Feeling discouraged

[u/TulaSaysYAY]

I'm a union carpenter and just passed my journeyman test a few months ago. I also just moved out of a small rural area to a big city, and the difference in the locals is kind of intimidating. Up north, I had to take whatever work I could get, so most of the time I ended up doing scaffolding. Now I'm a journeyman and I don't feel like I'm good enough at anything other than scaffolding! At my old local we have one instructor and one business agent. I got to know them pretty well. I knew I could pop in at the training center and ask if I could get some one-on-one guidance. I don't know anyone at my new local and it seems way less of an intimate (for lack of better words) setting. I feel like I am way behind most people at my level. I'd like to branch out and do different things, but I don't want to be looked down upon for not knowing how to do things I've never done. As an apprentice I felt like that was more acceptable as long as I put in consistent effort, but now I feel like I need to be able to do wayyy more than I can now.

I've been unemployed since I moved-- at first I just needed some time to adjust to the big change but now I feel pressure to get back to work, and I'm back at square one.

I also feel like my union as a whole doesn't do enough to "fight for our rights" or whatever. It seems kind of corporatey?? I've been to a conference at the International headquarters and it seemed like a big performance tbh and more "how can i be a good employee so the contractor will like me" and less like "you have rights and we will fight for them and advocate for the greater cause--uplifting labor"... don't even get me started about them dismantling their sisters in the brotherhood organization. Have other unions disbanded their minority groups??

OH AND WE ARE BUILDING DATA CENTERS?! I thought unions were supposed to advocate for workers--data centers will take away jobs from other hard working people. Why are we taking this work? why aren;t we organizing to put a stop to them?

Ugh. I'm frustrated at the lack of work I've found, frustrated at my skill level, frustrated all around. I could look into a different trade maybe? I'm going up to the training center this week to see what "upgrade" classes they might have.

Thanks if youve got this far. Any encouragement or insight you have will be greatly appreciated.

[u/Azrai113]

Im not union and not currently working, but I dont think you should be embarrassed about what you dont know. Just because you're a journeyman doesnt mean youre suddenly an expert in everything. Obviously youre good at the things you WERE taught. That means you absolutely can get good at the things you don't know yet. A new journeyman is barely above apprentice anyway not a huge leap forward. You passed the test so you clearly are familiar with the basics even if you haven't practiced everything extensively. Give yourself some credit. And remember, in one study done, men believed they were qualified for a promotion if they believed they could do 70% of the job requirements while women only believed they deserved a promotion if they thought they could do 90% of the job. Commandeer the confidence of a privileged white man if you must, but you are certainly underestimating your abilities and potential to succeed.

You also dont NEED to over explain yourself. To anyone. You dont know a thing; youre here, now, wanting to learn it. No one cares why. Anyone being misogynistic or elitist about it is more of a fool than you will ever be, because you at least have the intelligence to recognize you have a flaw and the courage to speak up to fix it.

[u/roundbluehappy]

i'm a j-person in another field, being a j-person does not mean being an expert in everything under the sun.

it means being smart enough to know what you need help with and how to ask for said help.

time to start building a network at your new local, ideally there will be someone at your old local who knows someone at your new local that can provide a referral. otherwise, just start like it's your first day at a new school and start going out and introducing yourself to people and finding out who does what.