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Would you hire yourself?

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Well-known Member
Or to put it another way, how often do you do something that would cause a boss to think about firing you? At my senior age I don't try to get things done very fast, and I take pride in doing a good job. I believe that I still save myself plenty of money by repairing things myself, but it seems like sometimes I get pretty bogged down, and have to take something a part and try another way or see that I need to change something. It seems that more and more I find that I am chuckling and telling myself that it is good think that I don't need to make money at this. Yesterday after taking something apart and doing a mock-up assembly with all the new parts and measuring lots of clearances for two hours I finally came back in the house and downloaded a shop manual. What am I coming to?
 
Like I told my friend that was working at the dairy
he?s paying you 8$ an hour he?s getting more than
he?s paying for so if he wants 25$ an hour work he
can pay 25 until then I wouldn?t worry about it
 
Probably not, I have trouble keeping focus
anymore. Also I've lost alot of strength
so fitting stuff together requires more
ingenuity that being said please refer to
what I said at the first of this message.
 
Hardly a day goes by that I don't have that very thought!

Every time I start a DIY job at home I declare many times that if I had an employee as slow and dumb as me, I would fire him on the spot! Most of the slow comes from perfectionism kicking in. Hard to switch from machinist tolerance to carpentry! lol

I feel my working days are numbered, at least where I am working now. My bosses are one year older than me, I suspect they are about ready to retire, sell the company. If that happens I would be gone before the ink was dry on the contract.

Not sure what I would do, maybe try to find something part time, I've got a couple places in mind that might have something for me.

But there is no denying, I can't run with the big dogs no more! My stamina and strength is just not there, neither is the memory.
 
Probably not at my age. Maybe 8 or 10 years ago, I wouldn't hesitate hiring my self. Now I don't need someone like myself, to look around for a block to stand on, to step up on the front axle to pour fuel in the tank. Sitting in the seat mowing, I can keep up with the best. You're hired. Start tomorrow. Stan
 
Takes me an average of 3X longer to do a given job than if I'd hired a pro. Might have a good day where it takes me only twice as long. I could probably go a little faster but I tend to overthink it, look at all the angles, and don't always know the shortcuts that might help. But I enjoy the process, and in the end I know how it all went together. Important because I'll probably be troubleshooting it in the future. Time and money, no getting around those two things. But I've talked to many people who've thrown a lot of money at a job, only to have the so-called pros let them down.
 
Probably yes. I have a lot of good qualities I think I would like in an employee. Very careful with machinery and able to do simple maintenance and upkeep. Never pushing anything to it's limit and have a good ear for when something is not working right. Slow but meticulous. I've sometimes said to myself that it is a good thing I work for free. I could not afford to pay myself minimum wage considering how long it takes me to do some jobs.
 
Probably not, I turned 71 today, have two bad discs in my lower back, two more in my neck and my right shoulder is used up also. I'd like to have a part time job but hate to start something I can't finish.
 
I guess I already did hire myself as I'm my only employee/worker on my farm.I'm not as fast as I used to be but am a careful and pretty skill equipment operator,cattle handler,truck driver,
decent mechanic etc.I work in any weather and try to stick with a job until its finished.
 
Same Here Stan ,. I never wanted to give all my energy to someone to make a lot of money off my efforts . Back in the day I was a power that was hard to outwork .. I am glad I made it when I did .Now I am used up , Except I could drive all nite long or make hay all day, Not to mention keeping a lovely Gal company forever. They write songs about folks like Us ,.
 
I guess I'm still employable at 73. I still haul a few semi loads of concrete pavers and wall block out of B.C. for a friend. I'm still
asked to repair tractors, and modify and repair equipment for another friend. Just had another friend ask me to find the fuel leak on his
diesel boat engine, and repair it for him. I think it helps to keep the mind and body active.
 
He had plenty of opportunity for advancement and would have made an excellent herdsmen but he didn?t want any of that he wanted the job he had and that was it . Some of us are happy right where we are and all the money in the world doesn?t create happiness . He?s retired know and sits home and can watch the wind and snow blow while I?m out all hours of the day and night working
 
Yes I would. Although experience has taught me how and age has caused me to do things slower and accurate the first time as compared to fast and twice at 20 years old. Still get as much done.
 
No.

Can't afford to pay myself $7.50 an hour.

Sometimes can't find myself after lunch.

Will only work 32 hours a week because I can't get by on 24.

Have been unable to find job with 11am to 1pm hours.

It's much easier to lay on the couch and collect a government check.

Once government gives me free healthcare and free college, maybe I'll go back to college.

In the meantime, I'll keep Nancy happy so there's a steady income.

Life is good!
 
