The most recent job that I applied for was for Tandem Design and Construction. This company specializes in home improvement with a focus on remodels and additions. I was in search of a job that would pay well and something that would provide a good learning experience while also being able to spend time outside. Tandem Design and Construction had actually done some recent work on the house that I was living in at the time, so I was able to meet the boss and a few of the employees before expressing my interest in the job. I believe these initial interactions with the boss helped to lay a foundation (no pun intended) for our relationship, which eventually led to me getting the job.
My experience with the construction industry was quite interesting, to say the least. Through talking to others who have worked for other construction companies, I know that they have experienced very formal application and safety training processes. This was not the case for me. I never even had to submit a resume for this job or anything of the sort. After a conversation with the boss, he told me an address and a time to show up. I was never trained on safety; I was only told in the moment to wear my safety gear that was supplied to me.
At first, I was stoked because I had secured a job with good pay pretty easily. I was very excited to learn some new skills and experience the home improvement process. That being said, after only a few days on the job, I realized that I was severely underprepared and undertrained. My boss often expected me to know many things about the construction process that I had no knowledge of. There were many days when I was embarrassed because of my lack of knowledge and skills, but this only led me to become more eager to learn more.
Looking back, I now realize why the hiring process was so simple. It was because this company has had many problems with finding employees in the past for the same reasons I experienced. This directly relates to what is described in the introduction to Who: The A Method for Hiring. This chapter describes that finding the right employees is critical to a company’s success, and I was able to witness this firsthand. Looking back, I feel very proud of myself for forcing myself to be the right person for the job and overcoming many of the obstacles that people could not handle in the past.