Swiss electrician moving to the US

[synchro]

... I don’t have to be an engineer I feel good as a project manager. Do you know what certificate in the US I need for a project manager? Or department manager? Like supervise progress of work and a group of people.

There are certifications from various organizations and schools for project management, but I think companies are somewhat free to determine their own requirements. How that works often depends on the size of the company. Sometimes a person with the title of project manager or program manager will track teams' goals, deliverables, risks, milestones, etc. and interact with the team to expedite the accomplishment of these goals. However this person may not have engineers, technicians, etc. directly reporting to them, especially in a larger company where there are enough projects underway to make tracking them, etc. a full time job. Instead, team members might report to a department manager who would typically determine their project goals, conduct performance reviews, and be responsible for budgets and other aspects of the business.

There are various project management software tools out there, but a particular company typically picks one of them that they use for all of their projects. And so it's likely that a company would prefer you are already familiar with that specific software or at least something similar.

I think it would be easier to get your foot in the door as a project manager who, as you say, "supervises progress of the work" but is not a supervisor of other employees. There are laws and other considerations specific to the US that need to be followed for a supervisor of employees. Often companies have their own internal training for their managers so that they follow appropriate processes and procedures.

 

[bethel]

In short, if you want to come here, apply for work with companies you feel would be a good fit but expect to start out as an apprentice.

why would a company want me to start as an apprentice? I’m 26 years old with project manager experience. Electricity is the same everywhere, what changes is your National electric code which is less strict than the Swiss one and the way of working.

 

[Ken_S]

thank you for your answer! So I have my mother in Florida. And my fiancé lives in Florida as well. I was looking to work for Florida Power & Lightning (FPL)

An electric utility is likely not going to hire you as a project manager right through the door, it's just not going to happen.

What is possible is getting in the door in the with the electrical utility industry and working your way up.

 

[jim dungar]

why would a company want me to start as an apprentice? I’m 26 years old with project manager experience. Electricity is the same everywhere, what changes is your National electric code which is less strict than the Swiss one and the way of working.

Electrical Utilities like FPL do not follow our NEC, instead they have our NESC.
Our Power Companies are not the same as our electrical contractors they do not install end use systems. Do you have experience with distribution and transmission projects ≥ 15kV?

 

[hbiss]

I’m 26 years old with project manager experience. Electricity is the same everywhere, what changes is your National electric code which is less strict than the Swiss one and the way of working.

But you have no knowledge of how we do things here as well as our materials and equipment. True, you would certainly have an advantage over someone with no experience, but there is still going to be a steep learning curve.

Even within the US, knowledge is not transferable from somebody like an electrical engineer with a BSEE or a lineman to a journeyman electrician. Though some of the same concepts may apply, it's still apples and oranges.

Licenses here are not always transferable from state to state. If you want to work in another state you have to apply, show proof of work and experience and take the test just like someone who was just starting out.

-Hal

 

[suemarkp]

why would a company want me to start as an apprentice? I’m 26 years old with project manager experience. Electricity is the same everywhere, what changes is your National electric code which is less strict than the Swiss one and the way of working.

Codes are more than stringency. There are colors, and European wire colors are different than US wire colors. There are different materials and methods. There are industry conventions for colors that are not in the NEC (e.g 208V being red-black-blue and 480V being orange-brown-yellow) that are not violations to deviate from, but there must be some implemented means to differentiate voltages at a given facility. Heck, there are even some differences between the US and Canadian code that are just different. Not sure one is necessarily safer, but just different rules. I don't know how you are going to learn these differences from a book, it just kind of comes with doing things and asking why did or didn't you pull an equipment gorund in the raceway, or ... States can also have their own changes to the NEC or not even use the NEC.

If you're going to work in the US as an electrician, or manage projects dealing with electrical installs, you need to be familiar with the code. You're in the right place if you are reading these forums, but you need to get the NEC and read it.

I agree that a company will most likely not hire you as a project manager without having US project experience. And 26 is a bit young for a project manager. Usually, you need to have 5 years at successful install experience to become a foreman or project lead. Some years of that and then you can become a project manager. These differences are not the same for every company, and it is possible you could find someone to hire you directly as a project manager. But I don't think there will be many willing to take the risk.

