Got the job! ... now, which one do i want?

[chief116]

ive already been climbing for 5 years. i know all the technical stuff, isa regulations as well as ansi crap. the biggest difference between their technique and mine is the speed... and theirs is far more basic. they dont bother with ascenders or throwlines cause most of what they do is removals and if they have to prune them, they use a bucket truck. they would be sending me up trees part-time to get me up to speed but wouldnt put me in the trees full-time until i was able to work at a fast pace safely... which i seriously doubt will take me any longer than 6 months.

Its ANSI regulations and ISA crap by the way.

Congrats on the pending nuptials and fatherhood.

Stay humble, you say you are but your posts tell me differently. Don't stop learning, their basic way might come in handy sometime.

 

[climb4fun]

i had the working interview with the other company. first gig was a giant black hawthorn removal. i told the fella i had never operated a bucket and he was more than happy to dissect that hawthorn. it was a tangled up mess with countless barbs that wanted to rip me apart lol. this companies equipment was immaculate. bigger chippers (with wenches), clean good looking trucks and all of their equipment was well maintained. for that company i had applied for a groundsmen position but i guess they had seen my pictures on facebook and wanted me to climb so when we got to the second job site i was stoked to see that it was a big leaf maple. it had a massive crown but needed to be pruned pretty bad. i had told that fella that morning that i wouldnt be ready to climb for awhile so i dont think he was expecting much out of me but as soon as i got a look at what we were doing it was like being a kid in a candy shop. this tree was perfect for climbing. nice tall tips to set my anchor and redirects in and a really broad crown to span out into. i recall at one point (probably sounding like a weirdo) saying, "this is the funnest interview ive ever had!" hahaha! yeah... he undoubtedly thought i was strange. paid holidays, paid vacation, insurance, overtime, optional fridays and optional emergency calls on weekends. this company clearly cares about their employees. i will being doing a fare share of praying for this job and hoping its what the lord wants for me!

 

[joezilla11]

Congrats on the interview! Sounds like a solid company I hope u get it! And don't sell yourself short, u may not have experience with a company but uve still been climbing for 5 years and u know your abilities. Sounds like it went well keep us posted!

 

[climb4fun]

Its ANSI regulations and ISA crap by the way.

Congrats on the pending nuptials and fatherhood.

Stay humble, you say you are but your posts tell me differently. Don't stop learning, their basic way might come in handy sometime.

sometimes the internet makes it hard to express what you really want to say. i think that what your observing as lacking humbleness was me expressing my frustration. i put a lot of time and effort into developing a solid, well rounded technique based on what i had observed to be the current standard within the industry. the idea that i spent so much time working toward that standard and to find that they only had interest in some of the more basic operations (although those techniques are an absolute necessity) was a real let-down. when i had first gotten started i was strictly spike and flip. i did that for a few years (at home, mind you) until i learned that you shouldnt be doing that unless its a removal. i was a bit rusty when the first company told me to spike up a tree and i didnt do very well (very frustrating). thats why i was saying it would only take me about 6 months. not so much that i needed to learn to climb, more like, i needed to refresh what i had already learned and pick up any extra tricks that they use. i have no doubt that there are a million things i dont know and im more than happy to learn. on the flip side, i know that its the nature of people who do this for a living to underestimate what a person can learn on their own. the hobbyist has the luxury of countless hours -without pressure- to experiment with new things. im not an expert climber in any way but i am damn good at it. thats confidence, not arrogance.

 

[climb4fun]

i got the job with the upper end company! just got the call and just accepted the job life is good

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Rock on! Glad you got the one you wanted. Just keep your head down and your chin up, and remember production climbing is a whole nother ballgame. Every tree co owner I've known has said he wants a good safe climber and he's lied. All they want is speed. Just stick to your guns, be safe, and maybe you'll show em a trick or two.

 

[joezilla11]

You have a good foundation for your family now congrats!

 

[chief116]

sometimes the internet makes it hard to express what you really want to say. i think that what your observing as lacking humbleness was me expressing my frustration. i put a lot of time and effort into developing a solid, well rounded technique based on what i had observed to be the current standard within the industry. the idea that i spent so much time working toward that standard and to find that they only had interest in some of the more basic operations (although those techniques are an absolute necessity) was a real let-down. when i had first gotten started i was strictly spike and flip. i did that for a few years (at home, mind you) until i learned that you shouldnt be doing that unless its a removal. i was a bit rusty when the first company told me to spike up a tree and i didnt do very well (very frustrating). thats why i was saying it would only take me about 6 months. not so much that i needed to learn to climb, more like, i needed to refresh what i had already learned and pick up any extra tricks that they use. i have no doubt that there are a million things i dont know and im more than happy to learn. on the flip side, i know that its the nature of people who do this for a living to underestimate what a person can learn on their own. the hobbyist has the luxury of countless hours -without pressure- to experiment with new things. im not an expert climber in any way but i am damn good at it. thats confidence, not arrogance.

Its a fine line between confidence and arrogance.


I'm not here to bust your balls. Most guys on this site, and probably most people at any job, have seen guys come and go that talk a big game. I've been that guy more than once myself. Don't start off telling your new boss how great a climber you'll be in 6 months, work your ass off and do it in 3. Realize that you aren't going to be able to pull off the same tricks as a guy who's been climbing every day for the 5 years you were experimenting. Keep learning, stay safe and go home to the wife and kid every night.

 

[StrataTree]

Hey congrats on the job!! sounds like you got with a good company, havin winches is so great! I love em! Saves us time and energy every day. You can tell a lot by the condition of the equipment. Nice and clean is a good sign. Like JollyLogger said though, most bosses say they are all about safety, very few are... My boss is always tryin to get me to take shortcuts, he rarely succeeds. When I'm in the tree I make the call based on what I know is right and my comfort level. Just today he was tryin to get me to take a 35' top out with only a flipline for a tie in, I ignored him and choked the spar with my climb line...took an extra 90 seconds, maybe! But made me feel better and besides, I know it's the right thing to do. When I put that top EXACTLY where he wanted it I knew that takin that extra minute and a half allowed me to focus on what I needed to do and not how sketchy what I was being asked to do really was.:chatter:

Have fun with the new family!!! You got a great job to go with it!:msp_biggrin: