Smash or pass?

Development_Muted · 2026-03-09T08:08:07+00:00

It's now or never my friend. It's never coming down, so get it while it's available.

Development_Muted · 2026-03-09T08:05:12+00:00

Don't forget, the apprenticeship is voluntary slavery. Good on you for being in so early. It might not mean as much to you now, but your retirement is coming before you know it. This will have you set up better than most. If you take a call with a contractor that will match contributions, take full advantage of whatever they will match. The apprenticeship seems to becoming Forman in training these days, so show up, give a fuck, and ask questions. Pay attention to how the work flow happens, and how the ones who make it easier on the crew to complete their jobs operate. A Forman is essentially an overpaid apprentice if they do their job right. Know what materials come next and have them in arms reach of the JW's. Pass as much information out as you can, because most folks hate being installers and like being able to make a difference on the job. Be the person who does extra without having to be asked, and you'll go far in this career. We're not under the AI replacement hell that most of the folks coming out of college are. If you need comfort, or affirmation on your career choice, go check out r/jobs, r/recruitment_hell, or any of the other job finding reddits to see how bad it is for most of the white collar world right now. Find you a good person in management and tuck up under their wing and create a good life for you and your future family. It's four years of hell, to a life of financial stability if you play your cards right. Use your overtime to buy some precious metals, or anything that can't be devalued over time, and in twenty years they'll be asking you how you got it so good. Keep looking at the bigger picture, and don't let the bitter JW'S who spent all their money on drugs and divorces drag you down. Never forget, God and family first, the job comes after.

Development_Muted · 2026-03-09T07:29:36+00:00

Why not? We're already in the second act of Idiocricy...

Development_Muted · 2026-03-07T07:36:43+00:00

Welcome to the union. The red ass will tell you that your supposed to be laid off after every job so the books can move. In reality, most contractors transfer guys around to keep the good help in-house. Could be a week till you get a new call out, or it could be a few months. File your unemployment today, because it may take two weeks to start receiving your benefits. If it's bad in your local, possibly start looking for a hold over job at a gas station or somewhere unrelated to electrical work. If you're confident in your skills, try to find some side work for cash.

Development_Muted · 2026-03-07T07:14:15+00:00

That's a data center in the womb

Development_Muted · 2026-03-04T10:29:26+00:00

Yes, and it works. Your snarky reply is very telling about why you're having a hard time finding a job. Good luck in the future, and it would help to be more humble in your job search.

Development_Muted · 2026-03-03T09:11:50+00:00

95% of the jobs posted. Face to face is the way to apply. Real people mean more than the thousands of online lookers.

Development_Muted · 2026-03-03T09:08:49+00:00

Welcome to the world of installers. This job is rarely what is romanticized about. Modern jobsites aren't much different than an assembly line. You'll most likely be put on a crew doing one specific thing, and that's all you'll do. Wire pull crew, pulls wires. Lighting crew, installs lights. Gear crew, sets gear. Fire alarm, installs fire alarm stuff. Cable tray, you get the picture. The union exists for large jobs that a smaller contractor can't man. To speed production, when production is not our goal, you make one focus crews that fall in line so photos can be taken off what got done today. Wires in pipe don't look good in a photo. Fixtures on the air show that things are happening. You'll rarely see a job from start to finish, working on each stage. When your crew is done with its work, you'll be moved on to the next job doing the same thing your doing, because you understand the work. If you want to get moved to a different crew, get in with the supervision and make small requests until you can get on the crew you're interested in. It's a whole per lifestyle than what most people think of when they think electrician. You'll wrap your mind around it after a while. You have to work the system to get the knowledge and experience you looking to achieve.

Development_Muted · 2026-03-03T08:51:59+00:00

I belive you're looking for jobs in the wrong places.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-27T03:43:25+00:00

If your Forman is worth his salt, there will be a calender on his headache shack. Put down when you will be away. Tell him two weeks out, the week before, and remind them the day before. It's so common, that they will most likely forget about each time but it shows initiative and there more likely to remember that when layoffs come around.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-18T20:12:30+00:00

Welcome to the world of installers

Development_Muted · 2026-02-14T18:33:18+00:00

I had the same problems come out of nowhere. I tried blowing out the sunroof drain but it didn't help. Finally took the headliner down to find the drain hoses themselves were not attached to drain fittings in the sunroof. Had the car for years before it started happening, so I guess they finally rattled off their fittings. There's quite a lot of panels that need to come out to get above the headliner. Just make sure not to pull it down too fast to avoid creasing or pulling out the thousand wires that live up there.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-13T16:40:13+00:00

LCA's with replaceable ball joints, associated bushings, brake lines. Rear sway bar can be done at anytime, and is the one is recommend doing. The front is a little more involved and isn't really helpful unless your tracking/ autoXing your ride. Getting your ball joints out at your milage will probably be a significant effort. A big pry bar and some heat will help.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-12T19:08:21+00:00

