The Many Hats of Engineering

Recently, I've been wearing lots of cool hats. I've been a load master, mechanic, carpenter, mythbuster, and phone jockey. It's cool doing different things everyday.

The biggest thing to come my way was the new energy regulations requiring all NEMA framed motors previously covered by EPAct to pass the new NEMA Premium Efficiency Standard [EISA Fact Sheet Provided by Applied Industrial Technologies]. Everyone was freaking out because they thought the new motor frames wouldn't fit, but a few quick phone calls and I debunked that myth. I didn't get to blow anything up tho ):

Another amazing thing happened this past week. My folks came up to Atlanta so we could catch a flight out to go up home to Ohio. While touring the house, my mom actually said my bathtub was "really clean". I nearly fell off the mezzanine. MY Mom, saying MY house is clean. That's like a double rainbow all the way. It really is amazing what you can get done with all the free time that is available when homework and senior projects don't cramp your style :DDD

As a bonus, all the flights I'll be taking for the rest of the year will have free GoGo in flight internetz. Thx Google!!

On a final note, I've come to the conclusion that Atlanta has the happiest people in the world. I've seen evidence of this at Wal-Mart where parents have cart races in the parking lot, and more recently, at the Dept of Driver Services (Driver's License) and Tax Office (Car Tags). Everyone was really happy and upbeat. I ran into a snag at the Tag Office because I didn't have Georgia Insurance. The clerk said I couldn't get a tag until I had a faxed proof come in. I told her I felt like I was on Parking Wars and everyone laughed (: There was also a girl singing church gospel to everyone in the waiting room like she was trying out for American Idol. She was pretty good and everyone enjoyed it.

Next week I'll venture into the world of appliances. I need to snag a washer and dryer so I'll be able to Xbox AND bust suds. Now that's smart!

The Gamer is Reborn

I had a great idea... I wanted an Xbox. Hey look! The new Kinect. Yeah, let's get that!!

Onto Best Buy I went and purchased the latest in gaming technology. Let me say, it is FANTASTIC. I think Microsoft did something right, finally. I was blown away as I went through the tutorial learning all the stuff the Kinect can do.

First, it can detect your movements, just like they tell you in the commercials. No wand with a glowing ping pong ball or Wiimote to get in your way. Just wave your hands like an idiot and you're good to go!

Second, it has a camera, just like a webcam. It can automatically sign people in by facial recognition. It can also be used for video chat. However, both parties need a Kinect if you're doing Xbox to Xbox. You can also connect to people on the computer with Windows Live Messenger. Only the person with the Xbox will need a camera then. The camera also follows you around (it has a motor to automatically adjust the tilt).

Third, it listens to you. Yup, voice recognition. It felt cool to say "XBOX!!!", "PLAY DISK!!!" The mic is also pretty good for just regular party chat. I haven't tried it in a game yet though.

I think it is pretty slick. Pretty scary, too. I get the feeling that Bill and friends are watching your every move since it is always "on" when the box is on...

I also picked up Fable 3. Sweet action, just what I needed.

Now all I have to do is jump on the bandwagon and pickup Black Ops. I might wait a bit and give Fable a good go until it gets old. Dance Central looks promising, too. I'm just not to hot on spending $50-$60 on games...

As for life in Atlanta, I've officially claimed my yard by throwing down some winterizer fertilizer. This spring is gonna look lush and luxurious (I hope).

I'm going to catch a plane to Tampa tomorrow to visit the Lakeland plant and help out there for the remainder of the week. It is nice to not spend any money for a week, but I'll be away from Clark the Xbox ):.

Did I mention I got Netflix on it?! Where has this thing been all my life!

Life Six Months Later

It's that time of year. Six months after graduation. Not only is it a time of eating turkey and trimmings, but the time when the student loan bills start coming in. Fortunately, I won't have to defer any payments. I'm grateful that I was able to find a job that required more than just walking in the door (even though I never had to show my transcripts to Consolidated Container, you get the idea though).

The Thomas Estate is just about perfect. I only need Property Management to give me keys that fit all the locks. Currently, only the deadbolts will open with my keys. The garage door has been correctly installed and now I can enjoy getting in my nice, warm car on a cold rainy day. No more iced windshields!!!

All that is left on my end is to get a master bedroom suit. I've been eyeing a mattress and bed set in the Hemnes collection for quite some time. I'm just holding off because I'm waiting on my first round of bills to come in. The cable already had a nice $60 up-charge for installation. I'm sure that the power and gas will have similar. I still have to get my tags and I have no idea how much that will cost.

However, I did spring to get an eye exam and new contacts. Going on a year with my 30 day set has been a pain. Now that I have insurance and monies, I could finally get some.

I get 100% paid preventative dental, too. I'll be getting my grill cleaned next week. One thing I never got was people would brush and floss like crazy before going in for a teeth cleaning. That's like weeding your garden before the landscaper comes. I mean you paying him to do a service. Might as well get your money's worth...

Next week my boss will be in town and we are heading to the two plants close to the Atlanta area to evaluate the lighting situation. Thursday I may take a trip to Pittsburgh to determine if the current air compressor capacity is adequate to add new machines to (OMG a calculation!!), but this request came from another Project Engineer in another group. Since my boss is keeping me under his wing for the first bit I'm there I may not go. We'll see.

