We all know the type of inspector who will quit a job in a heartbeat. He/she will be quick to tell you how that they are looking out for themselves the same way the big companies watch out for their best interests. Fair is fair and maybe they’re right.

We also know the type of inspector who will endure pure hell and never quit for any circumstance. Most of them also enjoy telling you about their noble ways and maybe THEY’RE right.

But, most of us fall somewhere in between these two extremes. If that is you, then this blog is for you, because I think you’re closer to right.

We Are Contractors

In the inspection industry, the vast majority of us work as 3rd party contractors. That means that we can easily end up on some very good or very bad projects. You’ve probably been on both at some point in your career. If you end up on a bad one, when is a reasonable time to walk away? Or…is there a reasonable time to walk away?

When Enough is Enough

In my opinion, yes, there is a time to walk away.

We all have a different threshold for certain difficulties/life issues and most of us agree – there is a time to walk away. Whether you have –

• Financial difficulties and there is a job offer for way more money
• You have a boss from hell and there is a job opportunity that offers a bit of relief
• You are being asked to compromise your principles on the project
• There is a job that will allow you to see your family more

Although it might be different for each of us, most of us have that place where we know, it’s time to go.

But Will You Burn a Bridge?

That is often the big fear ‘Will I burn a bridge if I leave?’

Maybe – and in some cases the answer is, yes. If you have a lot of contacts, that really doesn’t matter though. There’s still a lingering fear in this industry of being blackballed or basically exiled because of quitting a job. If you are working in a very small circle of people, that’s still entirely possible.

So, you may burn a bridge, but many inspectors say – who cares? If you have enough connections/contacts, it just doesn’t matter. If you don’t have many contacts…well, you had better think twice.

So, You’ve Made Up Your Mind.
What Next?

Leaving a project works out best if you follow a few steps.

1- Talk to your boss first.

Never leave without having a sit down, eye to eye conversation with your boss, even if you don’t like them.

2- Give some notice

Don’t just walk out of the door and leave them in a bind, unless it is absolutely unavoidable. Keep your integrity.

3- Don’t stir the pot before or after leaving.

I shouldn’t have to explain this.
I know how hard it can be to hold your tongue when you’ve been done wrong but try to hold it anyway.

And finally – if you have to go, go happy!

This article brought to you by OnBoard Consulting Services!
Home of the best inspection company contact list on the internet.

The post When Is It Okay to ‘Drag Up’? appeared first on ONBOARD CONSULTING SERVICES.

I learn best by doing. The next best thing for me is a word picture. With this in mind, I thought I would talk about corrosion in terms of historical events as a back drop to help imprint some corrosion concepts.

In AD 89 the Roman Legions sacked the town of Inchtuthil in Scotland. They broke and burned nearly everything prior to retreating elsewhere for another conquest. They noticed after burning the town that steel and iron nails were left. A lot of them. They did not want this valuable material to be left for the enemy to use to rebuild. After all the enemy could use these nails for swords and other items to wage war with the Romans in the future. In 1961, Professor Richmond of Oxford University found a pit in Scotland. The pit contained 76,840 small nails, 86,128 Medium, 25,088 large, and 1,344 extra-large nails. Seven tons in total. The pit was dug by the Romans to hide the nails from the Scotts. Seven tons of iron and steel was a lot to move in those days, and it was apparently decided to hide it in a pit rather than haul it elsewhere.

I can easily envision a talented blacksmith way back then stumbling onto some sort of recipe for an excellent grade of sword steel. Perhaps his son a soldier may have come back alive telling him of how well it performed in battle. Swords had to be hard enough to take and hold an edge, but this meant it would be brittle and might break in the heat of battle. So, it also it had to be soft enough to not shatter, but this meant it would not hold an edge very well. It was a balancing act of give and take. Perhaps the blacksmith happened to remember that small nails were harder than the large ones, and perhaps he remembered that 4 large nails and one small nail was just the ticket to bring his men home from battle alive. A blend of hard and softer nails seemed to him to work. He would weld forge them together and come up with an amalgam of the two. A nail alloy of sorts. Inevitably though, there would be pockets and bits of hard and soft nails in his final swords. After all he was not perfect with his old forge. This may or may not be the way they did things back then. I don’t think it too far-fetched. Plus, it suits my needs here.

