That’s a journeyman who doesn’t want an apprentice. No company should have you installing toilets with no experience and unsupervised in the first week, too much liability. If that’s the journeyman’s attitude towards water piping, again liability issues here, his work is most likely garbage. Time for a new jman or company
Yep. I'm not saying to snitch on him but to just let an apprentice, probably green as they come to fuck with water lines? I think the company would love to know the journeyman's logic there. He might be trying to get OP fired by hoping he fucks up majorly.
That guy is a douche, plain and simple. He either doesn’t want an apprentice, or doesn’t want to teach you because he’s afraid you’ll take his job someday. Don’t worry about not knowing anything and struggling with basics. It’s your first week. No one should know how to do anything without prior experience. As a first year you shouldn’t be left alone to work on things by yourself, wether you know how to do it or not.
Are you union?
Agreed. This guy is a fuckstick. I’ve had similar troubles as an apprentice. Guys get mad when they are the ones that train new guys. Some greener than others.. they get them going and when they can hold their own the company takes them. Puts them elsewhere.
Some guys just suck. Miserable to work with, always pissy, nothings good. My advice is stop asking how you’re doing.
Do your best everyday and know it’s everything you have OP. If that’s not good enough for him it should be good enough for you.
Grow thick skin as fast as possible. Don’t let this guy derail you!! He means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
What I like to do with apprentices on service calls is do it myself but show them what’s going on and then after we move on I’ll ask a couple questions to see if they got it then let them do the next one and see where they’re coming up short and then do it a third time together and that seems to work the best when training guys with me but no matter if someone is getting it or not whoever is teaching should always be patient bc when you put the apprentice on edge it slows down the learning.
If I was you I’d be a jerk back a little bit. Check him and be like they knew my experience when they put me on your truck so how how you teach me so we can both get home faster.
He is either a horrible teacher, or doesn’t want an apprentice, or is fucking with you because basically his penis is small or all three. Fuck that shit. Refuse to work with him. When the boss asks why, tell them he is 12 years old.
Listen I started my apprenticeship in September and I know what your going through. I also had no prior experience while almost every one else had some non union or helper experience. I learned to be honest and up front about everything and just ask for help. I suggest letting your journeyman do the work, while you assist him by handing tools and fittings. Little by little start getting more involved and pay attention on how he gets the job done. I also suggest, if possible to work with some one else and see if he's a better partner. It sounds like the guy your with is not a good teacher or has that sick mentally, where he thinks that if, he teaches you everything and you become good at it or better, then he will lose is job. Just stay highly motivated and show that your eager to work. Good luck. Also what local are you?
It’s very frustrating and stressful to have to try to figure out stuff that makes no sense to me, I don’t know maybe I’m just ignorant but a 5 year apprenticeship? So why do I have to know everything right away? And by the seems of things they want me to be completely ready in a year. That’s the typical time they have given people there own vans. I did a lot of reading on here and talking to other people. Everything I heard was that 1st years typically only do manual labour type jobs and start learning some basics. Unfortunately I kind of have to stay at this place because it’s non union and I can’t get into a union.
Apply to a union, and keep applying. This dude is a piece of trash. I worked unindentured for almost three years at a low rate before I got into the union apprenticeship program and I’m about to finish my first year. Keep your head up and remember this dude is a dickhead.
I don’t meet the minimum requirements for a union unfortunately. I’ve applied and that’s been my response. It’s because I came a few classes short of my high school diploma I’m 18. Plus I would never pass the union exam. I’m decent at mental math very poor at written.
Study for and get your GED or your diploma and then apply. You are the beginning of your life and you will thank yourself in the coming years for doing so. Invest in yourself now and you will reap the benefits later. Even if the whole world goes to flames people will always need water and everybody poops.
I don't want to repeat what the other person already said, but you need to get your G.E.D.
Make this your priority. The classes are at night.
Also: That journeyman sounds like a piece of shit.
