When I started this job, it was just a job.
Maybe you remember how it is – young, needing work, not really caring what that work is as long as it pays! I had no idea what I was doing on my first day, but the senior tech in charge was a good dude.
He pulled me aside and said to be quiet, to listen, and to pay attention to everything he and the other guys did. His name was Max, and he said if I worked hard and did as told, he would teach me how to be an HVAC tech like him. Max was an older guy, and had been in the HVAC industry for twenty years, but he was also a joker and a lunch-break toker, if you know what I mean. The point is that outside of work Max was a cool guy, and on the job he was a focused HVAC professional who always delivered top flight results. Although we got to be friends over time, I kept my perspective at work and stayed focused on learning as much as I could about HVAC systems. It took me weeks just to learn all the specialized tools they use on their ductwork jobs. Max was my mentor, and he always did right by me, until it got to the point he thought I was ready to get my HVAc certification and “step up to the big leagues” as he liked to say. Now I run my own HVAC work crew, and Max and I only see each other on weekends.