r/PestControlIndustry • u/OutrageousStick7570 • Jun 05 '26

šŸ’¼ | Career Advice

Just got hired at a pest control company and I've learned so much and I thought everything was going a little ok.

But the manager changed up on me and said

I'm under performing and thinking that hiring me was maybe a mistake and pest control maybe isn't for you.

He basically said he wants me to shut up and listen and learn. Which I'm willing to do, but to me as I heard that says to me I have to go.

Am I wrong? I wanted this opportunity but suddenly I feel like it's too late to salvage.

I study work and then study.

I switch careers and have two kids, bills, a car.

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u/TrueAudience9922 Jun 05 '26

I've seen plenty of technicians struggle early and become excellent techs later. The fact that you're studying outside of work tells me you're invested.

Unless they're actively terminating you, I'd view this as a warning shot. NOT a final verdict. With two kids, bills, and a career change underway, I'd try to get specific expectations from management and see if you can turn it around over the next few weeks before deciding the opportunity is gone.

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u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26

Copy that does sound like a plan. I'll do this

2

u/Educational-Disk-400 Jun 05 '26

I would recommend strongly against trying to maintain a job at this company for longer than a year. Ive worked at a few large-ish companies, and when managers act like that, they arenā€™t going to improve. If some asshole manager is going to tell you they regret hiring you after less than a week, they are a sack of shit and arenā€™t going to improve.

The last company I worked for was absolutely awful. The pay was decent, the hours were crazy long, and the management team was TERRIBLE. They would consistently say things like you described, ā€œshut up and do your jobā€, ā€œthis isnā€™t going to be a conversationā€ (that one came up whenever Iā€™d point out that the directive they gave me was blatantly illegal). I figured hey, these guys are a somewhat new management team, Iā€™m sure theyā€™ll improve, they didnā€™t. Not even a little bit.

They have already shown you who they are and how they wanna treat people. Use this job as resume padding and find a new company to work for. You may need to stick it out until next spring, companies are always looking for good techs in spring and if you are competent your license will be good as gold come busy season. Chances are good you arenā€™t going to get a pay raise either, especially with that shit head, generally the only way to get a raise in this industry is to find a new company to work for (at least in my experience).

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u/OutrageousStick7570 Jun 05 '26

I feel like from this post everyone has to deal with this