Asked by Kearny_Pipefitter · Sep 6
Six months in at a small shop out of Bayonne. 90% of my day is demo, carrying material, cleaning up, and running to the supply house. I've sweated maybe 10 fittings total. The other helper has been there a year and says it was the same for him. Is this normal or am I being used as cheap labor? Don't want to quit too early and look like a flake.
Six months of demo and material is normal, kid. Everybody carries water heaters. That's the job. Red flags are different: no one explaining anything when you ask, still nothing but demo at a year, no talk about school, getting paid cash with no paperwork. If none of those are true, keep your head down a little longer and start asking for one new thing a week.
Here's what I look for when I hire, and it applies to the helper who wants more: the guy who's already standing next to the work, watching, when the demo's done. Make it easy for them to teach you.
update: asked for one new thing like zig said, the fittings on a repipe friday. boss let me do the whole manifold while he watched. leaked one. fixed it. best day so far