Two years ago I applied for a maintenance engineering job with that hospital system. It was a union technician position between 30 and 40 dollars per hour, so it was a very desirable upper level paying job for one in my field. I knew it was a stretch for it is a bit beyond my certifications and skill.
I was invited twice over the last four years by different facility directors to apply to work at that hospital, but I never made the cut. The first one gave me a competency test. He came back with my score. I did not do well on the electrical proficiency test. He liked my background in the hospitality industry, and wished more of his skilled but dour engineers had my enthusiasm and customer service skills.
Still, he noted that I was not good enough for the position. He told me that if I worked with 480 on the roof as required, I would make a mistake and kill myself. He said with 480, the technician has to know exactly what he is doing, for any mistake is fatal. He would not risk that.
My feelings were hurt but objectively I knew he was right. He reinforced two points that I have always known about work. First, one cannot be frozen by fear and averse to taking any risk. Still, one must be cautious to avoid being reckless and unsafe, a hazard to equipment, others and oneself.
The second point is to become as educated, certified and knowledgeable about one's chosen field as one can become. The more skilled one is, the more one is able to do a good job for the employer at precise, demanding, difficult technical work. The more skilled that one is in carrying out these tasks, the more that one knows what to do, how to do it, and do it safely. The skilled worker is a confident, stable creature that is psychologically secure, and a valuable asset to his employer. He is making a real workplace contribution, and everybody knows it, even though not everyone appreciates how hard it is to be a blue-collar, skilled worker.
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