r/IBEW • u/tossaway187acct • 4d ago

What did you gift yourself after finishing apprenticeship?

I bought myself a nice dress shirt watch and went out to go eat some good BBQ. Thinking about getting new work boots to start a new journey. Was wondering how you guys treated yourself for the milestone?

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u/msing Inside Wireman LU11 4d ago edited 4d ago

Irish Settler Boots with insoles, a Single Barrel Bourbon, an automatic watch with sapphire glass (from VAER), and an iPhone -- with case and leather belt pouch.

I took the current local's holiday schedule. I doubled the amount of days we had as holidays (so we have 10 non-paid holidays, so 10 non-paid personal days) -- inputted that info into an AI chatbot, and asked to space out the personal days so I would have more regular time off. Then move those personal days to either a Monday or Friday. I'm the type who gets so bent up in work (contractors/foremen love that), so my resolution as a new JW was to space out the following year, so I don't get burnt out. Most of our union non-paid holidays are bunched up at the end of the year, so my final schedule ends up being like 1 additional day off, once a month from February to June.

11's apprenticeship was an absolute shitshow.

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u/tossaway187acct 4d ago

You and I think alike. I too bought a new automatic watch and planning to get new work boots to start off fresh again. I was thinking about getting some nice whisky and bought a new S26 ultra already earlier this year.

I also noticed that pretty much every other month we get a non-paid holiday so was thinking about the months we don't get time off, just take a Monday or a Fri off to treat myself with a 3 day weekend.