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Posted By Countertop Artisans on 10 Apr 2013 02:44 PM
I’ve been looking for someone that can duplicate the same quality for years. Many have come and gone and nobody seems to care as much as we do. Where is that diamond in the rough?Possibly the diamond in the rough has past through your shop.
Many times tradesmen don’t believe anyone can do things as good as themselves ,Like myself forexample, and hold their employees back one way or another without realizing it.
30+ years ago I worked for such a guy… I never could do things to exactly suit him… and always came up short. He was the motivation for me to move on and 2 yrs later he went out of business, while mine flourished.
If he could have believed in me, there is no doubt I could have been great for his business, but his micro management just didn’t work…My problem is now… noone wants to work, they are late, noshows, or have to check for text every 10 minutes…. there is no work ethic any longer
“…Where is that diamond in the rough?”
That is a question that seems true everywhere in this country where people are starving for jobs.
Where are the skilled guys that actually care about their work? Have we become so inured to telling our young uns they need college that there are no reliable trades people?What the heck is wrong with us?
we always tried to convey to young workers to not chase the dollar but instead perfect your skills and business mind, especially people skills if you plan on starting your own biz some day. We remind them that if they are to continue working in the same area the competition will be fierce.
“The money will come, be patient.” is the mantra.Being a given young guy, I get what y’all are saying, too. It almost frustrates me to see others in my age range (typically peers) without a goal or plan of action for their extended future. How can you stay motivated, how can you want to wake up in the morning, without having that goal – or certain something – to look forward to?
Many of us have trouble committing to any job because of desires, rather than necessity. Some will wise up and others might have to learn the hard way.It might sound kinda cheesy, but I still wake up in the morning ready for a challenge, whether I get one or not. I install full time with a side of tear-outs and some on-site repairs, getting 6-16 hours a day. I’d like to think I’m experienced, but I know there’s a million different situations that I could run into. If I haven’t done it, here’s my chance to prove that I can. If I’ve done it before, I’ll just have more practice at it.
Josh keep on being you man..you are rare…I can’t compete with unemployment..I grew up in Elizabeth, new jersey and it was a poor distressed town..ill put it at that…but we all worked..it wasn’t about the money..its what I tell to my friends today who have other jobs..They say..I wont work unless its 15 buck an hour to start…really you showed that job that offered you 13 bux…what a wackjob..i just hadta ask him…how much an hour do you make not working…he would say its coming
not to change tunes..but now people are actually making a good living because not working because they lowered their standards …it sux..but in our poor ass town we made fun of people who didnt work…we actually called you bums!!!I can defend some who lost their corporate jobs and really only know that biz that doesnt exist anymore…but hearing Josh gives me hope..I think people collecting checks should not have daytime tv asnd should at least have to do charity work..just to keep the bearings greased..i mean their new job application is gonna have a big ass gap in it…I donty care who ya are if you dont work for two years..ur gonna be retarded trying to change a router bit
Gene,
I always liked you! You always crack me up! You and me and the people on this board are rare in all the world now! We actually work hard for the money!
We are dinosaurs, a dying, soon to be extinct species. It seems to be a mantra now, All hail the “gummit” and get that check !
I likey that Josh too! You gave him some righteous advice!
I see my mild comment started a firestorm of comments. I wanted to add a few things from what I have seen in my many years at different careers.
My last position was the VP of HR for SpaceAdventures.. a company that puts private citizens to the International Space Station for 30 million bucks a flight. I dealt with aerospace engineers that were the most spoiled bunch of brats that sat behind a desk. Part of my budget was to provide food for the cafeteria and to feed these punks. Well, the budget was cut and they no longer had breakfast, lunch and dinner on the company.. OH… and the benefit package was COMPLETELY paid by the company. no deductible, no cost at all. Each week they always threatened to quit and find a better job. They were making well into the 6 figures!. They whined and complained like babies until they found there were no jobs out there that were close to competing to theirs. The company had additional budget cuts and I found myself out on the street looking for a job. 50+ interviews and nobody would hire an old expensive man. So, I bit the bullet, and started a company refinishing bathtubs. Been doing that for the last 7 years. Interviewed dozens of potential employees. The best I found, was a kid 28 who knew his way around a spray gun. However, he couldn’t show up on time, Wouldn’t do more than 1 tub a day and was in awe of they way I could work rings around him. He is gone and I still can’t find a good gun slinger. I chose to get into countertops to get away from the toxic chemicals that are killing my lungs. In the past, I started a cabinet shop, bouquet cookie deliver company, franchised it, a stained glass studio among others that were all successful and ran their course. For those in the younger brackets, the hard work and dedication to what you do will pay of. Unfortunately, the majority of those out there expect a high pay, instant gratification, and instant respect for what they want to do without putting the effort behind it. The generations that are coming up behind us, don’t quite understand what it takes to keep the food on the table and the roof over your head. (Not all, but most). The skilled labor force is at an all time low and not getting any better. OH.. and I made it to the VP of HR level without a college degree. Will things change, probably not, so my hats are off to those that don’t mind breaking a sweat, and cashing a check for a good days work. Take pride my brothers, we are a dying breed!One thing I can say is that I feel one hell of a sense of accomplishment with the skills taught to me that I worked hard to master and make a great living with.
It seems very difficult to convey this whole trip on the young nuts just entering the field of custom work. They live too much in the moment sometimes…looking for instant gratification. I know..I sound like an old bastard (im only 50).
I just cut down 6 nice fat birch trees on my lot. While the ground is still froze I wanted to offer the trees to my daughter’s friend who likes to cut and sell fire wood for a living. I figured there was easy 400.00 worth of fire wood and he could drive right up the the rounds. HELL! I had to kick him in the a$$ for 2 days to get his butt out to my place to get the wood out before the ground thawed….and i helped load it!
Im my younger day I would have jumped on that like a hobo on a ham sandwich. All Im saying is times seem different in the world of ambition with the younger gang..at least around here.Gene, thanks for the uplifting words! It gets monotonous driving a box truck for an accumulative 4-8 hours a day, but I guess I’m just learning the land too, haha.
And David, I blame technology… mainly reality TV shows
If you want to blame someone, blame the parents. Most parents don’t do their job and let the kids bum off of them until it’s too late to make a difference. Life skills are taught from the age of zero, not 18.
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