Now let’s jump to Japan in about 1337 and we find Tamahagane steel, or “Jewel Steel”. It is the stuff that the famous Katana swords carried by the Samurai were made of. It is made (even today by some) of black sand (magnetite) and black carbon and probably some other discrete and very closely guarded materials. These materials were loaded into a kiln and baked for 7 days straight. At the end of the 7 days they would break into the clay kiln and what emerges is a kind of tree bark looking sort of material with varying degrees of steel and carbon steel. The master sword smith taps on them to listen for a ringing sound. He looks at them for physical appearance and hefts them in his hand and finally selects several of each to begin forging the sword. We now know that what they discovered way back then was that by mixing high carbon and lower carbon steels made for a sword that was literally 10 times stronger and sharper than other swords of the day. Again, we can see that perhaps not all of the carbon was mixed in to the other. This is process is more refined, but similar to the nails in the Roman analogy. Heck almost 1300 years had elapsed.

I can hear you saying great Jim, but what does this have to do with CP? Well if we look at a mill report from modern steel for X-70 pipeline steel, we will see that there is a portion or percentage of iron, carbon (sound familiar?) and a host of other things in the mix that allows the pipe steel to be both strong and ductile (bendable). After all pipe steel has to perform in some crazy environments and not yield to sometimes immense pressures and heat exerted on it both internally and sometimes externally as well. Pipe steel is manufactured today with amazing accuracy and precise proportions. However there are microscopic areas of steel, iron, carbon and whatever else is in the recipe. They of course all touch each other some here and some there.  In the heating and cooling process of hardening and tempering, crystals are formed on a molecular scale. Just like Tamahagane and the Roman sword made from nails. Little parts make up the whole.

Hang in there I am getting close to what I want to help you understand. If I put a digital multi-meter on two differing lumps of steel, metal, or some alloy I will see a voltage reading. Albeit very small, it will show up. Gold, silver, copper, zinc, and magnesium when compared to each other with a multi-meter all have varying degrees of voltage differences called potentials. In fact, for CP purposes the different metals are referred to as more “noble” and less noble. And more active and less active. Gold is generally at the top of most lists as most noble and least active. And the least noble and most active is magnesium (in most common lists).

The varying list of metals in pipe steel on a minute scale is what causes corrosion. Inevitably in steel there are discrete portions of one metal touching its neighbor and there is an exchange of voltage (electron transfer) present at this location which causes corrosion.  With cathodic protection we can level the playing field by introducing electricity in the form of anodes or induced current from a rectifier and overcome the differing potentials that lead to corrosion.

Of note: Atomic scientists have studied the almost 2000-year-old Inchuthil nails to estimate the corrosion effects on barrels of nuclear waste.

Jim Lee makes his home in Decatur TN, and works across the United States. Mr. Lee holds the following certifications:

NACE CIP-II, NACE CP-II (Technician), CPWI+, API-1169

The post Roman Nails and Jewel Steel – Cathodic Protection by Jim Lee appeared first on ONBOARD CONSULTING SERVICES.

The short answer is –  VERY IMPORTANT (I’m guessing that you already suspected that). There’s far more to it though, whether you’re a seasoned inspector or (especially if you’re) a newer inspector.           

Let’s look at 3 areas:

1. Information
2. Honesty
3. Access

Information

Your resume, in many cases, provides ALL of the information that a prospective employer knows about you.

That’s a big deal, because they use that information to decide if they want to hire you. If you don’t know how to highlight your strengths and showcase your abilities, you’ll likely to be missing out on some great opportunities. Be sure to be smart about your resume, while remaining honest (which I will discuss later).

• List only RELEVANT job history as much as possible.

Some of your necessary job history might be related to another industry, and that’s fine. Just be sure to not showcase an irrelevant part of your background (regardless of how proud that you are of it).

• Don’t write a ‘book’ about how great and wonderful that you are.