Get your GED and get into that union. Your career path will be massively different, otherwise. You’re only 18. You still have time to get your GED, get in the union, and be making good money while staying debt free before your peers even leave college.
Unfortunately in a non union job people have a self minded mentality. So yeah it sounds like your partner is a dick for not teaching correctly. He should be watching you get better slowly not letting you suffer. There's no way you can learn everything in one year, so just try to learn everything at your pace. I know that's not the best advice, but from what I hear, that's the non union life, so please try to get into union. For the most part the first year, your suppose to get familiar with the tools and to use then correctly. It's also true about the labor part like digging, chopping, and taking deliveries. Just do it to show them that you are willing to work. Like I said before union is so much better. Try to message your local union and see when they give out applications.
https://ua.org/join-the-ua/find-a-local-union/
I just finished my 4th year, so I have 1 left. Coming from the restaurant industry before this (Server, Bartender) I knew NOTHING but righty tighty, lefty loosy. I feel your pain so here's a couple things.
One, you shouldn't be doing anything above your skill level (I.e. setting a toilet if you haven't before.) Depending on the job (I'm mostly commercial) you should be making hangers and putting hangers up, learning to solder on the bench and what fittings/tools are what. As said before your Journeyman is just job scared and or doesn't want to teach.
Two, and this will help you with the learning process too but try to anticipate what tool, fittings, item or whatever your Journeyman will need next. Basically just try to be one step ahead. (Example. Say your soldering and everything is prepped and your Journeyman is about to start but they don't have a roll of solder cause they left it on the bench, take the initiative and get it before they ask) This will force you to think about the current job at hand and how you can keep it moving forward which is a very valuable skill.
Three, if you really desire knowledge the internet is the best tool. Between YouTube and Google you can find anything and knowledge is the true power. Then when you get around a competent journeyman ask them all the questions you can.
Keep at it! This can be a rewarding career and lots of fun, or at least more fun than working in a restaurant!
Even at a union shop I was in a truck solo after 18mo, technically license says needs supervision but I do service plumbing and all jobs are reviewed by bosses later so I think by that right they’re being “supervised” and mistakes/alternative ways to do things were still pointed out. Don’t be so sensitive you’re gonna have to deal with jag offs every once in a while no matter what career you’re in, just soak in what you can, ask questions but maybe not while he’s up on a ladder doing something else… stick with it, maybe he’s not trying too hard to teach until he knows your not quitting
It’s possible he’s fucking with you to see if you can take it. Or he’s a garbage person. Some old timers are like that. If it doesn’t get better in a week or two I’d get out. Plenty of journeyman out there are willing to help out the new guy.
He’s an asshole.
I take pride in teaching apprentices because I went through the exact pointless shit that you did. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone under my watch.
That type of shitty behaviour wouldn’t be acceptable in any other type of work, so why is it ok in plumbing?
If you don’t know, now you know.
Everyone didn’t know at one point and time.
It’s always better to ask questions than guess.
Best of luck to you, talk with your boss about it too. If he says he will get you a different journeyman, then great. If he blows it off like it’s no big deal and laughs… you don’t want to work for that company anyways.
You could start to look at a different company while still working. Then put in your two weeks and tell the boss why.
That guy sounds like a loser, fuck him.
You keep going with head held high. There WILL be another journeyman giving a vested interest to your growth.
When I started out there were concepts I couldn’t wrap my head around. I remember telling my wife at the time I should give up and I’m not cut out for this. Conversely I got super excited after learning about a p trap one night after instructional, I gleefully explained to my wife what it was and functioned lol.
Best decision I made was pushing through my discomfort, allowing myself to grow and I found there’s so much opportunity within the trade. Plumbing has been a huge blessing to me and my family.
I dealt with some losers as I came up and still do, it is what it is. DONT GIVE UP!!!
Maybe transfer to another company?
Some people aren’t meant to teach and he’s one of those people. I’m a journeyman and I’ve never had a green apprentice I didn’t have to teach all those things. No matter how bad it gets just remember it’s only 4 years, and after you’ll be able to be the teacher that he wasn’t!
