Electrician As A Career?

[night ride]

I'm not an electrician, but I've fixed little problems for family, and I have to say that I love two things about this kind of work.
1) It is fun to figure out, trace back a problem and then solve it. Very logical.
2) It is fun to fake getting electrocuted in front of an audience when you touch a circuit you've actually turned off. (Guess it would get old in ICI)

 

[Jennifer_]

hence I asked for a book recommendation. I wouldn't do it otherwise. I don't think its rocket science and we're humans, capable of learning

dude.... they do go through years of training...

I know of people who were electrocuted... and don't forget - if you do work on someone's house and fuck up - you may be liable.

 

[mightymouse007]

I'm not too sure about the working state of electrician. I do have a few friends that took Electrical Engineering at University. It's a very very very hard program. Most of them I know either took it at Ryerson or at McMaster. The cutoff rate is very high, and only about 10-20% of the people manage to make it out of 1st year. But once you graduate, you make really good money. It's a very good field if you could make it out of school.

Just starting off, you make 60-80 k, and it goes up with more experience you have.

 

[smiley1437]

I'm not too sure about the working state of electrician. I do have a few friends that took Electrical Engineering at University. It's a very very very hard program. Most of them I know either took it at Ryerson or at McMaster. The cutoff rate is very high, and only about 10-20% of the people manage to make it out of 1st year. But once you graduate, you make really good money. It's a very good field if you could make it out of school.

Just starting off, you make 60-80 k, and it goes up with more experience you have.

Just a comment, I think this thread was focusing on the electrical trade and not so much on the electrical engineering profession. An electrical engineer has significantly different training.

 

[mightymouse007]

Just a comment, I think this thread was focusing on the electrical trade and not so much on the electrical engineering profession. An electrical engineer has significantly different training.

yea I know! I just thought I give in my 2 cents. It something else an electrician could consider also.

 

[milehigh]

Don't know about electrician specifically... do know they charge alot. I have two friends in the trade and they seem to make good bucks. Trades in general are great to get into. Demand.

Or things that are recession proof - that people can not do without -eg paramedics, nurses.

Two ladies I used to work with went into the funeral business - that's got to be big, but not my cup of tea. And I won't visit them, because I'm pretty sure I won't be coming out.

Academics are great if they specifically related to a profession - not general. Too many in debt and no job stories.

Certified trades will be booming. And with many you make money while you are learning.

 

[Tangwhich]

In the trade myself, at your age it will be hard to find anyone who will sign you on to an apprenticeship. I cringe when I see 30+ aged guys starting an apprenticeship, most are completely fucking useless. As for Jennifer, your bf was probably useless, that's why he didn't get work, their first excuse is the politics crap.

A tonne of dog fuckers in the trades.

I agree with wazup about the boyfriend. The ones that get laid off regularly are almost always lousy workers. The good workers rarely get laid off.
He's wrong about having a hard time at his age (at least if he goes through the union) being a factor. Although by the time you're done your apprenticeship you'll be at the age where most of your colleagues are looking to retire.

 

[Tangwhich]

George Brown College and many of the other colleges offer a few trade programs for heating and eletrician and also on there is http://www.apprenticesearch.com and http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/employmentontario/training/

Do NOT take any courses outside of those that are required in an apprenticeship. They are a waste of money. They won't help you become an apprentice and you'll still have to take the mandatory trade school during your apprenticeship. (which btw are heavily subsidized AND you get EI while you're there!).

 

[mightymouse007]

I agree with wazup about the boyfriend. The ones that get laid off regularly are almost always lousy workers. The good workers rarely get laid off.
He's wrong about having a hard time at his age (at least if he goes through the union) being a factor. Although by the time you're done your apprenticeship you'll be at the age where most of your colleagues are looking to retire.

Actually no. I have heard from my dad. His business, they actually have done the reverse. They laid off all the good workers and keep hiring new and inexperience engineers that really know jack shit. Unfortunately this world, both racism and stereotypes are all around the job business.

Some people are very knowledgeable and hard-working, yet they never advance due to their ethnicity.

 

[Tangwhich]

Actually no. I have heard from my dad. His business, they actually have done the reverse. They laid off all the good workers and keep hiring new and inexperience engineers that really know jack shit. Unfortunately this world, both racism and stereotypes are all around the job business.

Some people are very knowledgeable and hard-working, yet they never advance due to their ethnicity.

I'm not talking about engineers. I'm talking about becoming an apprentice with the IBEW. If you're a woman or a minority, you are MORE likely to accepted.

 

[richaceg]

any trade you see out threre that goes all year round is good trade. may it be carpenter, electrician, hvac or stone mason. some risks are not as great as the others. the harder the trade, the fewer the workers (i guess) = the more $$$. i have a lot of respect for everyone who does it. I've been a painter for 4 years now and I still want to learn other trades. plumbing ain't bad either.

