I lied, I'm not done! I remembered this cool trick I should really tell you about. An excellent way to gain respect and credibility in the trades is to be able to estimate measurements accurately at a glance. While there is a degree of innate aptitude that informs this ability, you can get better with practice, and you can use some shortcuts. My main shortcut (and I'm sure other people have plenty more) is this: I measured my body parts. The distance from thumb to pinky with fingers splayed, for me, is 7 inches. From elbow to fingertips is about 18 inches. My wingspan is about 5 feet (which makes sense because I'm about 5 feet tall--most people's wingspan is about the same as their height). My pace is 2 1/2 feet at a relaxed stride. Etc.
So measure your body parts and practice estimating. The width of the sidewalk. The height of your door. Check it with your tape measure. You'll quickly get the hang of it. It's worth it because it will help you show yourself as someone competent, which, if you're not a cishet man, is disproportionately important for you as a new worker on a construction job site.
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