An interview with an electrician

[electrifymylife]

Rather than search my area for electricians, it's must easier to ask here where they're all in one place.

I'm thinking about this as a career but would like your views, so I need to interrogate you all.

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an electrician?

2. What do you like best about the job?

3. What do you like least?

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college?

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages?

6. Is there much routine in your job?

Any advice for me. I am 26 and thinking about this as a career change.

Thanks

 

[a1]

Welcome to the forum.

I am actually traing to be a spark at the moment.

Did my C&G Level2 last year, (on my level 3 now), did my 2382-100 (17th Edition Regs) last year too.

Doing my 2392 in September (Intor to Inspection & testing) and when I build up the experience - I will be going on to do the 2391 (full inspection).

I wouldn't mind doing the NVQ3 and who knows - then on to do the AM2?

Regards,

Admin.

 

[Apache]

Well I'm a vet, but i like to dabble in electrics

 

[Andy™]

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an electrician?

before i left school

2. What do you like best about the job?

cant really say what exactly, just something i like doing

3. What do you like least?

lofts

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college?

apprenticeship

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages?

took 2 years, but finally got a place with a council. then left as soon as i was qualified (but started working for myself about 2 years before i left)

6. Is there much routine in your job?

some of its the same over and over, but its mostly something different. unless your stuck wiring a row of houses, everything is different

Any advice for me. I am 26 and thinking about this as a career change.

good luck!

Thanks

my red

 

[NozSpark]

Rather than search my area for electricians, it's must easier to ask here where they're all in one place.I'm thinking about this as a career but would like your views, so I need to interrogate you all.

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an electrician?

I had a career change about 6 years ago, so I was 32 then. I used to a be into avionics maintenance for the MOD / RAF (I was a civilian!)

2. What do you like best about the job?

Not working in a box (where I used to work, the room was as big as a football field and had no windows),,, you meet a lot of different people, have varied work; and as I'm self employed I can alter my hours to suit my personal life

3. What do you like least?

Not geting paid when I'm not working (like now), but it gives me time to tidy the van and catch up on paperwork

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college?

I did a 4 year apprenticeship in avionic engineering, and then went to college (night school) to get mny HNC in Electrical / electronic engineering

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages?

I took redundancy and went self employed, but I did my 2381 & 2391 first

6. Is there much routine in your job?

No, every job and customer is different --- except for when you get maintenance contracts in places like holiday camps!!

Any advice for me. I am 26 and thinking about this as a career change.

TBH I would advise you to keep your current job and got to college (night school),, It ain't a good time at the moment in any building industry and most companies will be looking at laying off rather than taking on

Thanks

No prob, and good luck with whatever you do!!

 

[NozSpark]

Well I'm a vet, but i like to dabble in electrics

So long as you don't mix the two!!

 

[betty swollocks]

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an electrician?

before i left school, however when i left in the 80's unemployment was pretty rife and ended up with a job in electronics, repairing pcb's :|

2. What do you like best about the job?

everydays different and when the boss(me ) says have the day off!

3. What do you like least?

customers who dont pay, who dont ring to change dates/circumstances and weyroc flooring

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college?

went to college while working, 1 day a week for 3 years plus inspection and testing and regs....started in 1990

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages?

no sooner had i completed year 1 i was inundated with offers of jobs, i knew a lot in the building trade and theres no one better to ask for work than a builder who knows you aint qualified because he also knows your dirt cheap but experience is experience

6. Is there much routine in your job?

nope, everydays different, and even when its similar, the surroundings are usually quite different, this week i've 1st fixed an extension/summer room/kitchen on a plush estate, 1st fixed a kitchen in a council house, installed d/l's in a bathroom, repaired a lighting fault in a bungalow and tomorrow im 2nd fixing an extension and testing off a job i did last week and friday i have a new shower circuit to install....weyroc flooring

Any advice for me. I am 26 and thinking about this as a career change.

