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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by smoke_eater View Post

    -If we give you a shot at the apprenticeship, what would you do if you were on a job and the foreman saw you on your knees on the ground snapping and tieing in a plastic guard for a guywire, and he came up and told you "There is no room on this job for people who sit down or kneel on the job" and then he kicked you in the side of the head. What would you do then?
    Well, what would you do?

  2. #22

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    Figured I would update this thread....3 years later!!!!!


    Well right after I last posted up about driving all over hells half acre trying to get picked up somewhere, being broke....back in the spring of 2011, I got a phonecall from a place I had applied to 2 years prior in 2009.....the Baltimore City Fire Department, offering me a position.

    I hestitated a lot about acccepting the position, and talked it over with my father for a long time. He is a retired professional full time firefighter. He told me it wouldnt hurt his feelings in the least if I decided to keep on trying and applying for apprenticeships, but that I would have to understand, that I may never get another offer like this one to be a professional firefighter ever again, especially in a huge city like Baltimore. After weighing my options about what was best for me at the time, I decided I would rather have a job doing something I could definitely enjoy, rather than keep on applying for empty promises, hopes and dreams, living off of small cash paying jobs and the occasional storm job as a grunt.

    So off I went. Started the academy on March 31, 2011 and got assigned to an Engine company in July of 2011. Worked there for a year and a half, and then a year ago, I transferred to Truck 5, the busiest truck in the city on Baltimores east side. Got a lot of fire, and ran a TON of BS medic calls. And after 3 years, I can honestly say I've had a lot of fun, fought more fire than most guys from departments in better areas will see their whole career, and I've met a HUGE group of awesome guys......

    .....but it isnt' what I want to do forever.....I don't look forward to going to work anymore and often find myself wondering "what if I had stuck with trying to get into the spprenticeship?"

    So I think starting this summer, I'm going to keep on applying, and now that I have reliable transportation and some decent money for travelling rolling in, I'd actually be able to go to places like Mountain States or Northwest if they call me up for an interview.

    It's gonna be tough leaving the fire department, but this is what I want. Plus, I hate the DC/Baltimore area. Ridiculous traffic, ridiculously overpriced, and everyone always seems pissed off. I'd love to be able to travel around, and I really miss working outside.

    I'll keep you guys posted on what happens...

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    Good luck with it. If you don't mind my asking, how were you placed when you interviewed with Movalley? I know that things were different even a couple years ago and that guys were waiting a long time to get sent out. I interviewed in the beginning of November for Local 55 and got placed 27th. I ended up moving up to 12th before the next round of interviews. Then got bumped back to 19th. 18th now. I think only 2 people have been sent out since Thanksgiving. I've chalked it up to the holidays and the cold slowing down the construction end of things and that now that it's warming up, the apprentices that might have been laid off are getting sent back out before they take on new guys. And that things will pick up now. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway. I'm about to head back out to Colorado while I wait and I figure that while I'm out there, I'll apply for Mountain States, as well. It can't hurt. Anyway, I was sorry to read that you put in so much effort before and that it didn't pay off. I hope it works out better for you this time around.

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ridgeway View Post
    Good luck with it. If you don't mind my asking, how were you placed when you interviewed with Movalley? I know that things were different even a couple years ago and that guys were waiting a long time to get sent out. I interviewed in the beginning of November for Local 55 and got placed 27th. I ended up moving up to 12th before the next round of interviews. Then got bumped back to 19th. 18th now. I think only 2 people have been sent out since Thanksgiving. I've chalked it up to the holidays and the cold slowing down the construction end of things and that now that it's warming up, the apprentices that might have been laid off are getting sent back out before they take on new guys. And that things will pick up now. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway. I'm about to head back out to Colorado while I wait and I figure that while I'm out there, I'll apply for Mountain States, as well. It can't hurt. Anyway, I was sorry to read that you put in so much effort before and that it didn't pay off. I hope it works out better for you this time around.
    UPDATE!

    Thanks brother. I appreciate the kind words. It's been a while since I've posted on here, so forgive me if I don't remember exactly how it went with MO Valley when I applied, but for what it's worth, I actually did end up getting an offer in the fall of 2011 in September. Mind you, I had applied in January or February almost 8 months earlier and had an interview in February or March of 2011. So 6 months later is when I got that offer. I kick myself because I didn't take it but I had just gotten out of the fire academy for Baltimore and wanted to give the Fire Dept a fair shake, (which I am glad I did). It just isnt for me though forever.

