Learn Me: Coast Guard

Beer Baron wrote: I thought this job would be one where I make friends or find some sort of self satisfaction. Neither is happening. I don't hate the work but... it's just work. The pay check isn't big enough to be serious motivation either. It beats the hell out of no job, but that's the most of it.

I think there might be two factors at play here that work against you:

• You've turned you hobby into a job. You enjoyed what you were doing at home, tried to turn it into a career and now you find out that it's, like, work and not a hobby anymore. The demands are different and you have to learn how to handle that.
• Something I see in my career path (software engineering) a lot is that people who just finished their education have somewhat unrealistic ideas about their knowledge and abilities. They have a good foundation, but essentially don't know yet what they don't know, but they still need to gain experience in a professional environment before they get to where they think they already are. Doing something for a living on an industrial scale is different and requires an additional learning process.

Beer Baron wrote: Dear lord I wish I could do that. I am terrible about letting things go. I don't know how to clear my head without strenuous, attention demanding, physical activity (dancing, rock climbing, martial arts, yoga, racing cars).

Make that your #1 short term goal. I can't always switch off either but over the years I've gotten better at it. It's a skill that can be learned and it's a necessary one IMHO as you can't run at a 100% all the time - you'll burn out.

What I would try to make the #2 goal is to improve your "professional brewer" skills as much as you can within the space of a year and then reevaluate your current job. I'm not sure that you're currently in a position to really determine if the grass at the other brewery is just on the other side of the fence or really greener. The hardest part of a career is to get through the first couple of years, but if you go through those and vacuum up as much knowledge as possible, you will have a sound foundation for the rest of your career.

pinchvalve wrote: 2" Deck guns are the biggest thing that the Cost Guard has IIRC. Navy has bigger boom sticks.

We user our boomsticks way more often, though.

Baron, I was active enlisted in the USCG from 03-06. At 31 starting over as an Ensign would not be a good idea. If you had some sort of a wicked in-demand skill that would lead to a direct commission, the answer could change, but they don't need many beer brewers right now.

Just stick it out.

The age restriction that you might run into is for flight training if you want to be a pilot. Not a big factor if you're not interested in that route. The degree and private pilot would help is you decide to go that route. Do agree that going officer would be the route to go since you already have a degree.

In reply to wlkelley3:

When I was considering military service out of highschool, I was always told corrected vision(contacts, glasses, or lasik) were an instant bounce out for pilots.

My recommendation is to stick with it, work harder, and make an impression on your employers. Not letting the workplace get to you is definitely an acquired skill, everyone has to learn it sooner or later.

BoxheadTim wrote:

Beer Baron wrote: Dear lord I wish I could do that. I am terrible about letting things go. I don't know how to clear my head without strenuous, attention demanding, physical activity (dancing, rock climbing, martial arts, yoga, racing cars).

Make that your #1 short term goal. I can't always switch off either but over the years I've gotten better at it. It's a skill that can be learned and it's a necessary one IMHO as you can't run at a 100% all the time - you'll burn out.

Any suggestions on skills to turn off the idle chatter and setting things aside in my brain? Not only does it cause me stress at home, but it is a source of my problems at work. I start doing a monotonous task that needs a lot more time than attention, and my mind starts to wander. Then, when it's time to switch to a task that needs more attention, my mind is still thinking about three other things and I end up making some stupid mistake because I'm not paying full attention. I'm trying out taking bathroom breaks or just grabbing a drink of water when it is time to shift gears at work. Something that gives me a moment of calm to refocus. Also thinking I might try to find a noon yoga class or something that I can do before starting work.

This is what I need to work on right now. Focusing is a challenge for me.

Meds?

JohnRW1621 wrote: Meds?

Maybe. Maybe not. Never been diagnosed with anything, but never sent anywhere to get a diagnosis. The idea of being medicated to dull my wits makes me a bit uneasy.

I suppose it couldn't hurt to see a psychiatrist and find out if I do actually have ADD, or if it is just like my dad said when I was growing up, "You're just smart and bored."

Holy crap this sounds like me though...: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_adult_symptoms.htm

I'm not a psychologist (and I don't play one on TV) but for me, my ability to focus is directly related to getting enough restful sleep and to my stress levels. One thing that helped me was that I started writing down things that I'd normally juggle in my head like appointments, to-dos etc. That resulted in a markedly lower stress level and less "junk" filling up my brain.

Beer Baron wrote: Holy crap this sounds like me though...: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_adult_symptoms.htm

I think to some point, everyone is ADD......I still think it is a crock. They thought I had it back in grade school......but after not sleeping for three days after taking meds for it, they decided otherwise.

My mind likes to wander, and without enough work to do, I end up in the same boat you are in.

Right now, with the military being soo selective in the selection process, trying to enlist at 31 is going to be tough. The cut-off for enlisting now, I believe is 28 y/o. There are waivers for everything nowadays, but unless you have something that they are in dire need for, the recruiter is not going to proceed.

I'm currently on retirement leave form the Air Force. I enlisted in 1993 at 20 and effectively retire 1 May 2013 after a sweet 20 years of service. I just turned 40 and will start my dream civilian job next week.

Knowing the recent pulse of the Military, the Air Force is expected to force separate/retire approximately 15K jobs from all the ranks for FY2013-14. I suspect that this is going to be DOD wide.

I recommend looking into the U.S. Department of State. Throughout my journeys, I met a lot happy diplomats that enjoyed everything they did worldwide. Pretty much all their jobs were overseas.

If that is not your cup of tea, try the fire department, or police dept. That way you can build the camaraderie as if you were in the Military.