yeah keep your job but look for as much work/hands on experience as you can, be prepared to work your weekends and evenings/days off and try to build up your hands on knowledge(much different to paper knowledge) and if you intend to go it alone, a customer base, if you do work, turning up on time and doing a good job will get you referred to others, took me about 3years before my 'day' job was getting in the way of my leccy work..... and that was me, self employed, loving it and making more moneyPray

i think it will be a few years before theres a vast improvement in new jobs which may just fall in well with your timescale, nows not the best time to go looking for new employment

Thanks

good luck, let us know what you decide and how it goes

 

[Andy™]

also, its nice to see someone wanting to learn the proper way - not a 'know it all in 5 day' course

 

[a1]

Great Post Betty.

Well done.

 

[ryan.carr.85]

Rather than search my area for electricians, it's must easier to ask here where they're all in one place.I'm thinking about this as a career but would like your views, so I need to interrogate you all.

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an electrician?

Only 23 now but started straight from school at 16, was annoyed because had no summer holiday haha looking back,was best decision I ever made

2. What do you like best about the job?

onsite banter!

3. What do you like least?

Dwellers who dont get out of bed in a morning when your supposed to be starting there 'Government Scheme Re-wire'...oh and NURSING HOMES!

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college?

College in 2 week blocks for 4 years

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages?

Was asked by a school teacher if I would be interested in an apprenticeship with the local Electrical company.......i said yes

6. Is there much routine in your job?

Sometimes, can spend 4 months re-wiring a row of houses, but then next minute could be off on a million pound new build

Any advice for me. I am 26 and thinking about this as a career change.

kiss the bosses arse! being the 'goldenboy' has its benefits!

Thanks

GOOD LUCK

 

[Badger]

Rather than search my area for electricians, it's must easier to ask here where they're all in one place.I'm thinking about this as a career but would like your views, so I need to interrogate you all.

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an electrician? As soon as i was alive from what my parents have told me. but basically as soon as i left school and went to colelge to be fair.

2. What do you like best about the job? the satisfaction about putting bodges right that other people have messed up on,

3. What do you like least? chopping the walls on a rewire, or crawling through lofts.

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college? i went to tamworth college and also completed electonic servicing aswell

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages? i sent my cv's off and also phoned companies up, after been employed for 5 years or so i started up on my own

6. Is there much routine in your job? i get a mixture of work to be fair commercial, and domestic

Any advice for me. I am 26 and thinking about this as a career change.

Thanks

thers my answers, hope they help

 

[elvis]

Rather than search my area for electricians, it's must easier to ask here where they're all in one place.I'm thinking about this as a career but would like your views, so I need to interrogate you all.

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an electrician?

When I left school, stayed on at a school but left half way through fifth year. Don't really remember why I chose to be an electrician but it was the only apprenticeship I applied for.

2. What do you like best about the job?

I love being self employed and being an electrician is an excellent trade to go self employed in but I also really enjoy the day to day hands on stuff. I also like the fact that you get to work outside and inside and I love to learn new stuff. You never know it all, that is how I found this place... switching stuff on and seeing it work at the end of a job can be pretty satisfying as well

3. What do you like least?

Crap accessories, some wholesaler's prices and ar5y customers, some of whom think you are always on the make. I try to give a fair quote for every job and I get on great with most of my customers but I dislike it when people try to "screw the price down"... I suppose it is human nature and I should be old enough to let it run off my back but it irks me!

(Think I may finally have some closure there!)

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college?

Apprenticeship

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages?

Yes, wrote them a letter first... followed up with a call

6. Is there much routine in your job?

Sometimes, I can put downlights in in the dark with a boxing glove on one hand! I do work for a few builders as well, mainly extensions, kitchens and bathrooms so that can be a bit samey but you get a laugh with the guys.

However I also look after a few larger commercial properties and a few pubs (always good Guiness Drink) and various other bits and pieces, five rewires and a few good testing jobs last year so a good blend all in all now I think about it.

Any advice for me. I am 26 and thinking about this as a career change.

