User:Brian72789

Brian Kluber

Reflection Essay 2008

Ms Mitchell

What specific knowledge or skills did you learn? During the time while researching my paper I learned so much brand new information I had never even heard of, nor did I think was possible. I never really realized that people were building houses out of steel and how much more effective a house out of steel could be. While working on my project I did not get to be involved with the actual steel as much as I would of liked to but rules and regulations and in place and I mist abide by them. So what I did get to experience absolutely benefited me for in the future if I did choose to go in to the field with steel. I was able to actually learn some basic valuable stuff such as screwing in those giant screws that hold together giant bars and rods of steel. How did you apply that knowledge or skill to achieve a goal? Well I think by first even starting and finishing my project achieved a goal. I was able to be apart of a group that was incredible doing awesome, hard work. If given the chance to shadow again I would. Given the opportunity to work side by side with a steel company, I would. One major part in my paper that I was able to apply into my project was recycling. I was able to read and learn about it for the first time in researching for my paper and then acting it out and performing many time over in my project. I was part of the whole routine. Picking up the scraps, delivering them, weighing them, and doing a good deed too. How does your project relate to you plans for after high school? I am not certain yet on exactly what I would like to have a career in but I know that a possible job for a Construction company would not to be a far off idea. While I loved learning about steel I am also open to other areas such as concrete and possibly how maybe steel and concrete can work together. What skills, learning, or ideas did you acquire that will help you after high school, and how will they help? I have done lots of learning, a little learned in skills and tons of ideas for the future. I was observing the whole time I was there, even while sweeping I could still see what was going on around me and I could ask questions at any time. I leaned some skills such as steel recycling, putting up sheets on the side walls, screwing in screws, moving sheets, re doing a metal roof. While I wanted to be more hands on, I was still satisfied with that I was able to see and acquire from my short time on the job. Every piece I learned was a valuable piece. All of it will help me in the future should I work with steel. Its all needed on every steel job.

Describe how you have met each other following career-related standards and site evidence:

Personal Management: I always arrived to my job on time. I was ready to go when I got there and up for anything that I was instructed to do. I made sure I finished my jobs I was given, took responsibility for any task I was given. Great Personal Management is something everyone needs to have to help keep a job when they receive one. it’s a highly liked quality and very looked for in employers.

Problem Solving: Problem solving was sometimes a personal choice of mine and sometimes it was something that needed to be helped by my mentor. In my particular job I didn’t have much problem solving that I personally needed to resolve or figure out. If I was maybe more advanced and was involved more I would have had to have it more then.

Communication: There was a lot of communication involved in my project. I spoke with my mentor all through out the day. I observed him working, asked tons questions, and he told me A LOT of information all through the day. Communication is something a steel building builder relys on with his crew. While big beams are in the air, all men must be on the same track and know exactly what is going on at a times. This is for any job. You must always know your safety rules and regulations and never disobey them, with any job.

Teamwork: Well a lot of the team work for steel builders comes from excellent communication. Without there communication there team work would not work. The team has to get along, communicate excellent and be able to speak up when something is not right. The must make quick decisions when a beam is in mid air and always think safety.

Employment Foundations: To be a good employee you must always have excellent communication, be a team player, and be as organized as you can be. Make sure you start your day with a clear head and be prepared for what you are expecting to do and be excited about what you might not expect. You should always dress work appropriate, and dress for the job. Be clean and ready for work. You cant bring your problems from home to work or there could be consequences. Being on time is a must! All this information is also great for school and college.

Career Development: Being prepared is huge in preparing for your future. Make sure you fill out your forms before there deadlines. Remember to actually register for college classes. You need to put your head in a winning mind frame. Learn and research what will help you succeed in the future. I have a practice resume and plan to perfect the more experience I learn. I do not know what career field I would like to go into but I am preparing myself to start.

Brian Kluber

Senior Project Log 2008

Total number of hours: 42

April 5th - So this is the first day of my project. I had to call my mentor up at 7am and find out which job site he was at. That’s the one I would be working at. I really had no idea what to expect when I got there, but was prepared for my day. My mentor did mention to me earlier in the year that the building he would be doing at that time might be towards the end of completion. Sure enough when I got there it was almost done. The building I guess as to be around 12,000 sq feet, and had really high ceilings. So when I first got there my mentor had me running some errands, such as getting some supplies at various stores, taking garbage to the dump and recycling a few truck loads of steel. Since the building is near completion I would be able to work on a few things but for the most part I would be doing lots of little things. It didn’t really bother me to much except for the fact that I wouldn’t be dealing with a lot of the steel aspects of an actual steel building being built. I was also worried about how I would tie my project with my paper since its about steel. I know that I’m working on a steel building but the steel work is almost over. Anyways, I just carried on my day doing a lot of driving. (8hours)

April 6th - Today I did two things. I got to screw some screws in to part of the building that were close to the ground. Lots of fun and I got to use tools. The rest of my day was spent sweeping. I spent hours sweeping and only could sweep half the building. So I guess to marrow I spend more hours sweeping the rest. Sadly, I find that sweeping is something that has to be done several times through out the process. What a boring job of sweeping. (8 hours ) Total: 16

April 7th - Today started out very boring with sweeping the other half of the building. It did go by faster having the other half clean though. So after a few hours of that I finally worked on helping put some sheets into place on the building. I would help hold and align the sheets while the worked prepared them and hung them. They screwed and cut some sheets and I was also able to do a few too. I love working with the tools. I had to be careful of certain ones I was not able to use al tools for safety reasons. My mentored mentioned to me today that to marrow will be a lot of recycling trips. Aprrox 900 pounds of steel to load in to my truck. Going to a good cause too. We stayed a little over time today which was great for me. We took a good break today so I was not tired either. My mentor wants to get the building finished as soon as possible so some overtime was needed. ( 10 hours) Total: 26

April 8th - Today was pretty fun! When I first arrived this morning the first this my mentor had me do was put on some gloves, and load tons of steel into my truck. I basically just went around the whole building picking up steel craps and long broken steel rods. It was kind of trying to take so many loads to the steel recycling place. When I get to the recycling place I have to pull in and park on a big weight machine and get weighed including my truck with the steel. Once its al unloaded I get my truck weighed again and then subtract the extra weight that was over. It ended up being 600 pounds. It was lots of fun. (8 hours) Total: 34

April 9th - Today was really exhausting! I have never done so much driving in my life. I did so many dump trips that the people there started to recognize me. It was pretty funny actually. After a few hours of errands, I got to observe my mentor and his partner fixing and repairing a metal roof. Since the roof was to high I was not allowed up but I was able to still watch and ask questions and they described there actions. It was actually fun watching them. One would be on a forklift hoisting a huge steel platform on the roof white the other would be in the air on a man lift waiting to grab it and place it, and then screw it down. It was very interesting. Its defiantly something I would love to dig farther into in a real work environment where I can get up and in the action more. Whole this is my last day for my shadowing I really enjoyed what I did get to do. I recycled steel and did a little bit of work. All in all it was fun. ( 9 hours) Total: 42