Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-In-One Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside the Cubicle (31 page)

Chapter 8
Moving Up in the Blue-Collar World

W
hen Veronica Rose joined the electrical union in 1978 she had no idea she would one day open her own commercial and industrial electrical company on Long Island. But she tells people who are anxious to run a business and be their own boss that these things take time. Rose worked in the industry for ten years before she even thought about opening her own shop, which she ultimately did in 1993. Looking back, she says she’s glad she waited until she was ready and had the experience before going out on her own.

You have to have clients, you must build a reputation, and you have to have some financial padding to get started. I know we all want instant gratification. Most of us don’t want to be told to wait our turn. And yes, it’s important to reach for the stars. But you have to be responsible and you have to have a plan. Just because you don’t own a business after your third year of working for a plumbing company doesn’tmean there is something wrong. If this is a goal of yours, you have to work toward it. Set small goals to get to your larger goals and figure out exactly what you need—the capital, the skills, and the clients—before you can go out on your own. If you start your business too soon and without enough planning, and especially without enough expertise, you can count on having a rough time.

So what happens after you land your first job or have that license you were working toward? Now what? Are you already thinking about advancement? Do you want to be your own boss? Are you really prepared for that? You don’t have to accept the weekly paycheck for life if you have other ideas in your head. If you want to run the show or simply branch out on your own, that’s a great thing. But making the leap too soon and without preparation can be disastrous. Likewise, staying in the same job for too long can be frustrating and even unproductive. It’s all about finding the right balance.

“The fine line is working for someone and working toward funding your own business, ” says Blair Glenn, the arborist from California. He long wanted to run his own business but knew that spending many years working for an expert would ultimately benefit him immensely. Glenn says a business background can be helpful, and taking a few business courses is something he recommends, though he adds that you certainly don’t need a degree in business to be a success.

If you’re working through a union, the promotions, pay increases, and job title changes are often clearly defined through specific guidelines. If you’re working at a smaller company, it may be worth it to sit down with your boss and talk about yourmutual goals and ideas about growth. Maybe they only have room for one manager and you want to be in that position. Perhaps you’ve already figured out that you are going to train with one company and then move to the next. Even if you never own your own business, you want to have a sense of your goals, where you want to go, and how you plan to climb the ladder. Thinking ahead is important, but so is gaining experience and learning your trade inside and out.

We should always be challenging ourselves, wanting more, growing and learning. If you want to master skills and need additional certificates, figure out how much it will cost and how you’re going to pay for the extra credentials. Maybe your employer would be willing to share or even cover the expense of more training, since ultimately your advanced skills will benefit your boss. Be prepared to talk to your employer about bonuses, benefits, or profit sharing. Some companies— especially some of the green ones—are offering profit sharing. And know your limits. If you’ve been on the job for three weeks, that’s not a good time to ask for a promotion. Learn your job, master your craft, and think about how you can grow.

Maybe you’re not looking to start a business because that’s simply not what you’re after. Many people don’t want that hassle and know they would not enjoy it. Others aren’t cut out to manage a company and would prefer to grow from within a business owned by someone else. Growing from within is another incredibly exciting and lucrative way of getting to the top of the ladder. But you still need goals and you’re probably going to need training, especially if you are hoping to advance. You just have to decide which steps are required to get you where you want to go. Then, focus on how you can do the job 110 percent better than the next guy. How do you plan to get recognized? Do you want to demonstrate that you are loyal and dependable, as well as a master at the trade? Adopting these traits early on will pay off in a big way down the road.

As you gain experience and learn a trade, you’ll want to get noticed and recognized by your boss or supervisor. You don’t have to be pushy about it, but letting the boss know that you’re excelling or a top-notch worker is a good thing. A few tips for doing so:

1.
Stay upbeat
. You don’t need to complain or gripe just because you weren’t recognized or thanked. Sometimes supervisors really aren’t aware of the nitty-gritty that you’re doing. Work isn’t supposed to be fun or perfect every single day, so don’t complain if things don’t go your way on occasion.

2.
Keep a list
. It’s a good idea to jot down your accomplishments from week to week so that you can keep track of what you’ve achieved, problems you’ve solved, a crisis that was averted, or a compliment received from a customer.

3.
Talk to your boss
. Set up a time to meet with your boss or supervisor on a regular basis or ask that you be given a review every six months. Show that you want feedback and that you want the opportunity to talk about your own successes.

Do You Need a Resume?

Not everyone expects to see a resume when interviewing or hiring. But a resume is a chance for you to make a great first impression. You don’t have to have graduated from college to have one, and you don’t need to have had ten amazing jobs either. It’s just an opportunity to put onto paper all the things you want to be able to tell a potential employer. Although resumes are thought of as something more often used in the white-collar world, they are becoming more necessary for blue-collar jobs. The more skilled and advanced the job is, the better off you are if you have a resume.

As resume writing expert Steven Provenzano says, it’s a great piece of paper for everyone to have since a resume should ultimately list all of your accomplishments and skills. Provenzano—who has written six books about job hunting and resume writing and one on blue-collar resumes—says a resume allows you to spit out all of the information you want to share and hand it to a potential employer. You can’t really expect someone to remember every last thing about you once you leave a job interview. So, that piece of paper serves as a resource for the employer. Really, it can’t hurt, and it doesn’t take long to put together a good-looking, informative resume.