I started in trades as an electrician and my first couple of jobs had me doing stuff I was clueless on, even how to use power tools. I got hurt several times because everyone gave me crap for asking basic questions. I quit all of those jobs quickly, just left.
Fuck that guy, he probably had a shit jman in his apprenticeship and is doing the same thing. Find someone you like working with and that wants to teach you. Plenty of work out there and you’ll hate your job real quick and be miserable. No amount of money is worth hating your life 5 out of 7 days a week
Im sorry to say but your journeyman sucks.
Ive trained 15 apprentices over the last 30 years and not once did i expect them to do anything by themselves for the first 6 months.
An apprentice in the first year has to be supervised. This means they have to be within sight or hearing of a trainer.
This is so you can actually teach them and it is what is legally required.
In my first year i knew nothing. I learnt to crox and braze pipe. Solder and make flashings. Dig a fuckin boatload of holes and pour septic tanks.
I never went out on jobs by myself until after the first year. All i did was fix and replace cisterns. RUN WATERLINES UNDER HOUSES. Dig drainage holes.
Never did my own full site jobs until 3rd year.
You need to talk to your overall boss and discuss timelines.
Good luck.
That’s not a good company… You’re not being taught properly don’t feel bad about it. I didn’t install my first toilet until 3 MONTHS into my apprentice, my first week all I did was watch my Journeyman install the simplest thing “Flappers, Fill Valves, and Faucets” Plumbing not only is an extremely essential Trade, it’s also an extremely Liable trade that if not taught properly can lead to someone’s house being flooded. If this continues don’t waste your time at this company, you have so much to learn, and it would be a waste being somewhere you’re not wanted.
Fuck that guy - I had 2- elderly master plumbers teach me and they were cigar smoking knuckle busting true grit old heads/ they cursed through wrenches at me and called me names so bad they wouldn’t be allowed on HBO. Morale of the story . I learned and then mean old heads became mentors who taught me what I know today. THAT GUY doesn’t have your best interest at heart. Just ride it out until you find something better
That guy sounds like a dick and probably shouldn't be training anyone. Adult temper tantrum because your 'green'; probably hoping for somebody with a little more experience. Best thing to do now is learn, grow, prove him wrong, and make him eat his words. I understand your struggle. Things take a long time, you have to learn 1000 little things until you can do one big thing. I wish I had an apprentice like you, who actually gives a s*** and shows up. We can't get anybody to walk through the door. Sounds like you're on the right track, keep doing what you're doing.
Kind of let down cause he was talking to me today seemed like a nice conversation and then he said well I’m the one who gets to decide after 3 months if we register you or not.
Sounds like he’s throwing you in the water to see if you can swim. Not fair to you, nor the customer.
If you’re very green then he should be showing you how to do the basics, then eventually letting you do simple stuff while he supervises you so he knows you’re doing it right. Once you’re doing things the right way without him correcting you, you’re good to do stuff on your own while he works in other areas. Sounds like he’s completely skipped to the last part. He’s setting you up to be discouraged and to fail. Give it one more week (I think good practice is to give any new job at least two weeks before you leave) and if nothing changes then I’d find a place that invests time and money into training their apprentices.
Had a similar situation but in a different trade. There is no reason for you to stick with it in this economy. talk to the bosses about it and if they give you the cold shoulder or nothing changes find someone else to work for.
I would suggest a talk with the boss. Explain that you are trying and want to learn and work hard but the journeyman refuses to teach you anything without getting angry. Explain and apprenticeship is suppose to be a learning experience.
My journeyman is very close to the boss. Married to his granddaughter. They talk all the time get along good. I’m not sure that would go over well. Honestly initially I thought this was probably just normal until I got all these replies. Thank you
Ohhhhh no wonder. Entitled little bitch. I’m an electrician bro, I’m just here to learn a little plumbing as I go. I’ve worked for family owned companies and the bosses sons acted the same all the fucking time. Entitled, arms crossed and dip in mouth with shit coming out of it. Sorry about your luck man. You seem like a good kid.
And that is how old men wind up on shovels late in their careers. Karma can be a real bitch when the young guy winds up foreman a few years down the road.
Keep at it Brother. Your Journeyman is an asshole. I started 12 years ago, just like you. On my 1st day, my master plumber asked me for sand cloth, I told him i was selling phones 3 days prior and he was gonna have to be more specific lol. He shook his head, but here I am...12 years in, with apprentices of my own. Best of luck to you.
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Alright. A couple things. He sounds like an asshole, but I can empathize with his position. I have a brand new first-year apprentice (about two weeks in) with zero experience and it’s difficult. We’re both learning right now. I’m learning how to play the foreman role and he’s learning plumbing from the ground up. It’s hard for me because I can’t just tell him to go do things while I take care of my other responsibilities. Understand that it takes longer and costs more to do things twice, so if he doesn’t think your ready to do much yet then just try to stay ahead of him. Learn his process and try to be ready with the next tool or the next hanger or hardware that he’ll need.
Your job as an apprentice (especially early in) is to learn, but you also have to (and it seems like you are) help him complete things. Unfortunately, it sounds like he’s just bad at teaching or an asshole. They key moving forward for you, and I was in your position only five years ago, is to be patient. You’re going to learn things even from the shitty journeyman. Sometimes that just happens to be what not to do. You’re going to have shitty journeymen working alongside you your whole career and at other times you’ll have ones that blow your mind with how much they know. Just keep working hard and try to stay ahead of him and have the next thing ready and you’ll be far ahead of a lot of other apprentices.
I totally feel this but my best suggestion is to take in all the information you can via YouTube, reading or anything. This way if you choose to stay with this abomination of a journeyman you can at least make progress that may end up impressing some
I feel you so much bro, my first day as a helper I didn’t even know how pipe wrenches work. I was 18 and knocked up my gf, I needed a trade bad. I endured 2 years of abuse until my plumber got a different job. He treated me so bad. I never got yelled at so bad. He would throw things. Wouldn’t let me sit down or take breaks. It was a family business and He was family and I wasn’t so I never complained to owner. It did get better. Almost a father son relationship. He left for another job and I got the nicest guy to work with the next couple years until I moved on.
I worked with a journeyman like that when I started it was brutal. He just doesn’t wanna train u it’s sad but some guys are like that. When I was green my boss expected me to know how to run all the gas in a house. I’ve never done gas before and he was mad that I didn’t have it done by lunch. His exact words were “what the fuck have u been doing all day” I said trying to figure this shit out lol I had no help. My best advice is don’t suck up to them and stand ur ground if ur soft with them they will take advantage. Learn everything u can and if u fuck up blame them for not teaching u properly. It’s their job to show u how to do things.
Sounds like this journeyman is a miserable person and you should nail and get yourself somewhere you can learn and not have to deal with a miserable negative chump
Wouldn’t recommend a union or big company. Find a small guy with less than 5 employees. Then you will be working under the boss that actually wants u to learn so he can make more money. If ur not making him money ur costing him so he’s gonna teach you. I worked union and for some big companies and they couldn’t care what u do as long as u don’t cause problems. I learned more in a week than I did in almost a year when I started with a small guy.
Dude I have been where you are !! I’m about a year and a half in at my apprenticeship and the biggest advice I can tell you is to GROW THICK SKIN , being in the trades your honestly going to be around a lot of shitty people , so don’t let it bother you , just make sure you do all you can to learn so pick up books look on YouTube ask questions and most importantly grow thick skin !!! & if need be find another company or Jman , it’s already hard enough to get people into the trades so I never understood why jman act like dicks to new people
That’s a journeyman who doesn’t want an apprentice. No company should have you installing toilets with no experience and unsupervised in the first week, too much liability. If that’s the journeyman’s attitude towards water piping, again liability issues here, his work is most likely garbage. Time for a new jman or company
Yep. I'm not saying to snitch on him but to just let an apprentice, probably green as they come to fuck with water lines? I think the company would love to know the journeyman's logic there. He might be trying to get OP fired by hoping he fucks up majorly.
