New Job

With my assymbler job, I had long hours and no real way to get another job. I had work and that was the important thing, but all my money invested in an automotive career was going to waste. Now I had no plans to get fired or layed off but things don't go according to plan. I have a problem with my temper but these days I was doing a lot better. However one time at work I got overly frustrated and was a tad vocal. I got a warning and worked harder at keeping my temper in check. Unfortunatly, yesterday I got in a argument with a co-worker (I won't say what it was about as it was pretty stupid) and it started to get heated. The other guy realized he could get a rise out of me and I took the bait. I got a little too loud and was taken aside for a talk. The mangager said that I was distracting the other workers and rightfully suspended me for three days. However, I didn't believe that it would end in a suspension so I had the temp agency find out and sure enough, the next day they told me he didn't want me returning.

I'm not complaining as it was my own stupidity and lack of control that did this to me. The manager really had no other choice as I see it (though I hoped he would have given me one last chance-I was never a bad worker, never late, never missed a day; I just got into it with the wrong person and overreacted). The temp agency had nothing else except temp jobs at minimum wage but I didn't see them denying unemployment so I decided to start my job search immediatly. Not long after starting my search I had a call from a local garage for a job interview. Despite my less than stellar automotive career he agreed to a $10/hour base pay + commission and to take me on as an apprentice. I start Monday! Unemployed and employed all in the same day. I only hope I can avoid the mistakes that have plagued my jobs in recent years. Having a base pay means I don't have to rush or hurry things which will cut down greatly on any mistakes.

This is my last chance at job redemption. If I lose this job because of incompetence or short temper, my dad will give me one week to find and sign up with a trucking company. However, I think I can avoid my mistakes... or at least hope I can.

Well, good luck to ya. And although I've never had a problem with my job over it, I do have a pretty bad temper as well. I can sympathize.

007 wrote:

Well, good luck to ya. And although I've never had a problem with my job over it, I do have a pretty bad temper as well. I can sympathize.

Thanks. It used to never be a problem with my job over it but for some reason I tend to be more crabby spiteful these days. It has been easier to set me off lately and there are some people who like to exploit that (which is a factor in this case). However, since it has cost me a good paying job, I have more motivation to avoid it from now on.

Hope the new job works out!

Good luck.

Sounds like lady luck paid you a visit that day. Maybe it was meant to happen.. who knows.. but this could perhaps be a new opportunity and a new dawn...

regarding bad temper, we all have it from time to time when pushed far enough - long hours, overworking, under appreciated, under paid, not enough time spent at home with the loved ones.. all these can contribute to your temper acting up and can lead you to overreact in certain instances which as you said can be really stupid and should generally be overlooked.

People are not made of steel, so being caught at the wrong moment can from time to time lit off the fuse.

My recommendation is to try exercise. No I don't mean go out to the gym every day and pump pounds of weights but if that is your thing than more power to you and good on you for doing that.

I am suggesting creating a routine where you are either running or doing some sort of physical activity where you are burning calories and sweating like no tomorrow. Half an hour per day is all you need and it doesn't need to be every day - every 2nd day will do.

I exercise on a cross-trainer. I started about a year ago and the reason was more to keep my levels of stress under control and for overall well being. In a year of sticking to this routine I lost over 30 pounds of fat, my confidence levels have gone up, I am comfortable with my body image and feel a lot lot less stressed and frustrated. Exercise does absolute wonders. With every mile that you jog , you feel like you are accomplishing something, reaching your ultimate goal that you set for yourself. The after effects of exercise are also long-lasting, you feel good about yourself and you don't let other small petty things get in the way.

That is my suggestion or at least what has worked for me.

Congrats Bro! In this economy, that is pretty amazing that it all came together for you.

Having a pretty brutal temper myself and some coworkers tend to annoy the snot out of me, I completely agree with ADR on all points.

i'll bet the guy made fun of your hair or power metal or something. i could totally see you going apeshit over that. lol

seriously though, good luck with the new job. treat the job & your co-workers as you'd want to be treated & you'll do fine.

Hope the best for you DB

I still recommend you putting up an ad at a local music (instrument) shop. One saying guy who sings wants to jam with other musicians for something fun to do. I believe it would give you an outlet from everyday stuff and scratch that "rockstar" itch we have all had in our lives.

