Let’s see…Where did we leave off on the last Construction Chronicles? Oh yes! We left off where Tori the HR lady walked me over to meet my new boss.
My new boss was a small gentleman with a fickle temper. Anything you do that does not meet his standard would result in a series of loud insults hurled at you. Let’s call him Mr. Angry Boss or Mr. AB for short. Tori walked me over, introduced me to him, and said “Hi Mr. AB, this is our new hire intern”. Tori left us as soon as Mr. AB said, “Ok thanks”. Mr. AB said, “for the next few days just get familiar with the plans and do the punchlist items.” I’m sorry…What?
It’s All “Construction” To Me…
I was hoping the friend who referred me to this job was at work that day, but knowing my luck he wouldn’t be there. Guess what? I was right. He was sick that day and never came to work. There were a few other interns near my desk, but they were too busy to help me out. I was by myself in a new world and needed to figure out what I needed to do to avoid looking like an idiot. I did not know what phase of the project we were in or how many “parts” the project had. It turns out the project had 5 “parts” to it, a mezzanine, two hotel towers, a smaller connecting building, and a hall. Each part had multiple plan sets consisting of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, architectural, structural, etc. But wait! There is more. Each set had a “historical” set where you can trace the changes to the project as the project proceeded. There was so much paper, so much clutter on the plan tables I didn’t know where to start. There was a plethora of jargon words, abbreviations, and many other industry specific information I had no clue about. I thought to myself, what am I doing here? What did I get myself into? I don’t belong here. The impostor syndrome consumed me.
Another Identity Crisis
In the middle of my scramble with the plans and an identity crisis, an engineer approaches me and asks, “you’re the new intern right? Okay take these binders filled with inspection logs and make sure the excel sheet for them is updated.” I spent the rest of my first day going through the physical binder and the corresponding Excel sheet fixing the messed up and outdated log. At 3:30PM, the 8-hour shift ended and everyone began making their way out of the trailer and towards their cars. I too packed my stuff, hopped into my car, l and hit the road starting my 75 mile journey back home.
I thought to myself, “can I do this day all over again? I’m not so sure.”
This “Construction Chronicles” part two finishes up my very first day in the world of construction. I’m sure others have had more anxiety inducing days, but this was still a tough day for me. I hope my posts shed a bit of light on what happens when you’re finally on a job. By no means are any other first days going to be anything like this. Most companies have orientations, debriefs, trainings, and many other introduction oriented activities for a new employees day one. My first day was an anomaly I hope to never repeat or for others to experience.
To read part one of “Construction Chronicles” click here.
-E J