At the opposite end, we also have architects here (it is a degreed program and is similar to the Engineering degree programs). Architects typically don't have much actual experience installing things, but they know all of the building codes well, and design the project on paper. I'm not sure how architect licensing works, but it is a path to project management without doing hands on work. That being said, I've seem many contractors not follow plans because the architect drew something unbuildable or very difficult to do where another solution is much better. These changes can take time to draw and get approved. There can be project managers from both the architecture side and the implementation side (the company I worked for had in house architects to draw the plans, and then put those out for bid to electrical contractors). A design-build firm could can do both and can be more efficient, but my large company wanted to maintain certain standards, methods, and products so it kept the architecture side of the project.

 

[gadfly56]

A note of terminology. When you say "electric company", many people will think of electric utility. In the US, the utility provides the high voltage distribution around the country and does the transformer and power drop to businesses and homes. That is where their work stops. An "electrical contractor" is a business that typically does electrical installation, upgrades, and repairs at or after the utility meter and within buildings (and between buildings if a business has multiple separate buildings). They both have electricians and electrical designers, but use different code books.

Generally, electricians don't have bachelors degrees, but must undergo an apprenticeship program (2000 hours I think) and pass a test. Electrical designers most likely have an electrical engineering degree, and ideally with a sub focus on power systems. However, most companies want their designers to also have a Professional Engineering (PE) certification. Most people do this by taking their Engineer In Training (EIT) exam right out of college and then a year after working under a PE you can take your PE test. I'm not sure if a PE license obtained in one state is always recognized in another. SO get it in the state where you want to work.

So this won't be fast, as there are mandatory time requirements. It will take even longer if your education is not recognized here. You may need 2+ years or so of schooling to get a US bachelors degree. I believe you can take the EIT exam whenever you want (no degree requirement), but many of the questions cover what you learned in school, so if it has been a while, or you didn't learn what US schools teach, you may not pass the test.

I have a bachelors degree (computer science, not EE, but took a lot of EE courses). You learn very little about the US National Electric Code when obtaining a college degree. Typically, it is the trade school electricians who learn the National Electric Code in detail. I have done enough electrical work and studied the code on my own that I believe I could pass the test to be an electrician. But I don't have the apprentice hours so I typically can not do electrical work for others. Its just the way it is here.

What you know comes later. Companies typically look at education and certification. I know many who are educated and certified who don't know anything. There are others who know quite a lot who have minimal formal education. You need the paper (degree, EIT/PE, and/or ELectrical license) to get in the door (get hired by a company). To stay in the company, you need to actually know how to do things properly. If you just want to be a designer, a company may hire you with a degree and ideally with an EIT and help support getting your PE.

An apprenticeship program is more like 4,000 hours. In NJ, to sit for the electrical contractor's license you must complete a 4-year apprenticeship program or have 5 years of experience in the field and be over 21.

No PE licensing program in any state allows you to sit for the PE exam after only 1 year of experience. It is typically 4 years. Some credit may be granted for advanced degrees, but not more than 1 year.

 

[gadfly56]

And we have learned a lot in school.
Everything you can imagine:
Every type of the electrical engine
How design an electrical installation
Generators
How to make an electrical plan
How to work with a client
How to manage budget
How to manage a department
How to check electric installations
Literally everything in electricity we have learned in school. So I had engineer designing but not that much developed like in Engineer bachelor. And if the company was small and didn’t have engineers then I would be the one who would design them.

Taking into account all the information you have provided, it certainly sounds like you have enough experience to qualify in many states as an electrician. The key will be getting Florida to accept your experience and training as equivalent. The first hurdle is, do the differences between codes in Switzerland and the US prevent you from having a good understanding of code requirements as they apply here? This will depend on how much information you can provide regarding the topics covered in your course work and on-the-job experience. Here you will need your course syllabus, texts used, and a detailed description of each course taken. A detailed work history showing the types of work engaged in, for how long, and your level of responsibility.

