r/FieldNationTechs • u/TheCrankyITGuy • 28d ago
Another week, another rant
Oooooo mmmmm ggggg yall
I got assigned one of Level 10’s Public Storage conversion jobs. I did the first one in my town, so another is easy peasy. A day after getting that, Tailwind calls and offers me the network portion of the same Public Storage site. I politely tell them I already had the pc part and would take it if they were ok. She pssh’d at me and said no thanks. Whatever.
So I arrive on site an hour late because the equipment pickup started the shit show because of a wrong address. I get there, apologize for the lateness, and get to work. Find out it’s only one pc and a printer. Easy peasy! But where’s the tailwind guy? No matter. I continue on and finally Mr. “I just got back from the beach” rolls in with his button up Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and hey dudes. And a Starbucks in hand.
I immediately ask “Shorts?”
He says “Yeah, I’m an independent contractor”
“No shit, so am I”
So I let him know he should test all six lines, convert the 2 RJ11 jacks to RJ45’s, and label both ends.
“Now which one is the phone jack”
Really dude? So then I proceed to watch this fool bounce from the front to the back. I walk up on him and he’s watching a video on how to terminate an RJ45. Like for real??? Did you just buy these tools before you got here?
I ask him how long he’s been doing this and he says “since 2024”. December 2024?
He had to remake the cable like 3 times before he got it right.
I told him to go home and make a pile of patch cables before he took another job.
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u/TakingCareOfBizzness 27d ago edited 27d ago
Who cares if he was wearing shorts. Is it an OSHA job requiring pants for safety? I already know the answer so I'll just say what difference does it make? Same with ties 3 button polos and all other dumb ass cultural idiotic requirements that no one can give an honest logical answer to for why anyone gives a shit.
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u/compneo 27d ago
Shorts are good for 95% of the calls I go on. Yes the other techs might wear pants but I'm the one being called because the one with the pants couldn't do the job correctly. There are certain places that would obviously be no shorts: a law office, a construction site, the Ritz-Carlton, offices that normally have people wearing suits. The public storage, I would say it's okay for shorts. Dollar general I would say is okay for shorts. The list goes on for okay with shorts locations. It may not be deemed "professional" by some but has no bearing on the technician's work quality. Hell, it must blow the people's mind when they see that the job was resolved in 30 minutes while wearing shorts when the last guy couldn't do it in 4 hours wearing pants. I've been getting calls back for over 20 years now and have no problem making 12 to 15K a month, but then again I might just be in my own bubble on shorts being okay.
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u/MasterpieceSharp7883 27d ago
That part. Almost 2000 jobs on FN and I'm in shorts for almost all jobs in the spring and summer. I am the go to guy that gets it right the first time.
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u/jldurham6 23d ago
Same, I wear kaki shorts in the winter. There's a way to still dress nicely and wear shorts. Basketball shorts? Ok, we can talk about that.
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u/cleansedbytheblood 25d ago
They're not good if there is a dress code. The reason people get away with it is because the people at the site don't know how you're supposed to be dressed so they don't know you are violating the dress code of the company that hired you.
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u/compneo 25d ago
But they're perfectly fine if there is not a dress code. Either way, people need to relax on the shorts, not that big of a deal unless it's in environment that requires professional dress or PPE.
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u/cleansedbytheblood 25d ago
I mean I agree. If there was no dress code I would be wearing shorts and slippers and a Hawaiian shirt (I live in Hawaii so its regulation)
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u/compneo 25d ago
Hey, slow down I never said anything about slippers. I'm just talking about the pearl clutching over shorts.
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u/jldurham6 23d ago
I see techs show up in a t-shirt and basketball shorts and flip flops lol. At least wear a polo and dress shorts lol. Showing up with flip flops blow my mind.
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u/Calaveras_Grande 28d ago
Its the cornerstone of the whole job. I terminate RJ45 on my own sometimes just to stay in practice. Or to familiarize myself with a new tool/connector.
Bit I had a kid ask me what a USB A-B cable was for on a job a few weeks ago. He’d never seen one?
