On the Tools : Off The Tools As An Electrician
On the tools in a company, most of us aim to become off the tools one day.
This blog post is aimed more towards the trades men and women of the world.
- Electricians
- Builders
- Plumbers
- Etc.
If you know the term on the tools, it means you work with your hands – you’re a grafter!
I’m not sure if that’s a load of slang in the UK and you guys across the world will actually understand what I’m on about here.
On The Tools Employees and Off the Tools Employees
There are people who go out to the work in business and there people who work in the office, Doing the paper work.
If your out on site, you look at the guys in the office and see there job as easy – and aspire to be in their position one day.
That’s if you work your way up in the company.
You’re a good employee and get moved up to the next level as a reward.
This is something I did years ago. I worked for a electrical company on the tools doing the installs on site.
I always thought working in the office would be more glamorous and would earn me more money.
Possibly and easier life I suppose.
That’s what you work towards right?
An easy life and more money in the bank?
Well there was a lesson to be learnt from back then. I didn’t do anything about it at the time – but I see it so clearly NOW.
Got Off The Tools
?I got that job in the office, planning the jobs on site, given the fancy company car and wearing a shirt to work.
This lasted a week! I was more mind numbing then watching paint dry.
I would have earnt less money working a 8 hour day instead of the 12 hours days I worked on the tools.
Needed A Plan B
So what did I do from there? I went ahead and started my own business where I did both and worked probably more then 12 hours days and made better money.
That is what I did for 20 years or more, I just got wrapped up in growing my electrical business thinking it was going to be the answer to a happy life.
I was happy, But dam I was always busy!
I never had time to sit back and think about the future.
Where did I want to be – what did I want to do.
Work hard and make plenty of money – that was the plan.
Spend it on nice things to make me look good in front of people who didn’t care what I had. ?
So many of us do this.
We want to put out an image of ourselves being this successful person who has all these luxury things.
At the end of the day these material things mean nothing!
Just like moving off the tools and into the office environment.
I’m not office kind of guy.
Sitting down for hours a day I get ants in my pants and want to move around.
I really just wanted to work in an office to look good.
Society respects a person in a shirt and tie more then a person with a sweaty t shirt and work boots.
When in reality there equal.
Or even in some company’s the person in the t shirt out on site doing the work actually keeps that business afloat!
If you are one of these people who are on the tools and aspire to be off the tools, the holy grail proof that you have made it.
Take a step back.
Ask yourself – Why? Where do you want it to go?
What are you looking to achieve for YOU, not anyone else.
Even consider the job you are doing. Some jobs are just pointless and leading your life nowhere.
But that’s a whole other podcast here Waste of time jobs
Check it out to help you figure out if your wasting your life and time.
Until next time?