Now, even if Florida doesn't accept that, it doesn't mean FP&L won't. In a supervisory capacity you generally won't need any formal credentials. Lots of folks here try to sell various certification for project management and whatnot, but I wouldn't waste my time or money. In addition, FP&L may have continuing education programs that would lead to such a certification. Sometimes the deal is, they hire you with the understanding that you will achieve certification within some period of time. I wish you the best of luck, and don't be discouraged. Anything you put your mind to you can probably accomplish, and on this side of the Pond, people are usually willing to help you along.

 

[bethel]

Thank you all. You helped me a lot and I learned a lot from you.

My last question is what do you recommend me to do after moving out to the US? What certificate to do? Maybe I should ask companies to hire me as a temporary employee to see how things work and what is different? For what job I should apply at the beginning?

I’m not going to lie.. you scared me a lot. It sounds like I will never get an important job in electrical field in the US, and I don’t want to spend another years in the American university.

…and is there any other way to not start as an electrician? I didn’t spend 3 years at the university to now go back and build electric installations in houses in a 110° heat lol

 

[Hv&Lv]

Good morning everybody,

I have a quick question about moving out to the US and getting a job in a electric company. I will present myself first, so my name is Konrad I currently live in Switzerland and I did an apprenticeship of 4 years as an electrician. Then I decided to do brevet (bachelor) which allowed me to be an expert of electric installation and safety. I was a journeyman electrician for 1 year after my apprenticeship and I’m currently a project manager and manager of one department in a electric company. I have a bachelor but here in Switzerland you have 2 types of bachelor. One is for an engineer and other is for an expert of electric installation and safety, I got the second one. As I know in the US there’s only one bachelor and I wonder if I can use my bachelor to be an engineer in the US? And my second question is what certificate, license etc do I exactly need to be registered and work as an manager/engineer etc in an electric company?

Best regards

Your best place to start is here.
Engineers are licensed at the state level.
Figure out where you want to go, and ask the licensing board.

https://ncees.org/member-licensing-boards/

If your thinking about the utility industry, again, figure out where you want to go, and apply for jobs.

 

[hbiss]

I’m not going to lie.. you scared me a lot. It sounds like I will never get an important job in electrical field in the US, and I don’t want to spend another years in the American university.

The good news is that if you apply yourself you can make great pay with benefits working as an electrician in this country without the "certificates" and university that we don't care about here. It won't happen overnight but it will happen. If you think you can come here and jump right into a high paying (important) job, that's dreaming. But you can start making decent money from day one.

-Hal

 

[romex jockey]

Electricity is the same everywhere, what changes is your National electric code which is less strict than the Swiss one and the way of working.

it is the same , but it's the bureaucracy that differs, even our states do not reciprocate with each other well

yet they call it a 'NATIONAL' electrical code

that said, welcome to the USofA, and best of luck bethel....

~RJ~

 

[Fred B]

why would a company want me to start as an apprentice? I’m 26 years old with project manager experience. Electricity is the same everywhere, what changes is your National electric code which is less strict than the Swiss one and the way of working.

26 years old? You're still a youngster by the average age of new apprentices here in the states. Your description of the education and experience doubtful would qualify as an Engineer here but definitely would get you a good start on at least a 3rd yr apprentice given lack of NEC experience. Some places will advance quickly after observation of skill level and testing for particular level apprentice with your stated background. If your interest is in doing hands on work in the trade, getting in the door should not be an issue, but for an engineer, likely your background will fall very short, engineering degree here are mostly theory vs hands on installations, and the hands on experience is not usually given as much credence for the degree. Your experience and education sounds like what is called here as a Bachelor of Applied Sciences, not a BS in engineering degree.

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[electrofelon]

Good morning everybody,

I have a quick question about moving out to the US and getting a job in a electric company. I will present myself first, so my name is Konrad I currently live in Switzerland

Bring some chocolate !!!

 

[drcampbell]

... I believe you can take the EIT exam whenever you want (no degree requirement) ...

