Having already been an inspector for fourteen years, and where others might have scoffed, this intrigued me; I knew some things were missing from my training.
My reports were rambling and folksy. For some inspections, I felt like I had missed something. ( I had.) This could have continued since I was working and only interacted with a pro who gave advice when working for QuestInspect. While reviewing one of my reports, Linda Lockwood mentioned CFIU and said, “We teach you to think like an inspector.”
I joined, worked my way through the extensive course materials, took the tests, reviewed the materials again, and retook the tests. My first tries got me scores in the 80s—not terrible, so I kept at it until I hit the 90s. I attended meetings and even consulted one of the mentors for help on something I was not quite “seeing.”
My inspections took longer initially, and I still felt I was missing something. Slowly, things began to fall into place. The structured report writing I learned moved to the front of my head at inspections, and I began to operate more efficiently. That, in turn, made my report writing easier. I found that I had all the data I needed, and I had gathered it in order to go into the reports. This virtuous circle continued; the more reports I wrote, the smoother my inspections went. The more efficient I became at inspections, the easier I found it was to quickly write “just the facts, all the facts, and nothing but the facts, ma’am” reports. I had my first inspection with a top flooring manufacturer and received a compliment regarding the level of detail in my report.
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Jeff Horn York, PA 717-586-7095 |