I was depressed for like two months at the start of the year because everything
started going wrong.
After I left, it was so bad. I didn't know what I was going to do. I was just lost. I
had my whole life set out. I was already looking at mining companies to work and
finish my apprenticeship with. And I had my whole life sorted. I knew what I was
going to do. I had a plan. I like sticking to my plans, but after having bad
experiences and leaving that industry, I just didn't know what to do.
I got into being a Sparky by... I think for a while I did really want to do a
trade because I always said labouring with my dad. At the start, I really love doing
new things and pushing yourself because you don't think you're able to do
anything. And then you learn it and you're like, hang on, this is so complicated. And
then fitting off a PowerPoint, it's the easiest thing ever. But at first you think
it's so hard. On the job site, there was a bunch of chippies. And we're lifting up
this big air conditioning unit. It's really heavy. And then a chippy came up to
me and he touches my shoulder and he's like, babe, it's okay. I can do that for
you. And I was like, no, I can do it myself. Thank you. I think one of the boys
just had his mind made up about me thinking I can do anything. Probably the
worst experience I've ever had is they taught me how to do everything except
putting in an LED strip. And apparently that's really easy. That's what the other
boys told me. So I was really excited to do that. And it was one of the boys and I
was like, oh, can you show me how to do this? And he goes, it's a bit complicated.
I think you understand. But you're more than welcome to sweep the house. So for
seven hours, I swept a house and I cried.
I would say a common occurrence would be people talking down and thinking this
would be. If someone did something inappropriate, I wouldn't tell anyone. Why
not? Because there's nothing they can do. Probably the first that kind of made me
stop working with that company was the apprentice. Before the summer break, like
Christmas break, go away for two weeks, I went to his house to pick up some air
conditioning stuff for my friend because we're doing AC unit at her house. And he
asked me out and he wanted to go on a date and he felt like there was a real good
connection. Keep in mind, I started working there when I was about 16 and he
was 25. So yeah, he did ask me out and he said that I'm really chill for my age and
he finds me really attractive. And I was really uncomfortable. I've already been
the odd one out picking a girl. If you make trouble, then it just makes you
uncomfortable because you get the bad side of it more than the boys. They just go,
oh, yeah, I'll stop doing it. But then they treat you differently. One day we
were roughing in this house. So I had to pull a cable from the roof and just down.
And it was the simplest thing. I can even do it. Anyone can do it. But he stood
there the whole time. He's like, it's really complicated. Don't break the cable.
Don't scratch the cable. And I'm like, I roughed in nine units, which is that took
me a month to do. And that's just all doing that even complicated stuff like
going in corners. And you have to be careful when you run cable through
corners. If it nicks the cable, then that cable is from it. I think over the eight
months of me working, I only saw two other girls. Makes me feel a bit like secluded
and alone.
A hundred percent I also saw my confidence. Like at the beginning, I'd be
putting a fan up by myself and at the end, I'd also say, oh, can you just chuck four
fans off? I still remember how to do that. I haven't done it in so long. I used to
love it so much. Like at the start, like the first four or five months, I'd come
home every day and I'd be like, Mom, Dad, like I just did an aircon unit or I just
put in a fan. I'd be so scared. I'd probably just let them know that they kind
of ruined my dreams in a way. Advice I'd give to younger girls or myself would
probably be start your apprenticeship with a bigger company. I think if more females
worked in those type of industries, then it would build up the confidence and kind
of get the energy and vibes of girls working. This is going to sound silly, but
I miss being able to tell people that I was an electrician because I get so like,
oh my God, you're an electrician. Like that's so a girl like being in training.
That's amazing. I feel like that chapter in my life is closed and I don't have any
regret for starting it or finishing it. So I'm pretty happy.