So I show up to what I thought was my job tonight.

[Kilroy08]

I finally got to escape my dead end job and get in at a place I was working hard to get in the door at.

I'm a machinist with tons of manual experience, but minimal CNC time. Old job hired me as a machinist, but refused to let me do anything but general labor. I sandblasted and swept floors. It was immensely frustrating to say the least.

So I get a call from a staffing company telling me about a place nearby. After a couple of interviews, I get the job. It's a CNC position, I explained I had minimal experience, but wanted to learn, and they were fine with that.

So I start on 3rd shift, and it's a real chore to stay awake. I try to pay attention and learn how to run the machine. I talk to people to try and better understand stuff. I get up and walk around to avoid falling asleep on my feet. The guy training me isn't that good at training.

Well, Friday afternoon I get a call from the staffing company asking if everything is ok. I think things are great, I'm getting used to third shift. They say there's a problem with me and they are emailing the client for clarification.

No word at all through the weekend, I leave the house to start my shift, and when I get there the bosses are waiting for me.....
They asked if the staffing company had contacted me. I got a mystery phone call Friday and they said they would get back to me, but nothing else. Turns out after 3 days on the job, I'm not working out. I'm not catching on to things fast enough, I spend too much time talking to people, and I keep walking away from the machine. I try to offer a calm rebuttal, but to no effect. My services are no longer required.

So, I loaded up my tool box and left quietly. I figured any resistance on my part would probably result in me being escorted out and I didn't want that.

I'm at a total loss here. I'm trying to advance my career, but it seems like I'm continually going backwards.

 

[cb91710]

That sucks.
I've been there three times.
Once for similar reasons as yours (the job really was not a good fit for me anyways), the other two due to cutbacks.

Going from 1st to 3rd shift can be tough, but you need to adjust your sleep schedule so you can stay awake.
One of the bigger mistakes people make (myself included), is to get home from work and immediately go to bed.
That gets you up "early" and you are heading TO work at, for what a 1st shift person, is 5:00. You are heading to work at the end of your day.
Instead, when you get home from work, stay up. Shopping, chores, work on the car, etc... Go to bed at 4, get up at 11 and go to work.

Hold the same schedule on the weekends. As hard as it can be, changing your sleep schedule on the weekends is a killer, and it'll take you half a week to adjust every week. That screws with your metabolism and your health, as well as making the first 2 days at work non-productive.

 

[one2mny]

I have worked 3rd shift for last 7 years and IMHO you never get used to the schedule, your body never gets enough restful sleep, and yes, your heath definately suffers. Sorry that you got screwed over. Maybe something better will come along. GOOD LUCK

 

[Chadao]

Wishing well for you.

 

[RondeB]

Best of luck. I worked nights for 5 years and it was not the easiest thing to do. New opportunities will come.

 

[PClark]

I finally got to escape my dead end job and get in at a place I was working hard to get in the door at.

I'm a machinist with tons of manual experience, but minimal CNC time. Old job hired me as a machinist, but refused to let me do anything but general labor. I sandblasted and swept floors. It was immensely frustrating to say the least.

So I get a call from a staffing company telling me about a place nearby. After a couple of interviews, I get the job. It's a CNC position, I explained I had minimal experience, but wanted to learn, and they were fine with that.

So I start on 3rd shift, and it's a real chore to stay awake. I try to pay attention and learn how to run the machine. I talk to people to try and better understand stuff. I get up and walk around to avoid falling asleep on my feet. The guy training me isn't that good at training.

Well, Friday afternoon I get a call from the staffing company asking if everything is ok. I think things are great, I'm getting used to third shift. They say there's a problem with me and they are emailing the client for clarification.

No word at all through the weekend, I leave the house to start my shift, and when I get there the bosses are waiting for me.....
They asked if the staffing company had contacted me. I got a mystery phone call Friday and they said they would get back to me, but nothing else. Turns out after 3 days on the job, I'm not working out. I'm not catching on to things fast enough, I spend too much time talking to people, and I keep walking away from the machine. I try to offer a calm rebuttal, but to no effect. My services are no longer required.

