Chicago had more high rises built in '15 than any other city in our country. Which is why Local 2 got up to the lower 200s on the list.
Regardless, it's not the end of the world for OP. TRUST ME!!! I'd look into running a crane if I was 40... 40 is way too old and too much BS to deal with to start this trade that late in life.
.02
A newly hired apprentice once quit on us (TKE). I was getting out my car, he introduced himself, i did as well. When he saw the tower we were working on he asked "Is that where we're working at"! I said yes. He asked, are we on the bottom, I said no, we're topping out on rails. See the buckhoist, we have to catch that all the way up. Since the cars were on top, obviously. He said, I can't do this, I'm leaving. I told him, can you leave me your safety bag, and he did.
Long story short, not everyone will take/want the job. So your name will move up on the list rather quickly. Who knows, you might get into Mods/Repairs and not traction.
At least, give it a shot, you might like it!
Good luck.
This is one of my concerns about this part of the process. Some of the buildings that I've gone to school in or worked in have had shaky reception. My motors class was in the basement we had to go outside to make phone calls. So you miss the call, that's it?? I can't imagine missing the call because I was in an elevator of all places.
I know someone wrote in another thread that his local (2?) transcribed his phone number wrong and so he never got the call. But they just put him back on the list when he phoned in to ask about the list I believe, something not recommended be done.