Saying that you are self-motivated and a people person is fine, but be a touch modest. Everyone reading your resume knows that you wrote that stuff about yourself…seriously, think about it.

• Use Psellhcekc… uh, Spellcheck.

The overall accuracy of your resume really does matter. If you’re a Premier Member and you haven’t watched the interviews at OnBoard, you should. (If you’re not a Premier Member – CLICK HERE to become one) This topic comes up over and over. The people who do the hiring are looking for inspectors who can somehow manage to have a resume with proper spelling and grammar. If you can’t even manage to come up with a grammatically correct resume, it says a lot about your abilities in general, because you could have even hired someone to do it for you.

Honesty

Tell the truth on your resume.

Falsifying your resume is fraudulent and it can have legal consequences. I’m not here to judge anyone, but I do have some advice – point your work history towards the truth.  It might be tempting to put down that you have ten years experience as a ‘whatever’ inspector, but if you don’t have the experience, don’t list it.

I’ve actually had my own resume submitted to me with someone else’s name at the top…true story.

-David
OnBoard Consulting

Here’s why you shouldn’t over-exaggerate your resume or add a bunch of jobs that you didn’t work.

• Whoever is hiring you deserves the chance to know who they are about to spend money on.

If you have little to no experience and they choose to hire you, great! Regardless of who may or may not agree with it, it’s their money and their choice (that’s how America works). If however, you deceived them, that’s a different story.

• There are entry-level inspection jobs.

The fact that some inspectors are filling positions that they are not ready for has caused a lot of animosity in the inspection community. If you are at entry-level, be honest about it. There are far more entry-level inspection jobs than you might think.

• This is important! – If you appear to have knowledge that you don’t actually have, you could put yourself and/or others in danger.

It’s a fact. There are many dangers in any type of construction related industry (as well as other industries). If you are misleading with your resume, people could decide that you are aware of hazards than you know nothing about. You or someone else could get hurt, or worse. Be honest on your resume!

Access

How many people actually see your resume?

In my opinion, this is a HUGE deal. In the inspection world, opportunities come from people knowing that you exist. So, if you don’t get your resume out there – they don’t know you exist!

Here are 3 groups of people who you probably will want to see your resume.

• Chief Inspectors should be routinely sent an updated resume

These are usually people who you or your friends/colleagues already know. Occasionally sending them an updated resume and friendly email reminds them that you are still out here. If you do that, when the day comes that they are hiring, maybe they will remember you. It sure can’t hurt.

• Construction Managers, Project Managers, and Engineers should also receive an occasional updated resume

I can’t tell you how much work that I have gotten from just staying in very loose touch with these people. Don’t be pushy, I don’t even think that you should usually call them, just a simple email can do wonders.

I’m just touching base to drop you an updated resume. Hope that you are doing well. Keep me in mind if you happen to need an inspector!

• Inspection Companies, Head Hunters, and Staffing Companies are a great resource

These are all very similar and you can get a lot of work from them. Some of my best jobs came unexpectedly through one of these. If you are able to put your resume in front of 100 different companies, your odds of getting a job goes up, A LOT. Having a good resume that they actually SEE is vital. Make sure you have a great contact list.

1. Relevant Information on your resume
2. Honesty in the details and job history
3. Access to your resume by the people who are hiring

These 3 things will help you land the jobs that you are qualified for and hopefully get you more options in the process.

Make your resume a high priority and major consideration in your job search. It is truly key!
Are you a Premier Member at OnBoard? If so, check out Resume Services.
Premier Members also can have their resume built or re-worked for lower prices than you’ll likely see anywhere!
Not a Premier Member? Join now for only $7.99 per month!

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Why Require A Certification For All Pipeline Inspectors?

The primary reason for developing API RP 1169 was to provide the oil and gas industry with a certification to identify qualified pipeline inspectors. This certification is now becoming more and more in demand. More projects than ever are requiring inspectors to have it or they don’t get the job. This certification helps assure companies that the inspectors they are hiring have some background in the industry.

Who Needs To Take It?

Only pipeline inspectors, or prospective pipeline inspectors, need to take the API 1169. Which raises the question is – “Are you qualified to take it?”