So, I loaded up my tool box and left quietly. I figured any resistance on my part would probably result in me being escorted out and I didn't want that.

I'm at a total loss here. I'm trying to advance my career, but it seems like I'm continually going backwards.

I just had almost the same thing happen a couple months ago. I was hired to run and program CNC mills, I never got to do any programming and got in trouble for trying to teach my boss how to use mastercam, then got bumped to an NC mill because they were hiring new guys to train on the CNC mills. Then I got bumped to midnight shift (oh well more money for me). Long story short after a couple of months of listening to the new guys crash machines and the company actually having to replace a machine I'm the one that ended up getting fired because "there's no room left at the company for me". Didn't help being the youngest guy working there. Best advise I can give you is find work in the CNC department of a tool and die shop, you will learn every little trick you possibly can that guys working 30 years in a production shop will never know. Good luck in the future.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I usually work graveyard (11PM to 7AM) when I bartend. Best thing to do is when you get home, stay up and do stuff. Watch a movie. Fix something. Go out and have a drink. About the middle of the afternoon, go lay down. Dark the windows and out the lights and hang a do not disturb or else sign. Set your alarm and set another one, all the way across the room so you got to get up to turn it off. You can adjust pretty quick if you put your mind to it. Main thing is to be GETTING UP fresh as a daisy like an hour before your shift, however long it takes to get to work, and LAY DOWN in time to get the required sleep before you got to get up. The first day you might lay there and not be able to fall asleep. By the third day your pillow is your best friend at 3PM. Watch your caffeine intake. Have coffee only just before, or during, the first half of your shift.

Okay, you got canned. But I bet you learned a little bit, and a similar job won't hold quite as many surprises. And job sites that are active around the clock often start the FNG (Faithful New Guy) on the graveyard because someone else who had that shift finally got off of it. So be ready to do it again.

Good luck!

 

[Cobra0369]

As a person who has have and continue to have career disappointments, listen to this please! DON'T GIVE UP. You have to press on and something worthwhile will come your way.

 

[Kilroy08]

Well, thankfully, it looks like I've got a shot at unemployment. I'm going down tomorrow to get all that taken care of.

The random panic attacks are kind of rough, but I think I'm through the worst of it now.

I sat down with my good buddy Google Maps and got a list of all the machine shops within 30 miles of where I live. I guess I'll be playing traveling salesman for a few days, passing resumes out like hot cakes.

I do have at least one lead already. I had submitted my resume to the local refinery for millwright/maintenance machinist a few months back. They called last week and asked me to come in for a test session later this month.

What's a good professional cologne to wear on interview day? I'm assuming Sex Appeal and Pierre Cardin for Him are not it. I've got British Sterling, Old Spice, English Leather regular and black, Canoe, and Navy to work with.

On the bright side, I've made a habit of paying bills as soon as possible. I've only got a couple of loose ends to cover for this month.

Before I forget my manners, thank you. The support has been very helpful.

I think a nice, relaxing shave is in order. I'm getting tired of looking like a bum.

The shave of the day will consist of Colonel Conk lime shave soap, a Gillette Slim set on 5, A Sputnik blade, and topped off with some Sex Appeal.

 

[Kooze]

What's a good professional cologne to wear on interview day? I'm assuming Sex Appeal and Pierre Cardin for Him are not it. I've got British Sterling, Old Spice, English Leather regular and black, Canoe, and Navy to work with.

I don't think wearing cologne on an interview is such a good idea. You don't want to wear anything offensive or off-putting, and I'd just avoid wearing it on your interview.

A 1st impression says a lot about you and leaves a lasting impression. Better to let your resume and skills leave an impression as opposed to a cologne that the interviewer might find offensive.

 

[DaveNJ74]

My grandfather was a machinist after WW2 and I remember him always telling us stories about this place he worked at and that place he worked at. It seemed he had 100s of jobs up until he retired. Until I got older and started working I found it odd he bounced around a lot in great paying jobs for big companies ( The GM Plant, Budweiser, etc.).
Maybe it's just that line of work which is like that. Do you have any other friends who are machinists?

 

[cottontop]

Maybe you could try a completely new career; something totally different. You could pull it off if you are young enough. If you don't have a lot of bills and responsibilities you could get the training and do it. I made a career change at the age of 38. I was in retail management and worked as a sales clerk for years. I had enough of it one day, and became a high school English teacher. It was tough, but I was dedicated and committed and I pulled it off. I recently retired at 62 after 23 years in teaching. I have no regrets.

BTW, I have a lot of respect for millwrights. My Dad was a journeyman millwright and worked for many years for Chrysler Corp. in Detroit.
ct

 

[Kilroy08]

Well, things are looking better. I'm being considered by a couple of shops, just waiting to hear what they say.

I already went from aviation to machinist, not really wanting to change careers again. Three quarters of the way through college a car accident cancelled my medical for my pilot's license and I have beaucoup student debt from my flight training.

The whole machinist thing started out as a hobby. Thankfully I had a skilled trade in reserve when I couldn't fly anymore.

 

[tinashubby]

Sorry to hear. For what its worth, try and stay away from temp agencies. We use them where I work and good temps will almost always wind up on the sort end.
Third shift can be rough, just two weeks ago after working two 12 days on day shift I did one 12 hour night, followed by one day off and then back to twelve hour days. That was a bit rough, but I'll do it again in a heartbeat. Furloughs suck.

 

[coyotewhisper]

That is sad news, wishing you the best in finding a great job.

 

[stres]

i understand your pain, i was working graveyard for three years while attending night school you never do get used to the schedule but you learn to cope. sometimes when a door closes another one opens, just keep your nose to the grindstone and stay positive it will all work out in the end. my advice to you on job hunting is this.
Treat job hunting like a job, for example i went to the local library for 8 hours a day (didn't have internet at that time) searching and filling out resume's until i found something to help pay the bills and get me by. while i was at that job i devoted at least a few hours every night to job searches until i found the career i am at now which i love. good luck to you and your travels whilst finding a new position.

 

[Kilroy08]

After, thankfully, a three week involuntary vacation, I'm finally back to the ranks of the employed.

I'm still a machinist, and doing what I do best, manual machines.

I get to do pre employment physical and drug screen tomorrow. Then it's just a matter of how fast they get paperwork done before I start.

It's union, not that I feel any particular way on that matter. Pay is what I wanted to start and goes up from there on the union rate scale for time accrued.

Now if only Unemployment will get off its butt and hurry up on determining if I will get it. Yeah, I've got enough to hold me over until I start, but in the immortal words of J.G. Wentworth, "It's my money, and I want it NOW!"

Not sure what to do for a victory shave, maybe I'll opt for a straight shave with my next hair cut.

 

[russhatch]

What's a good professional cologne to wear on interview day? I'm assuming Sex Appeal and Pierre Cardin for Him are not it. I've got British Sterling, Old Spice, English Leather regular and black, Canoe, and Navy to work with./QUOTE]

I would suggest that you do not wear any - in my office we have one employee who has asthma and reacts badly to perfumes or colognes - would be bad if you had an interview with someone like them. They just want you to be gone so they can breath again.

 

[Slash McCoy]

+1. You are not going to work for a male escort service. You are a machinist. If anything, a slap of aftershave a few hours before the interview... something classic and blue collar like Old Spice or any bay rum type. You want any scent even in a social environment to only be clearly noticeable within your personal space... about an elbow's reach away. In a professional environment, it should never attract attention at all, though it is okay if it is detectable by someone with an appreciation for such things. Overpowering people with your particular taste in fragrance is boorish and gauche. We allow the fairer sex to do this, well, mostly just because they are the fairer sex. A man should be a bit more masculine, but low key about it. Pushing your scent on others is overbearing and rude IMHO.

One thing, scent wise, that I do recommend. Shave or at least clipper the pits, and instead of scented deodorant which to me and some others simply reeks worse than BO, rub your alum block under the wings when you get out of the shower. You will be amazed at how effective the two pronged approach of de-hairing and alum are at preventing odor. Not covering it up, not removing it, but preventing it.

 

[shevek]

Maybe wait until you've settled in before wearing any scents to work. Congrats on your new job!