Hi, I miss everyone. ;_;
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 4:43 pm
Ah yes, sweet internet, sweet technology. It's a bit strange actually; I don't believe the majority of you know where I went, or just have forgotten when I mentioned it long ago.
But, I'd like to share with you my experiences and changes and who I have become to this day.
As you know I started my days in the military, which I used to pay for college after which I used to work for a company called OCZ, a manufacturing industry for certain technology. I was a designer, my job was to take spreadsheets of what R&D came up with and translate them onto a 3D representation via CAD, then place my opinions on what could work, what needs to be changed, things of the sort. If something needed to be changed I would try to give an opinion about what to do, if not or my idea doesn't work it goes back to R&D, rinse and repeat. Funny though is how OCZ works. The spreadsheets I receive are of products that become announced before I get the data for them, meaning I have a deadline so it can move to die makers and then fabrication. Meaning not too rare is it that I not get sleep and constantly work in order to meet quota. Now granted OCZ is a big company, meaning they have many designers so I don't get everything thrown at me, but each product they research goes to each designer separately. Meaning I get an entire project. Not meeting a quota doesn't mean I get fired, I just get a hard time from supervisors, lose commission, and the project goes to another designer, not too bad. Except.. even when a project gets delegated, if the final quota is not met and the product gets delayed (I'm looking at you Revodrives) the original designer gets a deduction from his/her pay.
At times it was a great job, but too many a time was it a mindbogglingly stressful and crippling job due to everything mentioned plus taxes. Stress that; near the end of my extended absense, began to show on the forum here and there now that I read back on old posts. I needed a change, what I was doing wasn't healthy to myself mentally or to my friends socially. So I did some research, asked for advice, did some studying... And I decided to go back to school. Which wasn't really a school actually, it was training facility. I decided to enter the Tree industry, it used to be that all I would think of when someone mentioned the tree industry was logging (aka Axmen) but a friend showed me a completely different side.
For the past 2 years, I have been in an ISA (International Society of Arborculture) training school in Bowlinggreen, Kentucky. This place had no internet, no city, only a residential area, an in class area, and trees. Lots and lots of trees. Mondays and Fridays I would sit in a classroom and learn the ANSI standards and Tree work knowledge, every other day I would go out and do volunteer work for the sake of experience. I have learned a magnitude of knowledge that completely changed my career path, perhaps forever. It even has gotten me interested in the science of trees and other plants. Last Christmas I was able to leave to spend time with my family, of which I had a brief moment of internet. Although as I told someone on PSN (apologies I can't remember who) I wasn't ready to come back yet, or even say anything. There would be no point, because I would be gone for 9 more months.
What I have trained to be and am now doing is being a Tree Climber, and it is exactly as it reads. I climb trees to prune (for health or style purposes, essentially a haircut for trees) maintain, and sometimes when they are too far gone or present a danger to someone, remove. If a tree doesn't need to be climbed, we simply work using pole devices. I've been in the field after training for about 3 months now. And what I have to say about it is...
No longer in the field of technology even though I still love and study in my spare time, no longer white collar but now blue collar.
It is strange, it is a lot more dangerous than my last job and even more dangerous then my position in the army. But, it is a lot less stressful. The company I work for is great, fair, small, yet holds the highest end accounts in GA. The field I work in is production, so there is a deadline. But for the most part the jobs are easy to get done on time, once in a blue moon I will get a sketchy job or poorly bidded job that gets sunk. But even then, my supervisors are A LOT more laid back about it than OCZ ever was.
Also, due to the fact that I started on a fresh slate and changed career paths, I make a lot less money now. and had to be a bit more humble about my lifestyle. but once again oddly enough, I have a lot less taxes and more extra money to do what I wish with. So, even if blue collar and even if more dangerous I have found myself to be happy here and a lot more relaxed at that. In which, in case anyone wants to know I now work for a company called Arborguard Tree Specialists, In Avondale Estates, Georgia. Eventually I plan to move up to a white collar position in Arborculture after I take my ISA certifted arborist exam 2 years from now.
I have a new place, a new computer, no longer have a console of any kind. Pretty much started fresh all over again. I am ready to come back, I want to come back, I miss everyone.
