Survival Techniques
So you've made it and got yourself an apprenticeship.
The construction industry can provide an excellent, stable, and well-paid career but it isn't a picnic. It's demanding work, mentally and physically.
As Bricking It has shown, the work can be gruelling, with early mornings, demanding workloads and the pressure of deadlines never far away.
So how can you survive and thrive? We ask Dr Phil for his top tips for new apprentices.
Top Tips
There are two main pieces of advice I'd give anyone starting out in the industry:
Taking care of yourself means sleeping well and eating well. A lot of people, including some of the trainees on Bricking It stay up late playing a computer game or out on the town or whatever. Then they have trouble getting up in the morning and they wonder why.
Then people get ill and can't work because they haven't been looking after themselves properly. Look after your body or it won't last. Also from a health and safety point of view it's important to be alert on-site.
Listening to others is extremely important on-site, especially for apprentices. If somebody says something to you on-site, pay attention.
If you or your work is being criticised, count to five. Then respond only if the situation requires it. Try not to react defensively. Remember they are only showing or telling you something because they are care about you and your work.
Tradesmen aren't famed for their tact, and some can come across as blunt, or even rude, to people who aren't used to site-life. So if someone says that an element of your work is rubbish (or worse) try not to take it personally, even when you feel unfairly judged.
Apprentices need to remember that if your work isn't perfect first time it isn't your fault. You're learning. At this time in your career some mistakes are acceptable, and even expected.
So try to react maturely, even when you feel you're under fire. It's much better to respond by saying "please explain how I put it right". That way you make the most of a learning opportunity, and you don't create any bad feeling by trying to blame other people.
I've seen this with a couple of the Bricking It trainees. They get pulled up on an aspect of their work and they immediately respond with "I didn't do it", even if everyone knows they did. Reacting like that only makes them look bad to the others.
Is it worth it?
Definitely. With the right attitude your chances of survival in the construction industry are excellent.
While most tradesmen are self-employed, if you are good at your job, you never need to be out of work.
