~Toughbooktalk~

So lately i've been beating my self up on my career. I'm a 30 year old mechanic, Ive been in the same bay at the same shop for 10 years. My company takes care of me more so than anyone other dealership ever has, so no complaints on that side. I do almost as i please. I deal with customers, both at the shop, at there place when they have questions/concerns. But i have worked my self into a little comfy spot where i will probably be the rest of my life. But i have to face it. I have a bad back that i was told 6years ago i will be lucky if i can make it to 40 and not have some disks fused.

That spurs the next thing thats weighing on me. Ive had job offers for city, etc, etc. Places the pay wouldn't equal what i am doing now, but they have the benefits and in 20 years i could retire with benefits. The insurance cost savings alone would be a big thing(almost equal the pay cut). But then i would be expendable if downsides etc. I don't know why but its been eating at me lately when my backs killing me and locked up and i cant pick up my kids, or it hinders day to day life.

Any one else have these days? I dont know why but its killing me how its eating away at me. Probably doesnt help my wifes so caught up in her work now running/managing a cafe and the church stuff so she is pre-occupied....



Sorry to ramble just need to vent

I understand.

Vent away mate, that's what we are here for.

"If anybody tells you to "man up", hit 'em in the throat". (quote from ninja friend of mine)

My heart doesn’t allow me not to reply to this.

Hey bud,

I understand what you’re going through myself. I’m 30 myself and almost due with my 2nd kid as well. I usually vent to good ol’ Jeff (Sheepman) here as he is one of the wisest person on this forum. He’s a personal friend of mine as well. Anything I offer Jeff, he has me beat.

Short and simple: I was stuck in the same rut for over 8 years myself at my old company. I had it made, I could do what I wanted to do and ran the show. For a 25 year old punk (And again, Jeff can confirm this), I had my shit together and made a LOT of money. I had a nice car and everything and was living on my own by 24. I was on cloud 9 to say the least. As age grew on me I realized that I backed myself into the corner with no room for expansion and I capped out that company as far as pay was concerned. Anyone that knows me, KNOWS I’m not a very religious person but something one day changed and I feel like I had a calling. Rugged Depot happened and now I’ve more than doubled my career as a whole.

Short and simple: I was scared as hell dude. I had NO CLUE what the **** I was doing. I mean I knew I had my act together (as it sounds like you do too) but I had Z-E-R-O, ZERO, ZERO clarity for about a year as to my future with my then new wife with my career. I knew I wanted to sell Toughbooks and run the show. Simple right? Of course not. Back then I was the big fish in the SMALL Sea. For my leap of faith, I worked through it day in and day out proving my rights and defending my grounds AGAIN after “I already did all that BS”. Of course I had an in because it’s not WHAT YOU KNOW, IT’S WHO YOU KNOW, but I still had to start at the bottom AGAIN regardless!

As a whole I paved myself a foundation that NOTHING could break. NOTHING man… not even a jackhammer could break my foundation, I’ll be damned. From what I read it sounds like YOU TOO have created such a foundation. I lost $11,000 the first year I made that move with naivety in my people skills relearning what I thought I already had mastered. I re-learned what I thought I was an expert on by people that were smarter than myself. It has taken me 5 years of pure HELL WITH NO SLEEP but THROUGH IT ALL I rose to the top AGAIN and am now a BIG FISH IN A BIG SEA. I try to be humble and I TRY not to toot my own horn but I am proof that it’s possible. I have learned to listen more (Thanks again Jeff and the owner of Rugged Depot), I have learned to put myself in other shoes and most importantly I have learned to SHUT UP (LOL, sales things). I am still not 100% by ANY MEANS and it will take another decade to be even CLOSE to “perfect” (Whatever that is) at this but I can assure you the following things that are FACTS in my life:

1) Trust your gut. E-N-D O-F S-T-O-R-Y. Your gut will NEVER LEAD YOU WRONG. If you have a feeling or a calling for CHANGE, DO IT!! Your stomach will be in knots and you might even heave over it but in the end your gut will prevail.
2) Keep your foundation. I approached my HIGHLY successful childhood next-door neighbor and asked him how he became a multi-millionaire and highly successful and you know what he told me? NEVER DEVIATE FROM WHAT YOU KNOW BEST! ONLY BUILD UPON IT!!! YOU CAN BE THE JACK OF ALL TRAITS BUT THE MASTER OF N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Don’t do that! KEEP YOUR FOUNDATION.
3) Take 2 steps back if your GUT IS TELLING YOU that will then take 10 steps forward!
4) Keep your ROOTS (Employer, co-workers, employees, etc…) close to you as GOOD relationships COULD change for the worse if you don’t.
5) It’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know!

Furthermore,

We have a GREAT group of people here. A support system that, up until now, is un-stoppable... Please, P-L-E-A-S-E lean on it. IT'S THE ONLY REASON THIS WEBSITE EVEN EXISTS!!! (All other regulars will back me up here!!!!) Without our team of people this wouldn't happen. There is a reason my cell phone number is on the title of this website. I welcome everyone to call me about ANYTHING! If you ask for numbers from others as well you WILL get them if you need someone to talk to.

Thanks guys!

I know the feeling as well. I was up and moving till the sump hit the oil field. Had to drop back to roughnecking from crane operating and mechanic just to keep a job. Hit 40 in Sept. It sucks to be back to swinging the sledge hammer again daily and tripping pipe again.

Ok, let me get that straight.

Mxx20 wrote:[...]I'm a 30 year old mechanic, [...] have worked my self into a little comfy spot where i will probably be the rest of my life. But i have to face it. I have a bad back that i was told 6years ago i will be lucky if i can make it to 40 and not have some disks fused.[...]
Ive had job offers for city, etc, etc [...] i would be expendable if downsides etc. I don't know why but its been eating at me lately when my backs killing me and locked up and i cant pick up my kids, or it hinders day to day life.

So you're in a comfortable spot right now, but there is pressure to change things on one side and fear of failure on the other side.

Option A: business as usual = known disaster, as it will eventually result in failure due to health time bomb.
Option B: changing things up = uncertainty ... could be a disaster, aka same result as Option A ... or could be better

Option B seems to be the only one with possibility for long-term success.
Is it possible to pivot to some kind of managerial/sales/mentoring/hands-off position at your current firm or at a competitor?
Maybe consider a junior position, even if it comes with a paycut for the first 12-18 months? doctors bills are expensive too ;-)
you already know all the tech stuff, so you have a head start for promotions...

Thanks guys, ive tried moving to other positions in my company, told managers, gm's, directors and its the same thing... we will get you training and get you somewhere. Its been about 4 years aince the first tine they said it and its the same thing now with diffent people. Dont get me wrong theybtreat me great but looking at the future, i want something more, well i dont knknow if its a want or more of a need, but something is calling me else where. Its just the else where is what i havent found yet. So manythings so many thoughts.

Rob- sounds like company wise we were in a similar situation, but you fallowed your gut, im trying to find which way mines going lol

So yes karl option b does sound better...

Many times you will never get a promotion/position change in the current company. You may need to change companies. Current companies can tend to pigeon hole you and they end up hiring from the outside for the positions you want and are capable of. I have seen it many times.
Or you are too good at what you currently do and they don't want to lose that.

For my brother, he had to go through the entire ordeal of getting the other job and when he told the current dealership, THEN they promoted him to the better position. They would not make a change until he backed them into a corner. Eventually he ended up leaving there anyway. Cadillac seems to treat employees better than Ford.... around here anyway. Your mileage may vary....

but they have the benefits and in 20 years i could retire with benefits. The insurance cost savings alone would be a big thing(almost equal the pay cut)

That sounds like a win win to me . When i was 25 I was offered a government job but turned it down because I was young and foolish. Now I am 58 and my friend just retired from the same job and now he is getting a little more than me but I am still working my ass off every day. Do I every kick myself for not taking that job now....YES

But for me for things like this past week, go to columbia and do a skills challenge for thr trucking association, cash prices and if you win its a trip, cash and compete at the tmc super tech challenge....