I would hire another fella like me in a heartbeat. My
job description goes as follows: must work 7 days
per week/ 8-14 hours per day. Be able to operate
and maintain any and all equipment on farm. Have
full and complete knowledge of purchasing and
marketing of all farm products. Full and complete
knowledge of crop production,planting through to
feed preparation. As well as ability to manage a
dairy herd with strong emphasis on herd health and
profitability. Starting wage is , regular supply of
home made pie and donuts, and delicious home
cooked meals. Because there are no fellas out
there with these qualifications willing to work at this
pay scale, I had to do as most farmers, and grew
my own home grown help, my oldest son.
 
Hah! There's no way I'd hire myself. I do stuff at my own pace, but I value my time as well. I'm retired now, and to get me to go back to work I'd have to pay myself way more than I'm worth.

As Hellboy actor Ron Perlman once said, "I never direct myself, because I don?t like working with me. I would punch me in the mouth if I had to take my direction."
 
Im short NO way in hxxx. Can't walk much, can't breathe worth a darn and don't have half the muscle I once did. Thank God, I have my Grandson, but he'll be graduating high school this spring so I will cut back a little more then. Pretty much sit in the house all winter now except for feeding the horses.
 
I would hire myself in a heartbeat. I am reliable and punctual , I would be to work on time and I would put in a day's work. I wouldn't be
talking on my cell phone during work hours because I ditched my cell phone and don't own one anymore. I won't be calling in saying I can't
make it in because I have car trouble. I own and maintain a decent and reliable vehicle. I won't ask for days off because I have to go to
court over child support or I got busted with a bag of weed. I won't have to ask for court dates off , nor will I be sick every Monday
morning or Friday. I won't have to stay home to babysit because the sitter is sick....I will be to work every work day, on time, dressed
appropriately,bring my lunch and ready to work until the day has ended and the job done. If I have to work overtime I will without whining
about it..that's who I am going to get as an employee. Those of you who said you wouldn't hire yourself..what the He!! is wrong with you ???
LOL !!
 
As my old Boss told a fellow employee, 'If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over'? He wasn't there long after that.
 
I would probably hire myself, but if I offered myself the job, I'd probably turn it down. I'm retiring because I don't want to work that hard anymore. Time to let the next generation take
their turn busting their backside making a business work. Sure they will make mistakes and blow it sometimes - so did I. But that's how you learn. To succeed, one must risk failure.
The ultimate failure is to never take the risk.
 
been self employed my whole working life,trying to retire but has not happened yet. still have full year yet of carpentry work to do on house then will try to look into the retire thing more, the other jobs are still goin yet also just in different manner. farms, lawnmower dealership shop,
 
heck no then I would have to pay myself now I am a non paid employee.
don't have some no nothing foreman or government knot head looking over my shoulder. as nonpaid person I can take coffee break or day off when I want. no one to chew me out either
 
I've been self employed as a carpenter for more than 45 yr's though half of that if you figure in cows and calves on a small scale for 1000 hrs a year for the
last 30 yr's. I don't think I can afford me as I want a dollar any more. I always figure time to myself is worth more than it is to other people, that's been a
problem I think I'm getting over.
 
There's an expression that work can be only had in two of three ways at once: fast, good, and cheap. Good, cheap work isn't fast; fast cheap work isn't good, and good, fast work isn't cheap. Business today is heavily biased toward fast and cheap--throw it away if its no good. I am the opposite. I try to do a good job but am very slow, and will re-do a job if I'm not satisfied. So, yes, I would hire myself, but I wouldn't make myself a profit, and would probably end up laid off to save money.
 
I?m a little slow but I always swore that when I fixed something I would do it so I wouldn?t have to do it again I?ve still had to do things over I sure try not to
 
+1-- I worked 33 days straight 10 to 14 hrs a day once I never complained if the work was there I was taking it
 
(quoted from post at 12:22:47 02/26/20) Not an hour went by without me keeping the contractors profit in mind . In my entire career.
Click to expand...
lways figured that if I wanted a promotion that I had to work hard enough doing the job right in order to make the boss look good enough that he got promoted.
 
I realize that I am the only person willing to work for me- so, I have few choices of who to hire.

On the plus side, I've taken two sick days now in 33 years, (excluding the days off following surgery of some kind), I can pass any drug test you give me, have a valid driver's license, even CDL endorsement, and will work as long and hard as you ask. I'll make the next pot of coffee and wash the dishes as needed.

I will actively improve the processes, until you say out loud, "just shut up and do it my way".

Right now, I am grotesquely overpaid, and as long as they keep asking me to come to work, I will, and will find time for my "hobby" as I can. (YT gets in the way of that TOO much, it seems)
 
Just read something in the Readers Digest.

Does it make you feel bad that there are parking spaces that make more than you do?

Yes, yes it does.
 
(quoted from post at 13:10:40 02/26/20) Just read something in the Readers Digest.

Does it make you feel bad that there are parking spaces that make more than you do?

Yes, yes it does.
Click to expand...

Greg, yeah that can be discouraging but some of those parking spaces have very high overhead. I heard on the radio last week that some city was going to make their subways free to ride because it is so expensive to build parking garages.
 
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