Matt Russell said:
Who knows if they will even like me enough to hire me.
I say you can NEVER go wrong hiring a model railroader!
Matt, don’t go in there thinking that. You are good at what you do, and they must think so if they are going to spend their time talking to you.
Thanks John! 
Much appreciated David. I guess we’ll see. I just know there are much younger people fresh out of college that will be trying too, but I have to try.
I wish I could get paid to just stay home and work on my railroad. lol.
Matt Russell said:
Thanks John!
Much appreciated David. I guess we’ll see. I just know there are much younger people fresh out of college that will be trying too, but I have to try.
I wish I could get paid to just stay home and work on my railroad. lol.
Yea, me too.
Matt, I was concerned a few jobs ago, because the kids coming out of school knew so much more about computers then I did as the time. After a while I wasn’t concerned anymore, because it really doesn’t matter how much one knows, if one doesn’t bother to show up for work on a regular basis. That is something us older folks have on the younger folks, a solid work ethic.
Edit for my spell chequer again.
David Maynard said:
…because it really doesn’t matter how much one knows, if one doesn’t bother to show up for work on a regular basis.
Oh, yeah. Yes. I teach my children something I learned: ninety percent of life is just showing up, and the other half (to borrow Yogi’s math) will take care of itself.
David Maynard said:
Matt, I was concerned a few jobs ago, because the kids coming out of school knew so much more about computers then I did as the time. After a while I wasn’t concerned anymore, because it really doesn’t matter how much one knows, if one doesn’t bother to show up for work on a regular basis. That is something us older folks have on the younger folks, a solid work ethic.
Edit for my spell chequer again.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter what one knows because corporate isn’t interested. My best friend’s son is out of college with a Masters in Math (a real wiz kid) and was hired on right out of college for SIX FIGURES including the signing bonus. And he gets overtime!
But he wants to quit because he is bored and corporate doesn’t care about his ideas to improve the ways things are done. (He writes software for a tax firm.) Nor does corporate care about the root of the problem, only the quick fix.
He says its driving him crazy. And this is one of those places modeled on Google with open environment, employee retreats and benefits, etc.
Sheet, when I was out of college (Cum Lauda with a BA in Environmental Biology), I was so happy to get a job in my field making $1K/mo (1978).
Todd, yea. But you cant explain that to some people. Work that well paying job for a while, bank all you can, so when you finally move on, you aren’t in a bad way.
Corporate doesn’t listen to the little guy, much of the time. I brought things up to my bosses, and their bosses and such before. But since I am “just a technician”, I don’t know anything. Well, most of those companies are gone, in part, because of what I didn’t know. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
That’s a good point. This younger generation doesn’t want to work. I do have to say my kids, work. My son has two jobs and is going to go get his personal train license this fall. My daughter is still in high school, but works as well. They have good work ethic, but it’s something I’ve preached for a long time.
I now need to get 3 letters of recommendation. Probably shouldn’t ask one of my boss’s. lol. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)
Matt, yes some of the younger generation have a work ethic, and they will go far. Many don’t. The seam to feel that they are “entitled” to a job, but that they don’t actually have to work for it.
But that was/is true of my generation. 2 of my good friends in High School dreamed of all the things they wanted, but they couldn’t/wouldn’t hold down an entry level job. I fell out of touch with them when I could no longer party with them all night long, because I was working the night shift.
Matt, sometimes the younger people may be quite smart and well educated, but don’t forget you have valuable experience that can be more important than their “smarts” and "book larnin’ ". Hope something great opens up for you.
Bill
David, I still see that. They think they deserve a ton of money for doing basic skills. Then half the time they don’t show up to even do that! It drives me crazy. I too worked some nights. It was actually some swing shift work before I got in the computer field. Man, that was rough. I can remember getting off at 8 a.m. and the boss saying we need you back by noon. ummmmmm, no. I had to drive an hour just to get there. Let alone sleep and eat. lol.
Thanks Bill! It’s still in the early stages. When I know more, I’ll let everyone know.
Matt Russell said:
… They think they deserve a ton of money for doing basic skills. Then half the time they don’t show up to even do that! It drives me crazy…
I hear you, I feel your pain! I’ve run across this pathetic sense of entitlement many times also.
Allow me to complain. Right now I’m trying to get a guy to simply straighten up the pavers in my driveway, do a little re-grading in a couple of spots. What the hell? Can’t get him to show up and he thinks he should be getting hundreds of dollars for this menial labor. He has no car, no job, but acts like he’s a high-powered contributor to society fer christ’s sake. I’d fire him, but I can’t get anybody else to show up either. I know the job won’t get done until he’s desperate enough to work for a “measly” $15 an hour.
And God help the fool who gives these people any money before the job is 100% finished.
It’s infuriating.
p.s. For your information, this isn’t limited to the corporate world. I meet plenty of artists who have highly-inflated opinions of themselves. Sometimes the more their work sucks the higher that opinion soars.
MAtt as a letter of recomendation, you should print out the build log on your railroad, That shows huge determanation, and a great work ethic to get things done well, done right and done on time. If your boss is an upstanding guy, he should give you one with no bad feelings, because you are doing this for stability.
Joe, I just don’t understand why they are like that.
Pete, I never considered using my layout build log. I’ll run that by my bro-in law this weekend and see what he thinks. I’m headed back down there.
No way on the boss. About 2 years ago I applied for a local pipeliner’s position at the pumping station here. Pay is amazing and they take care of their employees. I knew enough people that I got invited to test there. So, I told my head boss at the time. We were good friends and even shared an office when I first started working at the school. When I told him he said he wasn’t mad. But from that moment on he treated me differently. He wouldn’t even speak to me for a while. That being said, he quit a year ago and we have a new superintendent. But, I’m not going down that road again.
Often people will be nice to you when it suits them, but they will reveal their true personality when the chips are down.
So he was a fair weather friend. He was a friend when it was convenient, but when you might “abandon” him, his true feelings came out, he could not be pleased for you, he only thought about his personal situation.
Greg
Often people will be nice to you when it suits them, but they will reveal their true personality when the chips are down.
Sad, but true.
Just thought I would touch base with everybody.
The state of Illinois set a budget impass(I think that is what it’s called and I’m pretty sure I misspelled), in place for this school year. Which means school will open and everybody get’s paid. So, some good news…until this time next year and we will do it all again. lol.
Next, I did not get the new career. The job was filled a couple days ago. That being said, the company is expanding and will be hiring again in 2-3 months. So, there is still a possibility for a future career change and I will try again. I do embrace the idea of moving and change. The affordability is the only thing that scares me. I would also like to be down where my brother in law is so I could learn from him. He is one amazing programmer and I need to be around him so I can learn.
Well, good, Matt. Now you can get back to something important…working on your railroad.
The first thing I want you to do is go take measurements and model this structure:
edit: so as not to puzzle the community at large: when you search Norris City, Illinois, the American Beauty is the signature image from “downtown” Norris City!
That is true Joe! I’m ready to get back to working on it. Looks like we are back to maybe a 3-5 year plan. So, I think I’ll start on my downtown area soon.
Lol. That building is just down the street from me. It sort of resembles those piko kit’s I’ve been buying. That’s what I want my downtown to look like. Carmi, where I’m from, has quite a few old buildings. Carmi has the typical main street. Norris City, doesn’t have much left. I’m not sure it had much to start with either. lol.