Have you heard of The Art of Manliness? Well, on their website artofmanliness.com they have a cool series called So You Want My Trade. We know many of our readers are aspiring electricians, so we thought we’d share the “So You Want My Trade: Electrician” article on our blog. Here it is: http://goo.gl/Q1BQI5
If you don’t have the time to read it all the way through, that’s ok! We have summed it up for you here:
Meet The Electrician, Matt
- Matt is a 35-year-old electrician who is married and has two kids. He lives in Indiana and has been an electrician for over 16 years. He began his electrician career at 19 working on the construction side, but became a railroad electrician about 5 years ago.
Why Did Matt Want To Become An Electrician?
- Initially he wanted to be an architect, but once he was taught some of basics of electrical work he was hooked. He enjoys the excitement and technical nature of his job, he also loves that he gets to work outdoors and in a variety of locations. One of his favorite parts of being an electrician is getting to work with his hands, which he says “makes you feel strong, independent, and manly.”
What Have His Different Electrical Jobs Been Like?
- Construction: Matt explains that there are three sectors in construction:
- Residential
- Commercial
- Industrial
- The biggest difference between these sectors is the scale of the job. He states that with most construction electrical jobs, electricians follow a layout provided by an architect or engineer. However, he notes that they often make alterations and modifications because blueprints rarely accurately reflect reality. He adds that in recent years there has been a push towards clean energy. Because of this, more and more electricians need to learn how to work with photovoltaic and wind systems. (We teach students about solar in our electrical program!)
- Railroads: Matt explains that the same basic skill set is required when working as a railroad electrician as when working as an electrician in construction, but that the focus is a slightly different. On railroads, the emphasis is more on maintenance and less on construction. Another difference is that the distance of travel is much further when working on the railroad.
What is an average day like?
- Matt explains that when it comes to construction, deadlines are very strict and things move at a fairly fast pace. This is because many construction jobs are bid on, so the more rapidly your work is completed the more the contractor gets paid.
- Working as a railroad electrician is a bit slower paced, but that the expectations are similar: “There will always be conduit, wiring and other equipment to install and fix.”
What Is The Best Part Of His Career As An Electrician?
- Matt says that the best part of his job as an electrician is that he gets to do something different every day–he gets to travel to various locations and explore different aspects of the trade each day. He says, “I’m not an assembly line or office person, never have been. I have nothing against that career path, I just love the freedom that comes with working with the trades. While others are wondering ‘what’s it like outside,’ I know what it’s like because I’m in it.”
Matt’s Parting Advice:
- “Being an electrician is an excellent career choice and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Whether it’s the young man just out of high school, or the not so young man wanting to make a career change. Being an electrician, just as any other skilled trade, is a skill you have for life.”
Matt is obviously a proponent of the electrician trade, and here at IBT in Santa Clara we are are, too! We have successfully helped hundreds of young adults start rewarding careers as electricians over the years and we can do the same for you! Our Sacramento Electrical Technician program can be completed in as little as 10.5 months and we also provide job placement services upon program completion so you can jump right into your new career.
Learn more about our electrical program and our career services by calling IBT today!
