Name: Jeffrey BedowOccupation: Sign HangerWhy Jeffrey's job is tough: Because I have to hang billboards, rain or shine, year round in Chicago. Our signs range from 8 x 24ft to 42 x 90ft. The material we work with weighs from 20lbs to four hundred pounds, which we pull up in the air manually, and the heights range from just off the ground to 200 ft. in the air. Wind is another story altogether and is the worst thing about this job. It's like flying kites. Can you imagine hanging on to a 20 x 60ft vinyl with just your hands, while it's flapping in the wind? It's insane. That's my con to this job, others prefer to hate the heights, cold, heat, bees, spiders, birds, hawks, various wildlife, working seven days a week, or pulling up 180 lb. vinyls 80 ft. in the air all day.About Jeffrey: I began hanging billboard signs almost exactly one year ago. Before then, I had been in warehousing for the last seven years. I'm 25 now, and I never want to work in an office or warehouse again.What's Rewrding About Jeffrey's Job: The views, working outside (when it's nice out of course), fun people to work with, and it's a cool work environment. If you liked playing on jungle gyms as a kid, you'd love climbing around on a sign. The most rewarding thing about this job is that you have to be in shape for it, or, if determined, it will put you into shape. I was overweight from working in an office. I had put on weight and was unhappy with myself. I made the switch to this job through a wonderful opportunity and over the last year, my body has made tremendous changes. I still have a little gut, but i have more muscle now than i ever have in my life. I feel great, I'm proud of the work I do. It's rewarding to feel that it takes a special person to handle all of these responsibilities and risks. I'm rewarded to say I'm one of them.
Name: Ray LudkeOccupation: ElectricianWhy Ray's job is tough: My job is tough because I not only work on the jobs, I run the job, juggle more than one job along with employees that I have to keep on track. I have to follow up with jobs I have bids out on, not to mention going through plans, keeping a daily log on each job I have open, how much the guys in the field have done, and how much time has been spent. As I have this going on, I have more paperwork to do, faxing, or emails to follow up on for more prospects of work. I will tend to service calls as well. I have the responsibility of ordering supplies from the supply houses along with my phone constantly ringing. When I come home, my work is still not done. I never get to come home and just be home. There are still things to do to prepare for the next day or I figure what I need to get for my bids. So, I don't just supervise, I work hard just as the other guys are to ensure my clients are getting the quality work they deserve.About Ray: I am a very hard worker who only strives to his very best on the job and to provide for his family. I am unselfish, considerate and kind, yet a mans' man. I will go out of my way for a friend in need, yet still be able to just hang with the guys when there is time.What's Rewrding About Ray's Job: Accomplishing what is set out to be done, as well as giving customers the quaility in work they deserve, making the clients happy in the prided work done. Seeing the end product when it's finished. Knowing that at the end of the day my talents were used to the best of my knowledge and I can come home knowing I still love the job I do to keep pushing to do more, to be better and to provide for my family. Everyone needs lights right?
Name: Gregory HewstonOccupation: student/carpenter/furnisher refinisher/lumberjack in the makingWhy Greg's job is tough: I am 17 years old, an honors senior in high school, work at a furniture refinishing shop after school, working on my boy scout Eagle project, am the quartermaster of a boyscout troop of 52 boys and in my "spare" time, split cords of wood in the yard!About Greg: I attend Platt Technical High School in Milford, CT. In the Fall of 2009, I hope to attend Paul Smith's College in upstate New York. My Dickies work pants are required by the Tech school, but are my FAVORITE pants to do ANY work in. I am number 3 of 4 children. I enjoy working hard - not for a teenager, but for any adult I would definitely give them a run for their money.What's Rewrding About Greg's Job: I love physical hard work. In many ways, my "jobs", especially splitting wood, are my form of Yoga/meditation. I work out stress and my next project while keeping our home stocked with firewood (we haven't used our furnace in 3 years). When I refinish a piece of furniture, I think about when the piece was originally made - the careful craftsmanship, and strive to bring that item to it's original beauty. Not all men (or teens) want to climb a corporate ladder to a suit and tie, some take pride in building the ladder to help others achieve a new height.
Name: Diana CallahanOccupation: HomemakerWhy Diana's job is tough: Because I am 100% serious about raising our 5 kids to be respectful, responsible, giving (not selfish), honest, humble and caring people who will think of others (including their siblings!) before themselves. I do this plus work part time in order to supplement my police officer husbands job. I make sure the kids get to the activities they love while my husband works full time and goes to school to be an EMT. I am involved in their youth groups at church as well as PTO and school council president.About Diana: I have a teaching degree but have stayed home 13 years raising our children. I love to garden and plant a lot of perennials due to my demanding schedule. I love God, my husband and my 5 children (ages 7, 10, 11, 13 & 14). I love the country we live in and once a flight attendant, I have seen much of our beautiful country. I desire to show some of it to our children but often money is tight because I have chosen to stay home and invest my time and energy in them.What's Rewrding About Diana's Job: Watching my children play together and laugh. Watch them make wise choices and good grades. watch them help hurricane Katrina victims rebuild their homes, going hiking with my family and watching them climb rocks, catch butterflies, put on puppet shows for their daddy, build Legos and Lincoln Log forts on the floor and leave them their for days! I love watching my daughter take in strays and find them a home. I love seeing my older son take his chain saw with his daddy and help the neighbor for 5 hours because her husband is serving in Iraq. Yes, there are hard times when I think they haven\\\'t heard a word I am saying, and then one of my sons will open the car door for me or my little girl(only one) will write me a note and say she is sorry she disobeyed me. I love my family! I am glad I am exhausted at the end of the day if it means I have invested in something so wonderful as our future.
Name: Tera PlummerOccupation: Line ConsctructionWhy Tera's job is tough: Apart from working in the hot Florida sun everyday, my job is tough as it is very physical. Line construction is inherently dangerous. I place cable for the phone company, which includes climbing poles, lifting heavy equipment & materials (both while on the ground & in the air on hooks or in a bucket), using power & hand tools, digging, working above & below ground in dangerous & hazardous environments, & I drive a big truck (I have a CDL). In addition to all of that, just being the only woman in a man\'s job I believe qualifies me as having the toughest job in America. I\'m among relatively few women in line construction. In fact, I\'m the only woman in my yard. I wasn't a welcome addition to the crew when I started over a year ago. I toughed it out, hung in there and I\'m still there today helping to get the job done.About Tera: I'm a 38 year old married woman. I'm a stepmother of two teens. I've never gone to formal college. I've had vocational & technical training later in life as well as some college courses to help advance my career opportunities. I've professionally done everything from food service, retail sales, secretarial, banking, driving school bus, driving dump truck, landscaping, telemarketing, owning/operating a print shop, air conditioning (HVAC), facility maintenance, to now line construction. I'm hoping to spend the rest of my working life with the same company from here on out.What's Rewrding About Tera's Job: My job is rewarding because I play a vital part in providing a much needed service to the public. Also, the fact the I've been able to survive working in a male dominated industry with my dignity & self-respect still intact is rewarding in itself. I haven't won over every guy on the job, I probably never will; but, I gained the respect of many of my peers. In my line of work, that's saying something.
Name: James SherbondyOccupation: Tower ClimberWhy James's job is tough: It's tough because I'm on 1000 foot TV towers during the Oregon winters, sometimes never touching ground for 14 hours. You're cold, wet, sore as hell, tired, but you have to still be able to think sharp, one slip up at those heights and, well you know what can happen. And sometimes I have to work all night because the stations don't want to turn down their antenna power until nobody's watching the TV. If you were up there with the antenna at full power, you would literally be cooked like in a microwave, so that's another aspect that makes this job difficult.About James: I'm a mid-west boy, moved to Oregon for the mountains and Pacific. I was a concrete form carpenter and my dad's a carpenter, so I've always been a construction dude. I'm a real sucker for the outdoors, hiking, fishing,camping, and biking are my ideas of fun. What's Rewrding About James's Job: Oh man, first and foremost the views. I get to see the world from prospective that only a hand full of people can. And it's a source of pride that I do something that 99.9% of the population would be terrified to do. It's so thrilling to be strapped to the leg of a 1000 foot tower when it's blowing like crazy and you look down and see that leg bowing and wowing and the guylines are shaking and going slack/tight. And the job is such a good mix of hardcore steel busting ironwork and very precise technical and electronic work. One day I'll be rigging a tower and hauling steel guylines and running a spud wrench all day, and the next I'll be troubleshooting a radio with all kinds of technical testing equipment. Plus, I stay in fabulous shape, and what can I say, chicks totally dig Ironworkers!
Name: Candice DooleyOccupation: DoD Heavy Truck DriverWhy Candice's job is tough: Myself and my coworkers work for the US government. We work in very high heat; sometimes reaching 138 degrees, or more. It's very dry, with lots of biting insects! We drive outside of the base, and on the streets all throughout Iraq. We are escorted by military, but sometimes still get shot at by small-arms fire, or rockets. There are also roadside bombs. We are largely targeted by insurgents, in an attempt to discontinue the movements of goods. I am a combat truck driver!About Candice: I came to Iraq in August of 2007, from the oil fields of Colorado (where I was a water-hauler for the rigs). I am a 25 year old female, truck driver. What's Rewrding About Candice's Job: Working first-hand, and directly, with our United States military, and personaly supporting the fight for freedom!