Today I'm going to try my hand at making cornbread. I will also make a side of kielbasa and mac n cheez to go with it (:

New house dramaz

Finally moved into my new pad. I can say I've found a property management worse than 21. The number one on my list is the lack of a gas meter. Yeah, the meter has been pulled, and it won't be until next Tuesday when they will have another one put in. That means no heat or hot water. FML.

My agent has been nagging the guy to get me free rent until the gas is working because the house wasn't ready to move in. The property manager thinks that since it wasn't there the lack of gas utility isn't his problem...

The kicker? The lease states that I am not allowed to disconnect any utility or I'll pay a fee. Also, there's a rule that states homes must be equipped with heat in order to make it habitable. Lots of crap going on

I was able to get blazing fast internet and awesome cable from Comcast. It hasn't turned into a Comcatastrophe, but I'll be on the lookout.

As far as my travels in A-town go, Ikea is killer awesome. It has a cafeteria!

The job is going super sweet. I'm allowed to take time off to go downtown to transfer my water over, go home to wait on maintenance (who don't show up), and chat with the people in other departments. It also has come to my attention that my official title is Utility Engineer. The title was created special for me. Everyone else is a Project or Process Engineer. I personally liked Project Engineer better, but then I saw my Name and Title on my business card, and I liked seeing the specialized title ^_^

Next week I will be traveling to Cincy and have hot water. It's gonna be fabulous!

Chicago > Houston

Chicago is my town. Pizza and hot dog joints everywhere. Not like roach coaches in Houston. Real establishments.

I was able to tour a couple facilities here. It's like I'm in an episode of How It's Made. I loved watching the Nestle Qwik bottles fly by me (:

I also sat in on an energy savings group conference. THAT was serious. They make you turn your phone OFF and put it on the table, so if it even vibrates, you're busted. The fine is $20. I'm serious.

I'll fly back home tomorrow and take a "personal day" Friday to load up my U-Haul truck. Saturday I'm driving up to my new place. 

I was able to find a couch, love seat, chair and footrest sitting on the side of the road. A little soap and steam and it's good as new!

My next assignment has me in the Engineering and Development Center all next week and I'll be heading to Cincinnati the week after that!

One Week Down

Today was my Friday. I'm not working tomorrow, just traveling home. My time at the Houston Plant, codename Work Camp, was fun. I was able to interact with the demo crew (read: joke around), and learn about heavy machinery (read: drive a Bobcat and observe 80,000lb an forklift that transforms).

An interesting fact was the upper level management was working and getting dirty right alongside the workers. The manager of the project works 5 doors down from the CEO and he was working with me loading gaylords (palette boxes) and dumping trash hoppers. My boss and I were even cleaning up the bathroom at one point. It was awesome to see everyone working together to get that place cleaned up.

I also disclosed my feelings about how I felt about the entire onboarding process. My boss wanted to assure me that they didn't want to just "throw me under the bus, as my manager did when I started".

He said he would "selfishly shield me from the rest of the company". That means he will pretty much engineer vicariously through me. I'll do all the stuff that he wants done but doesn't have time to do it. This way I'll be able to "set some roots and get a feel about how the company operates". I received it as "I can focus on just doing what he needs instead of what the entire company needs". 

The week went great. Next week I'll be off to Chicago for plant tours and an energy savings meeting.

Honeymoon?

The honeymoon is known as the brief, but harmonious period at the beginning of a relationship. Common examples include real boy/girl relationships, video games, and M. Night Shamalyanla movies (it should be noted that the period ends right after the opening trailers). It also applies to jobs.

I remember when I had a job making sno cones. It was awesome! Talk to pretty underage girls (I was underage, too, so it was legit), and all the sno cones you can eat! It only took a short while to discover that I was sticky, got paid $5.25 ( $0.10 more than minimum, however), and only served old ladies while having a stomach ache (to much wedding cake).

Honeymoons are good and bad. The beginning and middle are great, but the end sucks. You could say I'm honeymooning my new job because I love it, or it could just be this company has its shit together.

The past couple days I've been meeting people at the corporate office and engineering and development center (E&DC), and sitting down with the most important people like my benefits advisor, CEO, HR manager, IT staff, and my boss. They call this "onboarding". Basically, it's a system of getting you ramped up and ready to wreck people's shit.

Trust me, it works. They are literally going off a checklist to make sure everything is taken care of for me. Things like making sure I'm going to get my check to helping me setup the printer on my laptop. Seriously, my boss made sure I had my printer setup. Yeah, an easy task, but he personally took time out of his day to make sure my test page came out. Mind. Blown.

I don't mind having my hand held because I now accept the fact that I don't have to guess how to do things, or how things are run. I know from day one that my computer will print.

My list is almost like a quest. I'm going around to different people, talking to them about whatever topic, and checking it off. So far I'm now educated in the company intranet, how to submit expense reports, and what I need to include on my weekly report. No guesswork whatsoever. 

In addition to that, I've hopped on whatever projects my boss is doing. He is letting me tag along and see exactly what he does on projects. I couldn't ask for more.