Are You Qualified To Take The API 1169 Exam?

The API 1169 Pipeline Construction Inspector Certification requirements are based on your work experience. This is limited to what has been acquired within the last 20 years. Education and other certifications may also be needed.

Per the API site – Applicants can qualify in one or more of the following categories-

• Pipeline Inspection Experience
• General Oil & Gas Industry Inspection Experience
• Non-Inspection Pipeline Experience
• Non-Inspection General Oil & Gas Industry Experience
• Other Heavy Industry Experience
  

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Do You Need To Study?

Do you need to study?…That depends on who you ask.

Some research shows over 80% of inspectors simply reviewing information that is freely available online. Other inspectors choose either live or online trainings. There are also some that claim that they simply took the test with no studying at all.

I recommend that you at least do some practice tests (Such as offered free by NEFs right HERE).

What If You Don’t Take It?

What if you choose to not take it?… What do you think?

Look, I don’t like it anymore than you do, but it’s not going away. If you haven’t already taken it, you might as well go ahead and get it over with. If you don’t, there will be a line of new inspectors a mile long – ready to take your job! 

Besides, it’s not that difficult. Yes, I’ve taken it. I studied online for 4 days and passed like a breeze. I believe that you can too!

OnBoard Consulting Services

Resources For The Inspection Community

Having trouble getting a project? Join OnBoard and get access to the OnBoard Contacts List! It’s huge and you can start sending resumes today!

Premier Member area

OnBoard Contacts List

The post API 1169 appeared first on ONBOARD CONSULTING SERVICES.

Wouldn’t it be great if we all could work as much as we wanted to?

Sometimes that works out, many times it doesn’t. Yet, somehow, there are people who do seem to work as much as they want to. They seem to always find jobs when no one else can. GOOD JOBS TOO! It’s like we are all running a race, but some people have the upper hand. Almost as if they know a secret.

Have you ever stopped, … and asked yourself – “how are they doing it?”

As crazy as this may sound, the answer is simple. They have great contacts.

We can know that this is true because some of the people who work all of the time are, well….. not very good at their jobs. And they are still working! When you consider this, it clears up a lot of things and solves part of the mystery.

But where do you find a lot of great contacts?

Here are the top five ways to have amazing contacts and get the breaks that you deserve.

1 – Stay in touch with your former Lead/Chief inspectors.

Don’t be the inspector who only calls when you want a job. Occasionally get in touch with your old chiefs and just say hello.

2 – Stay in touch with your former co-workers.

Inspectors that you worked with before are a great resource. I have gotten on a lot of projects thanks to friends who are just regular old inspectors.

3 – Use social media to watch for jobs.

It’s not the best way, but it does work and it’s definitely worth it.

4 – Keep your own list of companies.

Every time you see or hear of a new inspection company or group that provides inspectors, write it down!

5 – (My personal favorite) Use OnBoard Consulting Services contact list.

OnBoard keeps a huge database of contacts for you. If you are a seasoned inspector, a new inspector, or just don’t have many contacts, you already know just how vitally important this is. You probably are also aware of how that companies are constantly starting up, shutting down, and being bought out. OnBoard will do the hard research for you and you can simply start sending resumes as soon as your ready. Monthly membership is all about the price of an Angus Three Cheese & Bacon at Arby’s.
Seriously, most people will waste way more per month than what this membership cost (currently $7.99 per month).

To get access go here – OnBoard-Now.Com

Invest in yourself – CLICK HERE – and get a leg up in the race!

Keeping great contacts will be the number 1 factor regarding whether you work or not.

Whether you had tried to tackle this task yourself, or you simply choose now to go to a 3rd party (OnBoard), be sure that you keep access to great contacts!

You will be glad that you did!

The post Nothing Beats Great Contacts! appeared first on ONBOARD CONSULTING SERVICES.

At A Disadvantage

If you are an inspector, you already know maintaining a healthy weight is often hard to do. Inspectors are at a disadvantage when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. As inspectors, we often work long days with little or no time to prepare healthy foods. The quickest and easiest food is usually what gets grabbed for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. To make matters worse, many inspectors are bored and pass the time every evening when they get off of work by having a few more snacks. So, it’s no surprise that so many inspectors struggle with a few extra pounds (and by ‘a few’ I mean a lot).