Thanks guys. I am very nervous about this one. My only automotive experience (aside from school and that was almot 3 years ago) is in dealerships. Working on vehicles of one make, no more than 10 years old (except in VERY rare cases), and only a handful of standard transmissions. Working in an independent shop, I will be working on all sorts of makes, models, and years. There will probably be just as many manual as automatic drives. While getting those kind of vehicles out of the parking lot and into the garage is something I can do, I don't know whether my inability to test drive or diagnostic test those kind of vehicles will be a negative towards me.

The plus is that he told me to come to work knowing how green of a techncian I am. My largest responsibilty will probably be doing cleaning more than working on vehicles at first. I really shouldn't have said I will be taken on as an apprentice as he never used that word, however, the way he talked about what he wants from me fits that definition. My biggest fear is that he's taken me on a trial run and that he might decide to go with someone else if I don't make a good impression (if he wants to lower my base pay I could probably live with that providing it's not too low). However, this is basically my last chance to see whether I will ever be a sucessful mechanic or not and I don't want to waste it. I'm hoping my good work ethic and willingness to learn will work in my favor.

Driving a manual transmission is no big deal, you'll figure it out in no time.........the vast majority of cars are automatics anyway.

Good luck!

Stay humble bro', this sounds like a great chance for you. I'll even toss a few prayers your way.

I'm not the religious type, but my thoughts are with you man. Hope this one works out for you!

Good luck DB!!!!!

I really hope that this does work out.......... and go with Alex's and James' suggestions. I think they will be good stress relievers for you!

Good luck!

there was a guy working with me that has a bad temper..he got put on some kind of medcine for it....I hope things work out good for you

I was layed off today. I don't understand this, I did what I was told to do. Clean the shop, change oil, change tires, patch tires, and assist with the other techs. I made some small mistakes that didn't warrant being let go and was never told they were the reason. I was just told that it wasn't working out the way he was expecting it to. These things happen but I somehow feel cheated. Maybe it was the lack of work (very few oil changes and tire repairs, most work was beyond my skills) or he just didn't know what to do with me in the first place (why the hell he hired me despite my honest assesment of my limitations before being hired I don't know). I was just getting back into the groove of automotive work. He told me he'll give me a god job reference so maybe that will help. I wish he would have been more specific in why I was being let go but he wasn't.

Sorry, man.......that sucks.

geez, not again....

Sorry to hear you were laid off, DallasBlack.

mc666 wrote:

geez, not again....

Yeah, but this time I wasn't fired so there is that. I didn't cause large monetary damage nor did I get in a heated argument with anyone. I've had some time to reflect on it and there is no way I was at fault this time. I kept my nose clean, I didn't sit around during slow times (I kept busy either cleaning, assisting other mechanics, and observing others), I was always on time, and I did everthing that was asked of me. There just wasn't much for me to do mechanical wise (he knew that about me before I was hired) and I don't think Bob knows how to work with beginners. I think he's used to experienced mechanics who can work with very little direction and while he had an idea of how he could mold me into a better mechanic he just couldn't figure out how to make it work.

Is your dad gonna give you more time to find another job?

Troublezone wrote:

Is your dad gonna give you more time to find another job?

Yeah. Having to go into trucking right away was a condition of me screwing up. I didn't screw up so I have time. Also, right now he can't afford me leaving for trucking school. He has no transportation, no way to get stuff into and out of the house. He needs me around to run errands and help keep the house in order. Everyting depends on how long before I get a job and how long until that job is able to sustain me.

Man dude, you're having a rough go with the job field. Don't give up.

Dark Horseman wrote:

Man dude, you're having a rough go with the job field. Don't give up.

I won't, but you're right about the job field. Up until a year and a half ago, I always left jobs on my own terms. Now I've had 5 jobs that ended on someone elses. First was beyond my control (unfortunate mistakes), second was because I screwed up (mistakes that could have been avoided), third was beyond my control (budget cuts), fourth was because I couldn't control my temper, and now this one beyond my control (note enough work, I'm assuming).

With 3 of those being auto jobs, I might just have to face the fact that the automotive field isn't for me. I hate that I still have 20K of student loans to pay off for a career that might just not be in the cards (and all the tools that go with it) but that's how it is. I really don't want the solitary life of a truck driver but it may just be the best thing for me. As long as I'm working for $10-12 an hour I will continue to live paycheck to paycheck, always on the edge. Short of winning the lottery or Publisher's Clearing House, the only real way I see me having any financial security is to become a trucker.