I hated being a sparky for a while and quit at roughly the same age as you are now... went to uni, got a BSc, Hons in software engineering and couldn't get a job when I came out. Started working for agencies whilst applying for jobs and attending interviews and ended up back in the groove again.

I realised a few years later that what I actually hated was being a sparky for someone else! Be careful though, make sure you have a career path in mind and make sure there is a career there. Although the trade magazines still say there is a shortfall of electricians in the country at the moment (I think electrician magazine estimated it at 29 000 a few months ago) the building trade is going through a 'challenging' spell so be careful.

Thanks

Best of luck tae ye...

 

[Riggy]

You've got some good replies there, here's my view for what it's worth:

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an electrician?

Last year at school, had known for years I wanted a trade, there were a few electrical apprenticeships available locally that year!

2. What do you like best about the job?

The satisfaction of switching it on and it works (whether a new install, or even better a fault find and repair)

3. What do you like least?

Chasing walls, filling chases, lofts, doing PIRs/PAT when everything is good!

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college?

Apprenticeship with day release at college

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages?

Wrote to everyone who employed electricians - not just electrical contractors, think about factories with in house maintenance, etc.

6. Is there much routine in your job?

Generally no, unless I agree to PAT a school, etc. (see above "what I like least")

Good luck, don't be put off by the those who would have you believe it's dead complicated, generally there are only volts and amps!

 

[Apache]

2. What do you like best about the job?The satisfaction of switching it on and it works (whether a new install, or even better a fault find and repair)

Thought it was only me

 

[Andy™]

i think you should fill this is but with why you wanted to be a vet

 

[Riggy]

i think you should fill this is but with why you wanted to be a vet

Suspect this was when he realised he wasn't bright enough to get a proper job

 

[Apache]

By request:

I'm thinking about this as a career but would like your views, so I need to interrogate you all.

1. At what age did you decide to start training to become an vet?

arround 11 or 12 I decided on the career and started getting some experience lambing sheep and milking cows

2. What do you like best about the job?

The satisfaction of working out a problem and making something better.

3. What do you like least?

small animals, pet owners, horses, birds, anal glands

4. Did you do an apprenticeship or go to college?

College for 5 years (not six or seven unless @ Cambridge Uni)

5. How did you find work, did you just phone up all the electrical companies in the yellow pages?

I found advert in Veterinary Record in the Feb of the year I qualified in July and they waited for me

6. Is there much routine in your job?

No - often doing the same things but the people and the places change!

Any advice for me. I am 26 and thinking about this as a career change.

Become a dentist! They don't get called out at night, 4 day week, earn far more than me............

Thanks

now all we need is a Vampire to have a go!

 

[electrifymylife]

Thanks, I think I want to be a vet now.

When I left school I did try (not much) to become an electrician and went to MEB for some tests but unfortunately failed. I think about 200 turned up to that so I had little chance, the nose bleed didn't help either.

I then tried to get into CCTV Security apprenticeship at a local college but couldn't find a job before the course started so couldn't work.

I spent the following years depressed, then went to college and then uni getting a degree in I.T. Then I found that employers don't give a crap about my degree and prefer experience, so I got depressed about that too and found it hard getting a job.

I need to find someone that can take me on as I know that the route by qualification only is not good.

Do you think it's ok just contacting those in the yellow pages? some of whom may only be 1 man bands?

 

[Apache]

Why not use yellow pages. If it was me I'd write a good, well written letter and send it to them. Make sure you get their name right, and sign in pen. Handwriting the envolope may help.

Follow up a week or so later with a phone call. Even if you get nothing - feedback may help.

Also decide what you would be prepared to do - free helping out? That sort of thing. Don't sell youself too short in the letter nor seem to desperate!

 

[elvis]

Good advice Apache...

I get calls every now and again and one of these days I'll probably take one of them on so definitely worth a go... seems to be quite a lot of depression gap years in there, I'm worried for you!!

Think I want to be a vet as well... not sure about all that 'elbow deep' business though :-S