This experience has left me with a much better impression of the company, where I belong in the whole system, and how they view me as an engineer and a professional. My old co-op was like "meh, go find something to do", and I thought that was the best (honeymoon anyone?).

The only downside I've found is since I've been traveling is I'm working almost around the clock. My day starts at 6:30 (5:30 tomorrow) and end at 1 or 2 (whenever I go to bed). It may sound crazy, but most of my morning was eating breakfast hanging out, then meeting with my boss, followed by relaxing at Gate 38C and then sleeping on an airplane for 2 hrs. Not a whole lot of "work", but I'm not sitting around watching TV either.

When it was time to work, we walked around a plant we are closing for an hour or so, and then went to Joe's Crab Shack to drink beer and eat. Punching a clock is so overrated.

I expected to work a little longer while traveling, but this is more standby to standby.

Tomorrow I'm told, will be different story. My boss and I are going to be dubbed "rigging and demolition" so I'll be doing something fun and dirty.

Time 4 nappa. I have snacka tomorrow early with the work crew.

Why Don't People Do Their Jobs?

Everyone has dream jobs when they are little. I wanted to be a monster truck driver. I was inspired after playing Microsoft's Monster Truck Madness. The help file even had a part dedicated to everything about monster trucks and what a driver needs in order to become one. I was hooked.

Then I decided that I should be an engineer instead.

Even though engineering is awesome, I think I missed the point. The true goal of a successful career is not to enjoy what you do and make money, it is to do as least as possible and make money.

Based on my personal experiences, I now present to you a list of the best career choices.

1) Banker

All you do is run a cash register. The best part? THE HOURS!! Those poor saps working 8 to 5 are missing the best things in life, like time with your kids after school. Bankers enjoy hours from 9 to 4:30, no weekends and no holidays [Regions]. Don't tell me they "show up early" to get started. What do they have to do? Unlock the vault? Best jobs have the best hours.

2) Professional Baseball Player

This was recommended to me by a friend. It makes complete sense. Anyone who watches baseball (better know as "try to beat the Yankees this year") knows it sucks. The people playing know it's boring, too! Unless you're the pitcher, life is a cake walk. You can make a metric ass ton of money just by standing around and holding your glove out when a ball comes your way. Unless you have real skill (or juice), you probably won't be hitting home runs all the time. So you'll probably just make on average $1.1M if you play on the Houston Astros (who?), or an average of $5.5M if you play on the Yankees [USA Today]. Easy choice.

3) Real Estate

This one is my personal favorite. Basically, you sell houses. Houses are expensive and the market is slow, however, we are comparing the ratio of actual work done to actual money received. In my limited experience with real estate, I know one thing, people who have houses for sale are impossible to get a hold of. I called 10 properties to look at. I only looked at 4 on the list, and turned down only 1. That leaves 5 properties that could have been sold, but no one called me back. WTF? How can they run a business when they don't do anything? It's amazing! Maybe the infomercials are true.

It all started when I was curious about my soon to be Thomas Estate. The property manager (RE/MAX Lazy Ass) was impossible to get a hold of to ask any kind of question about the property. After pulling a few teeth, I was told to submit an application. They couldn't even accept my overpriced application fee. After I filled it out online, I was directed to a pay site (kinda like PayPal), but that didn't work. I called the number to pay online (same PayPal like people) and they said they don't accept payment for them anymore. I call the RE/MAX office, and no one is there. It was 10am. WTF?

My agent is now wondering wtf is going on and why it is taking so long. If you are in the business to sell properties, why don't you sell them? How do you make money?

So here I am, really wanting this beautiful house, but the managing company reminds me of Twenty-One antics.

Being a grown-up sucks.

In other news, I finally got my dune buggy, Orange Slice, running today. I left her alone far to long in 21's parking lot. After new coil, plugs, wires, points, condenser, battery, new fuel, and halfway cleaning the carb, I got her halfway running. I couldn't get it to idle right without the choke on, so I jerry rigged the choke just like the previous carb was and took it around the property about 30 times. It was fantastic. The neighbors endured over and hour of loud, unrestricted, German pancake 4 banger air cooled engineering. 

Being a grown-up rocks.

House Hunt Final Day

The last day I spent in Atlanta was fantastic. I went to a yuppie place for breakfast and got started with my salesman after I check out of my hotel.

We went straight to the neighborhood we scoped yesterday because he had 2 more houses for me to look at. He also called up other agents again when he saw a sign.

I opted to look at one I liked yesterday with hardwood floors (henceforth known as "Hardwood Floors") and fell in love with it all over again. I was really looking forward to moving in that place.

The next was a house that just came on the market. It was a tad rough on the inside, but it would be completely redone. The best part about it was the elevated back deck and the daylight basement. My dealer said it would be great for parties since spilled drinks on the slab wouldn't matter (: He did say it wouldn't be as nice as Hardwood Floors so the party house became a backup.

The third was a dry call. It was pretty cool inside, but just not as nice as Hardwood Floors.

After checking out all the houses, I made my choice: Hardwood Floors with luxurious cabinets, sweet carpet upstairs, and enormous bedrooms. We got the paperwork started, and I was on my way home.

Now I just have to sit tight while everything is worked out (:

House Hunt Day 2

Much better day.