I’m an inspector, so I get it. Seriously, my problem is that even while I am writing this, that burger looks really good!

Difficulties Are On The Way

What does this mean for us? Well, it depends on several factors such as weight, age, and exercise level, to name just three. If you are overweight and not very active, it really increases your chances of having issues with your health.

You’re probably not going to like this ideal weight calculator (I sure don’t), but I remember when this was closer to the norm (think of the 70’s). Today most people will just say BS, and ignore it. Go ahead, check your ideal weight, get mad, sad, or depressed, then come back because I have more to tell you.

Ideal Weight Calculator

A new analysis of almost one million people from around the world has shown that obesity can trim years off life expectancy. Moderate obesity, which is now common, reduces life expectancy by about 3 years, and that severe obesity, which is still uncommon, can shorten a person’s life by 10 years. This 10-year loss is equal to the effects of lifelong smoking. – ScienceDaily.com

Obesity and/or poor eating habits can shorten your life!

Do your own research and see for yourself. Being overweight and/or eating high carbs and sugar can increase your health risks. Naturally, you need to follow your doctor’s orders, but getting to a healthy weight is almost always a good idea. If you’re an overweight inspector with a low activity level, you’re asking for trouble.

So, What Can You Do?

For starters, see your health care provider on a regular basis. That’s very important.

If they give you the thumbs up, make a plan to lose some weight. Increase your activity, but the odds are that walking or working out alone isn’t enough to help you lose much weight. You will have to change your diet.  How much you eat and, most importantly, what you eat, is key.

That’s not going to be easy, but it can be done… and you can do it!

Consider making these changes (If approved by your doctor).

• Increase your vegetable intake a lot.
• You can eat some fruit, but not too much. 
• Stop eating fast food as much as you possibly can.
• Cut out fried foods as much as possible.
• Lower your intake of sugar and carbohydrates.
• Move! Work out morning and evening. If you are not in good enough shape to do that – Walk.

If you’re really serious about understanding how more about how to do this, watch this video. I’m not getting anything $ from this guy. I don’t know him and have never met him, but he seems legit. He has a lot of very helpful videos. As always, check with your doctor before following any advice (including mine).

We might never satisfy the ‘Ideal Weight’ people, but we can get healthier. I’m not telling you that this will be easy, but I’ve seen it done, and you can do it too!

OnBoard Consulting Services

Helping you become the inspector who succeeds  

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We’ve all seen it happen. The odds are that some of you reading this have actually had it happen to you…A good inspector who really needs to go to work – doesn’t. He or she sits at home wondering what’s going on. Other people are going to work, so what’s the problem?

Here are 5 reasons good inspectors don’t get to work:

1. Waiting too long to start looking

Deciding when to put ‘feelers’ out and try to find another job is not always easy. If you start looking too soon, you might not even have a day off. I’ve had that happen more than once and when you need a break, it doesn’t feel very good. Especially when you have been working long days for a long time. But when you wait too long, you can end up sitting home way longer than you wanted to. So, what’s the answer?

Start looking immediately!

In my opinion, the answer is simple, start looking immediately and tell people the date YOU DECIDE that you will be available. I put “YOU DECIDE” in capital letters for a reason. Some inspectors seem to think that as soon as their current project ends they have to say that they are available to whoever they happen to talk to. So, they end up trying to avoid talking to anyone who might want to hire them until about a week or two before they are ready to go to work. This is often a bad mistake.

Consider this instead – Pick a date that you will be ready to return to work and start asking what projects are coming up around that time. You might still have to adjust your date a little, but that beats sitting at home!

2. Having a bad resume

A bad resume is typically ignored, unless you already know someone on the project. It’s that simple. I’ve been in the hiring position more times than I can count and there are certain types of resumes that just get ignored. They are unclear, they don’t catch the eye, and they are too vague…to put it simply, they suck. (You can’t help it if your resume sucks because you don’t have a good work history, so don’t worry about that. Stay honest)

Here are a few things that you might want to consider:

Does your resume clearly show what position(s) that you are interested in?

