Not sure where to post...

[msc86]

I'm new to the forum and new to the field. I'm 23 years old and working for a small company that does residential, commercial and little commercial. I love what I do and have been interested in this since I was 16. I have been working under a master electrician for about 4 months now. I would like to expand and become successful and eventually, licensed. I went to school for electronics technology for 2 years but it was very different from what I do now. I actually enjoy what I do now more than what I did in school. I have been considering joining the I.B.E.W. Anyways, the point of all this is to just say hey and get some direction from you guys.

Take care!

Michael

 

[roger]

Welcome to the forums.

Roger

 

[wireguy8169]

Welcome to the forum...your doing the right thing. Just read through the post if you have something to add by all means don't think cause your new to it you have nothing to offer you do. If something piques your intrest and have a question about it ask the question you could start a new thread about your question related to the topic if you like. Good luck

 

[LEO2854]

I'm new to the forum and new to the field. I'm 23 years old and working for a small company that does residential, commercial and little commercial. I love what I do and have been interested in this since I was 16. I have been working under a master electrician for about 4 months now. I would like to expand and become successful and eventually, licensed. I went to school for electronics technology for 2 years but it was very different from what I do now. I actually enjoy what I do now more than what I did in school. I have been considering joining the I.B.E.W. Anyways, the point of all this is to just say hey and get some direction from you guys.

Take care!

Michael

Welcome to the forum you have come to the right place.
Read through all the forums there is so much info it its great you will find yourself racing through your code book to answer questions posted by other members this is a great way to learn how to find stuff you need to know fast .So ask all the questions you can.

 

[msc86]

Thanks a lot guys, this means so much to me. First of all, the guy I am working with is a complete prick and will not explain anything to me. He has no patience and I have told the boss about it and the boss is trying to get me to work with the other guys but I find myself still working with the master electrician. For instance, he had 4 wires the same gauge and color or so runs of wire going down conduit from an AC service panel on the roof to a breaker in a commercial environment that I had rolled out. He grounded two (which were different gauges) of the wires and I asked him how he would know which wire goes to which, and he replied that it doesn't matter, then he proceeded to test continuity for each wire. After he tested the continuity, he put tape on the wire to identify the colors. I asked him why he did this if it doesn't matter and he looked at me like I was stupid. It just didn't make sense because he could have just put tape on a 30 foot run of wire for 5 different wires to make it easier. Every situation that we are in, this is how he reacts but I have a deep desire to learn this stuff but it is hard with him being the way he is. The boss knows how he is but they keep him because he is good at what he does. The electrician tells me things like the company is so screwed up where I work at and I ask why he stays and he says that they take care of him. He is not licensed but he is a master electrician... some things don't make sense and it is fishy to me. Nonetheless, I am still there because I want to learn the trade and I love what I do.

 

[dmagyar]

Welcome

Welcome

What's great about the field you're getting started in is the variety of work, the locals where you'll be doing the work plus the option of moving and being able to market your talents wherever you want.

When each of "us" began our sphere of influence was small, just encompassing the place where we grew up. Then as you branch out and start learning about everything you grow and so does that sphere of influence.

For me I didn't know anything but southeastern Michigan and little about the electrical field. Now after 40 years I know much more than Michigan and a little more about the electrical field.

You'll never stop learning and there's always something new coming out or on the horizon. Good luck on your journey.

 

[msc86]

Thanks everyone, again. I am very glad I got out of the press production field. I hated stacking magazines for 12 hours 5-6 days a week!

 

[Smart $]

... First of all, the guy I am working with is a complete prick and will not explain anything to me. ...

While I don't profess to know exactly why some electricians do this to their apprentices, one common belief is that the more they teach you, the more likely you are to replace or surpass them as they get older. And while it is but a belief, I have seen it happen.

 

[brian john]

While I don't profess to know exactly why some electricians do this to their apprentices, one common belief is that the more they teach you, the more likely you are to replace or surpass them as they get older. And while it is but a belief, I have seen it happen.

I was fortunate enough (unfortunate enough) to work for a guy like that, I would ask questions and he would tell me I was to stupid to understand. While I may have been hurt in the short run, it pushed me to read as much as I could.

Read everything you can get you hands on and watch others, never fear to ask questions.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I was very fortunate to have a very warm and understanding teachers who always reinforced the postive. No buddy was better than he was. I really miss my dad when I think of him.

 

[msc86]

I was very fortunate to have a very warm and understanding teachers who always reinforced the postive. No buddy was better than he was. I really miss my dad when I think of him.

Funny thing is that my dad is an industrial electrician. Too bad he never wanted to be around. I got into this field because of my interest in car audio when I was younger.

 

[jumper]

MC, two things:

1. Welcome to the forum!

2. The mods really frown on bad language/cursing, ya gotta be careful.

 

[msc86]

MC, two things:

1. Welcome to the forum!

2. The mods really frown on bad language/cursing, ya gotta be careful.

Ooh, thanks for pointing that out Sorry about that!

