Contractors license: Good or bad

P

Pinnie

Senior Member
Location
Ohio
Occupation
Commercial Electrician
Would possessing a contractors license be a thing an employer would like to see or would they be afraid of you just getting experience to leave and be competition? I am studying for a contractors license and I will get it in the spring. I would like to however get some experience as PM/estimator. If I do have my contractors license should I mention/put it on resume when applying for jobs?
 
Personally I wouldn’t put it on a resume or even mention it. I don’t think it would benefit the employer any if they already have the same exact type contractor license.

Now if you worked for a HVAC, or low voltage company I could see telling them you have an electrical contractors license.
 
Dsg319 said:
Personally I wouldn’t put it on a resume or even mention it. I don’t think it would benefit the employer any if they already have the same exact type contractor license.

Now if you worked for a HVAC, or low voltage company I could see telling them you have an electrical contractors license.
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Yeah that’s what I was afraid of. I figure it depends employer to employer. Maybe I’ll just show my fire alarm license and NCCER cert and hope that’s good enough to land a training position. I am also debating trying to figure out what master license I can even get for Ohio. I know a couple cities require it but there’s no statewide journeyman/master license, only contractors.
 
I would put the contractor's license on my resume, and I'd be honest with what you have to offer and hope to get from this job. There are a lot of Master Electricians in MA that work for others. Having that doesn't mean they want to be self employed.
 
JohnE said:
I would put the contractor's license on my resume, and I'd be honest with what you have to offer and hope to get from this job. There are a lot of Master Electricians in MA that work for others. Having that doesn't mean they want to be self employed.
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I want you to be right because it’s a lot of effort to get it. I feel like it’ll be a 50/50
 
I guess mA is different that other states. You get a masters license here it is to hire employees and run a business (if you want) but you can't work with the tools with it. A Journeymen license here is to work with the tools. You can run a business with a journeymen (and pull permits) but can't have employees.

Now you have to get the journeyman license first, then the master's after holding the journeymen for 1 years. After that you can drop the journeymen if you just run a business and do no work.

In the old days some got the master's without ever having the journeymen they were grandfathered in back in the 20s and earlier. MA started electrical licensing in 1914.

Ct you get the journeymen's but you can only work for someone with the contractor's license journeymen can't pull permits. Every state has their own wrinkles.
 
Pinnie said:
The consensus I’m getting is don’t mention it
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I think if they ask what licenses you have then I would tell them, I wouldn't lie. If you don't need that license for the job, they are hiring you for and they don't ask then stay silent.

That way there is no issue. If it ever comes up in the future, you told the truth and they never asked and you did the right thing. JMHO
 
You could just ask them up front, "Would having a license help me in this position?"

I mean, cat's out of the bag I guess, but their answer ought to tell you a lot about the company.
 
I could take the stance (which is true) that I have my license because one day I want to go on my own. I have no intention in the near future.
 
The last guy I worked for asked if I was planning to go out on my own. I said no. 3 years later I had changed my mind. If I go under he would take me back. I would love to hire someone who has ambitions to run there own shop, assuming they didn't try to steal any customers and they stuck around for a couple years. But, I have seen a guy not get hired because he had his contractors. If they Owner comes off insecure at all keep your mouth shut.
 
Moore Power said:
The last guy I worked for asked if I was planning to go out on my own. I said no. 3 years later I had changed my mind. If I go under he would take me back. I would love to hire someone who has ambitions to run there own shop, assuming they didn't try to steal any customers and they stuck around for a couple years. But, I have seen a guy not get hired because he had his contractors. If they Owner comes off insecure at all keep your mouth shut.
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Ugh I just want to be honest 😂
 
Joe.B said:
Follow your gut. Personally, if a potential employer didn't want me because of that, I don't think they'd be the right fit for me anyways.
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Do you think it’s immoral to get a job to get experience to go out on your own? How else would you even do it.
 
In my case mentioning the qualification was key to my current job. (But I had been a managing employee, not in business for myself.)
I think you go with the vibes on something like this.
 
Pinnie said:
Do you think it’s immoral to get a job to get experience to go out on your own? How else would you even do it.
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What I see leading to bad blood is when people aren't open and honest about it, and especially when they try to poach their co-workers from their employer to go start a new business, which I think is not cool. But I do not think gaining experience is immoral, no. 😁
 
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