It’s no secret the trades have a horrible reputation for being full of degenerates, liars, cheats and hypocrites. But I think that’s a generalization and completely unfair. Those types of people exist in every workplace, but it may be higher in construction. And for good reason, let me explain.
Construction offers a way for people with no high school diploma to make a huge sum of money! We give people chances to earn a living when everyone else turns a nose up at them. We don’t need to do background checks, qualifications checks, or GPA checks. You can be successful with exactly who you are. Naturally, because of this, we are an open community but a rough one at that. You can be sure you won’t be greeted with open arms, but you will be collecting a great paycheque!
After working for a decade in construction, it has become clear to me that people aren’t who they say they are and aren’t what they seem. Usually, they are completely different than you might think! People who might seem smart and confident are extremely unconfident and have no idea what they are talking about. Other times you meet people who aren’t so vocal about their capabilities but you can quickly see they have a wealth of knowledge just the way they carry themselves or complete their work.
If you’ve worked in construction for a little while, there are some brilliant people in the construction history. They are smarter than a lot of white-collar people. They can do HVAC calculations like nobody’s business. They can do complex mathematical problems to solve roof pitch issues and figure out how to cut a cripple jack rafter with 16th of an inch accuracy, it’s impressive! On the flip side, there are some absolute pylons in the field. Although not our responsibility to help, it’s always good to keep an eye on these pylons as well, they are people too just trying to collect a paycheck.
The trades have a bad rap, and it doesn’t have to be this way. You can start rewriting history with your actions and education. What you put into yourself will reap huge rewards in the industry. Keep an eye on your fellow “degenerates” out there. There is a massive amount of potential out there RIGHT NOW as older guys plan for retirement and no longer want the leadership responsibilities.
For me, I’m proud to be blue-collar- I’m proud to have dirty hands and clean money, I’m proud of what I can accomplish with my hands. That’s what BadLeader is all about; tradespeople coming together to learn, grow and be better so we can make more money, and spend more time with our families.
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