Surpising Credentials

Warning: I'm drinking right now. Please take all content in this entry with this knowledge in mind.

Well, I finished my first day of work two hours ago. You know what I did for eight hours? Watch someone. You know what I'll do tomorrow? Watch the same guy again. The next day? Same thing.

I used to criticize employers for using the excuse that they'd need to train someone if they didn't have experience. Until now, the only "training" I've ever experienced was a 5-minute explanation of what needed to be done, told en mass. If someone with experience showed up, they'd get the same "training", so I couldn't see what the advantage of hiring someone with experience was.

Actually, I could. Just not in the terms employers would use. You have so many applicants, and you can only pick so many. You need a differentiating feature. So you give it to the person with better credentials. It's not like things would have been different if they'd given it so someone with lesser credentials, but in the end, no matter how small the difference, the employer has to make a decision, and if the numbers wind up against you, you're sunk, and vice versa.

I thought "training" was a blanket term. An excuse so people wouldn't have to have hard feelings when they didn't get hired. An excuse that was, of course, legitimate, but lacked the implied importance.

But all that changed after today! I'm going to have to use five gauges to determine every part, I'll be in charge of determining height and width, I'll be in charge of operating a mechanical arm, or maintaining the mechanical arm, of operating a computer, reporting difficulties, and of filling out paper documents.

Yikes! Today, the guy only taught me how to use the gauges. My supervisor even told him that I'm not to operate any of the machines or be responsible for loading. I'm just supposed to watch and maybe do a little gauging.

I expressed concern in my previous post that, since my contract was for one day, I'd get laid off after one day. But now, I really don't think that's the case. Why train someone all day, if they'll never utilize their acquired abilities for the company? They've guaranteed me at least three days, and they haven't even referred to me as a "temp" or even a "Worker". They've referred to me as an "employee".

That actually has me a little nervous. I was told to report to someone, written in ink on my orientation papers. Printed on it was the name of someone different. I figured the "Written in ink" name was probably more recent, and therefor more relevant. When I got to the company, it took me 45 minutes before I reached the ink-written person personally. When he arrived, he asked me if I'd really been asked to report to him. I showed him my paper and told him my line of logic. He told me I was absolutely correct and gave me the tour.

Afterwards, he presented me to my supervisor. They had a bit of a heated discussion about my appearance. Apparently, I was unexpected. But they found me a place to train.

Now, at this point, I was skeptical. I was asked to watch someone, and not to perform any important tasks. I thought it was busy work for a mistake. Later on, I learned that this task was what was being performed by almost everyone in the plant, and that I was receiving the standard training.

There was also a meeting, where I was spotlighted. Apparently, they have more machines than humans right now, and I'm going to be a part of this new wave. The supervisor even brought me to attention amongst my coworkers.

So, when push comes to shove, I think I'll be here awhile. My mom thinks this is excellent. She thinks these are advanced credentials people who take courses strive to get. She also thinks that my performance at my last workplace, and the reference my supervisor may have given me, would have contributed to this job which requires higher credentials.

My last supervisor loved me, so even though it's kind of wussy-ish to listen to your mother on something like this, I'm inclined to agree.

Okay, I think I'm done. I just had a lot of emotions and inhibitions collide with me, and I think this is my last chance before I lose reason. Goodnight to you all and I'll let you know how my second night of training goes.