Being a senior of 70 years and feeling young at heart and in fairly good health, I decided I needed to get a part-time job.
So I went looking! I am not a people person and I thought if I could find something at night I wouldn't have to be around a lot of other people.
I applied for a job as a night watchman for a guard service. Since I am a senior citizen and not as productive as I used to be, I thought this would be a good fit for me. I went through the interview process and waited a few days to hear If I got the position. I finally decided to call and was told they had decided on one of the other applicants. This was a little disappointing for me because it sounded so good and was definitely something I could of handled with ease.
I continued my job search and it was not too long after that disappointment that I found another night time position cleaning carpets at the mall. I was assigned to a crew of 3 including myself. This is perfect for me I thought. It was 6 hours a night,4 nights a week. I was adjusting to my sleep pattern and able to get a lot of other things done during my days off. This new job was working out real well for me.
A few weeks later my wife happened to mention to me that her friends husband was the person who got the guard position that I wanted so bad. She said that they had hired 3 people at the time of the interviews, and that one of them had just quit. They are now looking for a replacement to use as a fill-in when needed. She said I should give him a call and just see if it would be something you could do.
I called and said I was interested but, that I had another job and did not want this to conflict with it. They assured me they would work with my schedule if I wanted the job. I accepted the position and since I had already gone through the interview process I was hired that same day. My new schedule showed me working on the days I was off from my other job at the mall, and I was surprised at the amount of hours they gave me but thought I could handle it.
Last weekend I did 34 hours of guard duty with 6 hours of sleep, and am feeling very tired and worn out. I finally got a day off and was able to catch up on my rest and regain some of my lost energy, After a day and nights sleep I am feeling young at heart again, but my body is telling me to remember my age. I have the mindset to work that hard and hours but, my body can't keep up. I worked the night watchman's job for 3 months and then had to quit.
No matter what each day brings I will simply keep working and living to the best of my ability.
Earl Baldwin
Earl
Usually optomistic
Directory of ezines
Showing posts with label My Job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Job. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Old Folks and Young Adults in the work force
As I age I am finding it harder to relate to the younger generation. It's all of this new language with one letter for a word or a text message that I can't read. Everyone is carrying a smartphone that they check about every few minutes. It seems that verbal communication is being lost to text-ting and email, and the only eye contact you can maintain is a few minutes in between checking their phone. It is becoming apparent to me that leisure time and gaming has taken the place of commitment to employers and work ethics of old.
I retired from my Contracting business about 10 years ago but still very active in the workforce holding down 2 part-time jobs. Most of the workers I am around are much younger, and their values and ethics are so much different than mine. I have always been one to get to work early and be ready to go when I get there. Not so with the twenty-year-old's that I work around today. I work the early graveyard shift (9:00pm to 4:00am) on the janitorial crew for a large commercial business. When I come in the other crew is in their last hour and winding down from their daily housekeeping duties.
I usually arrive to see three or more sitting outside smoking and waiting for the time to pass by so they can get there hours in and then check out and go home. Often I have seen them leave the job and then come back an hour or more later and clock out without finishing their job. Many times the last-minute cleanup chores for them before they leave are not done and left for us on the graveyard shift. In the last 3 hours of their shift, there is no supervision and there is a lack in their job performance. I have noticed a sharp decline in the morals and work ethics of today as compared to when I was their age.
Nowadays most companies are only hiring part-time employees and reducing benefits to save money. It is the same with the company I am currently employed with. Many of the new hires are not trained and only given very basic instructions on their job duties. It's no wonder our workforce and performance has declined, if there is only limited training and supervision.
As for me I will continue in the ways I have been taught and practiced. To do the best I can and go beyond what is expected of me. It's my way of staying young and simply living life to the best of my ability.
Earl Baldwin
I retired from my Contracting business about 10 years ago but still very active in the workforce holding down 2 part-time jobs. Most of the workers I am around are much younger, and their values and ethics are so much different than mine. I have always been one to get to work early and be ready to go when I get there. Not so with the twenty-year-old's that I work around today. I work the early graveyard shift (9:00pm to 4:00am) on the janitorial crew for a large commercial business. When I come in the other crew is in their last hour and winding down from their daily housekeeping duties.
I usually arrive to see three or more sitting outside smoking and waiting for the time to pass by so they can get there hours in and then check out and go home. Often I have seen them leave the job and then come back an hour or more later and clock out without finishing their job. Many times the last-minute cleanup chores for them before they leave are not done and left for us on the graveyard shift. In the last 3 hours of their shift, there is no supervision and there is a lack in their job performance. I have noticed a sharp decline in the morals and work ethics of today as compared to when I was their age.
Nowadays most companies are only hiring part-time employees and reducing benefits to save money. It is the same with the company I am currently employed with. Many of the new hires are not trained and only given very basic instructions on their job duties. It's no wonder our workforce and performance has declined, if there is only limited training and supervision.