    I'm still with the fire dept as of Sept 2014. I still am planning on applying for the apprenticeship and trying to pick up some grunt work beforehand, but I want to have my life set up financially so that I dont have a lot of bills and stress while I'm starting out at that lower level of pay as a grunt or apprentice, especially if the work may be sporadic. I truly believe if I get into it, I'll stay busy but I'd like to remove the unneccessary bills and stress before I start back in this line of work. I've stayed away from buying a house and as much as I hate it, I've kept renting, so luckily I have no ties to this area as far as a house goes. I've been working hard for the past 6 months trying to get my truck paid off, trying to pick up a camper and set aside a pile of money so when I'm ready to get back into line work, I'll be debt free, have money to travel and wont have to stress over "getting by" in the interim period. I'm also working on getting rid of some of the unnecessary "stuff" I've acquired since moving out east that is holding me back, since I do plan on traveling and would like to have a little to nothing holding me back.

    And in the middle of this whole "living a simpler life" and trying to "lighten my load" and looking forward to going to a different part of the country for a while for my apprenticeship........Last May, out of no where, I met a girl . It scared the **** out of me, because at first, I was paranoid because I liked her a lot but didnt know how she'd take it when I told her I'd like to switch careers and potentially be moving around quite a bit. BUt she's honestly one of the best women I've ever met. She's behind me doing whatever I need to for this 100%. Such a relief! Been having a blast with her the past summer while I've been getting myself squared away with trying to get myself set up for this new career.

    I've called ALBAT, NEAP, SELCAT, MOVALLEY, Mountain States and Northwest JATC and SW Line JATC and spoke pretty extensively with the secretaries as well as a few of the union halls in each of the areas and it looks like the work picture has improved dramatically in the past 5 years since I was last looking for work, so thats a huge relief. Basically all of them told me get my **** all squared away with cutting my ties to this area and get out there applying, because the chance of getting in with one of the apprenticeships is a lot better now than 2010-2011.

    I had no idea how big of a deal switching careers entirely could be and how much work goes into setting up your life accordingly.

    Hopefully this can still help some kid out there or someone who has went through something similar to what I'm going through. I'll try and keep posting up to keep ya'll aware of whats going on.

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    Hey Smoke,
    I enjoyed reading your thread. Before. I got into the trade the other thing I really wanted to do was become a firefighter. I love the idea of working 2 days straight and having 3 or 4 off. I live in jersey and all paid firefighters have to apply through the civil service commission which has had a freeze on recruits for the past few years. I worked as an inside electrician for around 10 years, I finally decided 2 years ago to pursue becoming a lineman. I didnt have my CDL so I looked into it and most schools wanted 3k for it. I applied to Amtrak as a lineman trainee and got hired. They paid for my CDL and once I got that I applied to NEAT. That was last August, I interviewed and have been on the list for over a year now. Last December one of the Utility companies in my state PSEG had an interest posting for lineman to come take their CAST test. I passed and got approved for the job but since it was just a posting to take the test they closed the application shortly after, a little disappointing. Finally in July they posted openings for lineman and I applied July 1. Right before Labor day they emailed me for an interview and I went and it went great. 2 weeks later they called back and I was a really excited to hear back. Unfortunately it was another division interviewing for the same position. I actuAlly landed 2 more interviews that day for the same company for lineman openings. They have 4 divisions and each do their own hiring. So with that I was at least a little bit more optimistic on landing a job there as I was going to now have 3 shots instead of one. Fortunately for me the very next day the original division I interviewed called with an offer. Now all Im waiting for is my medical screening. I cant wait to start. My question to you is have to applied to any POCO's? You seem to have been to almost every local but never mention POCOS.

  6. #26

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    ANOTHER UPDATE!

    12/25/2015

    Merry Christmas Brothers and Sisters!

    As I type this, I am currently on duty, at work, still working with the Fire Department in Baltimore. Yes, on Christmas Day! No biggie! Just bored here, and pretty (dare I say....).....slow....so I figured I'd take the time and finally update this thing.

