hvac apprentice rant: quit my first gig after seeing the bs, need career advice

hey im a green hvac apprentice, started at this small 5-man install outfit last november thinking id get real service training on stuff like trane units and r-410a systems. turns out the bosses were pounding beers and blazing up on the clock half the time, even at job sites, and one got in a dui wreck that pissed me off bad. i bailed quick cause that crap coulda cost me my epa cert or worse, now im job hunting and feel like i wasted time on that college course where we barely touched anything hands-on.

sharbite fittings are trash in hvac installs, stick to brazing every time.

man that sounds rough, i remember my first shop was full of that party vibe too.

good call bailing, dont risk your certs for idiots.

check out the hvac techs network fb group, tons of job leads there from legit shops.

bosses like that make me laugh, one time mine showed up lit and tried wiring a 240v line backwards. customer called the cops lol.

hit up a union apprenticeship, they got real structure and no weed smoke in the air.

ive been there, first year sucked but now im running my own service calls.

thats why i went solo after 6 months, no more drama.

unions are overrated, too much politics and low pay starting out imo.

sharbites again? dude they leak under pressure, fight me on that.

every shop has its drunks, just keep your head down and learn.

fuck those bosses, the trades are full of pos like that ruining it for everyone.

proud of you for walking, i stuck it out 2 years and it nearly broke me.

hit 10 years last month, best move was ditching the party crews early.

same here man, feels good to level up.

that dui story hits home, my old foreman lost his license and we all suffered.

you got your epa already? whats next on your list?

dont go back to installs without a solid mentor, i almost fried a carrier condenser my first week.

pe firms buying up hvac shops just to squeeze em dry, stay independent if you can.

watched a bryan orr video on hvac school yt, he talks about avoiding toxic shops like yours.

stick to service over install, pays better long term like 80k easy after certs.

my knees are shot from crawling attics in bad crews, get out quick.

quitting was smart, now aim for a shop with real ojt on superheat and subcool.

i feel ya, first job had me mixing r-22 without gloves, dumbass move.

proud i made it to lead tech without that bs, focus on nate cert next.

frustrated with apprentices who bail too soon, but yours sounds justified.

bosses drinking on clock? thats a lawsuit waiting, good riddance.

you ask for service training specifically in interviews?

customer once complained about weed smell from my old crew, lost the account.

ive been crawling ducts for 15 years, that early crap hardens you up.

asked this on r/hvac last week, consensus was run from party shops.

one time my boss hotboxed the van mid-job, hilarious but dangerous af.

man i get it, trades can be a circus.

controversial take: weed on off hours fine, but on clock? hell no.

get into commercial hvac, less bs and steady work.

insurance rates skyrocket with dui drivers, your shop was screwed anyway.

lol my first boss crashed the company truck high, we all laughed til the layoffs.

hit journeyman status last year, worth every headache.

we all been burned by bad crews, it passes.

warning: dont touch tools if theyre lit, i saw a guy burn a house wiring.

those pe buyouts are killing small hvac ops, fight the man.

hate when apprentices quit over nothing, but yeah yours was bad.

frustrated with the whole industry rn, too many shortcuts.