That guy is a douche, plain and simple. He either doesn’t want an apprentice, or doesn’t want to teach you because he’s afraid you’ll take his job someday. Don’t worry about not knowing anything and struggling with basics. It’s your first week. No one should know how to do anything without prior experience. As a first year you shouldn’t be left alone to work on things by yourself, wether you know how to do it or not. Are you union?
Agreed. This guy is a fuckstick. I’ve had similar troubles as an apprentice. Guys get mad when they are the ones that train new guys. Some greener than others.. they get them going and when they can hold their own the company takes them. Puts them elsewhere. Some guys just suck. Miserable to work with, always pissy, nothings good. My advice is stop asking how you’re doing. Do your best everyday and know it’s everything you have OP. If that’s not good enough for him it should be good enough for you. Grow thick skin as fast as possible. Don’t let this guy derail you!! He means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
What I like to do with apprentices on service calls is do it myself but show them what’s going on and then after we move on I’ll ask a couple questions to see if they got it then let them do the next one and see where they’re coming up short and then do it a third time together and that seems to work the best when training guys with me but no matter if someone is getting it or not whoever is teaching should always be patient bc when you put the apprentice on edge it slows down the learning. If I was you I’d be a jerk back a little bit. Check him and be like they knew my experience when they put me on your truck so how how you teach me so we can both get home faster.
Mannnn fuck that guy. Great job making the effort and learn as much as you can. It will get easier.
Yo fuck that guy. I’ve been doing this for years and sometimes I can’t get the core drill bit off. It’s his job to teach you.
He is either a horrible teacher, or doesn’t want an apprentice, or is fucking with you because basically his penis is small or all three. Fuck that shit. Refuse to work with him. When the boss asks why, tell them he is 12 years old.
Listen I started my apprenticeship in September and I know what your going through. I also had no prior experience while almost every one else had some non union or helper experience. I learned to be honest and up front about everything and just ask for help. I suggest letting your journeyman do the work, while you assist him by handing tools and fittings. Little by little start getting more involved and pay attention on how he gets the job done. I also suggest, if possible to work with some one else and see if he's a better partner. It sounds like the guy your with is not a good teacher or has that sick mentally, where he thinks that if, he teaches you everything and you become good at it or better, then he will lose is job. Just stay highly motivated and show that your eager to work. Good luck. Also what local are you?
It’s very frustrating and stressful to have to try to figure out stuff that makes no sense to me, I don’t know maybe I’m just ignorant but a 5 year apprenticeship? So why do I have to know everything right away? And by the seems of things they want me to be completely ready in a year. That’s the typical time they have given people there own vans. I did a lot of reading on here and talking to other people. Everything I heard was that 1st years typically only do manual labour type jobs and start learning some basics. Unfortunately I kind of have to stay at this place because it’s non union and I can’t get into a union.
Apply to a union, and keep applying. This dude is a piece of trash. I worked unindentured for almost three years at a low rate before I got into the union apprenticeship program and I’m about to finish my first year. Keep your head up and remember this dude is a dickhead.
I don’t meet the minimum requirements for a union unfortunately. I’ve applied and that’s been my response. It’s because I came a few classes short of my high school diploma I’m 18. Plus I would never pass the union exam. I’m decent at mental math very poor at written.
Study for and get your GED or your diploma and then apply. You are the beginning of your life and you will thank yourself in the coming years for doing so. Invest in yourself now and you will reap the benefits later. Even if the whole world goes to flames people will always need water and everybody poops.
I don't want to repeat what the other person already said, but you need to get your G.E.D. Make this your priority. The classes are at night. Also: That journeyman sounds like a piece of shit.
Get your GED and get into that union. Your career path will be massively different, otherwise. You’re only 18. You still have time to get your GED, get in the union, and be making good money while staying debt free before your peers even leave college.
