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Jim Sobie

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 13, 2021
108
556
46
Allen Park, Michigan
Training developer for a major Class 8 truck manufacturer. Previously an environmental test technician for a large audio company, before that a diagnostic technical writer for Ford, and before THAT a labor time study and prototype mechanic for several OEMs.

Aside from that I'm also a licensed ham but seldom get on the air, an ordained minister with 4 weddings under my belt, a standup comedian when there's not a pandemic going on, and I recently started publishing a few short stories on Medium.
 

That Guy

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 8, 2021
509
1,649
Central Florida
I'll play along. In my 20s I was in landscaping maintenance and design. I thought I was going to become a landscape architect but actually got bored with it. About 6 years ago I got into building maintenance. Pretty much handyman type stuff something different everyday. I've got my EPA universal/type 1 / type 2 license to do heating and cooling. CPO license to maintain pools and spas. I work on some of everything really. I always like the idea of being able to do things myself and not pay someone for something I was capable of doing. Never liked the thought of being stuck in one place doing the same thing everyday.
 

Jim Sobie

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 13, 2021
108
556
46
Allen Park, Michigan
I'll play along. In my 20s I was in landscaping maintenance and design. I thought I was going to become a landscape architect but actually got bored with it. About 6 years ago I got into building maintenance. Pretty much handyman type stuff something different everyday. I've got my EPA universal/type 1 / type 2 license to do heating and cooling. CPO license to maintain pools and spas. I work on some of everything really. I always like the idea of being able to do things myself and not pay someone for something I was capable of doing. Never liked the thought of being stuck in one place doing the same thing everyday.
Yep. I love DIYing as much as I can and really really hate having to call someone in. Around my circle I'm the local mechanic, appliance whisperer and even the occasional furnace repair. I also do all my own framing, drywalling (badly), plumbing and electrical.

I don't have the HVAC tools to do residential (automotive yes), but I sorely want to. Hard to justify that expense though...
 

NomadOrb

(Nomadorb)
Feb 20, 2020
1,673
13,650
SoCal
I'm a home inspector, been doing this for the last 3 years. I'm hoping to transition to a code inspector with the city, or I may end up starting my own inspection business.

Before that, I ran an elderly care business, but that wasn't for me.
 

That Guy

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 8, 2021
509
1,649
Central Florida
I'm a home inspector, been doing this for the last 3 years. I'm hoping to transition to a code inspector with the city, or I may end up starting my own inspection business.

Before that, I ran an elderly care business, but that wasn't for me.
I was thinking about becoming a home inspector myself. Seems like the pay is pretty good and I'm used to having to inspect and find flaws in work that's been done already. Only difference is I'm the one who has to fix it now instead of just making notation of it lol. Any advice for me?
 
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Reactions: Reggie and NomadOrb

NomadOrb

(Nomadorb)
Feb 20, 2020
1,673
13,650
SoCal
I was thinking about becoming a home inspector myself. Seems like the pay is pretty good and I'm used to having to inspect and find flaws in work that's been done already. Only difference is I'm the one who has to fix it now instead of just making notation of it lol. Any advice for me?
Sure, it's a people job more than anything, the flaws are easy enough to find. I see it as I'm being hired to educate the home buyer on their potential future home. That means the good and the bad.

So the advice is you must learn to communicate with confidence, empathy, and sincerity. Everyone will be looking at and listening to you closely. Either to discredit you, or because they trust you.

Confidence comes with knowledge, so educate yourself on the systems of homes and how they each tie into one another. The other stuff is just being a human being.

Oh, and learn not to tell people how to fix things, and always refer to a qualified contractor/electrician/whatever. Legal speak is important in our profession.

I enjoy doing what I do most days, but not so much where I do it because of how much driving I do on a weekly basis. Realtors can be your friends and your enemies depending on which side of the sale they are on, so you gotta develop a thick skin and not take things personally.

I hope that helps, sorry if it was too much.
 

That Guy

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 8, 2021
509
1,649
Central Florida
Sure, it's a people job more than anything, the flaws are easy enough to find. I see it as I'm being hired to educate the home buyer on their potential future home. That means the good and the bad.

So the advice is you must learn to communicate with confidence, empathy, and sincerity. Everyone will be looking at and listening to you closely. Either to discredit you, or because they trust you.

Confidence comes with knowledge, so educate yourself on the systems of homes and how they each tie into one another. The other stuff is just being a human being.

Oh, and learn not to tell people how to fix things, and always refer to a qualified contractor/electrician/whatever. Legal speak is important in our profession.

I enjoy doing what I do most days, but not so much where I do it because of how much driving I do on a weekly basis. Realtors can be your friends and your enemies depending on which side of the sale they are on, so you gotta develop a thick skin and not take things personally.

I hope that helps, sorry if it was too much.
The being a people person and handling characters is definitely interesting. Right now 80% of everything I do is for apartment communities. You definitely deal with a bunch of interesting characters and personality types like you said there can be days for you love your job and everything's all good and then days where you just want to scream and punch a wall lol
 

rajangan

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 14, 2018
974
2,809
Edmonton, AB
Wow 11 pages. I'll work my way through.
I've been an industrial radiographer for 24 years. I have since gained a bachelor in psychology and am a year into my master of counseling.

Unfortunately I had to drop out for this year because my wife's work and my work are trying to jab us with unspeakable mandates. I just want to be sure I'm ready to adapt if need be.

I will be running for shop steward as we are organizing and don't have one.
 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Wow 11 pages. I'll work my way through.
I've been an industrial radiographer for 24 years. I have since gained a bachelor in psychology and am a year into my master of counseling.

Unfortunately I had to drop out for this year because my wife's work and my work are trying to jab us with unspeakable mandates. I just want to be sure I'm ready to adapt if need be.

I will be running for shop steward as we are organizing and don't have one.
Sounds doubly bad.
 

coldbowl57

Might Stick Around
Aug 12, 2021
73
95
Slc, Utah
Massage therapist.
i was trained as a massage therapist and up until a year before the pandemic. as you might have guessed, Covid has hit my profession rather hard. ( don't get me started on all of the insanity this has brought on) so now adays, i work from home in the customer service field. i find the ritual of pipe smoking...............soothing.
 

Elston

Lurker
Oct 13, 2021
1
5
Flight instructor
I was always attracted by the sky and got my license as quickly as I could, but it remained a hobby. And then I lost my job and somehow it happened that I got a job as Assistant Chief Flight Instructor through Jooble. So life changes when you don't wait :LOL:
 

tschiraldi

Lifer
Dec 14, 2015
1,813
3,555
55
Ohio
4 years acti e duty US Army Infantry, presidential escort. Was in Panama for the whole Noriega thing. Did some factory work years ago (welding). Did another number of years in the National Guard (Infantry). Deployed after 911. 23 years as a Correction Officer in a few state prisons (Ohio and Nebraska), 4 as a lieutenant, and a Captain the past couple years.
 

Jordan77

Lurker
Nov 21, 2021
2
3