Clark Kent Creations -- Swarthmore, PA. Landscape Design and Construction, Hardscaping, Patios
  • Home
  • Services/Photos
    • Hardscaping >
      • A Flagstone Walkway -- The Process
      • Stone Steps -- The Process
    • Wood Fences
    • Exterior Carpentry
  • About
  • Community

Hardscaping Careers and the State of the Labor Force

8/2/2013

2 Comments

 
PictureMy Workers ... Hard at Work
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about careers.  Not my career necessarily, but just the state of the labor force and the difference between a job and a career.

As a business owner I rely heavily on the labor force.  I need strong and healthy workers who are willing and able to work.  And when I say “willing to work”, I mean actually working, not just being employed.  It sounds straight-forward enough, no doubt.  Show up on time, be reliable, provide a little muscle, break a sweat, learn a few things, and grow your career.

I think for most people of my generation, that’s the way we started our careers.  The stories and details may all be a little different, but the theme is the same – work hard, learn, grow.

But over the past few years, I’ve noticed that it has gotten harder and harder to sift through the pool of applicants and find workers who are willing to work hard and learn.

Don’t get me wrong – my current workers are great.  I get compliments all the time from clients who tell me how pleased they are with my crew, how respectful and courteous the guys are, what a pleasure it is not to be bombarded with loud music or disrespectful behavior.

Truth be told, I pride myself on that.  And I work hard at finding the right guys.  But it does seem to be getting harder and harder to weed out the wannabes, the “entitled”, the lazy, the “know-it-alls”, or just the dim bulbs.

I guess my thought process began a few weeks ago when I saw an interview with Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the show, he basically travels the country looking for the sewer rats, the hog farmers, the trash sorters, etc – all the jobs most people wouldn’t want to touch.

The workers are all hard-working Americans who clock in an honest day’s labor doing often unpleasant tasks, all while taking pride in their work and supporting their families.

His travels and encounters have given him a frontline look at the state of the American workforce, and the jobs that are needed, and oftentimes available.

His take was interesting, as he argued that even though we currently hear a lot about the high level of unemployment, we don’t hear a lot about the thousands and thousands of jobs available for those who are willing to take them.  And he didn’t blame the workforce necessarily.  The blame, he argued, is on the disconnect between the education system that is training young people for jobs that aren’t needed, while simultaneously creating a stigma against jobs where you may get a bit greasy, sweaty, dirty, etc.

So while thousands of decent-paying, reliable jobs are available, our education system is perpetuating an atmosphere where students borrow money that they won’t be able to pay back, to train for jobs that aren’t available.  

An interesting perspective, no doubt.

PictureQuitting Time for Fred Flintstone
So what does this mean for me and you?  Well I can’t speak for you, but for me it’s an opportunity to provide a bit of insight as to what I look for in an employee, and perhaps how to break in to the hardscaping or landscaping trades, if you’re just getting started.

So here’s my tips for you young’uns out there looking for a job.

Be dependable.  Show up on time.  If your day starts at 8am, show up at 7:55 so you’re ready to work at 8am. If you’ve spent the past few years being a lazy college student sitting on your couch watching gameshows, then you’ll know that the Price is Right rules mean you can’t go over.  That means 8:02 is no good for an 8am start.  Fix your alarm clock.  Fill up with gas.  No excuses. It’s about the easiest thing that makes the biggest impression on your boss.  If I can count on you to be on time, then I can probably count on you for lots of other things too.

Listen.  When I’m telling you what to do, pay attention.  Boss talking is not check your weather app time.  If I’m not making sense (which happens), then let me know. I’ll say it another way so I do make sense.  Don’t sit there and nod and then not do things the right way because you didn’t listen. I don’t like wasting my breath. Most bosses don’t.  Listen to what I say, and then do it.  Another pretty easy one.

Learn.  The first two items are huge, but admittedly easy. This is where things start ratcheting up a bit.  When you listen to what I tell you and what I teach, hopefully you’re retaining a bit for the next time.  If you’re a worker looking
to impress your boss, there is no quicker way than to demonstrate that you remember and are applying what you were told the last time. The less I have to tell you as a worker, the more value you are to me.

