The Charming Artisan

apprenticeship, training in an art, trade, or craft under a legal agreement that defines the duration and conditions of the relationship between the master and apprentice. – Britannica.com

All of the way back in recorded human history, Artisans were responsible for training the next generation of tradesmen.

By the 13th century the practice had emerged in western Europe in the form of craft guilds. Guild members supervised the product quality, methods of production, and work conditions for each occupational group in a town. The guilds were controlled by the master craftsmen, and the recruit entered the guild after completing his training as an apprentice—a period that commonly lasted seven years. It was a system suited to domestic industry, with the master working in his own premises alongside his assistants. This created something of an artificial family relationship, in that the articles of apprenticeship took the place of kinship. – Britannica.com

No matter your profession, the people you work with on a daily basis become a sort of second family. You can spend years longer working together than the time your kids spend living under your roof. Tradesmen may not spend that long working together due to the transient nature of the trades, but the contacts you make from job to job will become invaluable for your future.

“It’s not what you know, but who you know that counts.” Is a phrase that is never more true than in the trades. The construction industry has its ups and downs. Some companies are busy all the time and some will slow down from time to time.

It’s the nature of the beast that tradesmen and apprentices literally work themselves out of a job.

Once the project is complete, it’s time to move on to the next. If your current employer isn’t ready for the next project, you might be out of a job.

The good news is, that most local employers know that they are sharing the same local workforce from project to project. This leads me to the most valuable advice I can give you:

Rule 1 – Don’t burn the bridges behind you!

The project you are on may be looking for workers when a previous co-worker finds out their time on their project is done and vice-versa. It is entirely possible that you could work for an employer that never runs out of work, but it is even more likely that you will need a previous work contact to sing your praises and get you that job during a slow time. I’ve reached out after years at times and landed that project that kept the family fed.

While employer hopping is somewhat necessary in the trades, you should try to keep it to a minimum. You will find that sometimes the company you work for has different goals than yourself. Maybe there is another employee you just don’t share the same values with or plain just don’t get along with. There are personality issue that come up from time to time. All of these are common in any workplace and if you can’t get past them, maybe it’s time to move on. Make sure you’ve tried your best to work through any issues though. Take the time to cool down and try to avoid acting in the heat of a moment. I’ve known a few fellow tradesmen that have jumped ship for a buck or two an hour. Take my word for it when I say that, after taxes, it is not worth it

Rule 2 – Keep calm and remember the big picture.

No day in which you learn something is ever wasted. – Or something like that.

As an apprentice you are pretty much obligated to learn as much as you can in your chosen trade. There really is no such thing as a stupid question. You should always be questioning whether or not you are working as safe as you can. There is more than one way to complete any task but some tasks need to be completed before others. The big picture is typically made up of many smaller pictures. It is important to be mindful of your daily goals. As you learn the processes and procedures of your trade it is important to ask questions. It is a poor tradesman that won’t answer questions put to them by an apprentice.

Some of the older tradesmen in the world today have become disillusioned with the apprenticeship program. They feel that as soon as they they get someone trained up, the apprentice leaves for greener pastures. As frustrating as that is, an improperly trained apprentice can be hurt or even killed on the job site. Safety on the job site is everyone’s responsibility. It is important to know that you have the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work and also the Responsibility. If you don’t feel confident in your abilities to complete a task safely, you need to stand up for yourself. Remember, your job will be posted before your obituary.

Rule 3 – Situational Awareness is your friend. Keep your head on a swivel.

Work smarter not harder, but you still have to work. Working in the trades is an intensely physical enterprise. If you need proof, ask one of the older folks you see walking down the street hunched over so far that it makes you wonder how they do it at all. Most older tradesmen have had knee surgery and can no longer lift anything over twenty pounds due to back issues. Most of these were probably some of the hardest workers on site back in the day.

Some of the older tradesmen on site may make fun of an apprentice asking for help with some heavy lifting, they would have done it themselves back in the day they’ll say.

Most trades require their members to be able to lift fifty pounds. That may not sounds like much, but you need to remember that fifty pounds turns into a hundred pounds when it’s held only a couple of feet away. If you are holding that weight when you slip, trip or fall and it can be catastrophic for your career.

Rule 4 – It will never pay to play the “Big Man!”

There are many other “Rules” for apprentices or anyone else really. Look for more articles in the future or give me a follow.