Sorry guys, didn't mean to drop that and not explain but I've been busy. The fiancé is in town and we are making the most of our time during her visit.
So in short: original trainer quit, second trainer lined up for another job on the airfield. No classroom training or training materials provided or even updated in years. Second trainer did not want to train and got stuck with me. Compared me to her kid and refused to answer questions after getting put to her after my first trainer because "You should know this by now". She loudly announced that I was "arguing" when asking for clarification since there was seriously no formal training process or standardization. She could not give answers to questions I felt she should know as a trainer.
In the interview process and my first day I was told that there would be a classroom setting to learn the massive amount of info required to do the job. Instead I got thrown on station and was expected to function without knowing who I was talking to or what for and my trainer for the latter half basically shut down and refused to help. The stress built up, I got frustrated at my trainer telling me I was arguing with her when I was asking essential info. We started snapping at each other. I admit I did it but nowhere on the level brought on by my trainer. She compared me to one of her kids and told me "I have one of you at home" and treated me as such.
About 2-3 weeks ago midway through my shift, I started to feel very different, in a bad way. I asked one of my supervisors if I could see a medic. One of the coworkers drove me to the hospital because I felt like my heart was stopping or slowing way down. Turns out I had my first ever panic attack. No history of anxiety.
We had a meeting with the boss and the boss boss and my trainer during the snow storm last week. Long story short my trainer threw me under the bus and despite me trying to show the progress I was making and the effort I was putting forth, I was given an ultimatum - improve or get fired. They told everyone to bring clothes and etc because they didn't plan on anyone leaving with how bad the storm would be. Bosses told me that I wasn't worth the money and they didn't want to pay to keep me overnight in the snow dorms or backup area. "The roads are fine". I live a long way away and fortunately my first trainer who quit invited me to stay at his place. 40 mins to get to work from 5-6 mi away.
I brought up to them at the end of the meeting that she wasn't a good trainer and wasn't giving me what I needed to succeed. It fell on deaf ears. She kept pushing her failure on me and telling them that she has done everything she can. The day after the meeting we had, i just stopped interacting with the trainer and did what I thought would be good and use what little I could did to study with. I did amazing on station that day and the next 5 days.
I thought my improvement was so marked that I'd be in the clear. Meanwhile a night time employee offered to train me because she saw what was happening. She talked to a boss, I was told I would switch to nights to slow down and learn. My trainer went in after me and negated that. I asked my trainer about something, she was uncooperative and accused of arguing, we got pulled aside by a supervisor, management got involved, I asked to go to nights again. They said they would work a training solution. Two days later I was fired. I asked for the time off to spend time with my fiancé who is flying in and it was approved. They fired me the day before so I got to explain to my fiance why I was jobless. I went on a tour to meet all the guards and they all knew my voice and politeness and looked forward to meeting me and then I went to clock out and they fired me. Sorry, stream of consciousness from my phone. I'll refine it later.
It sounds like the trainer was a douchebag. Tough crap for you. I bolded where I think you caused the loss of your job. Typically someone who wants to be fired would do what you did. Since you seem shocked and upset you were fired I thought I would point it out to you.
Basically you were hired to do a job. The first 6 months are very important and your really don't learn a job fully for almost a year. The key here is you were hired to do a job. In other words they pay you to be there. They said they would train you, they were doing that. You didn't like how they were doing it. You should have kept your mouth shut. Your trainer got upset at you. You should have kept your mouth shut. You didn't. You wanted to voice your displeasure. It cost you your job. You should have kept your mouth shut. You are untrained, you need to function in their company, you need to do it their way, generally how you think it should be done is useless to them, they need you to do it their way. You need to keep your mouth shut. I could go on here, but I hope you are getting the point.
And I know you are going to say you were asking questions she couldn't answer or what ever, but it doesn't matter, when she said you were asking stupid questions you should have shut up. Contrary to popular belief there are stupid questions.
You shouldn't have asked for time off to play house with your gf, that was probably the final straw. You weren't doing well, you had only been there a few weeks or months, then you had the balls to ask for days off. Bad move, take a note on that because you shouldn't do that again.
I tell my kids, now adults, all the time, when starting a new job. Go in, look around, listen and keep your mouth shut (are you seeing the trend here?). Don't join in busting someone's chops, don't try to get involved in the politics. Never, and I mean never, bad mouth your boss (or trainer) to anyone. Do this for at least 6 months. If you screw up, own it. If you get yelled at, suck it up, be an adult, take the criticism and move on. When you are established you can loosen up a bit. But it's best to stay out of the politics, at least until you are in a position to influence it (this means a boss or trusted employee, not a 6 month newb still wet behind the ears). And never, I mean never throw your boss under the bus, you will lose.
It sucks, I know, I've had to do it, but that's why they call it work not fun. It's basic survival skills.
I've had to fire many people who thought they were doing well, they weren't. I've fired people for doing what you did, arguing with their boss. That boss is critical to the operation, the people I fired weren't smart enough to know they were expendable.
Tough lessons, it will help to learn them........... or......... go out and start your own thing, not easy to do, but you won't have to put up with douchebags.