I’ve seen a lot of resumes that just didn’t seem to have anything written clearly showing what position the person wanted. I imagine that they thought this would give them more options. Maybe, they imagined that the person doing the hiring would meticulously read their entire resume and then decide where they can use them…uh – wrong. Put the position or positions that you are interested in – clearly visible – on the first page.

Do your most recent jobs/projects highlight your skills?

Be sure that if possible your most recent jobs briefly mention the relevant skills that you possess. You might even want to put them in bold print. That way, the person looking at your resume can quickly see what you’re capable of.

3. Being lied to

“Oh yeah buddy, I gotcha covered.”…”I’ll be calling you in about 3 to 5 weeks.”…”This project has 3 more phases coming, so wait for me to call you.”…”Don’t take anything, because this job will last for over a year.”

True Story – I once had a guy tell me this…

“Now, you’re not going to take anything are you? I’m counting on you for this project. You don’t want to get a reputation for being undependable.”

I was a new inspector and I took him at his word…in the end, he hired someone else for the position (His friend that just got off of a job) after I had waited at home for 6 weeks longer than I had the budget for. A very hard-and expensive-lesson was learned.

My advice to you – don’t commit yourself to people who aren’t committed to you (That’s actually pretty good advice in general) and then take the first job that meets YOUR NEEDS.

4. Too few contacts or very poor contacts

This is a big problem for so many inspectors. They have 5-10 really good contacts, maybe 15-20 decent ones, if they are lucky. The problem is – that’s not enough! I explain more about that when I’m making a pitch for our Premier Membership site, but I still want to elaborate some here. Naturally, the more contacts that you have, the better your chances will be of getting a call to go to work. Even if you have a strong resume, there will be times that even 50 good contacts simply isn’t enough. And lists with half of the emails being duds, well, that just doesn’t cut it in today’s competitive job market.

What about waiting on chiefs you know? Depending on chiefs that you know is fine, until it isn’t. All it takes is for them to take a job where that can’t hire very many people…or they decide to take time off that you can’t afford to take…or they get mad at you…or they retire…or (fill in the blank).

My advice – start now making your own contact list and make it a very high priority. Then, you need to work to keep it up to date!

(Or, better yet, let us do it for you CLICK HERE)

5. No certifications

This is a fairly new problem, but it’s still a problem. More and more companies are favoring, and in many cases requiring, inspectors with certain certifications. It’s not fair, but it’s not going away. This is due, in part, to inspectors looking to get started who falsified their resumes. Certifications show that you at least have some training. As unfair as it might be, many good inspectors are sitting on the bench now.

Take a look HERE at some of the certifications that are available. If you’re not an Onboard Member yet, then sign up – It’s free for the regular membership and dirt cheap for the Premier Membership (which gives you access to our huge contact list).

*Start looking for your next project before you’re ready to go to work.

*Tweak your resume.

*Don’t fall for lies (that can be tough to do).

*Keep enough great contacts (or use ours).

*And have industry relevant certifications.

If you do these things, you shouldn’t be sitting on the bench for long.

Need the best job contacts list? Become a Premier Member now!

The post 5 Reasons Good Inspectors Don’t Get to Work appeared first on ONBOARD CONSULTING SERVICES.

…the answer is, “that depends”. If you’re not inspector material…then never. Just because you have worked in the industry for 20 years, doesn’t mean that you will be a good inspector. Likewise, if you haven’t worked in the industry for 20 years, doesn’t mean that you will be a bad inspector. So, what is inspector material? Well, if you’ve ever met an inspector who should not have been an inspector, then you understand. I want to share 3 major factors that I think are indicators that maybe it’s time to start looking at the inspection career path.

3 Major Factors

• Experience Level

Although most inspectors don’t know every single thing about their craft, they should be competent.  If you desire to be an inspector, then you need to be competent too. This is normally accomplished, in part, by your previous work experience. The different types of work experience that prepares you for an inspection career can vary a lot. It is typically best if you have a significant amount of experience in the industry and field that you intend to inspect in.