The question is, will you accept me?
But, I'd like to share with you my experiences and changes and who I have become to this day.
As you know I started my days in the military, which I used to pay for college after which I used to work for a company called OCZ, a manufacturing industry for certain technology. I was a designer, my job was to take spreadsheets of what R&D came up with and translate them onto a 3D representation via CAD, then place my opinions on what could work, what needs to be changed, things of the sort. If something needed to be changed I would try to give an opinion about what to do, if not or my idea doesn't work it goes back to R&D, rinse and repeat. Funny though is how OCZ works. The spreadsheets I receive are of products that become announced before I get the data for them, meaning I have a deadline so it can move to die makers and then fabrication. Meaning not too rare is it that I not get sleep and constantly work in order to meet quota. Now granted OCZ is a big company, meaning they have many designers so I don't get everything thrown at me, but each product they research goes to each designer separately. Meaning I get an entire project. Not meeting a quota doesn't mean I get fired, I just get a hard time from supervisors, lose commission, and the project goes to another designer, not too bad. Except.. even when a project gets delegated, if the final quota is not met and the product gets delayed (I'm looking at you Revodrives) the original designer gets a deduction from his/her pay.
At times it was a great job, but too many a time was it a mindbogglingly stressful and crippling job due to everything mentioned plus taxes. Stress that; near the end of my extended absense, began to show on the forum here and there now that I read back on old posts. I needed a change, what I was doing wasn't healthy to myself mentally or to my friends socially. So I did some research, asked for advice, did some studying... And I decided to go back to school. Which wasn't really a school actually, it was training facility. I decided to enter the Tree industry, it used to be that all I would think of when someone mentioned the tree industry was logging (aka Axmen) but a friend showed me a completely different side.
For the past 2 years, I have been in an ISA (International Society of Arborculture) training school in Bowlinggreen, Kentucky. This place had no internet, no city, only a residential area, an in class area, and trees. Lots and lots of trees. Mondays and Fridays I would sit in a classroom and learn the ANSI standards and Tree work knowledge, every other day I would go out and do volunteer work for the sake of experience. I have learned a magnitude of knowledge that completely changed my career path, perhaps forever. It even has gotten me interested in the science of trees and other plants. Last Christmas I was able to leave to spend time with my family, of which I had a brief moment of internet. Although as I told someone on PSN (apologies I can't remember who) I wasn't ready to come back yet, or even say anything. There would be no point, because I would be gone for 9 more months.
What I have trained to be and am now doing is being a Tree Climber, and it is exactly as it reads. I climb trees to prune (for health or style purposes, essentially a haircut for trees) maintain, and sometimes when they are too far gone or present a danger to someone, remove. If a tree doesn't need to be climbed, we simply work using pole devices. I've been in the field after training for about 3 months now. And what I have to say about it is...
No longer in the field of technology even though I still love and study in my spare time, no longer white collar but now blue collar.
It is strange, it is a lot more dangerous than my last job and even more dangerous then my position in the army. But, it is a lot less stressful. The company I work for is great, fair, small, yet holds the highest end accounts in GA. The field I work in is production, so there is a deadline. But for the most part the jobs are easy to get done on time, once in a blue moon I will get a sketchy job or poorly bidded job that gets sunk. But even then, my supervisors are A LOT more laid back about it than OCZ ever was.
Also, due to the fact that I started on a fresh slate and changed career paths, I make a lot less money now. and had to be a bit more humble about my lifestyle. but once again oddly enough, I have a lot less taxes and more extra money to do what I wish with. So, even if blue collar and even if more dangerous I have found myself to be happy here and a lot more relaxed at that. In which, in case anyone wants to know I now work for a company called Arborguard Tree Specialists, In Avondale Estates, Georgia. Eventually I plan to move up to a white collar position in Arborculture after I take my ISA certifted arborist exam 2 years from now.
I have a new place, a new computer, no longer have a console of any kind. Pretty much started fresh all over again. I am ready to come back, I want to come back, I miss everyone.
The question is, will you accept me?
)
(I'm watching you Canada!) Anyway, welcome back to the forums and have fun man!
*Hugs!*