First I checked out a little place in Marietta, GA. It was little indeed, so that was an easy pass.

Then I was off to check out another place in Douglasville with an actual real estate salesman, but it was run down and beat up. Probably since the place was built in the 70s. It had a finished basement, but it was still dingy.

Then he took me to another place since he seemed embarrassed about showing me the That 70s Show house 40 years later. This second house will henceforth be known as "The Mansion".

It is a crazy huge, split level house with a massive living room, massive dining room, massive kitchen, massive breakfast nook, massive bedrooms, and massive master bedroom. It was built in the 80s, but everything is new from the paint to carpet to counters. It was in superb shape, even by my standards (so glad I helped Dad fix up the house growing up). The only downside is it is 45 min (without traffic) to the airport. FML.

However, with a trusty tipoff to a great Coldwell Banker real estate salesman, I began my afternoon being chauffeured around southwestern Atlanta checking out properties. Even properties he didn't initially bring he was able to spot from the street and just bust in and let me view them.

All of the ones I saw were amazing. One is close to both the airport and my office, and has a great big living room.

Another was VERY close to my office (2 mi), but it was pretty rough inside. The tub had a hole in it. WTF...

The next 3 are all in the same suburb.

The first has a decent setup downstairs and large rooms with luxurious carpet upstairs, and located right next to the airport and still close to the office.

The second is an ENORMOUS floor plan (2500 sqft!!) complete with a living room, another living room, dining room, breakfast area/another dining room, and another living room/den upstairs. Wasn't able to get a price, but it may be over my limit.

The third is one I haven't looked at yet. I believe it is comparable to the first one, but I'll see tomorrow!

All in all, today was loads better than yesterday. I will never again go online to find places. I'm going to call a real estate co and let them do all the legwork for me. The best part is the guy wasn't even pushing sales. If a house sucked he agreed with me.

Tomorrow I'm going to meet up with my dealer again to check out the last house and possibly take a second look at one or two again to make sure I'm game. Then it's off to talk paperwork (:

House Hunt Day 1

I've learned a lot today.

Firstly, I-285 is INSANE to drive on. From the moment you shoot on and acquire cruising speed (55mph posted) you realize that you will cause an accident. The only way to survive is to accelerate to attack speed (80-85mph) so you don't become roadkill. I was literally zipping on the loop at 75 and getting passed like I was going the other direction. Once I hit 85 people were still passing me, but I didn't want to go any faster. Everyone else had Audi's and BMW's and I was scared my poor Civic couldn't handle this American Autobahn. City driving is the same, posted speed is 35mph but everyone goes 55. Sure makes quick work getting around!

After my extreme driving experience,I had the chance to look at two places today. Both had the lock box with a key so I could let myself in without hearing the sales pitch of a realtor. Little did I know that this equates to  shithole properties.

One was on the south end of town in Riverdale (we shall refer to this as Acceptable Shithole), and the other was located west in Douglasville (henceforth known as OMGWTFBBQ Shithole).

Acceptable Shithole was nice. Large living room, large kitchen, big dining room, and nice sized bedrooms went well on this 2 story dwelling. Even the garage was huge (: That was the "acceptable" part. The "shithole" part is the cabinets. After opening them to check for mold (huge problem at 21) I was greeting by mold growing on mold, literally. It was a Mold Castle. Other drawers were scratched up like a puma was trapped in them. The place was also a bit dirty with smudges on the walls. Nothing that a cleaning crew couldn't handle. I would give this place a B if they could manage to redo the cabinets and clean up a bit.

Then comes this beauty, OMGWTFBBQ Shithole. The different in the listing pics and what I saw today is like going from Taylor Swift to Amy Winehouse. To start, I walk upstairs and there is crap all over the kitchen. The cabinets are surprisingly redone, so there isn't any mold or heavy damage. However, there was food and booze in the fridge. The floor was filthy. One bedroom had marker ink all over the carpet, crayon on the wall, the door was nearly in 2 pieces, and toys everywhere. The master had a tv and a knocked over lamp. The backyard had a plastic tub with more toys and a small dog pen (no dog).

Now as I'm going about this house, I'm afraid I'm going to stumble upon either a meth head, a meth head cooking meth, or a dead body. This in mind, I make my way to the daylight basement. As I descend the stairs, I'm greeting with 3 doors. I pick one and I am greeted by the massive 2 car garage (yay!). However, there is a studded wall (no drywall/insulation) that divides the garage into a 2 other rooms (remember the doors?). Inside these "rooms" was a ton of clothes, toys, and insulation. It was like the drop off at a Goodwill.

I honestly could not believe that someone would pawn this off as a rental. It was atrocious. No wonder the rental agency doesn't want to be there with you.

So to make things better, I talked with a REAL realtor from Coldwell Banker. She gave me a list of sweet places that I haven't seen online. Two of the places are literally 6 min away from my office. I could literally walk to work (30 min by foot). They are a tad more expensive, but if they look like actual houses that someone would live in I think they will be worth it.

I hope tomorrow is more promising than today was. Bleh...

