How long until you become confident?

[Dave500]

Hi all, as the title says how long was it until you became confident as a plumber? Im currently on my apprenticeship (around 6 months in) and I still have zero confidence with my work. At college there are lads who it seems to be able to everything like the bending, soldering, gathering the photos for the coursework and doing extra jobs whereas I am only just keeping up with them in the practical. I've been practicing at home with my soldering and bending and due to the company who I am working for mainly doing gas and oil in industrial and commercial i'm not really getting much time on the tools. So if any of you guys could give me any nuggets of wisdom it would be very much appreciated.
Cheers Dave.

 

[Best]

I am at my most confident now. In other words, - you keep improving with the years.
I think it took me about 5 years to feel I knew how to do the jobs fairly easily and really I guess 10 years to feel really confident. The really good guys are middle aged and fully confident, but starting to get over the hill a bit probably.
Just keep learning how to do joints 100% leak free and you will achieve your aim in your own time. I know a builder who said he employed a new apprentice but the guy was always very slow at everything, - so much so he almost got rid of him. Turned out the guy become a brilliant tradesman and ended up his top man.
It will all click together for you suddenly if you keep trying no doubt.

 

[REDSAW]

about 10-15 years, thats around a life sentence!!
problem is you get pidgeon holed and stick mainly to certain jobs that come in, then theirs the curve ball job. for me thats drainage, and unvented mainly.
i'm an expert in fixing taps though lol. doing them since 18yrs.

 

[Dotty]

Don't fret. There'll be jobs that make you feel like you're flying and there'll be jobs that'll knock you for six.

The main thing is picking yourself back up and learning from those experiences.

 

[Masood]

Don't fret. There'll be jobs that make you feel like you're flying and there'll be jobs that'll knock you for six.

The main thing is picking yourself back up and learning from those experiences.

And generally the ones that knock you for six come along just when you're starting to feel like you've really mastered this game...

 

[rpm]

Sort of on topic ................
Guy in the office has been telling us this, that and the other for years then he did an NVQ and decided to join the boys on the tools out in the real world and ...............

He hasn`t got a clue!

 

[mejmag]

As above.

The mere fact that you are practicing your skills at home in your own time is a good sign that you have the right attitude. Confidence will come. Everyday is a school day and we all had to start somewhere.

 

[kozak1968]

Safety in numbers, if you work with a good crew of guys then you will gain confidence. When you do work on your own its a different matter. I think about 5 years before i felt confident.

 

[Ray Stafford]

In the early years, you will feel ignorant and vulnerable. This is natural, and is just a stage to be worked through.

After a while, you will start to gain in confidence, and you will be as cocky as feck. During this stage of your career, you may well post agressively on facebook, decrying the knowledge of people like "you-minus-a-few-years".

After a while longer, you will realise how much you still have to learn, and hope that no-one notices that you are still learning.

The critical moment comes when you can admit to your colleagues and peers that you have come across something that completely foxed you, and that you needed the help of another professional, but not feel that this admission compromises your professionalism or devalues your expertise.

When you reach this last point, you can consider yourself a master tradesman.

 

[dean.diy]

Good thread. I agree with Best's opinion .I like to ask various trades when they felt
confident to do the job and talk/ walk / chew gum/fend off silly questions at the same time.
Answer is usually about ten years.

 

[Radioman]

In the good old days an apprentice worked as a complete novice for a year usually in college or trade school to,learn the basics, then did 2 or 3 years rotating between different skilled men so as to learn different specific aspects of his trade, then did the last one or 2 years as a "journeyman". This is where he worked as a skilled man for different companies but only got semi skilled wages and was supervised by the foreman. Sadly this is no longer the case. Many apprentices that I come across are nothing more than cheap labour employed to fetch and carry with very little actual on the job practical training. They are expected to learn the job by watching.

Keep doing the practice at home, if you can do a couple of small jobs for relatives that's good for the confidence. The fact that you are asking is good as it shows intelligence. When you are at work don't be scared to ask questions. The only daft question is the one you don't ask.

