miam75•15d ago

Unpopular opinion: I hit 15 years in the trade last month and it felt weird, not good.

The number snuck up on me because I still feel like the new guy asking the old hands at the Omaha plant how they'd tackle a tricky tube sheet weld, so what's a milestone that actually meant something to you?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrew_rodriguez15d ago

That "still feel like the new guy" part is the real truth. The milestone that hit me was the first time a younger guy asked me how I'd tackle something, and I had a real answer that worked. The number of years just tracks time, not when you finally stop feeling like a fraud.

nancybailey15d agoMost Upvoted

Right? I still half expect someone to tap me on the shoulder and ask what I'm doing here. The other day a new hire called me "ma'am" and I looked around for my mom. Getting asked for advice feels like they've confused me with a competent adult who knows things.

henrycooper8d ago

Used to believe you just woke up one day feeling like a real grown-up. Then you realize it's more like what andrew_rodriguez said, where the years just pile up and the feeling stays the same. The "ma'am" thing is a perfect example of that gap between how others see you and how you see yourself. Getting asked for advice is the same kind of shock. You give the answer and it works, but part of you is still waiting for the tap on the shoulder. It never really goes away, you just get better at acting like it did.