailer.(there was about 30 lights and the trailors about 100 feet away.I just went aand used the van he didnt say nothing, Hes just one of those guys who wanna make the new guys misserible, the more I talk back the less he ****s with me. but what ever thought id add this and THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE HELP.. thats the only caps lock I used...

nolabama · 10-03-2008, 05:48 PM

why cant you bend pipe? will they not let you - if that is the case get gone quick - otherwise....

JRent · 10-03-2008, 06:08 PM

i didnt know how to bend pipe when i started, ofcourse they werent going to let me bend if i dont know, right? heres what you do, go to home depot get a 1/2 emt bender a bundle of 1/2 emt and LEARN. If no one teaches you its your responsability to teach yourself, i cant imagine my self 5 years in the trade and not knowing how the bend pipe.

Frasbee · 10-03-2008, 06:55 PM

I had several 3 very good teachers and I've only been doing this for...7 months now?

They had me bending pipe once we started on a fire station, and would not let anything pass until it looked like they had put it up themselves. They were always critiquing my work, it was like having 3 dads. But it was never an issue of me being incompetent or anything. I wanted to know, and they seemed happy to teach me.

5 years and you're still the bitch? I feel for you dude, you need to get the f*ck outta there.

I guess I shouldn't complain...though it would be nice to have some health coverage.

Billy_Bob · 10-03-2008, 07:29 PM

Well you are in luck!

In my day we did not have the internet to learn from. But I just searched google.com for the words...

how to bend conduit

And came up with all sorts of information on this including youtube videos!

Here are the google search results...
http://www.google.com/search?num=20&...onduit&spell=1