As for me I will continue in the ways I have been taught and practiced. To do the best I can and go beyond what is expected of me. It's my way of staying young and simply living life to the best of my ability.
Earl Baldwin
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Close to retirement
Just a few months away from 70 now and thinking about the day I will retire. I have set a goal of retiring on my birthday, but as the days go by the anxiety is building. I have a great job and love what I do. Each day is a new challenge working in the building maintenance field.
Being a building caretaker for the disabled people in two separate buildings is a very rewarding job. It comes with many extra duties that are not covered in my job description. Like picking up their keys when they are in their wheel chair and they drop them on the floor or removing their air conditioner when the weather turns cold.
My actual title is" Building and property maintenance caretaker". I have no responsibilities to the residents other than doing the maintenance request forms filled out for work to be done in their apartments. Its my policy to engage only in work related issues while in their apartments. This eliminates the possibility of favoritism and clinging.
As the time passes friendships have been developing and filling out work orders go by the wayside and verbal request become the normal. Its company policy to only do work when filled work orders are turned in. So it becomes a constant reminder to fill out a work order.
There are many factors to my decision to retire, one is my memory which is getting more forgetful by the week. If I don't write it down right away, then I'll go off and completely forget about it. Another is my physical strength is weakening and I cannot perform some of the task that I used to do.
As in many buildings that house people with disabilities there are a lot of drugs, both prescriptions and non prescriptions; along with illegal drugs. The buildings I manage are federally funded and need to be monitored for illegal drug traffic. With marijuana becoming more popular as a pain reliever and still considered illegal in federal buildings; the stress of controlling it has greatly increased.
I guess the natural deterioration of my body as I get older and the ability to cope with many of the problems of today is just a part of life. Therefore I will continue to live it to the best of my ability.
Comment on life.
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/400301_444888708909521_2096422908_n.jpg
Earl Baldwin
Being a building caretaker for the disabled people in two separate buildings is a very rewarding job. It comes with many extra duties that are not covered in my job description. Like picking up their keys when they are in their wheel chair and they drop them on the floor or removing their air conditioner when the weather turns cold.
My actual title is" Building and property maintenance caretaker". I have no responsibilities to the residents other than doing the maintenance request forms filled out for work to be done in their apartments. Its my policy to engage only in work related issues while in their apartments. This eliminates the possibility of favoritism and clinging.
As the time passes friendships have been developing and filling out work orders go by the wayside and verbal request become the normal. Its company policy to only do work when filled work orders are turned in. So it becomes a constant reminder to fill out a work order.
There are many factors to my decision to retire, one is my memory which is getting more forgetful by the week. If I don't write it down right away, then I'll go off and completely forget about it. Another is my physical strength is weakening and I cannot perform some of the task that I used to do.
As in many buildings that house people with disabilities there are a lot of drugs, both prescriptions and non prescriptions; along with illegal drugs. The buildings I manage are federally funded and need to be monitored for illegal drug traffic. With marijuana becoming more popular as a pain reliever and still considered illegal in federal buildings; the stress of controlling it has greatly increased.
I guess the natural deterioration of my body as I get older and the ability to cope with many of the problems of today is just a part of life. Therefore I will continue to live it to the best of my ability.
Comment on life.
http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/400301_444888708909521_2096422908_n.jpg
Earl Baldwin
Friday, August 14, 2009
Why I enjoy my perfect job
I had been looking for several months to find a partime retirement job, one where I could help people, and improve their living quarters. I had been doing property maintenance for several years and really enjoyed it.
While my wife was reading the paper one morning she circled a small add for a building maintenance caretaker and told me I should check this out.I got online and filled out an application and the next day I received a call asking me to come in for an interview right away. The interview went good and I was hired the following day.
Right away I was thinking this is the perfect job for me. I had the responsibilities of upkeep, maintenance, and repairs of two buildings. Both of the buildings were in pretty good condition, although very little maintenance had been done in the last few years. One building has 8 apartments and the other building has 24 apartments. Each of the buildings is occupied with people who have some sort of disability and are not able to do any repairs themselves.
Many of the people are confined to their wheel chair but are still very mobile and able to go wherever they want to. Also there are about 10 of the residents who travel around in power wheel chairs who I see on a daily basis. Two of these people out of many that I would like to mention are who makes my work days so special.
Eric and Kay have gradually become my inspiration for doing the best job possible.
Eric lives on the second floor and Kay lives on the first. They are good friends and visit each other often, they must go past the office each time they go out or check their mail, and I always leave the door open so any one can come in, but usually they just go by and always give me a greeting, like (Hi Earl or Morning Earl) or like Eric says "Earl's Snacking again". I have done several repairs in both of their apartments, and they are always so appreciative of how quickly the repair was made or taken care of. They both have a good outlook on life and usually seem happy with their environment. This makes coming to work a pleasure and I look forward to seeing them each day.