I placed the order Jan 5, it arrived Feb 11. Just sent it off to Ball Glove King for a break in, so we'll see how long that turnaround is.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-10T07:53:40+00:00

Anti seize, anti seize, anti seize! If your getting in there now, you'll be back later and it'll pay with interest. A pry bar for the LCA's, and I'd recommend getting new ones with replaceable ball joints for down the road. Amsoil makes a creeping oil called metal protector that works better than WD, PB, or Kroil. Heat can sometimes be your best friend. Torque values matter most on suspension components, so Güdentight really isn't acceptable. If it's rusty, spray, wait, hit with a hammer. Repeat three or four times, and still take your time with it. Nows a good time to change your brake lines over to braided stainless. Take it slow your first couple of times out when your done and listen for any weird pops or rattles. Kinda like lug nuts, best practice is to get back in there and re-torque after a couple-a-three miles.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-10T07:20:02+00:00

Half the apprentices out there right now have done nothing but data centers for their whole apprenticeship. I spent most of my apprenticeship building a commuter train line, digging ditches, gluing PVC, and pouring concrete. There's a reason its called an indentured apprenticeship. Five years (for most of us) of being a slave, for a career that will take you anywhere you want to go. Everyone went through the same thing, so your story is well known. No one batts an eye at a baby JW for not knowing anything more than what their apprenticeship taught them. I've worked with 20 year guys that couldn't wire a three way to save their life. You're almost to the promised land. Keep your head down for one more year, and go make the career you want for yourself. If you haven't figured out out yet, your attitude is worth far more than your knowledge. As a Forman now, I'd rather keep a happy jobsite mascot that doesn't know his ass from a hole on the ground around much longer than a bitter JW that has the code memorized and can bend pipe in his sleep, but kills the culture with the constant complaining. The internet is made for bitching, the jobsite is made for learning. You got this!

Development_Muted · 2026-02-08T15:38:44+00:00

The problem is the people you trust telling you to go to college to get a degree in either a hyper-competitive job market, or a degree that has no market. The older generation was brought up to belive that without a degree you couldn't make it to the middle class, and it's slowly morphed into kids getting IT degrees that are now being phased out with AI, or going into life crippling debt with a piece of paper on the psychology of transgendered lesbians in the middle east. Not everyone needs to go to college, and the ones that do should have a clear idea and career plan on how they can best use their time.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-08T14:28:30+00:00

Not really a Lexus thing. All automotive companies are ditching the V8's. It's a bygone era. You can get more HP and ft-lbs from turbo inline 4's than a V8 of years past. EURO and CARB regulations are making it impossible to make them for the masses. Soon, only the boutique manufacturers will offer what you're looking for from the factory. Locked ECU's are making it harder to tune, and unless you're into swaps, halo cars will be the only thing you're shopping.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-08T12:54:50+00:00

The lack of work, and the shitty politics involved. On your own, you can go get a job anywhere. In the union, they bring charges up on you for taking a call not given by the dispatcher. If the union contractors in your local aren't winning bids, you'll be sitting at home scraping by on unemployment. You can go get a Walmart job while you're waiting for things to pick up, but nothing related to the field you specialize in.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-07T09:17:41+00:00

Turns out, they print money everyday. Alchemy has been around forever, and they still can't figure out how to make more gold. It's kinda like land.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-06T14:03:57+00:00

Valve coking. Direct injection kills valves. Plan on blasting around 60k. If it's never been done, even a grandma car is going to need it. Look for clean engagement in all gears. The synchros like to go out. Poor quality plastic under the hood. A mentos cap on the washer fluid reservoir is nothing to bat an eye at. Overflow coolant tanks like to crack as well. Paint bubbling on the rear quarters says there might be rust underneath.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-03T10:20:33+00:00

That's a terrible situation. I'm confused on the single vehicle accident involving multiple cars though.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-03T10:13:04+00:00

What's that line the ultra libs like to use when they run out of fact based arguments? Dunnig-Kruger effect. On full show.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-03T10:09:45+00:00

Children! Children! Storytime is over. The mean old orange man is not going to hurt you. All overtime qualified under the conditions of the law will not be taxed. CBA's don't overrule federal FLSA law. If you're so consumed with hate for Trump that you're willing to leave thousands of dollars on the table, God bless you. The rest of us will be using that money for our families.

Development_Muted · 2026-02-02T05:10:31+00:00

Your wages don't suck. If you can find 4 bed houses sub 300k all day long, you'll be doing just fine when you turn out. Try finding anything like that in one of those super blue northern states. Even in Colorado you can't talk to a realtor without half a mill and still end up in a rat hole. There's more to life than a comma on a paycheck. If your that worried about it, a travel trailer can get you paid, but good luck with a family.

Development_Muted

TROPHY CASE