Random Thoughts - Part III The Search for Spark (No Politics)

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

Why not get the certifications?

most of the positions require 2-3 years experience. how does one get experience if everyone requires it?

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by soundman98

most of the positions require 2-3 years experience. how does one get experience if everyone requires it?

Get your refrigerant cert if you are going to work on trailers. My dad had his and got a lot of cake work that way. He said it was way cleaner then working on trucks and didn't have to crawl under anything.

[Spuds]

Well, today has been interesting.

-Started off realizing I may have offended my customer's boss yesterday during a 'where are the problems' discussion. That never goes well...
-Then on the way home from work something was blown out of a tree and fell on my non-frs car and left scratches up one side of the hood. Fixable, but annoying.
-Then I was told my grandfather's cancer prognosis. He's got 6 months or less.
-Then I opened a box o car parts I got. I figured I'd replace the rusty peeling subframe braces with new ones since I have to remove the old ones anyway. Only Subaru can make parts that are already peeling and rusting from the factory! Ok, yes these have been sitting in a warehouse for like 5 years, and I was going to paint over it anyway, but still frustrating.
-Bonus: That wood stack next to the stove is a lot smaller than I thought it was...

Come to think of it, why am I lighting a fire inside my house today?

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by soundman98

most of the positions require 2-3 years experience. how does one get experience if everyone requires it?

It's to scare off the meek. Doesn't hurt to apply

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Well, today has been interesting.

-Started off realizing I may have offended my customer's boss yesterday during a 'where are the problems' discussion. That never goes well...
-Then on the way home from work something was blown out of a tree and fell on my non-frs car and left scratches up one side of the hood. Fixable, but annoying.
-Then I was told my grandfather's cancer prognosis. He's got 6 months or less.
-Then I opened a box o car parts I got. I figured I'd replace the rusty peeling subframe braces with new ones since I have to remove the old ones anyway. Only Subaru can make parts that are already peeling and rusting from the factory! Ok, yes these have been sitting in a warehouse for like 5 years, and I was going to paint over it anyway, but still frustrating.
-Bonus: That wood stack next to the stove is a lot smaller than I thought it was...

Come to think of it, why am I lighting a fire inside my house today?

Sorry to hear about your grandfather.


Forgive me @Tcoat, I had to bypass a safety device on my tempering furnace. Thermocouple went out on the high limit so I, uh, set it up so it has a temperature to read that is under the limit threshold till I can get a new one. Solid 250F stone cold or under full burn. Still have temp displayed on my burner control to monitor it.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

Sorry to hear about your grandfather.


Forgive me @Tcoat, I had to bypass a safety device on my tempering furnace. Thermocouple went out on the high limit so I, uh, set it up so it has a temperature to read that is under the limit threshold till I can get a new one. Solid 250F stone cold or under full burn. Still have temp displayed on my burner control to monitor it.

I approve bypasses almost every day. As long as it is short term, everybody is aware and there are temporary controls in place it has to happen.

The safest plant in the world is the one that is shut down and has chains on the doors becuase it couldn't meet customer demands!

[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by soundman98

most of the positions require 2-3 years experience. how does one get experience if everyone requires it?

That, my friend is one of the oldest catch 22s.

I don't have a good answer. One "not" good answer is internships. I think they (particularly unpaid ones) are simply indentured servitude by a different name.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

That, my friend is one of the oldest catch 22s.

I don't have a good answer. One "not" good answer is internships. I think they (particularly unpaid ones) are simply indentured servitude by a different name.

My internship was mostly watching water boil in a windowless room. They let me out to organize the pipe rack sometimes.

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

That, my friend is one of the oldest catch 22s.

Can't be older than 62 years.

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

Sorry to hear about your grandfather.


Forgive me @Tcoat, I had to bypass a safety device on my tempering furnace. Thermocouple went out on the high limit so I, uh, set it up so it has a temperature to read that is under the limit threshold till I can get a new one. Solid 250F stone cold or under full burn. Still have temp displayed on my burner control to monitor it.

everything is temporary until it works. then it's semi-permanent!

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Spuds

-Then I was told my grandfather's cancer prognosis. He's got 6 months or less.

sorry to hear, enjoy the time you've got left. most of us don't have a clue when we're going to head out.

if you remember, my uncle passed away at 67 unexpectedly around a few months ago, just a couple years into his retirement. just never know.

but then my grandma was given a similar prognosis when her cancer returned at 82, she ended up living on for about 3-4 years with the help of doctors and dialysis, which was good and bad. aged my grandfather about 15 years in that time as she got more demanding... we've all gotta go at some point

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

That, my friend is one of the oldest catch 22s.

I don't have a good answer. One "not" good answer is internships. I think they (particularly unpaid ones) are simply indentured servitude by a different name.

it reminds me of applying for jobs in high school. same deal, everyone says everyone's looking for work, no one wants a job. but go to apply, and everything throws out your application for 'lack of experience'. or they all severely under-pay the position and can't figure out why no one's applying to work there.

i filled out countless applications for anything that'd pay in high school. i was turned down for every pizza delivery job and oil change place i applied to because of 'lack of experience'. this was all after i'd successfully ran my own lawn business for 2 years...

one company at least wants to setup a phone interview now, so at least a little progress being made. most are doing the same thing though and stopping as soon as i don't meet any single requirement.

[villainous_frx]

Jobs... moved to Calgary more or less on a whim and started spamming out applications to see what would stick.

First interview I got they tried to bait and switch the position, title, department, and pay grade (all downgrades from their ad). Politely declined as I laughed my way out the door. Turned on my car and got a call to interview for the company where I am now working.


In other news, the BRZ I'm purchasing comes generically modified and I'm looking forward to reverting it to stock... am I doing this right?

It currently has full exhaust + OFT tune, coilovers, and a few other bits that are all coming off. Game plan in my head is for stock suspension, stock exhaust other than catback, camber bolts, and a shift knob (oh and $70,000 in engine work to make it some insane do-it-all NA FA20 thing ).

[soundman98]

$70,000 in engine work?!?

did they custom mill every part of it?