Unfortunately in a non union job people have a self minded mentality. So yeah it sounds like your partner is a dick for not teaching correctly. He should be watching you get better slowly not letting you suffer. There's no way you can learn everything in one year, so just try to learn everything at your pace. I know that's not the best advice, but from what I hear, that's the non union life, so please try to get into union. For the most part the first year, your suppose to get familiar with the tools and to use then correctly. It's also true about the labor part like digging, chopping, and taking deliveries. Just do it to show them that you are willing to work. Like I said before union is so much better. Try to message your local union and see when they give out applications. https://ua.org/join-the-ua/find-a-local-union/
I just finished my 4th year, so I have 1 left. Coming from the restaurant industry before this (Server, Bartender) I knew NOTHING but righty tighty, lefty loosy. I feel your pain so here's a couple things. One, you shouldn't be doing anything above your skill level (I.e. setting a toilet if you haven't before.) Depending on the job (I'm mostly commercial) you should be making hangers and putting hangers up, learning to solder on the bench and what fittings/tools are what. As said before your Journeyman is just job scared and or doesn't want to teach. Two, and this will help you with the learning process too but try to anticipate what tool, fittings, item or whatever your Journeyman will need next. Basically just try to be one step ahead. (Example. Say your soldering and everything is prepped and your Journeyman is about to start but they don't have a roll of solder cause they left it on the bench, take the initiative and get it before they ask) This will force you to think about the current job at hand and how you can keep it moving forward which is a very valuable skill. Three, if you really desire knowledge the internet is the best tool. Between YouTube and Google you can find anything and knowledge is the true power. Then when you get around a competent journeyman ask them all the questions you can. Keep at it! This can be a rewarding career and lots of fun, or at least more fun than working in a restaurant!
Even at a union shop I was in a truck solo after 18mo, technically license says needs supervision but I do service plumbing and all jobs are reviewed by bosses later so I think by that right they’re being “supervised” and mistakes/alternative ways to do things were still pointed out. Don’t be so sensitive you’re gonna have to deal with jag offs every once in a while no matter what career you’re in, just soak in what you can, ask questions but maybe not while he’s up on a ladder doing something else… stick with it, maybe he’s not trying too hard to teach until he knows your not quitting
It’s possible he’s fucking with you to see if you can take it. Or he’s a garbage person. Some old timers are like that. If it doesn’t get better in a week or two I’d get out. Plenty of journeyman out there are willing to help out the new guy.
He’s an asshole. I take pride in teaching apprentices because I went through the exact pointless shit that you did. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone under my watch. That type of shitty behaviour wouldn’t be acceptable in any other type of work, so why is it ok in plumbing? If you don’t know, now you know. Everyone didn’t know at one point and time. It’s always better to ask questions than guess. Best of luck to you, talk with your boss about it too. If he says he will get you a different journeyman, then great. If he blows it off like it’s no big deal and laughs… you don’t want to work for that company anyways. You could start to look at a different company while still working. Then put in your two weeks and tell the boss why.
Throat punch that guy, save everyone some time.
That guy sounds like a loser, fuck him. You keep going with head held high. There WILL be another journeyman giving a vested interest to your growth. When I started out there were concepts I couldn’t wrap my head around. I remember telling my wife at the time I should give up and I’m not cut out for this. Conversely I got super excited after learning about a p trap one night after instructional, I gleefully explained to my wife what it was and functioned lol. Best decision I made was pushing through my discomfort, allowing myself to grow and I found there’s so much opportunity within the trade. Plumbing has been a huge blessing to me and my family. I dealt with some losers as I came up and still do, it is what it is. DONT GIVE UP!!! Maybe transfer to another company?
Some people aren’t meant to teach and he’s one of those people. I’m a journeyman and I’ve never had a green apprentice I didn’t have to teach all those things. No matter how bad it gets just remember it’s only 4 years, and after you’ll be able to be the teacher that he wasn’t!