    Linework is still definitely in my sights, Ive just had a lot of things going on the past year in life. Good things, not bad, but theyve just kept me extremely busy. Ive had an excellent opportunity the past year to make a very large unprecedented amount of overtime with the fire department. Since the riots in Baltimore last April, there has been quite a bit offered as some people have retired or left for other places, so I have been socking as much of that away as I can. Ive also been exploring the Western Maryland, West Virginia, Western PA and Eastern Ohio region as much as I can, since I really like the area and would love to stay around here if possible for my apprenticeship. I still havnt made any permenant ties to this area, (house, etc), as I still have my sights on apprenticeship and line work, and have no idea where I'll end up with that.

    Ive been finding though, that trying to get into an IBEW apprenticeship is much more chellenging out east here in and around Maryland, than some other parts of the country, due to the large amount of non-union contractors and employers, competing with the union crews. It doesnt leave a lot of work to be had. Ive been still trying to solely go union, and plan to continue this path.

    I am taking the NJATC math for the electrical industry class, and have been steadily applying for a few different ALBAT apprenticeships, but havnt heard anything back as of yet.

    If I can manage to save up enough money, and get enough mutual swaps to get my time covered at work at the fire department by next May, I'd really like to travel out West and attend the VOLTA school in Oregon. I can probably swap out enough time thru the fire department, using mutual swaps and getting overtime to be able to still stay employed with the fire department while I'm going to VOLTA, as this would help a lot with covering rent for the place the girlfriend and I have, as well as give me some money to live off of while in school.

    I've read of a few people on here who have attended and it sounds like they really enjoyed it and highly reccommend it. Ive never climbed, and I think it would be an excellent way to learn a lot about the industry, as well as see if this line of work is definitely for me. I have done some work in the industry, and really enjoyed it. Just want to be 100% sure before I resign from the great full time job I currently have with the fire dept. I'd hate as my dad would say, to "cut off my nose, to save my face"

    I'll definitely work on keeping you guys updated with any changes and movement that might happen thruout this process!

  7. #27

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    By the way, ETLineman has mentioned applying to POCOs.

    Is a POCO short for Power Company?

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Custer's Last Stand, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA
    Posts
    71

    Default Merry Christmas

    Merry Christmas and good luck to you. I to will be working 2nd shift today. I volunteered so one of my Young and Healthy(s) can be off today, to be with his family. Hope you have better luck than I did, back in those early years. CH
    "Liberalism is a mental disorder" quote Michael Savage
    "When you deny a man his livelihood, it becomes personal" quote Chris Hanson

  9. #29

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    2/6/2016

    Little update....

    Applied this past week to VOLTA, so my fingers are crossed that I get in. I've been working swaps like a mad man at the fire station this past month and a half, and I've got probably 2/3 of the time I need covered back for me, for if I get in, so I wont have to quit or leave while I'm in school. Between swaps and burning some vacation, holiday, comp and personal time, I think I'll be fine. Just really hoping I get in. I'll keep ya'll posted on the progress.

  10. #30

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    9/28/2016

    Well, it's been a few months, but another update.

    Not much productive has seemed to happen with linework for me the past year. It seems like I just keep spinning my wheels and getting no where. Rather frustrating, but I refuse to quit.

    I applied to VOLTA line school in Oregon last February, for their April-June session. They accept 30 people in each session and I was waitlisted at number 33. In March, I still flew out and attended the orientation in order to stay on the list, but nobody dropped off the list, so that fell thru.

    I applied to Local 1319 thru NEAT in February. I had my written test and interview, and am placed on their waiting list, although they will not disclose my # and how I placed as an applicant. All they say is that I am currently still on the list and eligible to be called for boot camp.

    I also applied to Local 876 back home in Michigan in May. I just had my interview on Sept 8, and found out today my applicant # is #104 and that it stays on the list for 2 years. I've heard from various people that 104 is not exactly a great spot, so I'm not going to hold my breath.

    I'm going to continue applying to various locals, but I was really hoping that by now, something would have turned up. Does anyone have any advice at this point they could throw my way? I'm all ears. I really want to stay union IBEW,but also really would love to just be working in powerline work as well.

    Just trying to stay focused and keep my eyes on the prize.

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