2 Weeks Left

I'm getting closer to my start date. I tried to put in a 2 week notice on my sleeping in habits, but that failed. I still roll out of bed around 1pm. Maybe I should enjoy it while I can (:

I did awake to a surprise from FedEx in the form of a box from Consolidated Container. It was a little "welcome kit" with a T-shirt, hat, coffee mug, backpack, pens, notepad, etc. I was stoked! I love free corporate stuff. I feel so loved :D

I'm also getting closer to arranging my trip to ATL to scope houses. I'm going to setup some appointments tomorrow and make the trip later this week. My adoptive parents should be joining me so I can get a second opinion.

I've also started Week 5 of P90X. These workouts keep getting crazier. Who the hell does 1 arm push ups as a workout?

End Game

My search is complete. I have been offered and accepted a position as Utilities Engineer for Consolidated Container Company. I was able to walk away from the negotiating table with a decent salary, significant relocation bonus, vacation time ready to go, and a pro-rated end of year bonus (should it be dispersed). Not a bad deal if you ask me.

All that's left now is to find a spot in luxurious Atlanta and enjoy my own place. My first work assignment will start Sep 27th where I'll be traveling for 2 weeks doing engineering stuff. This will be followed by a "long weekend" (boss' words) where I'll actually drive a U-Haul with all my crap to the city.

I get the feeling everyone at CCC is just as excited as I am to come aboard. I'm super excited because suddenly all my problems (read: money problems) will suddenly evaporate as I have a bank account with more than $200 in it at any given time (:

As far as the Navy goes, that will be on hold indefinitely. I'm not going to stop P90X, but I'm not going to be racking my brain trying to prepare for the tedious technical interviews either. If I should find that in a couple years making plastic bottles isn't my thing, then I'll explore the naval avenue if needed.

I'll still post updates here, but the main focus will shift from me searching for a job and go towards how I make the transition into the professional life.

I invite you to join me for the ride (:

It's Now or Nothin'

Earlier this week, I was able to make my way over to Atlanta to check out the milk bottle making business. I was impressed with what I saw. I don't think I'll be able to look at a gallon of cow juice the same again.

Most of my time was spent with my future boss should everything go right. I also spent some time with the other engineering managers just talking. Not to much official interview banter. Just open conversation. I'm starting to think behavioral questions are like field sobriety tests - totally unnecessary.

My host had a lot of good information to offer. It seems that they have been talking about me a lot. He even had a 90 day outline of what I would be doing should I get on. Hells yeah!!

I expected to hear something from the corporate recruiting department in "7 to 10 days". However, they called me this morning! I was gone less than 24 hrs! I talked with the rep and she asked how my interview went and things like that. That's when she told me that they wanted to "move forward" with me. How much more forward can I go?!

It turns out they want some references and wanted to get my side of the story of how much I expect to earn.

The most interesting thing about my conversations with corporate recruiting and my host was they both probed me for info about other companies I was currently looking at. With the Navy being the only other one on the list, I divulged a little info. I couldn't really scoot around this topic since I met the VP on the plane ride back from a sub (:

I just told them things I like about the Navy, and things I like about the available position. In my opinion, the main drawback of the Navy is not knowing where I'll be living. I want to stay in the southeast. No snow and close to college football that matters.

Now it's time to wait and see if she calls me back with more good news/hoops to jump through!

The Great Educational Paradigm

Ever since we were little we received certificates. Pieces of paper that denote our accomplishments. Everything from Honor Roll and Jump Rope for Heart to High School Diplomas and College Degrees.

What does it all mean? It would appear that I got A's and B's in elementary school, jumped rope against my will, and completed both high school and college. So why are we constantly barraged with tests? Not just the kind during a class to prove that your actually learning something, but the kind you have to take before you start learning something.

Take jobs for instance. Lots of jobs have "entrance" or "assessment" tests you have to take before you can start something new. That's silly. Their reasoning is "to show you have the capacity to continue your learning". What? I have a high school diploma. Even better, a college degree. Don't make me take a test to determine if I can make proper change (talking to you, Subway), or if I can read house plans and a map (that would be you, City of Gautier). Even the "honesty test" at Taco Bell. It's Taco Bell! You're going to be slapping meat all day and reheating precooked food with Bunn Water!

I've even dealt with on the spot interview tests. I've been asked how to put torque on a pen that was held in front of me, how to increase the flow rate in a pipe, even what 4/5 of 4/5 is. Simple stuff any person applying for the job would know.

Mind you, I've been able to pass these tests no problem, but it's still a waste of my time and an insult to my intelligence. If you have to ask a process engineer why you don't put steam traps at the top of a pipe layout, you got some problems with past hires.

Why do we have these fancy pieces of paper that apparently mean nothing? Is the hiring process so generalized that we treat everyone as if they have no clue?  I've already taken plenty of advance level tests. Everything from my FE certification to my Vol Fire Fighter Level I. They prove that I'm able to do math and squirt water, respectively.

Is the certification system so unreliable that these job specific tests are required? I would think a high school diploma, often awarded when one is between 17-19, entitles a person to say "I can count change with reliable accuracy" or "I won't steal anything if I feel I'm not being paid enough". Usually when you reach that age you can determine right from wrong, and dimes equal $0.10.