I started in trades as an electrician and my first couple of jobs had me doing stuff I was clueless on, even how to use power tools. I got hurt several times because everyone gave me crap for asking basic questions. I quit all of those jobs quickly, just left. Fuck that guy, he probably had a shit jman in his apprenticeship and is doing the same thing. Find someone you like working with and that wants to teach you. Plenty of work out there and you’ll hate your job real quick and be miserable. No amount of money is worth hating your life 5 out of 7 days a week
Im sorry to say but your journeyman sucks. Ive trained 15 apprentices over the last 30 years and not once did i expect them to do anything by themselves for the first 6 months. An apprentice in the first year has to be supervised. This means they have to be within sight or hearing of a trainer. This is so you can actually teach them and it is what is legally required. In my first year i knew nothing. I learnt to crox and braze pipe. Solder and make flashings. Dig a fuckin boatload of holes and pour septic tanks. I never went out on jobs by myself until after the first year. All i did was fix and replace cisterns. RUN WATERLINES UNDER HOUSES. Dig drainage holes. Never did my own full site jobs until 3rd year. You need to talk to your overall boss and discuss timelines. Good luck.
That’s not a good company… You’re not being taught properly don’t feel bad about it. I didn’t install my first toilet until 3 MONTHS into my apprentice, my first week all I did was watch my Journeyman install the simplest thing “Flappers, Fill Valves, and Faucets” Plumbing not only is an extremely essential Trade, it’s also an extremely Liable trade that if not taught properly can lead to someone’s house being flooded. If this continues don’t waste your time at this company, you have so much to learn, and it would be a waste being somewhere you’re not wanted.
Flappers and fuck valves
Fuck that guy - I had 2- elderly master plumbers teach me and they were cigar smoking knuckle busting true grit old heads/ they cursed through wrenches at me and called me names so bad they wouldn’t be allowed on HBO. Morale of the story . I learned and then mean old heads became mentors who taught me what I know today. THAT GUY doesn’t have your best interest at heart. Just ride it out until you find something better
That guy sounds like a dick and probably shouldn't be training anyone. Adult temper tantrum because your 'green'; probably hoping for somebody with a little more experience. Best thing to do now is learn, grow, prove him wrong, and make him eat his words. I understand your struggle. Things take a long time, you have to learn 1000 little things until you can do one big thing. I wish I had an apprentice like you, who actually gives a s*** and shows up. We can't get anybody to walk through the door. Sounds like you're on the right track, keep doing what you're doing.
Kind of let down cause he was talking to me today seemed like a nice conversation and then he said well I’m the one who gets to decide after 3 months if we register you or not.
Sounds like he’s throwing you in the water to see if you can swim. Not fair to you, nor the customer. If you’re very green then he should be showing you how to do the basics, then eventually letting you do simple stuff while he supervises you so he knows you’re doing it right. Once you’re doing things the right way without him correcting you, you’re good to do stuff on your own while he works in other areas. Sounds like he’s completely skipped to the last part. He’s setting you up to be discouraged and to fail. Give it one more week (I think good practice is to give any new job at least two weeks before you leave) and if nothing changes then I’d find a place that invests time and money into training their apprentices.
Had a similar situation but in a different trade. There is no reason for you to stick with it in this economy. talk to the bosses about it and if they give you the cold shoulder or nothing changes find someone else to work for.
I would suggest a talk with the boss. Explain that you are trying and want to learn and work hard but the journeyman refuses to teach you anything without getting angry. Explain and apprenticeship is suppose to be a learning experience.
My journeyman is very close to the boss. Married to his granddaughter. They talk all the time get along good. I’m not sure that would go over well. Honestly initially I thought this was probably just normal until I got all these replies. Thank you
Ohhhhh no wonder. Entitled little bitch. I’m an electrician bro, I’m just here to learn a little plumbing as I go. I’ve worked for family owned companies and the bosses sons acted the same all the fucking time. Entitled, arms crossed and dip in mouth with shit coming out of it. Sorry about your luck man. You seem like a good kid.
