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armyash

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Plumber
Gas Engineer
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Oct 13, 2010
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Kent
Ok so if I remember right, my last update said that I had a trial with a heating firm. Just thought I'd let you all know that I got the job and I'm now in my 3rd week. (second as an employee). I am going out with the lads each day and helping out on heating jobs. I'm really enjoying it but it's mentally draining trying to take it all in.

I'll let you all have a laugh and tell you on my first day I was putting floorboards down and for some stupid reason I put one through the middle of a board and pierced a pipe but we didn't know about it until the next morning when it had started dripping through the ceiling on to the customers 1 day old 2grand sofa. It wasn't funny at the time, I was so embarrassed, I have lifted loads of floor boards, I just think the nerves got to me. (yeah, that sounds good, I'll stick to that) I even said to the lad I was with is it worth me finishing the trial and he said yeah stick it out, I thought they'll keep me for the rest of the week and tell me I weren't good enough. Luckily they are really decent people working here and they overlooked it and still took me on. I feel as though I worked really hard even if I didn't know what I was doing sometimes, I was smart, and always on time. I think that saved me. I'm not entirely sure there's a long term place for me but either way I'll work hard and take what I can from it.

I still have a long way to go and my confidence is still pretty low when it comes to plumbing but I have learnt more in the last two weeks than I have in the last 9 months of working weekends for free.

Working weekends was good as it kept me familiar with the tools I need and all the various fittings and parts which could easily have all been forgotten while I was finishing the army. I did feel as though I had stoppe learning anything new and I was being taken advantage of but I won't go in to all that. I benefitted from it so alls well that ends well.

The only downside to the job is living away from my girlfriend and my little girl during the week but it's a sacrifice I have to make if I want to learn the trade. Hopefully if things work out my gf will move down in the summer depending on her job and everything will be rosy.

I was meant to update on here a couple of weeks ago but been far too tired! lol Thanks to everyone who has given advice and support etc up to this point. My hard work is paying off finally.
 
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On my first day as an apprentice, I saw a disconnect filling loop and pointed to my mentor and said whats this valve do. "Fills the heating system" he said.

For some reason I opened up the cold valve and just stood there. Soaked an entire kitchen and ruined some customers food she was making and a small television.

I still to this day don't know why I did it, but I did. But I look back at it now and just laugh.
 
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Glad its all going well.

I wouldnt worry about nailing the pipe. In my first month I brought down 3 ceilings and wrecked 3 carpets (all in the same property) by cross threading a joint the boss went mental but after he said I bet you wont do it again and he was right.
 
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Well done ash, nice to see someone willing to work hard and not complain about how tough it is out there. Nails into pipes are just one of those things mate, but you'll soon be shouting at Joiners who do it your own pipework!.
 
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Well done Ash as mention you aint made it tell you"ve nailed/screwed through a pipe, could to here back from you on your progress unlike some others on here you take the info in, you are apprecative of it and a nice chap as well. You must have shown your willingness to learn/listen thats why you got the job
 
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Ok so if I remember right, my last update said that I had a trial with a heating firm. Just thought I'd let you all know that I got the job and I'm now in my 3rd week. (second as an employee). I am going out with the lads each day and helping out on heating jobs. I'm really enjoying it but it's mentally draining trying to take it all in.

I'll let you all have a laugh and tell you on my first day I was putting floorboards down and for some stupid reason I put one through the middle of a board and pierced a pipe but we didn't know about it until the next morning when it had started dripping through the ceiling on to the customers 1 day old 2grand sofa. It wasn't funny at the time, I was so embarrassed, I have lifted loads of floor boards, I just think the nerves got to me. (yeah, that sounds good, I'll stick to that) I even said to the lad I was with is it worth me finishing the trial and he said yeah stick it out, I thought they'll keep me for the rest of the week and tell me I weren't good enough. Luckily they are really decent people working here and they overlooked it and still took me on. I feel as though I worked really hard even if I didn't know what I was doing sometimes, I was smart, and always on time. I think that saved me. I'm not entirely sure there's a long term place for me but either way I'll work hard and take what I can from it.

I still have a long way to go and my confidence is still pretty low when it comes to plumbing but I have learnt more in the last two weeks than I have in the last 9 months of working weekends for free.

Working weekends was good as it kept me familiar with the tools I need and all the various fittings and parts which could easily have all been forgotten while I was finishing the army. I did feel as though I had stoppe learning anything new and I was being taken advantage of but I won't go in to all that. I benefitted from it so alls well that ends well.

The only downside to the job is living away from my girlfriend and my little girl during the week but it's a sacrifice I have to make if I want to learn the trade. Hopefully if things work out my gf will move down in the summer depending on her job and everything will be rosy.

I was meant to update on here a couple of weeks ago but been far too tired! lol Thanks to everyone who has given advice and support etc up to this point. My hard work is paying off finally.
jog on....
 
Nice update mate. Glad it's working out for you. Its always tough to be away from family but it will be worth it in the long run. Try not to worry about the nail moment! I set fire to a set of net curtains on my first week but never done it since!

Keep at it!
 
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good to see someone not getting too downhearted when things go wrong. mistakes can really knock your confidence but if you can manage to use it as a lesson for the future it can only make you stronger & it's all part of any job to learn from experience!
 
What's up with Desrob, second post today that isn't pleasant...

Hope everything is OK lad.
 
Jog on is a derogatory term
I messaged him to ask what he ment but he didn't message back
 
Good to hear you landed the position. Keep us posted on your progress and don't worry about mistake's along the way "The man who never made a mistake never made anything".

Keep it up
 
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jog on....

Can one of the MODS
Ask what the derogatory message was about
There a post saying about what new members would think about what they read in a post
A senior member just being downright rude to a member who is trying hard to better himself is a disgrace imho
 
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I reckon someone's used his account. 1000+ posts with no previous seems odd.
Plus different sayings mean different things in different parts of the country.
I'd wait to hear what he says first. My guess is that it's innocent.
 
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Can one of the MODS
Ask what the derogatory message was about
There a post saying about what new members would think about what they read in a post
A senior member just being downright rude to a member who is trying hard to better himself is a disgrace imho

I quite agree gray.
However from what i recall it does seem a bit out of character from desrob perhaps he should be given a chance.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
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I quite agree gray.
However from what i recall it does seem a bit out of character from desrob perhaps he should be given a chance.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Thats my thoughts. Seems unfair to hang a bloke when he's not here to defend himself.
If it was meant in a cruel way then we can throw stones. In the meantime hopefully ash doesn't get down hearted about it and hopefully desrob comes on to explain.
I think there will be a reasonable explanation though.
 
Well he is online and we are still waiting on him to respond
He did to me on pm so if he that innocent let him explain it!!
 
I reckon someone's used his account. 1000+ posts with no previous seems odd.
Plus different sayings mean different things in different parts of the country.
I'd wait to hear what he says first. My guess is that it's innocent.
some body with a brain.....villa youth....
 
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No big deal about the jog on.

Thanks to everyone for the good replies, some very funny and encouraging. Loving work at the minute, more mentally draining than anything.
 
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