Treat it like a career, not a job.  I get it.  A 22-year-old kid is looking for beer money and wants to spend his time with his friends.  Been there.  I know.  Remember the old intro to The Flintstones when the 5pm horn sounded and Fred threw down what he was doing mid-task to go home.  That doesn’t fly these days.  If you want to advance, you want a raise, you want more responsibilities, you want to be recognized, then a little extra effort is required.  My day doesn’t end at 5pm, far from it.  If a worker can demonstrate to me that they are more interested in getting a job done well, taking the extra time to stay organized, or getting a few extra tasks done than they are to leave at 5pm sharp, that goes along way. Plus you’ll earn a few extra bucks in the process.

Think.  I’ve read a number of articles on this lately, today’s youth is losing the ability to logically solve problems.  Blame it on cell phones, or video games, or today’s education – whatever.  But the ability to look at a situation, recognize or assess a problem, and come up with a solution is sadly becoming a lost skill.  Even though you may be able to follow instructions (ie paint-by-numbers) doesn’t mean you can create your own instructions, or adapt if something isn’t quite as planned (ie paint your own masterpiece) .  It’s important, and if you can demonstrate some problem-solving ability, you’ll go far, not just in one job, but in your career as a whole.

Are you looking for a job in the hardscaping industry with hands-on training?  Think you have what it takes?  We always keep interesting respectable resumes on file.  Make yourself known to us.  Always the first step.

2 Comments
Anna link
8/8/2013 09:18:01 pm

Spot on, Clark. About five or six years ago we had a switch from annual crewmembers to multi-season returners. It takes a really hard working college kid to keep up with them for a season, now.

Reply
greatervictoriatreeservice.ca link
9/7/2022 07:52:34 am

The state of the labor force has gotten a lot worse since you wrote this in 2013. It's interesting because now in 2022 it can be so hard to find a hardworking young person to train for a career.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Company

    Clark Kent Creations, LLC is a full-service landscape construction company servicing the Pennsylvania communities of Delaware County, Chester County, The Main Line, and the University City, Art Museum, and Manayunk/Roxborough neighborhoods of Philadelphia.  In addition to this blog page, additional information regarding the company and our services can be found on the subsequent pages of the site.
    Picture

    Author

    Clark Linderman is the president of Clark Kent Creations, LLC, a landscape construction company based in Swarthmore, PA.  He is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.  In addition to his passion for all things outdoors, he counts Michigan football, Phillies baseball, Superman memorabilia, Memphis R&B music, and good craft brews among his many interests.  He currently resides in Swarthmore with his wife, Sheila, two sons, his dog Krypto, and a really, really messy garage full of work supplies and toys.

    Picture
    Contact Us:
    Clark Kent Creations, LLC
    Swarthmore, PA
    Design and Construction to Maximize Your Outdoor Experience

    707-290-9410
    [email protected]
    Serving Delaware County, PA

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Business And The Front Office
    Carpentry
    Environmental Issues
    Fencing
    Guest Posts
    Hardscaping
    Inspiration And Design Ideas
    Places & Local Interest
    Ramblings
    Seasonal
    Snack Break
    Water Features

    Archives

    July 2015
    September 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    Like my Blog?

    If you like the content of my blog posts, here are a few other blogs that I check in on regularly:

    Stone Soup:  A Master Stone Mason shares his craft.

    Arcadia Gardens:  Plenty of great tips about horticulture and landscape design.  A great blog (even though she's an MSU Spartan!)

    Revolutionary Gardens:  A Virginia-based landscape designer shares his work and ideas.

    Rockin Walls:  A certified dry stone mason from Maryland shares his projects and tricks of the trade

    If you have or know of a blog that you think I might be interested in, just let me know.  If I like it I just may add it to the list!

    RSS Feed

    All content ©2013
    Clark Kent Creations, LLC
Proudly powered by Weebly