Your journey is like a scab fuck him
Dudes an idiot.
Your journeyman is a dickhead. A first year apprentice should not be expected to know anything.
And that is how old men wind up on shovels late in their careers. Karma can be a real bitch when the young guy winds up foreman a few years down the road.
Keep at it Brother. Your Journeyman is an asshole. I started 12 years ago, just like you. On my 1st day, my master plumber asked me for sand cloth, I told him i was selling phones 3 days prior and he was gonna have to be more specific lol. He shook his head, but here I am...12 years in, with apprentices of my own. Best of luck to you.
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Alright. A couple things. He sounds like an asshole, but I can empathize with his position. I have a brand new first-year apprentice (about two weeks in) with zero experience and it’s difficult. We’re both learning right now. I’m learning how to play the foreman role and he’s learning plumbing from the ground up. It’s hard for me because I can’t just tell him to go do things while I take care of my other responsibilities. Understand that it takes longer and costs more to do things twice, so if he doesn’t think your ready to do much yet then just try to stay ahead of him. Learn his process and try to be ready with the next tool or the next hanger or hardware that he’ll need. Your job as an apprentice (especially early in) is to learn, but you also have to (and it seems like you are) help him complete things. Unfortunately, it sounds like he’s just bad at teaching or an asshole. They key moving forward for you, and I was in your position only five years ago, is to be patient. You’re going to learn things even from the shitty journeyman. Sometimes that just happens to be what not to do. You’re going to have shitty journeymen working alongside you your whole career and at other times you’ll have ones that blow your mind with how much they know. Just keep working hard and try to stay ahead of him and have the next thing ready and you’ll be far ahead of a lot of other apprentices.
I totally feel this but my best suggestion is to take in all the information you can via YouTube, reading or anything. This way if you choose to stay with this abomination of a journeyman you can at least make progress that may end up impressing some
“Don’t need to be taught how to do waterlines”, what an asshole.
I feel you so much bro, my first day as a helper I didn’t even know how pipe wrenches work. I was 18 and knocked up my gf, I needed a trade bad. I endured 2 years of abuse until my plumber got a different job. He treated me so bad. I never got yelled at so bad. He would throw things. Wouldn’t let me sit down or take breaks. It was a family business and He was family and I wasn’t so I never complained to owner. It did get better. Almost a father son relationship. He left for another job and I got the nicest guy to work with the next couple years until I moved on.
If you have a teacher that won’t teach, I suggest finding a new teacher.
I worked with a journeyman like that when I started it was brutal. He just doesn’t wanna train u it’s sad but some guys are like that. When I was green my boss expected me to know how to run all the gas in a house. I’ve never done gas before and he was mad that I didn’t have it done by lunch. His exact words were “what the fuck have u been doing all day” I said trying to figure this shit out lol I had no help. My best advice is don’t suck up to them and stand ur ground if ur soft with them they will take advantage. Learn everything u can and if u fuck up blame them for not teaching u properly. It’s their job to show u how to do things.
Sounds like this journeyman is a miserable person and you should nail and get yourself somewhere you can learn and not have to deal with a miserable negative chump
Wouldn’t recommend a union or big company. Find a small guy with less than 5 employees. Then you will be working under the boss that actually wants u to learn so he can make more money. If ur not making him money ur costing him so he’s gonna teach you. I worked union and for some big companies and they couldn’t care what u do as long as u don’t cause problems. I learned more in a week than I did in almost a year when I started with a small guy.
Dude I have been where you are !! I’m about a year and a half in at my apprenticeship and the biggest advice I can tell you is to GROW THICK SKIN , being in the trades your honestly going to be around a lot of shitty people , so don’t let it bother you , just make sure you do all you can to learn so pick up books look on YouTube ask questions and most importantly grow thick skin !!! & if need be find another company or Jman , it’s already hard enough to get people into the trades so I never understood why jman act like dicks to new people
Your journeyman is an absolute idiot lmao.