Good Luck!

Beer Baron wrote:

dj06482 wrote: Sometimes even if the job isn't ideal, your time there may help you develop character that'll help you in the long run. Trust me, we've all been there! Hang in there, and don't beat yourself up over a bad week

Yeah, I just had the boss ask me the gratuitously stupid question, "You do want to work here, right?" Of course the only viable answer when asked this is, "Yes," but it just caused me to think... I've had more than a bad week. But actually getting stuck on a shift schedule I don't like is helping me a lot. I hate only being able to spend time with the fiancee on weekends, but I like the people on the swing shift better than day shift. I feel more integral to getting things done, and my coworkers are actually communicating with me better to help me learn what I need to. I feel like E36 M3 because I think I should have learned a lot more at this point. However, in the day shift I got stuck working with and trying to learn from a Mayan guy who is so incomprehensible the other Mexicans at work can barely understand him. The other opportunities I'm looking to potentially put together if this isn't the right place for me will probably be 3-9 months out from now.

I've been there. About four months into my current job, our company's second in command made a surprise visit to our store. Just for reference, at the time, we were a $7bn/year, ~50,000 employee company. Well, he was not pleased with how our store was running that day. So for the next week, the chain of command rained down upon us, releasing what I like to call the "cascade of criticism," where each direct report has to find something wrong that his boss did not point out. I was sure that I would be a goner. Yes, there were people asking me, "Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" It was a rough few weeks, but it all passed, and I still have my job. I have learned from my mistakes, and I continue to get better at what I do.

Just stick it out for the new few months. Prove to your employer that you're made of gristle and that you won't bend over when you face a little bit of pressure.

yamaha wrote: In reply to wlkelley3: When I was considering military service out of highschool, I was always told corrected vision(contacts, glasses, or lasik) were an instant bounce out for pilots.

Not completely true anymore and probably depends on the branch and needs at the time. Admittedly that's what kept me out. Originally had perfect vision and was a helicopter crewchief and decided riding in the back was fun but wiggling the sticks up front is more fun. Passed the flight aptitude test and originally passed the physical and was accepted to Warrant Officer Flight Training in the army but had to update the physical before issue of a class date due to time lapse (transfer back to the states delayed some things). Before I could complete the update physical I was in an accident that caused a slight eye injury and could no longer pass the eye exam for flight training. So I stayed in the back flying.

Now days lasik is flight approved as long as vision is corrected to 20/20. Active duty pilots have it done if needed. And that restriction is mainly for acceptance into the program, you can wear glasses before completion and you're still good.

N Sperlo wrote: Whatever your plans are, keep in mind the CG is one of the hardest branches to get into and has some of the toughest PT. Even with those two facts, it would be my choice, too. Also, those 2" deck guns will spin a CG riverboat in no time.

Toughest PT? We don't have any PT requirement. Just don't be fat. The scientific measure is to take your neck circumfrence and your height.

I'm a CG pilot and have loved it (the flying part). Working a stint at HQ now, right next door to the workforce folks- they aren't taking very many people at all, and looking for a variety of ways to downsize. A school waiting lists are 3+ years. Funny thing, an office mate wants nothing more than to be a pro brewer- after she retires as an O5 with $45k/yr in retirement.

I don't have any good advice to give you, because I've never been an adult civilian and have no idea what struggles you might have. If you were even 5 years younger I'd say give it a shot.

In reply to Teh E36 M3:

Tell her to work in a pub or other tiny micro place that has 2-3 people and only one shift. Or start her own thing.

The right time for me would have been four years ago after I finished an office job and realized that wasnt for me.

Also less worried about the ass chewing now. All the guys here have had them and all report that they have been Brutal. One guy got a slide show of his mistake.

Teh E36 M3 wrote: Toughest PT? We don't have any PT requirement. Just don't be fat. The scientific measure is to take your neck circumfrence and your height.

To elaborate on what Teh E36 M3 said:

PT in the USCG is done on your own time and at your own pace. Some commands may have weekly PT for the unit but it exists entirely at the unit level. No policy or directives are coming from the Commandant saying "the unit SHALL implement a PT regimen. For the most part, no one will ever ask you "Did you do your exercise today?"

Depending on your job in the Coast Guard there are physical fitness standards one must meet in order to stay certified. Typically boat crews and boarding teams must meet the boat crew physical fitness standards. Each currency cycle (every 6 months) you must pass a PT test as part of the recertification process. Our deployable operations group people meet more stringent standards. I'm not entirely sure what fitness standards aviators must meet, but it's definitely in a manual somewhere.

To get back on topic, it's definitely not the best time to join the Coast Guard right now. We've been trying to cut our numbers back for the past few years. Recruitment and accessions are at an all time low. Last I've heard, the wait to get into the CG (as an enlisted man) can be up to 2 years. I can't see the officer waiting list being much different since degrees seem to be in ready supply now-a-days.

I have to agree with Osterkraut. I don't believe you'll find what your looking for in the military. The discipline you want to learn from the military is already within you. Nobody gives you a discipline injection when you ship off for basic, the academy or OCS.

And if time being away from your fiancé is getting you down wait till you're on an extended patrol aboard a Coast Guard Cutter. People seem to forget we ARE a sea going service... It always baffled me how people could report to the cutter as a first unit and be shocked that we actually patrolled out at sea for weeks and months at a time. Granted there's port calls but 3 days at GTMO doesn't really cut it when you're missing a wife or child back home.

@Ahutson03 Do you know a Dan Mcnealy? I think he came to Sandy Hook as a BM3 off the Oak. I could be wrong but I know it was a black hull out of that area.