I (M/29) have been working with an amazingly talented carpenter for the past 9 months and have been on the fence about whether or not this has been going well for me.
So a little background. I’ve been working as a carpenter for the past 5 years now, and recently decided to switch over from one focus into another. So when I reached out to this guy, I talked with him over the phone and he gave me a rundown on what his company does and I was excited to join him since it would mean I would be expanding my skills. Though I was reluctant on some of the other aspects such as it was a 60 mile drive one way. I decided to go through with it.
When I first began I noticed the guy was a bit OCD about everything. He liked everything as it was and would get very upset about little things that would get misplaced here and there. He was very strict on how stuff was to be done, which is understandable because it’s always good to have standards. So I just brushed a lot of stuff of thinking this is a good opportunity for me to learn something new from a talented guy so why question it.
As the months have gone by all I’ve felt is belittling because I can’t get anything right or to his standards. Everything is a talking down to and my confidence has gone to shit. My skills have definitely improved, but I don’t know how much more I can take anymore.
There’s also the financial part. I get paid fairly but I am spending $800 on gas alone just to go to and from work. This along with rent, bills, and I am also a single father which has put me in a paycheck to paycheck situation. I’m just wondering if it’s still worth it or not. The guy is moving out of state soon so this won’t last more than a year, but I just don’t know whether I’ll be able to keep this going that long.