 

[LEO2854]

Thanks a lot guys, this means so much to me. First of all, the guy I am working with is a complete prick and will not explain anything to me. He has no patience and I have told the boss about it and the boss is trying to get me to work with the other guys but I find myself still working with the master electrician. For instance, he had 4 wires the same gauge and color or so runs of wire going down conduit from an AC service panel on the roof to a breaker in a commercial environment that I had rolled out. He grounded two (which were different gauges) of the wires and I asked him how he would know which wire goes to which, and he replied that it doesn't matter, then he proceeded to test continuity for each wire. After he tested the continuity, he put tape on the wire to identify the colors. I asked him why he did this if it doesn't matter and he looked at me like I was stupid. It just didn't make sense because he could have just put tape on a 30 foot run of wire for 5 different wires to make it easier. Every situation that we are in, this is how he reacts but I have a deep desire to learn this stuff but it is hard with him being the way he is. The boss knows how he is but they keep him because he is good at what he does. The electrician tells me things like the company is so screwed up where I work at and I ask why he stays and he says that they take care of him. He is not licensed but he is a master electrician... some things don't make sense and it is fishy to me. Nonetheless, I am still there because I want to learn the trade and I love what I do.

WELCOME TO THE TRADE
Thank you for your story i started reading it and to laugh, not at you but it brought bake the memories of my first days as an aprentice back in 1977 the guy i had to work with did the exact same crap he was a "BOOT CAMP DRILL SARGENT" when he was in the army what a prick he was from day one the yelling started and it went on all day long each 8 hour day felt like 8 weeks no questions were allowed with this guy i was suposed to know everything and he would send me out to the truck to get stuff and i would not be able to find it fast enough so he would come out to the truck just to prove how stupid i was and yell all day long,
my point is i wanted my license and had to do the time no matter what so after six months i found a new job where the guys were more normal thank god.There are lots of guys out there like that just rember that you want to get your license once you do you will open a new door in your life and no one can take that away so hang in there you will be a MASTER ELECTRICIAN IN NO TIME. THANKS FOR THE LAUGH!:grin:

 

[wireguy8169]

who you work with and learn from can be hard mainly due to the fact your not able to always chose whom it is, and the grass is not always greener somewhere else. I had that issue but then found out the guy I was working and learning from was a great guy and teacher, he just wanted to see if I could handle the bull crap that I would face at times. He kept it up for about a week or so. I learned a good bit from him and he said he learned some from me too, especially how nice ear plugs where (I asked many many questions :grin Anyhow, give it time and if it doesnt work out don't think everyone is like that, there are folks that are afraid to be replaced but if they are worth anything that is usually not going to be the case.

Good luck

 

[msc86]

@ LEO2854: Thank you.

@ wireguy8169: A week? Lucky you! I have been putting up with this for 3 months, but I'll do what it takes in order to get to where I want to be.

 

[noeernlat]

I worked with an electrician whose work and knowledge i respected. He was a bad teacher though because he always lost his patience when i would ask "stupid question" and it took me a while to do things. So what i did was just watch him do his thing and i went out and bought electrical literature and educate myself until i felt my work could be appreciated by another contractor. I think we live in a great age of information with the internet and forums such as this will definitely help you achieve your goals. I welcome you to the forum and highly recommend any Mike Holt product and this forum. There are some truly great electricians here that love to help.

 

[msc86]

I worked with an electrician whose work and knowledge i respected. He was a bad teacher though because he always lost his patience when i would ask "stupid question" and it took me a while to do things. So what i did was just watch him do his thing and i went out and bought electrical literature and educate myself until i felt my work could be appreciated by another contractor. I think we live in a great age of information with the internet and forums such as this will definitely help you achieve your goals. I welcome you to the forum and highly recommend any Mike Holt product and this forum. There are some truly great electricians here that love to help.

Amen brother, exactly how it is with me.

 

[LEO2854]

I worked with an electrician whose work and knowledge i respected. He was a bad teacher though because he always lost his patience when i would ask "stupid question" and it took me a while to do things. So what i did was just watch him do his thing and i went out and bought electrical literature and educate myself until i felt my work could be appreciated by another contractor. I think we live in a great age of information with the internet and forums such as this will definitely help you achieve your goals. I welcome you to the forum and highly recommend any Mike Holt product and this forum. There are some truly great electricians here that love to help.

I was working with this guy who had no patience NOT THE BOOT CAMP DRILL SARGET FROM BEFORE BUT this guy was just stung out by stress all the time and allways said sorry later on so he had issues at home but in the long run he was a good guy,,,,, all my pipe runs he had somthig to say about and did try to teach me how but was never happy till one day he told me to go to the supply house and get 100' of 3/4 emt and ta take it home and practice so he said take one stik at a time and put a box off set then mesure 2' and make a saddle to go around a 2" pipe 1' past that make a 90degree bend 2'past that make another 90 and at the end another box offset all on the ground like it was on a wall .
so i did that and he did not complain about my pipe work after that:grin: