Graduating Student Advice

[rmitch78]

In a couple of months I will be finishing the achr program at my school. Originally I planned to be a bottom of the barrel helper as some do in the beginning, but have done very well in school since starting. Since then, I received perfect attendence, best-in-class, and nearly perfect scores which made all of my teachers reccommend me to a major commercial/industrial company in my area. My question is, i'm worried about getting talked up so much that they will expect me to know things about equipment that I wasn't exposed to and ultimately will look bad, or worse, let my instructors down with their reputation. So, is this something I should go for or stick with my original plan and work my way up. I understand these few companies are a very lucky start and what I want, I just dont want to let anyone down.
P.S. systems I would be working with are 717 and or enviro rooms which most likely require extra training for any student or residential tech making the transition.

Thanks for reading.

[hurtinhvac]

Nobody expects a recent grad to be capable of much right away. They are talking up your dedication and willingness to learn, a highly rated trait if it continues beyond school.

[dandyme]

you may want to actually speak to these prospective employers before you get yourself all worked up.

oh yea; what hurtin said, the only ones that think they are all that and then some are the graduates (and are they in for a rude awakening)

[rmitch78]

ok thank you, but i dont think Hurtinhvac meant what he/she posted as me saying i think im all that. I think he/she meant that my instructors were impressed with my qualities as a potential employee and i'm cool with that answer

[RayD8630]

Originally I planned to be a bottom of the barrel helper as some do in the beginning, but have done very well in school since starting.

Doesnt really matter how you did in pre-trade. This is how everyone starts. If what you will be working on requires extra training dig some up and read up on it.

Dont worry about letting anyone down. Its not a movie. Colleges love to toot their horns about how great they are and this and that. Its just to sell seats next year.

[mattc183]

congratulations! just keep up the hard work and continue striving for excellence you'll be fine. Dorky as it may sound try and find a mentor in the new company along with continuing your studies. There's always a answer, it's usually easy in our trade to the point you may overlook it. Dont't be afraid to ask questions, but try to think it through first. And good luck.

edit: also in your studies try to master a subject and understand it's correlation to other areas of your studies before moving on. Weird way of saying don't just look at the big picture break it into smaller manageable parts. The small things have a way of biting you in the arse.

[Cooked]

I've been around the block a few million times in the last 35 years and sometimes I feel like I don't know Jack Schitt. I just took a new job after being on my own for a decade and I feel like a rookie. The others who posted are right, don't worry so much about what you think you wont or don't know. A good manager can spots the rotten apples from the buttercups. The fact that you excelled speaks well of your motivation and aptitude. This field is so vast you can never know it all but it sounds like you've got a good start. I think the learning curve to become a top notch tech is between 5 & 10 years.

Don't sweat it too much. Remember you have 2 ears, 2 eyes and one mouth. Listen twice, look twice and speak once.

[mattc183]

awesome cooked love that you have... "listen twice, look twice, speak once"

[Cooked]

Oh yeah, forgot to add, hang out here and pay attention to guys like bmatthews, baldloonie, icemeister and a host of others. These guys know their stuff. Read all you can and ask questions. Get your ducks in a row and apply for pro membership too!