My office is located on the first floor just inside the main entrance,and the mail boxes are on the other side of my office. I have windows on three walls so I can sit in the office and see pretty much every thing that is going on. When I first started this job I was advised not to become personally involved in the residents lives, so I have pretty much stuck to greetings and uplifting comments. It has been no surprise that over the last year and a half most of the people have shared a lot of positive feed back, not only to me but to the corporate property managers. Granted there have been stressful times but for the most part this has been the perfect job and the reason I enjoy it so much. The people and variety of tasks I do each day is what Simply Living Life to the best of my ability is all about.
While my wife was reading the paper one morning she circled a small add for a building maintenance caretaker and told me I should check this out.I got online and filled out an application and the next day I received a call asking me to come in for an interview right away. The interview went good and I was hired the following day.
Right away I was thinking this is the perfect job for me. I had the responsibilities of upkeep, maintenance, and repairs of two buildings. Both of the buildings were in pretty good condition, although very little maintenance had been done in the last few years. One building has 8 apartments and the other building has 24 apartments. Each of the buildings is occupied with people who have some sort of disability and are not able to do any repairs themselves.
Many of the people are confined to their wheel chair but are still very mobile and able to go wherever they want to. Also there are about 10 of the residents who travel around in power wheel chairs who I see on a daily basis. Two of these people out of many that I would like to mention are who makes my work days so special.
Eric and Kay have gradually become my inspiration for doing the best job possible.
Eric lives on the second floor and Kay lives on the first. They are good friends and visit each other often, they must go past the office each time they go out or check their mail, and I always leave the door open so any one can come in, but usually they just go by and always give me a greeting, like (Hi Earl or Morning Earl) or like Eric says "Earl's Snacking again". I have done several repairs in both of their apartments, and they are always so appreciative of how quickly the repair was made or taken care of. They both have a good outlook on life and usually seem happy with their environment. This makes coming to work a pleasure and I look forward to seeing them each day.
My office is located on the first floor just inside the main entrance,and the mail boxes are on the other side of my office. I have windows on three walls so I can sit in the office and see pretty much every thing that is going on. When I first started this job I was advised not to become personally involved in the residents lives, so I have pretty much stuck to greetings and uplifting comments. It has been no surprise that over the last year and a half most of the people have shared a lot of positive feed back, not only to me but to the corporate property managers. Granted there have been stressful times but for the most part this has been the perfect job and the reason I enjoy it so much. The people and variety of tasks I do each day is what Simply Living Life to the best of my ability is all about.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
On the job
I started a new job in April of last year as a caretaker for two buildings for people who have disabilities.The job intales keeping the building and grounds clean, checking and maintaining operating equipment, stocking toiletry supplies, doing maintenance repair issues, and general monitoring of the building. With three years of rental maintenance under my belt I thought this job would be a breeze. I was wrong.
There had been five different caretakers before me in the last three years, and none of them had done any maintenance to speak of. So to start my first week off, the main hot water tanks went out and we went a week with only limited warm water for showers. Then I had a stack of maintenance requests (72) for the tenants apartments. The cleaning was another big issue to deal with. One month later we had to do a major repair on the roof. This pattern of cleaning, repairs, and never ending maintenance requests has lasted all year, but now I feel like I have a handle on most of it. The buildings are fairly new (16 years) and are brick, so the structures are in good condition.
Several acts of vandalism has taken place in both of the buildings over the last year. These have usually happened in the middle of the night, and because I am on call 24/7 I have been woke up at many early morning hours. Just last week we had a fire out on the second floor deck, and this week a tenant flooded her apartment by forgetting to turn off the water to the shower with the drain being plugged.
I am not complaining, just trying to give you a glimpse into my job as a caretaker. I work for a corporation who has buildings all across the U.S..I am my own boss and have random visits to my site by the regional property managers. My last inspection went good and I feel confident in the work I am doing. I will continue to simply live life as it comes even at work.
There had been five different caretakers before me in the last three years, and none of them had done any maintenance to speak of. So to start my first week off, the main hot water tanks went out and we went a week with only limited warm water for showers. Then I had a stack of maintenance requests (72) for the tenants apartments. The cleaning was another big issue to deal with. One month later we had to do a major repair on the roof. This pattern of cleaning, repairs, and never ending maintenance requests has lasted all year, but now I feel like I have a handle on most of it. The buildings are fairly new (16 years) and are brick, so the structures are in good condition.
Several acts of vandalism has taken place in both of the buildings over the last year. These have usually happened in the middle of the night, and because I am on call 24/7 I have been woke up at many early morning hours. Just last week we had a fire out on the second floor deck, and this week a tenant flooded her apartment by forgetting to turn off the water to the shower with the drain being plugged.
I am not complaining, just trying to give you a glimpse into my job as a caretaker. I work for a corporation who has buildings all across the U.S..I am my own boss and have random visits to my site by the regional property managers. My last inspection went good and I feel confident in the work I am doing. I will continue to simply live life as it comes even at work.
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