So this is the Great Question. Should we go through the trouble of getting all these fancy certifications and degrees, or just wing it and take the test now to see if we qualify? Sometimes you need that degree or certificate just to take the remedial test which further complicates things.

It seems the only thing the paper proves is that I'll be breezing through whatever elementary questions you can throw at me. If that makes me look good then so be it. Just don't be surprised when everyone else is able to pass them, too.

Buy Me A Ticket

Looks like everything is in order for me to go to Atlanta at the end of the month. Just got my travel itinerary and it includes a rental car (: I hope it's another G6 like I had when I went to Frito-Lay ^_^

I'll be interviewing with at least 3 different people and taking a plant tour of the facility in ATL. It'll be just like How It's Made o:

I also received a super cool rubber gym floor so I can do plyo without busting my ass. It's a lot bigger than that cheapo yoga mat.

In other news, I'll be attending a LifeFlight helicopter training session tonight. I had to miss the Search and Rescue Dogs last Sunday because it rained (it's been raining for a solid week) so hopefully this one won't get cancelled and I'll be able to bring the 21ton giant in just like in Call of Duty (:

A 12 Point Week

+1
Hiring personnel in Atlanta emailed me and wants to fly my out to ATL for a couple days to interview me at the end of the month. This is the company that makes plastic milk jugs and such. I might have a good chance since this most likely is not a spot that is being mass recruited AFAIK.

Which brings me too...

-1
The water treatment place called and said they had filled the position. I was rather bummed because it seemed like a cool job. They did post the job on the Career Center and the guys interviewing said they were looking at 10 people to fill 1 spot. The odds are pretty slim.

+/-0
When I went to the training session for the fire department I wasn't issued any gear. Rather sad, but they are probably looking for jumbo sized boots. I was able to get familiar with the SCBAs they use (Survive Air). I did get issued a number, 428, so it was a win/lose.

+2
The Assistant Chief said he would call me if they needed some manpower until I got my complete gear, and he did call me yesterday for a car fire (glad to know they didn't forget about me). However, I was unable to respond because I was on my way to Meridian for a DEP call.

This brings me to...

+10
The physical activity we did on this particular day was a mock PT test - sit ups, push ups, run. I was able to do about 35 sit ups and push ups each in a minute, and then we moved to the 1.25 mile run.

This particular course was rough, steep inclines/declines, balls hot, and I hadn't slept all night, literally just up drinking till 6am then watching tv/xbox until it was time to go.

When we started I wasn't feeling to strong because my legs were sore from P90X, but I didn't want to be dead last so I pushed. After a while of pushing, I noticed several people walking after the first hill about 500 feet in. As I slowed to a horribly slow jog, I was steadily passing people. Some would get a burst and pass me, but this big guy just chugged by them again.

It turns out we all stopped at the wrong area, so it was more like 1 mile. My time was 11 flat. I then noticed that I finished about 15th of 30. It's nice motivation to see that all this hard work I'm putting in is paying off so I can beat the skinnies at running. That's why this accomplishment deserves 10 points.

I thought this was a sales job?

Today I took my trip to Hattiesburg to meet with the water treatment people. The interview was cool. The tone was more of me doing the talking and asking questions and the interviewers would answer back. It was cool to just talk about what I've done and what I enjoy doing.

They did have a couple "technical questions". The first was "what is 4/5 of 4/5 in decimal?" and the second dealt with "how many 55 gal drums full of water would it take to fill this room?". They caught me by surprise, but I was able to get them right.

The more we talked the more I found out that this isn't exactly the "sales job" I expected. It's more of a field engineer position. I'll be going around to clients' plants and evaluating how they treat boiler, cooling tower, and waste streams. Even going as far as designing a delivery system if needed.

Lots of travel and even the possibility of working under licensed PEs stand before me. All I need is the callback for a second interview and then rock that.

In other news, I passed my P90X fitness test so I shouldn't die doing the workouts. I'll start the program Sunday with a weight of 255 and 25% body fat. Time to Bring It!

It's A Double Rainbow!! All The Way!!

Yeah I had a Double Rainbow Moment today. First was my phone interview that went stellar. Since I already chatted with the VP on the plane, I didn't have to sit through the boring stuff and we cut right to the chase of what my job would entail.

It looks like I'll be wearing a mechanical engineer pin on my hat since I'll be working with chillers, air compressors, and cooling towers. Still withing the realm of chem e's as far as heat transfer goes so I'm not worried. The interviewer assured me that most of the hard work is done by the vendors anyway (how true!). He also wants me to get on a huge water treatment project. Sweet action.

The call ended with an invite for a face to face interview in Atlanta. WIN

Speaking of water treatment, the water treatment company guy called me and confirmed that we'll meet at the Hampton in Hattiesburg for a sit down interview tomorrow. I was hoping for a restaurant for noms, but it's all good.

In true Double Rainbow fashion, it was almost a Triple Rainbow! My recruiter texted me to see how I was coming along with my physical requirements. Nice to know he hasn't forgotten about me (:

In other grown up learnings, I found out that the clubs in the casinos are very picky of what you wear. I got denied at the Hard Rock Roadhouse VIP last week because I didn't have a collared shirt, and hit a stop sign at Coast in the Beau because I wore shorts.