 

[Dave500]

Thanks all it's good to know its not just me haha. At work at the minute it's mainly drilling holes, fetching and carrying where I want to start doing the more interesting part of the job but i'm still quite worried to ask just incase I mess up the job i've asked to do. I understand that if a hole needs drilling then it's best to get the apprentice on it as they are cheap and need to learn how to do it properly but it would be nice to have a day or two of first and second fix to settle the nerves haha.

 

[Masood]

Thanks all it's good to know its not just me haha. At work at the minute it's mainly drilling holes, fetching and carrying where I want to start doing the more interesting part of the job but i'm still quite worried to ask just incase I mess up the job i've asked to do. I understand that if a hole needs drilling then it's best to get the apprentice on it as they are cheap and need to learn how to do it properly but it would be nice to have a day or two of first and second fix to settle the nerves haha.

You're right to expect to do the basics for quite a lot of the time, but if that's all you ever do then you should speak up. It may be that your mentor doesn't think you're keen on doing more involved stuff?

 

[Best]

I think all I mainly did for first couple of years was labouring and fetching tools.
Also did a lot of cutting holes - unfortunately by hammer and chisel old way.
No cordless tools either, so all screws had to be put in by hand and wrist strength.
But I think it had some advantages, because it meant the basics like doing pipe joints could be slowly and carefully learned, rather than just told to do a bodge

 

[tamz]

1st 6 months of my time was spent sweeping up, going to the van, lifting floors cutting holes or fireplaces out, cleaning and fluxing fittings, bending pipe and most important was learning to become a mind reader cos if i handed my tradesman the wrong fitting or tool (he would just put his hand out or over his shoulder without saying anything) i got a slap or a punch or a kick up the rse depending on how far out i was.
This learned me to watch and pay attention and think about what was going on.
Don't worry about how other guys are getting on or what they are allegedly doing at work.

Get out and do some homers for friends and family too. That learns you to think for yourself and take responsibility for what you do. Theres nothing like the water pouring through the ceiling at half 11 at night to teach you what not to do next time

 

[lame plumber]

The really good guys are middle aged and fully confident, but starting to get over the hill a bit probably.

Quotes like that will prevent you reaching middle age!!!!!

Now back to the poster, just realize that everyone is worrying about how to do things and are they getting it right, some just exude confidence better than others. If they are really confident, be afraid, they normally make the biggest cock ups, a bit of fear is always good for you. Finally you never stop learning even if you are over the hill!!

 

[Dave500]

Thanks all again, I'm more than willing to have a go and the lads who I work with say im keen and confident. It's just when lads are talking at college about how they are more or less left to fit a bathroom it can be a little disheartening as I've never done that lol but I could almost service boilers and heaters on my own so I guess i'm just a little backwards(as with most things lol).

 

[Rickster123]

I've had a few apprentices over the years. The over confident, cocky ones scare me more than the ones who constantly ask questions and worry about every little detail. It's a steep learning curve. Confidence comes in time.
One thing I will say is don't be one of those apprentices that's an expert at changing rad valves because that's all they ever do. We've got a couple on the firm and they'll be fully qualified soon and still have no grasp of the basics.
Ask questions. Most of us don't mind!

 

[Stanios]

Having challenging work on daily basis is best way to learn and build confidence. Often this means doing something you've never done before. And its not just plumbing. Dealing with customers, calling merchants or tech support. Make it your goal to do one new thing every week.

Its the worst days when you feel like your life just fell appart and you are completely hopeless and helpless,its from a day like that you will learn a few good lessons!

 

[tamz]

than the ones who constantly ask questions and worry about every little detail

Haha that brought back memories.
When i was a boy they called me Tam question and hated it as i learned more and the questions got harder until they couldn't answer so i would do as i was told and fk off and annoy the joiners or the sparks or the brickies who were all too happy to answer me while i ran after their rses.
The other trades stopped answering my questions when i started nickng all their jobs on the side.