Is anyone here an electrician?

[black22rifle]

Im thinking about becoming an electrician. I picked up an application from my closest IBEW for an inside wireman apprenticeship, but I am looking to get some insight into what it entails. I have always liked working with electricity and ideally I would rather be an outside lineman, the idea of working with 14kV sounds more exciting, but it is not available near me.

How long have any of you been in the trade? Do you love it, hate it? What should I expect during the apprenticeship?

[MegademiC]

Im thinking about becoming an electrician. I picked up an application from my closest IBEW for an inside wireman apprenticeship, but I am looking to get some insight into what it entails. I have always liked working with electricity and ideally I would rather be an outside lineman, the idea of working with 14kV sounds more exciting, but it is not available near me.

How long have any of you been in the trade? Do you love it, hate it? What should I expect during the apprenticeship?

My friend is in an apprenticeship (sp?) Right now to become a journeyman. Long hours and schooling, decent pay, occasional layoffs.

Once you make it pay sounds great, but don't buy a huge house because you have a good year, he's seen people screw themselves already doing that. Overall, he likes it quite well. Like anything else, if you're smart and work hard, you'll have fun and make great money. Just know when you're around a dumbass and watch your back, know your safety stuff and don't be afraid to speak up if you don't feel safe about something

[SomeOtherGuy]

My cousin went through the union apprenticeship somewhere in metro Chicago and it went very well for him. Sometimes long hours and random jobsites, but he had work even through much of the 2008-10 downturn. He has since switched to working solely in-house for one large institution but seems to have excellent job security.

Electricians make more than most other trades and generally have better working conditions, yet they always seem to be in short supply. If you're interested in it, I would go for it.

[black22rifle]

Thanks for the feedback. I definitely plan on following through, I just don't know what to expect.

[.46caliber]

My dad just retired from Local 1. He had a good career and has come out with a comfortable retirement. He worked hard and became a frequent request of foremen and project managers because of the solid work he did. One of the go-to guys at the contractor he worked for when it came to medium voltage commercial/institution feeds, 1k to 90k Volt. It took a toll on his body with lugging tools and working overhead all those years.

He got to work at some interesting places like big labs and research facilities where the main grid power, back up power and redundant back up power were paramount to keeping the lab's integrity.

Benefits were second to none. Always had good insurances and retirement plans.

PM me with any questions. If I can't answer them, I'll ping my father.

[SilverBullet432]

A coworker of mine has been in the trade since he was 18. Hes now applying for his master electricians and makes close to 100k a year if not more. (construction supervisor) hes only 31 btw.. I work in electrical field but im not an electrician.

[FishTaco]

I'm an IBEW JW. The 5 year union program for inside wireman in commercial/industrial is great training. Depending on the kind of work you do, I don't think I'd expect working conditions to be all that great. On a big construction project, you might spend an entire winter working at near outdoor temps with little wind protection. Given that you need finger dexterity while standing exposed in one place or on a ladder, it's almost impossible to wear enough clothing at some times.

I never got laid off in five years, but would have welcomed it some winters. The field is also almost hopelessly large and most people end up specializing in something that won't really be related to what you do as an apprentice.

[FishTaco]

duped

[Travelingchild]

Nope,, but I did work around some....
Getting ready for a skid transfer to power lines
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd214/fallsafe/ilb%20002.jpg (http://s226.photobucket.com/user/fallsafe/media/ilb%20002.jpg.html)
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd214/fallsafe/ilb%20031.jpg (http://s226.photobucket.com/user/fallsafe/media/ilb%20031.jpg.html)

Or a short haul to work on some de-energized lines...