They may be the "unfortunate plaid" shorts, but I think they are stylish. Better than all that Affliction crap the jooseheads in Starkville would wear. Oh wait, they do it here, too. /:

Even though I was separated from my friends due to my blatant disregard for proper attire that was required for getting wasted on ladies night, I let the magic of the Double Rainbow work for me and hit up the video poker. During which I consumed many a cocktail while playing my $5 and hitting straights and flushes repeatedly.

Nothing like cashing out with what you put in and just being out what you tipped the bartender. Thanks Double Rainbow! You're so beautiful!!

In case you don't know wtf my obsession is with rainbows, watch this video. It will change your life. Full on.

I can has update?

I woke today with three things on my mind. I was hungry, I wanted to do something outside, and I had an email asking if I wanted an interview from the guy I talked to on the plane.

Given that I had a blackberry, I responded to the interview question first. I snagged myself a phone interview tomorrow morning at 9am. w00t!!

I also made myself useful and weed whacked around the yard for spots I couldn't get with the lawnmower. I hope I didn't mow any "flowers" down /:

I also had a delicious breakfast of eggs and English Muffins so I could cover all my immediate needs this morning.

My mom would probably appreciate if I did the dishes. However, my parents didn't install a dishwasher because my mom prefers to do them by hand. I think I'll play some FFX instead (:

MSU Career Center to the rescue!!

Looks like the tip I got from my buds at the career center was a good one! I just got of the phone with a dude over at the water chemical company that wants a salesman. Got me an interview slated for next Friday. He decided to come to Hattiesburg and meet me along with some other candidates there so we all don't have to drive as far. Hopefully it'll be at a restaurant so I can get some free noms!

Very excited about this one. It's in Brookhaven so it isn't to far from the coast or Jackson. It'll give me something to do until I make weight for the Navy (;

Up in the air

While on my flight from ATL to MEM I happened to sit next to a business man. He simply asked me if I was heading home and I said "almost, gonna catch a flight in Memphis to Starkville". We then started talking about Mississippi State, what I did in Jacksonville, where I've been looking for jobs and how I've been looking.

Then he starts talking about *his* company and positions he has open. As we are talking I'm wondering if this dude is thinking about offering me a job and if this is like a mini-interview. About halfway in the flight, he hands me his business card and starts telling me about the hiring process. A quick glance at his card reveals he is the VP of Manufacturing. Sweet!!

It turns out he works for a company that makes plastic bottles like milk jugs, and they need some chem e's to be "utilities engineers". From what I gathered, my job would be to go around to the different plants and fix things or install new things. Not bad, I love traveling!

Well after I shot off the email Monday and didn't hear anything back except an auto generated "bounce" notification. After double checking the email, I had it wrong ): After resending it, I still heard nothing. When I went to check, it turns out I never clicked the "send" button. WTF?!

So going for the 3rd time I definitely send it and 15 min later he replies and says he's already chatted to the Hiring Manager about me and he'll forward my resume to him. COOL!!

In other news, I emailed my Navy recruiter my measurements this month and I'm at 25% blubber. Only 3% away from the 22% limit. Then it'll be off to MEPS to do the duckwalk (:

Almost caught up now...

So we are almost caught up with recent events, and there's a few new things to report.

The biggest problem I have with being unemployed isn't the lack of money, it's the lack of self worth. I feel like a burden on society because I'm not contributing anything. I'm not making sure that the paper mill is able to supply everyone with rolls of copy paper. I'm not even making sure everyone's fries are piping hot and pizzas are delivered in 30 min or less. I'm just sitting around, washing my car, and plastering my resume at everyone.

However, just when I'm about to take a bite out of my shit sandwich, something nice pops up. This time it comes in the form of Saucier Fire Rescue.

This small group of volunteers service the north central area of Harrison county, including the "metropolitan" area of Saucier and residential Success.

Last night was the monthly meeting, and my first impression walking in was that of a backyard BBQ. There were kids running around, fire fighters' wives hanging out, the place was crazy! I spoke with the Chief and handed him my papers and then the meeting got started. Once Chief took his seat, it was all official with "old business" and "new business" and so on.

Afterwards, we had a brief send off ceremony for one of the guys (who happens to live next door to me) and he requested that everyone take a picture in front of the pumper. As everyone was filing into the bay, one guy told me to "come on and get in, you're one of us, too".

That single phrase right there is what the fire service is all about, the comradery amongst brothers (and sisters in this case). Even though it was my first meeting they considered me one of their own. It was then when I felt the time had come to start contributing again.

Later on in the meeting, I hung out with the Chief and Assistant Chief as they gave me copies of their SOGs and brought me up to speed on how they do things. I also got fitted for turnouts and will probably have my own set and a radio by the end of the week.

Speaking of everyone gets a radio (which is awesome!), the spouses are also fire fighters for the dept, called "support units". They are trained to drive tankers for watter shuttle operations and change/fill bottles on scene. Totally awesome!

I also can't forget that when you get a bunch of guys together, shenanigans will result. It turned out to be someone's birthday so he was handcuffed to the back of a truck and whipped. Too funny!!

All in all, it was good to meet my new crew and I'm excited they are pushing to have me on the dept quickly. I'm ready to do what I can to assist the community. It will definitely give me a chance to contribute to the greater good.

