As an old-timer myself, I have a lot of respect for experienced trade workers. The old saying, “practice makes perfect,” applies to many walks of life. I’m sure you’d rather be operated on by a surgeon who has performed a procedure hundreds of times rather than one doing it for the first time. Likewise, most skilled trade workers get better at their craft the longer they work at it.
Not everyone, however. In my long career associated with the trades, I’ve learned that experience can sometimes be as much a handicap as an advantage. Some older tradespeople grow too comfortable with what they know and are unwilling to adapt to changes in products, technologies and procedures.
Some of them actually go out of their way to discourage customers from installing top-of-the-line plumbing, HVAC or electrical equipment. They say it’s too expensive, or troublesome, or a cheaper device works better, etc. It’s tempting to nod one’s head and think you’re listening to wisdom from an old pro. Just as often, the advice comes from someone who is simply not very familiar with new methods. Someone who’s installed a certain piece of equipment a certain way for many years reaches a comfort zone with that device that he or she doesn’t have with a more advanced version.
Many products nowadays come with computerized mechanisms that require more than mechanical tinkering to install and service. Some old-timers resist making the transition. Most plumbing, HVAC and electrical devices will last for decades. In many cases it’s less expensive to repair those old systems than replace them. That’s how a lot of old-fashioned firms stay in business. But is it smart to keep applying band-aids to a wound when surgery would fix the problem for good?
Yes, listen to the voices of experience, but listen carefully. Is the old pro transmitting wisdom, or merely dodging modern technology he doesn’t understand? You want to work for forward-thinking trade employers who keep up with new trends in products, technology and business methodology.
Youngsters of today actually have an advantage over old-timers in that regard. If you were born in the 1980s or beyond, you likely became familiar with personal computers, the internet and other modern technologies from a young age and are comfortable working with them. People in my age bracket often have to ask children or grandchildren for help with electronic devices. Respect your elders, but don’t become captivated by outmoded ideas.
How can you tell who is forward=thinking and who is stuck in the past? One hint is to look at how they go about recruiting trade workers. You’ll see many want ads advertising for trade workers with 3 … 5 … or more years of experience. Most forward-thinking employers downplay experience in favor of training newcomers to the trade. “I’m tired of hiring competitors’ mistakes,” is the way one put it to me.