“It allows you to represent yourself in the light you want, ” says Provenzano, who is in favor of each resume containing a short personal statement or objective. “Employers want to know who they are hiring.” Provenzano says a lot of people do try to get by without a resume, but as all of the industries move toward requiring more skills andmore training, the resume is going to become amore popular tool as well.

Provenzano suggests picking out key words that work for your industry.You have tomatch your resume to the job you’re applying for. If you have carpentry and masonry skills but are applying for a mason job, you want to be sure to highlight your top-notchmasonry skills and mention your carpentry ones as an extra added bonus. Be sure you know what an employer is looking for, which skills they value most, or which licenses, certificates, or experiences they are after. Provenzano says the best way to get a job—in an office or on a work site—is still through word of mouth. But a resume can help to remind a potential boss of all of your skills once you’re no longer standing there to remind him or her of your credentials.

We’ve included a sample resume format here so you can take a crack at writing your own. Your guidance counselors should be able to help you further polish your resume.
Monster.com
, the massive job board, also has an entire section devoted to building a resume that contains tons of tips and suggestions for how to make yours stand out from others. But be sure to sell yourself.You’ll see fromour sample that there is a place for you to include your job objective right at the top. You should mention your passion and your drive, and don’t be afraid to throw in your own personality. The resume doesn’t have to be a formal or stuffy thing. You want to jump off the page and stand out from the other job applicants. I’m not suggesting that you say stupid things, but let an employer know how much you want the job or what it is that makes you tick.

Sample Resume

Here is a sample resume format to get you started.

YOUR NAME HERE
Your address, telephone numbers, and e-mail go here.

JOB TITLE SOUGHT: If applying for a specific, advertised job, list it here. Otherwise, briefly note the general job you are looking for, such as heavy equipment operator.

JOB OBJECTIVE: Sell yourself here. Explain your passion, your drive, and what you are looking for in a job. This is your opportunity to grab the attention of a potential employer. Take the time to write a few sentences about yourself, mention your unique skills or interests, and outline your career goals here.

JOB ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Separately list your job experience, with a brief description of each position. Be sure to mention skills, responsibilities, or accomplishments that would be relevant to the position for which you are applying.

• Job title

• Name of organization, address, telephone number

• Dates of employment

• Accomplishments/responsibilities

EDUCATION: List education completion (starting with high school if you do not have a college degree)

• School, degree, or certificate (if applicable), dates of enrollment, major and minor (if applicable)

• Postsecondary training, completed coursework, dates of enrollment

CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES: List any you have, including dates received.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS: List any skills that were not covered above, such as mastery of carpentry, excellent interpersonal skills, or computer proficiency.

AWARDS/HONORS: If you have them, don’t be shy about sharing.

REFERENCES: If you wish to include these, list three professional references. Teachers are a great option, but always check with the individuals before you list their names.

Going Out on Your Own?

If you’re really ready to open your own shop and run your own business, you’ll see that there are many things to think about first. There are also a ton of books and online resources worth checking out that are focused on starting new businesses. Even if you’re not there yet, it’s a good idea to keep these in mind as you think about your plans for the future. Some of these may seem daunting, but as you move up, gain experience, earn money, and master skills, many of these elements will be much less intimidating and may even seem exciting.

1.
Build experience
. This is what you need to sustain your business. You’ve got to know what you’re doing, and you have to know your trade or craft inside and out.

2.
Build a team
. You have to know who is working for you, and you have to know how to recruit and hire the people you want on your team. Their personalities and attitudes need to be compatible with yours, so decide what skills you are looking for.

3.
Business plan
. I can’t stress this enough. If you don’t have a business plan, you’re more likely to fail. This will help set goals, track income, monitor expenses, and predict where you are going. It will help down the road to determine whether it’s the right time to expand your business or cut back in certain areas.

4.
Money, money, money
. Having money to start your business is crucial, having income is crucial, and having enough to cover your salaries, expenses, equipment, licenses, rentals, and leases is of utmost importance. Don’t go out on your own until you know the money is there.

5.
Marketing
. Have you thought about how you will be marketing your company? Maybe you’ll sponsor a local event or participate in a sports tournament. Will you give a free demonstration or workshop at the local high school? This is all marketing.

6.
Licenses and permits
. Depending on your trade, you may need a lot of these permits or only a few. Find out what you need so that you know how much you have to spend and so that you understand the application process. Be sure you know how many licenses you need so you don’t run into trouble down the road.

7.
Equipment
. Are you planning to lease, rent, or buy your equipment? You have to be sure you have what you need, and youmust have a plan for repairing andmaintaining your equipment.Once a customer, big or small, hires you, you have to be able to deliver your service, so be sure to have the necessary tools and equipment.

8.
Location
.Have you decided whether you need a prominent location to set up shop or just a large location to store equipment? Think about demand and where in the country or in your state or even your county the need is the greatest. You should place yourself strategically so as to get the most out of your operation. Naturally, locations cost money, too, whether you’re renting or buying, so keep this in mind.