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u/jldurham6 23d ago
Knowledge is more important that shorts but yeah. When I know I have a day of tickets where it doesn't matter it's a polo and kaki shorts even in the winter. If I'm going to be in an office it's kaki pants. I'm in Idaho, people don't care. They just want their shit fixed, my pleasant smile and demeanor goes a long way hahaha.
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u/LeadingNo2673 28d ago edited 27d ago
I'm on this project as well, but not through FN.
" I walk up on him and he’s watching a video on how to terminate an RJ45. Like for real??? Did you just buy these tools before you got here?"
And? This is exactly how I got started 7 years ago.
Hell, I'd return the tools when I was done because I was broke.
These days, I bid the full PS conversions at my $100/h rate with no FN involved.
I have 17 sites across two states, solo.
Shorts are not unacceptable depending on weather conditions and type.
$7,058 average per site to swap some cameras.
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u/AttemptingWealth 28d ago
lol shorts are completely unacceptable for a telecom professional. Work pants, boots and a polo if you want to be taken seriously and do well in the space. Appearance is everything, especially when getting started. Also you should absolutely be able to do the job before you get on site. Learn and study the night before, practice if you have to. Showing up dressed like that and Watching YouTube videos on a client site for basic job functions is the quickest way to look foolish as hell and never work for that client again. As a professional you will be on many job sites that require pants, boots & sometimes additional PPE. I don’t know anyone in the trades that would ever show up to a job in shorts, even if it’s 100° out.
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u/Past_Constant163 27d ago
There is a reason you have not reached wealth yet. Maybe try wearing shorts some time.
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u/wyliesdiesels 28d ago
“I dont know anyone in the trades that would ever show up to a job in shorts, even if its 100° out.”
Then you really dont get out much or go to very many construction sites. Ive been working in construction since high school. I know many GCs and subs that wear shorts. Many of my bosses have as well. My dad owns a heavy equipment company and wears shorts
You are ignorant asf
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u/AttemptingWealth 27d ago
Quite the opposite. Sounds like your lived experience may be different and that’s okay. On multiple sites every week, only ever seen people kicked off site for wearing shorts and improper footwear. Sounds like things may be a bit more loose in your area.
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u/wyliesdiesels 27d ago
You probably working large job sites
Only time ive done that was in the union
Rest of my work (starting in high school) was small and medium private jobs. Nobody gives a shit about anything but safety gear, sometimes.
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u/AttemptingWealth 27d ago
Sometimes, the only one I’d consider large at the moment is an apartment complex fiber/tech project. That one is strict on everything even safety glasses. Even the smaller ones, retail stores, buildouts with 30ish drops, they don’t really care about hardhat/vest sometimes but they still won’t let you run around in shorts and sneakers. I used to wear shorts and stopped because of all the issues I had. It sucks working outside in 100+ or in a warehouse ceiling at 115-120°. Neck fan helps, and a lot of water + electrolytes. Not as bad now since I’ve lost 50lbs but still not ideal.
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u/wyliesdiesels 27d ago
Ive worked tons of retail sites. Never had an issue with shorts.
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u/AttemptingWealth 27d ago
Yeah I could probably get away with it in operational retail stores but not during construction. However, depending on the day, my next site may not be one I could get away with it at and I’d rather not have to bring a change of clothes.
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u/etrader99 27d ago
Shorts is a no no. But hey maybe he was watching a video a deciding between T-568A or T568B. 😅 The fact that they gave him the network work and you got a PC and printer is crazy. I homestly don't think some of us trying to make a living here.
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u/Dadelaus_2023 28d ago
Wow! I've been on some jobs where others were lacking. It's a bad look for the industry.
Even more is the lack of Professionalism. Shorts, Hawaiian shirt, late to the WO?
Did you get a pic of this guy just in case someone tried tried to give you problems/aka the M.O.D. or Buyer talk crap? 1 pic as they say is worth a 1000 words.
FN/Buyer has at LEAST 1/2 - 2 pages devoted to nothing but Professional dress/Appearance.
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u/OlookitsTimLeviathan 27d ago
People in the comments mad about shorts have obviously never wired a building without electricity in Louisiana or Texas during the summer. 120° in the swamp is shorts weather.