 

[night ride]

It isn't as physically demanding as some trades so even if you get into it later in life and are in half decent shape you can work at it longer than say a bricklayer.

 

[dman44]

I am a 3rd year refrigeration apprentice. I was going to do electrical until I realized refrigeration also involves a tonne of electrical knowledge. The top 3 trades for sure are Elevators, Refrigeration, and Electrician. Btw, I love how people say electricity is so dangerous. I was working on 600v appliances in my first year. Buy an electrical meter, Test everything before you touch it. The money is very good, especially if you work hard, and learn fast. There's plenty of perks also with the right company. My company has benefits, and we're bugging my boss to hook up a good pension package. Plus I get some of my school paid by company and my own company van. My boss always keeps his guns busy, he will take jobs and sometimes lose money just for the sake of keeping his crew. I'm 21 and I really enjoy it.

 

[checks]

As one of the few actual journeymen commenting in this thread, let me clear up one common misconception. Just because guys get laid off, doesn't mean they are useless in the trade. Anyone who has ever worked in highrise construction will know that there are literally hundreds of plumbers and electricians working on those jobs. If a company has all their eggs in one basket, such as the high rise condo market, they will need lots of workers. Problem is, once that job is done and you don't get the next one, how the hell are you supposed to keep 100+ guys busy? That is why there are mass layoffs, and it will never change. The same goes for govenment projects, universities, airports, etc. It isn't like there aren't other companies trying to get the same work. A company that has 100 journeymen electricians may layoff 95 of them when they lose the work. I highly doubt that all 85 of those guys are useless.

I don't know as much about the residential side of things, but I'm sure it is the same. Probably more useless guys in that side of the trade, in my limited experience. Sure, the useless guys can hang around when the construction is booming - unloading trucks, bending conduit, pulling wire... But, trust me: I know many highly skilled guys that have been laid off at some point due to the economics of contstruction.

The only real recession-proof trades are the service based ones like elevator mechanic, refrigeration mechanic, and as I said earlier, stone mason. Anybody getting into a construction based trade like electrician, plumber or sheet metal has a high risk of being laid off at some point, regardless of your skills and ability.

And, as Jennifer mentioned, there is indeed a ton of political bullshit in trade unions. Anyone who thinks otherwise is obviously not a member of one.

 

[Tangwhich]

Checks: Of course almost all JM get laid off at some point. I've seen some great guys let go because of lack of work and it really stings, knowing that the next time we dip into the pot we might get someone training for the dog fucker olympics. We're talking about the ones that get laid off regularly. Every JM I've met that has a deck of T4s come tax time is 99% of the time a useless waste of skin.

And I totally disagree with you about the residential guys probably being more useless. The complete opposite is true. Those guys, even the union ones work damn hard. They may not have the skills of an ICI guy but I've yet to meet one that wasn't an excellent worker. Most of the useless guys are the ones that only like to work in factories and especially those that wait around for the big jobs like a car plant shut down. It's quite an amazing sight to see 15 men work while 75 watch them. There are exceptions of course to everything, but this has far and away been my observation.

BTW, elevator mechanics get laid off all the time, more so than other trades from what I've seen. It's only recession proof if you've got a high level of seniority.

 

[Tangwhich]

What are the typical wages for an electrician? Junior and experienced?

Coincidently, my buddy is looking for a career change: short list is electrician or a taxi driver!

My guess is they earn the roughly the same....around $50k?...maybe the electrician gets abit more after gaining more experience and the cabby has to work 60 hours a week for that.

A licensed union guy working a full year would make over $70k. Starting out is probably around $22k

 

[bazokajoe]

In the trade myself, at your age it will be hard to find anyone who will sign you on to an apprenticeship. I cringe when I see 30+ aged guys starting an apprenticeship, most are completely fucking useless. As for Jennifer, your bf was probably useless, that's why he didn't get work, their first excuse is the politics crap.

A tonne of dog fuckers in the trades.

If he was in the union the reason why he couldn't find work was they layoff by senority.Meaning the apprentice and low senority guys get layoff first,called back last.

 

[bazokajoe]

One thing about all trades is be prepared to go where the work is.Right now all the industrial work is in Alberta and Newfoundland.Mining companies ,even here in Ontario,are dying for electricians,millwrights,welders and heavy duty mechanics.

 

[probyn]

From these comments, it appears that I was right; an electrician is an excellent trade to go into. However, I also get the impression that my opportunity has passed. I am probably too old to start in this field(I am fortyish).

 

[Tangwhich]

If he was in the union the reason why he couldn't find work was they layoff by senority.Meaning the apprentice and low senority guys get layoff first,called back last.

That may be true for some trades, but the IBEW does not work on seniority. It works on the date you got laid off. The shit workers are always the first to get laid off. Most good workers are with the same companies for years and many companies will take jobs at a loss just to keep the key guys during slow times.