As far as the job hunt goes, I checked out Dave's Chevron, one of two stop n robs close to me. The manager said she didn't need any help, but would gladly take my application. I'll drop it by just to see what happens.

I also was able to post my resume to some water treatment company looking for a salesman. Maybe selling pool chemicals won't be too bad?

Lastly, I was able to get an email through to a VP of Manufacturing I met on the plane ride after my VIP trip for the Navy. The complete story on that will have to wait until later (:

A Brief History of Recent Events

As with all new blogs, the first post can be lengthy. There's just so much I want to share, but no one wants to be hit with my life story all at once. So for your reading pleasure, I've saved it for post 2.

As this blog will focus mostly on my job hunt, I'll start out with how it's been going. It's been about 50/50. While I was in school I had lots of actual interviews through the Career Center. Even several 2nd interviews and plant tours. None worked out, but it was nice to actually be able to have a solid chance to have an interview. Unlike just posting your resume or filling out applications from some online source like indeed.com. They really don't even have the merit to send you a Dear John letter.

As far as my fire service goes, Gautier City Fire was a good prospect. During the interview, the Chief basically told me I had the job. I started to worry when they didn't call, and when the letter showed up, it sealed my fate. I am, however, still in the system for the next fire fighter they want to hire. That could be 6 months from now, and I plan on being long gone by then.

Long gone you say? Where am I going? Well, the Navy of course!!

Back when my last semester started, I got a tip that the Navy would take engineers to be Nuclear Officers (or NUPOCs) to run the reactors on subs and carriers. I figured this could be a backup in case I didn't get a job. Little did I know how awesome this job really is.

I also had no idea how lengthy the process is. Application here, huge security form there, references from ALL my employers for the last 3 years, etc. To top it off, I'm in a long list of other people who haven't gotten jobs and want to join as a NUPOC.

The most recent thing to happen as far as jobs go would be the VIP trip for prospective NUPOCs. The Navy flew me down the Jacksonville, FL for a few days and took me on a tour of the training facility and an SSBN Ohio Class submarine. It was epic.

So now it appears that the only thing holding me back is the weight requirement. I'm not worried about dropping my waist since I'm not afraid of going outside and I have coordination. After I get withing range, it's off to MEPS and then hopefully I will qualify for an Interview in DC. If I'm accepted, it's 15 large in my pocket and E-6 salary until I go to OCS. Also, all my problems will disappear, since most of them are financial.

There you have it. The short tale of a kid who wanted to be a monster truck driver when he grew up, and then an engineer so he went to college. Now he wants to be a fire fighter or a naval officer. Crazy how things change when you grow up.

Greetings All!

Hello! My name is Chols and I'm 24. I graduated from Mississippi State University in May 2010 with a Bachelor's of Science in Chemical Engineering. It has been my greatest accomplishment that took 6 years for me to do. All of this was done to ensure that I would have a future and be financially secure (read: make bank).

I did everything that I was told to do. I went to college. I was told that an engineering degree would suit my talents in math and science. I was even prodded into the chemical field because chem e's, on average, make the most starting out of college.

While in college, I even did the highly recommended co-op program, because graduating with experience could give me the edge I needed to snag that full time position (and make bank while in school).

As my Senior Year progressed, I went head-to-head with the Engineering Judge, Jury, and Executioner. That would be, the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (or FE). Now that I had passed the hardest test I would ever take, I was able to tack on Engineering Intern, or EI, to the list of accomplishments on my resume and finally be recognized (as far as the State of Mississippi is concerned) as a bona fide Chemical Engineer.

Alas, graduation came and went. My friends who had jobs, moved away. The ones who didn't, decided to hide out in grad school and pursue Master's in Business degrees, while others went for the gold and are working towards Masters in their respective engineering fields.

I decided that since I had neither a job to go to, nor the desire to keep going to school, I would jump on funemployment and ride out my time in Starkvegas until my apt lease was up.

So after a summer of goofing off, it has come to D-Day, H-Hour. I have done the unthinkable act - albeit very common now - of moving back in with my old roommates from high school, the parents.While home cooking, satellite TV, and unemployment checks ease the pain, they only address the symptoms, not the disease.

I have been afflicted with Start a New Life-itus, which is Latin for "get out on your own for good". I have decided to pool my options into a category called: Things I'm Good At. These options include 1) engineering and 2) fire fighting. Yes, during my time at school I took on the task of protecting my neighbor as a volunteer fire fighter.

So as this blog continues, I invite you to be along for the ride. The wild and crazy roller coaster of job hunting. It all starts scary as you make your way up the hill to the interview, but soon you will be filled with everlasting hope as companies tell you how great you are and how much they can use you. Then after a few loops, while your stomach is churning, the tell tale letter arrives. Either a "We are please to offer you the position of...", or a "Although your qualifications and experience are impressive...".

Don't forget that every roller coast does end, and you even get to see a picture of yourself at the beginning. Before you were jaded from the whole process of getting a big career opportunity you're smiling and carefree. I plan on ending this roller coaster, and when I do I won't mind paying the overpriced amount to take that picture home with me. That way I will remember how much fun it was to learn how to live with grown ups.