I get nervous EVERY Time I give somebody one. Not sure why ?
Ronnie, Only time I get nervous about a test is if I'm the one takin' it. If I'm hirin' guys, the test they take doesn't bother me at all !!!!! Just relax get a good nites sleep day before, try gettin' some practice on what your test is a couple days before, don't rush in the morning but be" ON TIME". Ask questions about exactly what the inspector wants you to do/ what he wants to look at. DON'T come in w/ cocky, arrogant,beligerent,or any other attitude thats gonna' get you run off. Remember this isn't the LAST test you'll ever take and the first couple are usually" learning experiences" and I know of NO WELDER that has never busted a test !!!!!! There is a couple inspectors on here that can give very VALUEABLE INFO.!!!!! PS. STEELERS 2-0 !!!!!
Hello Ronnie, I believe "most" individuals experience "some" sort of nervousness/butterflies regardless of how many years they have in the trade. I have 30++ years in and most of the time I don't experience nervousness, at least not on the processes that I am most comfortable or familiar with. For the ones that I don't perform all the time or don't have as much experience with I would definitely develop some nerves and only feel less skiddish if I had an opportunity to work with the process until my confidence was built up. I believe there are ways to deal with these feelings as most of the time they are a combination of physical and mental anxieties. Getting a good nights rest, eating a good breakfast, practicing as much as is reasonable or attainable, being sure to take the time to "breath" in a manner that provides the correct amount of oxygen to your body, there are these and others that can help most individuals to do well. I am sure that others will have some great suggestions for you and I look forward to reading them as well. Good luck and best regards, Allan
Just remember. A test is a Perfect Weld under Perfect Conditions. Peice of Cake. Never again in your career will you get to do it under perfect conditions except in a test. If you weld every day for a living, chances are, ALL of your welds will pass a test. It's just another weld.
When I started out welding I would get so nervous I had difficulty passing tests with a high success rate. I was hittin around maybe 50%. The problem was that when I would make some minor mistake I would overcompensate to correct it and make the problem worse.
I went down to my local apprenticeship school and practiced by making purposeful mistakes on welds and then correcting them. When I got really good and fixing virtually aything I could screw up, I never got nervous again. Well, except for when I traveled from coast to coast and took a test utilizing a process/position combination I had never welded before. A 6G GMAW short circuit root.
Being nervous is natural. being prepared is the cure.
I get nervous giving them and taking them.I ran a test shop back in the day,and a man drove all the way from Texas to take a pipe test,and brought his wife and kids who stayed in the car the whole time.I gave him the test twice,and had to look him out both times.I didn't sleep for a couple of days over it because he had been out of work for a while,and had to drive back to Texas with no money and no job.
Ringo, do you know a fella from that area named Don Newman?
Andy
The name doesn't ring a bell,but I may know him if I saw him.
I used to have feelings toward welders testing especially when you know the hard luck story is true. I had a guy drive all the way from Albany Georgia to La Plata Missouri to test.
I gave him a break. This was when I started out as a third party inspector and was just out of welding.
This guy turned out to be a really piss poor welder. He was put on tie ins and after the third repair and cut out, I had to run him off. He made five welds and three were repairs. He got the first drop of the milk of human kindness squeezed out. There have been others, and I think every inspector has done this at one time or another. But in my case. every time I have given a welder a break on a test, it has come back to bite me.
I tell the welder up front what is expected and what will bust them out. I look at the bead after the hot pass and if the bead is not there, no breaks or another coupon.
There are no cherries on busted test. When I was welding, I busted my share of them. It is just another weld. When you get to that point, test are just part of the business. Learn to not sweat them. Even the ones you do not pass on.
Life goes on.
Yea,you can't be sympathetic and be an effective test shop supervisor.I guess I'm a sucker for a hardluck story.It's bitten me in the ass more than once.
Ronnie, find that thing or things that calm your nerves. There will always be a bit of nervousness because of the situation but it can be managed if you can understand it. If you can, practice controlling your nerves whenever possible if some A hole cuts you off on the highway... remember practice! Look for situations that you are in any way to practice calming yourself. A very smart man told me one time; "you don’t loose control you relinquish it". Now that there is the Truth! For me I just remember that it is just like welding it in the field only easier, so why be nervous? I have tested many people on many different things and learned one truth. People are their own worst enemies!
That is very true Wade i for 1 am the worst about critisizing myself. The last test i took i had to wait 3 days for the results. I got the job and worked for 2 weeks then they tested me and i had to wait another 3 days for the results i passed but those 3 days were an ass kicker. Ithink it was intentional i dont know but yes i was sweating alot. lol
I would like to apologize in advance if this seems stupid or insignificant but, Do you guys still get nervous before a weld test? Thanks for your time.
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