Tile job-what would you do?
skw27
7 years ago
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skw27
7 years agohnhouser
7 years agoRelated Discussions
What type of job would you say I am suited best for?
Comments (12)OK......been there and done that. I was in engineering for the first part of my career. There was an economic crises in the first half of the 70s and the booming techical fields went through a lot of downsizing when the war ended and I took that opportunity to make some career choices. The company I work for shut down and after several interviews for a new position decided I'd be better off taking that hiatus to go back to school. Being older and in a better position to know where I wanted my work life to take me, I decided to switch over and study ornamental landscaping with an emphasis on plant protection. In my senior year, a divorce happened, and a relocation and that option was not available at any university within commuting distance, so I ended up with a degree in nursing instead. At 40 (your age) and my kids out of school, I took the same leap and did just what you are wanting to do. The only jobs here were at two larger independent grower/landscaping/retail garden center combos. If I hadn't dumbed down my resume I'd have never been hired because your first jobs at places like that are always entry level unless you have that degree in hort. I was close, and with six years of university, and coursework in plant path, taxonomy, design and ag engineering and economics.........but unlike horseshoes, close to the stake doesn't count. Most jobs in the green industry without that hort degree are entry level. I wanted to be on the growing end of the operation and frankly, a mature woman with a powerful resume is at a disadvantage in the hiring process for such jobs. I had sized up the situation accurately because after the fact, I found the owner got resumes from women like that routinely and just figured that most of them didn't have a clue how much hard grunt work was involved and also knew growing flowers in a home garden bears little resemblance to growing thousands of them commercially. I took a 75% pay cut just to get my toe in the door and dumbed down my application and interview to get that. I knew that once I got in, I could use my skills and did. Kept my mouth shut and took every opportunity to learn the ropes of the business and after a couple years, left and broke out on my own. You need to know what branch of this trade you want to be in. I knew retail garden center wasn't my goal. You need to scope out the job opportunities in your immediate area. It's amazing how many different types of skills are needed in the green industry. Working with the public selling posies is a small segment. Know your strengths and know that home gardening at a large growing operation is like comparing a candy striper to a surgeon. Many employers would not be impressed with your credentials in the hort field and actually might be discriminatory of your credentials in other fields. It's their loss but it happens because of their mindsets. Get 'out there' and see what you want to do and with whom and what they have to offer and have some discourse with owners and employees before you write that resume. You'll answer your own question better than we can answer it for you. I just retired this year and closed my business down after nearly a quarter century in the trade. I am so glad I did it, but this is not an easy question to answer....See MoreWhat would you do? tile question (pic)
Comments (43)"Nice camera work, vern!"' ---Thanks, now I know what to use the macro setting on my camera for. "Let me put it this way-- I've got a touch of OCD, and it would bother me all to hell, too, to install it like that. But from an industry standpoint, no, there's nothing wrong with it" My tile installer spent a good part of one day and the next morning trying to lay out the pattern to get it just right. He played with it and played with it until the company foreman showed up and basically said that it was taking him to long. After that I could see and sense the installer was angrier then hell and BAM all of a sudden the tile started getting hung really fast. Yesterday when then company foreman looked at the chips he implied that because they had to play with the pattern so much to get it right that these things happen. It wasn't what I wanted to hear. A little sympathy woud have gone a long way. There is also a chip in the middle of one of the accent strips that I hadn't posted before. Anyway after sleeping on it all nite I'm still undecided on what to do...See MoreJob Advice: What would you do?
Comments (15)I heard a really interesting interview on NPR. I wish I could find it now. It was a man who had started a consulting companies for non-profits. His advice was helping NPs to be much more successful, but of course they had to pay for his services. Then there came a great deal of scrutiny into how NPs managed their budgets. Overnight his company failed as NPs looked for ways to cut costs. His point is that every for-profit company is expected to invest in their future and look for ways to improve and to put money back into the company. It is a business model that works, yet NPs are somehow expected to cut back wherever possible. It makes no sense. I did fund raising and we were constantly bludgeoned with the "cost per dollar raised". The minute the cost per dollar raised got too high, positions were cut. Therefore, there were fewer people raising money. So maybe the cost per dollar raised went down but the total number of dollars raised also went down. It made no sense whatsoever. Don't expect a NP to behave the way the rest of the business world behaves. They also have some of the nuttiest job titles I have ever seen....See MoreFront Landscaping Gut Job - what would you do?
Comments (11)It is interesting that you make that remark about the doors. When I mentioned the arch matched the house I was just drawing it to your attention. You were already aware of it. If I owned this house I would choose the rectangle windows, for a different reason than you have. I think they are trendy. I stay away from trendy when I can. In fact, the door itself seems trendy to me. There was a person here not long ago with a house like yours. For some reason the home owner want to replace or cover the arch over the door with a straight board and change the column to a post. About the birch tree. You need a certified arborist to examine the tree. If the tree can be saved he will tell you. I have had them come give me an opinion for free. Sometimes I would get an estimate too. Like you, I would prefer to not see trees removed. dI hope Yaardvark will share his thoughts about the tree/retaining wall. He is a Landscape Architect. One other thing. If you do not take Yaardvark's advice on the Japanese Maple then I recommend removing that corner bed....See Morehnhouser
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoskw27
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoskw27
7 years agocpartist
7 years agoenduring
7 years agomillworkman
7 years agoJeff Meeks
7 years agoskw27
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMint tile Minneapolis
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agosalex
7 years agoweedyacres
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7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoskw27
7 years agoskw27
7 years agocrcollins1_gw
7 years agorjs5134
7 years agoartemis_ma
7 years agocpartist
7 years agoJennifer Weinman
7 years agocpartist
7 years agoskw27
7 years agocpartist
7 years agoskw27
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMint tile Minneapolis
7 years agoChristina Prakash
7 years agoskw27
7 years agoskw27
7 years ago
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