When I was four-years-old, I remember asking my dad if I could work on air conditioners when I got older.
Dad told me he was sure there would be air conditioners when he got old, but they may be different. I didn’t care what the air conditioners were going to be, as long as I could be an HVAC technician and work with my dad. By the time I turned eighteen, my aspirations hadn’t changed. I still wanted to be an HVAC technician and work with my dad. Now, my dad wasn’t an HVAC technician, but he was the owner of the HVAC company. I told him I wanted to go to HVAC school and join his HVAC company when I was certified. He promised that if I passed all my tests and got my certification, he would be proud to have me as one of his HVAC technicians. Last month, I passed my certification exam, and once I get my certification, dad is going to put me in his apprenticeship program. I couldn’t wait to become a full-fledged HVAC technician and work side-by-side with my dad. Once I got into the program, I still wasn’t working with my dad. Now, I was working with Uncle Tom, and he was my mentor. He told me I needed to learn the ropes and in a couple of weeks I could work alone. At that point, if I needed help, I could call dad and ask him if he would show me what I was doing wrong. The progression of me being a full HVAC technician was more than I thought it would be, but I’m still working with my dad.