What if you don’t have that kind of experience?

If you don’t have that kind of background, it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker. In many cases, it surprises people to realize how much preparation they already have. Many acquired skills are easily used across the board and can be applied in various situations if they are similar. Don’t discount life experience either. Although it’s not something that usually goes well on a resume, we all know how important and valuable your personal life experiences can be. As an inspector, they can be a tremendous asset.

If your background or work history isn’t enough to properly prepare you to work as an inspector, then you probably should consider additional trainings and/or certifications. Second in importance, after work experience, is education and there are many different certifications and trainings available.  Trainings and certifications often play a key role in an inspector’s education, regardless of his/her current formal education level. Although it’s not job experience, there can be a lot of knowledge gained from trainings.

Check out these trainings.

• People Skills

There is a severe lack of people skills in some parts of the inspection community. As you might expect, the people with the poorest people skills often think that tact and understanding are optional. The truth is that the inability to communicate well and get along with contractors (and other inspectors) should be enough to eliminate the inspectors who cause problems from the field. With many companies today, this is becoming a reality. Inspectors who cannot get along, regardless of their knowledge and experience level, are simply not re-hired on the next project…end of story?…right?

Not Quite…they usually just go to another project where either no one knows their ways, or else they go to work with people who have similar views. Then, the chip on their shoulder seems to get bigger and bigger. These are the people that you hear complaining about management letting the contractors go wild, or how their fellow inspectors aren’t doing their jobs correctly, or this negative, that negative, then something else negative…although these all can be genuine issues, they’re often not.

If you were an inspector, what would be the best way to deal with others?

1.Separate yourself from negative people as much as possible because they tend to rub off on others. That may be hard to do at first, but keep trying.

2. Be positive. Make people happy to see you. If you can’t do that, at least don’t make them unhappy to see you!

3. Be good at your job…Be REALLY good at your job! Sometimes that makes people angry. That’s ok, because that’s their problem, not yours. Most people will appreciate this and think well of you for it.

4. Forgive. If you’re going to be happy in this life, you’ll have to learn to forgive. Remember, even the really great people in your life and on your job will sometimes do really crappy things…so will you.

5. Show respect to the chain of command, even if you don’t believe that they deserve it.

• Family Situation

What stage are you at in life? If you are single, or have no commitments, read no further.

BUT, if you are in a committed relationship and will be leaving home, it can be pretty hard on you. I started inspecting when my youngest child was 5 and my oldest was 11 (Now my oldest has been an inspector himself for 6 years). Back then it was really hard on everyone in our family…REALLY HARD.

Currently, if you’re working a job that takes you away from home, then maybe your family has already adjusted. If so – that’s great. If not – it really sucks. You will miss a lot of important things and you will put a lot of extra hardships on your partner. On the other hand, you will make an excellent living once you are able to stay busy. Some people even choose to only work 6 months a year. This makes things easier at home, because you’re only gone half of the time. Either way, you need to talk things over with your family and make certain that they are on board with you. Even if they are onboard –

You will be missed by your loved ones.

You will get calls about problems at the worst possible times.

Sometimes people will be upset at you for being gone so much.

…And you will be giving the people who you love a better life (hopefully saving some money in the process).

You will see some amazing places and meet some of the best people on the planet!

If you have the right experience level, decent people skills, and an acceptable home situation, you’re probably ready to get your feet wet.

So, if that’s the case, go on over and join the basic membership at Onboard-Now.com  UPDATE – basic membership at OnBoard is closed. Premier membership is currently accepting new members.

No contacts for jobs? Sign up for the Premier Membership because we offer a MASSIVE contact list among a lot of other things.

Here are a few other things that are also important:

• Computer Skills 
• Dress the part
• Speak clearly and (somewhat) correctly
• Be able to write decent reports
• Being able to understand a specification (Maybe I should write something about that)
• The ability to read and understand drawings (Maybe I should write something about that too)

I’m sure that I left out a lot of things. If there is a topic you would like to see more on drop me a line at Contact@Onboard-Now.com

Read Nothing Beats Contacts!

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