Paper #1 rough draft

Over the past five years I have had the privilege to be a part of a small team of members who specialize in tree pruning. This small private business works mostly on Bainbridge Island and has been severing clients for over 30 years. I have learned the basics, and beyond, of becoming an arborist through my experience with my current employer. Before beginning this educational experience I honestly had no interest in the trade and was just happy to be employed. Having no pruning experience, somehow I was able to get around the requirements of the hiring process. I relied on my ability to teach myself tree pruning, along with the help of some wonderful co-workers and a few classes. I have been employed by numerous employers, in which I performed tedious duties, and had never had the opportunity to learn such a viable skill. 
In 2008 I was looking for a job. A task that can sometimes seem impossible when your resume isn't as decorated as that of a college graduate. At the time I decided to take a break from school, find a job and live on my own. I remember being extremely eager to live on my own; the kind of freedom that an 18 year old can only imagine. At one point during the job hunt I came across an add, which listed strict requirements for the applicant. It had listed requirements such as, 2+ years of pruning experience, comfortable climbing trees, educated in plant identification, etc. The list included a number a points of which I was not qualified for, however, my friend John had enrolled in a few related classes and had the field experience. I sent him a notice and a month later he landed the job. The frustration of not being able to find a job really started to settle in, especially after I had landed my friend a job, who wasn't even looking at the time. Right about the time I was beginning to give up the job search John calls me and tells me his plan to get me on board the crew he had been working for the last couple months. His idea basically consisted of talking highly of me to his employer and for me to lie about my experience level during the interview. This plan seemed ludicrous.

Johne was the kind of person who could lie his way out of any situation. I wouldn't doubt he could manipulate the interview and work the situation to his advantage. I, however, didn't believe that plan would work, but I decided I had nothing to lose and went along. John had done his part and convinced his employer to schedule an interview with me. He began to teach me the basics of landscaping and tree pruning. He taught me the basics of pruning fruit trees, ornamental cherry and plum trees, pines, cypress, maples; as well as shaping a tree or shrub to display a healthy, natural look. He taught me how to identify certain diseases in trees and how to treat them. He gave me a specific list of subjects to study that he was certain would be brought up during the interview. The day of my interview soon came and I felt like I was going to vomit.

I remember feeling really good when my interviewer showed up 30 minutes late. As she was being extremely apologetic about her tardiness I had felt I had the upper hand. After the first 10 minutes or so I noticed the interview went completely off subject and we were talking about psychology and a few other off topic discussions. We hardly talked about my experience and when we did I was able to use what what my friend had taught me and apply it. After 30 minutes the interview began to come to a close and all I remember thinking is if I had convinced her that I am the best candidate. Instead of giving herself time to think about her decision the employer hired me on the spot. I was ecstatic.

My first couple months on the job were mostly spent with my friend. Our goal was to get me caught up with the rest of the crew, who obviously had the experience the job demanded. News about my inexperience spread to my other three co-workers, who decided to help me out. I was sent to local pruning classes that were held at nearby nurseries. The classes gave me a fresh perspective on pruning: To be an arborist you need to have an eye for detail when pruning, this helps the tree maintain a natural look after it has been properly pruned. By pruning you are not only increasing their aesthetic appearance but you are improving the health of the plant. Discarding dead from a tree or shrub promotes new growth throughout the plant; pushing more energy into live buds. I was taught the appropriate time to prune; the best time being when the tree has the greatest reserves. Trained arborists would put on live pruning demonstrations during classes, giving participants a hands on experience. After taking numerous classes and gaining a fair amount of knowledge, I began to notice an improvement in my work.

The first year of being on the crew I took on a few pruning projects, but only under supervision. Whenever I didn't feel confident in the work I was doing my co-workers were great help and would adjust a few things I had been doing wrong. Most of them had been working on the crew for several years and had a artist's eye when they pruned. They could take a overgrown Japanese Maple and shape it to resemble a bonsai look, which displayed their level of experience. We had a few clients on Wing Point that we considered our "showpieces." We kept these properties looking immaculate to display an example of our work. I remember thinking I would never have the opportunity of pruning the Japanese black and white pines that sat at the entrance of these properties, which only our most qualified employees took care of. I slowly worked my way up the chain of command as the years went by. I was able to take on more experienced projects and at one point was in charge of pruning an entire fruit orchard every winter. This was the first time I had soloed a project and made sure to go in to it with the acquired tools. I remember spending my free time reading pruning handouts, which explained the process of pruning different kinds of fruit trees. Pruning the fruit orchard soon became only one of the many landscapes I was responsible for. My hard work and level of detail went unnoticed, giving me the chance to take on other challenging tasks. During this moment I realized this job gave me something most jobs never did, results. I took pride in my work, the results of my hard work gave me the motivation to continue. Previous jobs would have me losing interest quickly, performing repetitive tasks that didn't require much skill.  
As time went on the original crew that I was introduced to had slowly broken up and new faces began to join. I soon filled the position of my former co-workers and welcomed new employees. I found myself enjoying the opportunity to teach my co-workers all that I had learned over the last few years. I enjoyed the diversity of the job and the different duties that came with it. After now being with my employer for almost five years I have made my way to second in command (under the owner). With this position comes a great deal of responsibility. I am now held accountable for keeping the White and black pines looking as good as they have all these years. I think back five years when I had applied for a job that was beyond my level of experience. It surprises me that I made it through the first few months of probation; going in with no familiarity. Most arborists go to school before putting themselves in the field, however, my approach makes me believe there are alternative ways of jumping into a new experience. Although I have enjoyed being apart of this team of talented people, I have begun to dedicate my time to school, another learning experience.