Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
When Changing Jobs or Looking for a Job, Who Is That Work For??
Since there have been many times when I’ve thought that, I decided to give writing this a try.
The Choice to "Make a Living in the Slope Stabilization Industry"
We face the slopes, battle the cliffs, and remain on site despite being at the mercy of the weather.
This is the job I chose—slope engineer.
As the saying goes: dirty, dangerous, and low pay.
I set out early in the morning, and on my way to the site, all sorts of thoughts cross my mind.
In a fleeting moment...
Is this life really my “true” life?
Is working in the construction industry something I was forced into, or something I chose?
Is it enough just to be able to eat?
Is work in the construction industry just “work you’re forced to do”?
"Because I didn't have anything else to do."
"Because my boss asked me to."
"Because I wanted to learn a trade."
"For now"
"That boss was so cool."
"A friend invited me"
I think there are a lot of people who joined for that very reason.
As the years go by working on-site, you come to notice the movement of the mountain, the character of the slope, the tension of the anchors, the quality of the sprayed concrete, the atmosphere on site, the smells—
No matter what anyone says, once you get started, there comes a moment when you feel a sense of “responsibility.”
"If I'm going to do it, I might as well go all out!!" (There are tons of people like that.)
“A Job That Supports ”Human Life”
Beyond the embankment are houses. There’s a river, and there’s a road.
There are school routes. There are the lives of people who are important to us.
Our work quietly supports them behind the scenes.
A structure that no one notices. (It's so super secret that no one even notices it, lol.)
But it’s us slope engineers who ensure that “it doesn’t collapse”—something we take for granted.
So, is this my life?
To be honest, there isn't just one answer.
But here's what I think.
Working hard for others,
Once you start thinking of it as “pride” or “responsibility,”
Is that really my life now?
Isn't it okay to take pride in working in the slope stabilization industry (construction)?
It's tough. It's dirty. No one notices. Summer is hot. Winter is cold. I can't read the kanji on the slope!!?
But it supports someone’s “safety” and “future.”
It might not be such a bad idea to see your own life reflected in a job like that.
If anything, our industry tends to be looked down upon.
A low-paying job that was mentioned on some website a while back,
Even though it's said to be an industry where the dregs of society gather, once you get started, it's actually pretty fun!
At first, the interns worked mainly to support their families, but as they neared graduation (in their third year), they started to think, “This job is fun!”
They tell me, “I want to keep doing this job.”
And then, at the end, I say, “The pay is great!” lol. That’s a perfectly good reason, too, right?
A life spent on a slope. That really is “my own life,” isn’t it?
It's not someone else's life, is it?
I decided on my own and got started on my own.
Whatever the initial reason may have been, I’m having a pretty good time now.
If I'm going to do it anyway, I might as well enjoy my work—even when things get tough, the work itself is fun.
Interpersonal relationships are the same in any job, after all.
I’m working as a slope maintenance worker with the intention of spending the rest of my life in this line of work!
See you later.