When I took the EIT, (admittedly, back in the previous millennium) you needed to either have a technical degree, or be on track to earn one before next year's exam would be proctored.

Electrician's licenses and engineer's registrations in the USA are administered at the state level. There is no such thing as an "American" electrician's license -- there are Ohio licenses, and Iowa licenses, and Texas and Louisiana ... et al. The rules & requirements are similar, but not exactly identical, from state to state.

It's likely that a few states make it easier to earn "reciprocity" for international licenses and experience, but I don't know which ones they might be.
("reciprocity"is the buzzword for transferring licenses & experience from a different state or country, and should be what you ask each state licensing board about)

 

[drcampbell]

... My last question is what do you recommend me to do after moving out to the US? ...

Honestly, my recommendation is NOT moving to the USA.

 

[Jerry Solar]

Good morning everybody,

I have a quick question about moving out to the US and getting a job in a electric company. I will present myself first, so my name is Konrad I currently live in Switzerland and I did an apprenticeship of 4 years as an electrician. Then I decided to do brevet (bachelor) which allowed me to be an expert of electric installation and safety. I was a journeyman electrician for 1 year after my apprenticeship and I’m currently a project manager and manager of one department in a electric company. I have a bachelor but here in Switzerland you have 2 types of bachelor. One is for an engineer and other is for an expert of electric installation and safety, I got the second one. As I know in the US there’s only one bachelor and I wonder if I can use my bachelor to be an engineer in the US? And my second question is what certificate, license etc do I exactly need to be registered and work as an manager/engineer etc in an electric company?

Best regards

Bethel, Your case is similar to mine. I am an electrical engineer from Chile but my degree was not legally valid in the US so I worked as an electrician for many years and during those years I got the Journeyman and the Master electrician license. By chance we did the new offices of an engineering company where I was hired as a designer. After 4 years working there I presented my transcripts to the Board here in Florida where I was informed that fortunately the university I attended in Chile was ABET (google it) accredited and I was allowed to take the Fundamentals in Engineering Test (Calculus, Physics, Chem, etc. an 8 hours test) and the Professional Examination Test (another 8 hours test) as long as the transcripts were translated, reciprocated and approved. The translation has to be done by a Board assigned institution and the same goes for the reciprocation. This was a 1 year process after which I was allowed to take the tests. I took the FE test first and the PE one year after that. It is no an easy process, they make you jump through a lot of hoops but I can tell you it is worthy if you have a passion for this line of work.
Best Regards
Jerry.

 

[junkhound]

I worked in aerospace as EE for 55 years with only having taken the EIT as a senior in 1966. Like JS says, check accredications and what it would take for BSEE here, then you have many more 'open doors' (colloquial expression meaning for opportunities) . Most big multinational aerospace or industrial companies (i.e. Boeing, Lockheed, etc) NEED engineers with foreign language capabilities. One of my do-workers spoke 3 different Chinese dialects and was continually called upon to go to China for sales and technical support, think his present salary in the multiple 6 figures.
The first engineering group I worked in at Boeing in 1967 native born USA citizens were in the minority, had Russian, German, French, English, Chinese, and Pilipino. Company hired every person of one entire class of one Pilipino school who wee willing to relocate.
So, as JS suggested, check on lateral accreditation of the schooling you do have, then contact the large US multinational companies and see what opportunities exist.
Who know, Bezos or Musk might even hire you to work at the cape?

 

[growler]

I’m not going to lie.. you scared me a lot. It sounds like I will never get an important job in electrical field in the US, and I don’t want to spend another years in the American university.

If you want to sell something the first thing to do is look to see who may be interested in what you are selling.

Look around for American companies that are doing business in switzerland. They may need just what you have to offer.

 

[Ricko1980]

Having worked in architecture and contracting in both Europe (France, Italy, Germany) and the US (California), I can tell you it's a pain in the butt and many people will want to discredit your experience, even if, as you said, the EU experience is in my opinion more rigorous in terms of its connection to applied work and systematic approach, whereas the US educational system is much less connected to actual codes and doesn't have any clear, inter-university standards like in EU programs.

It's extremely frustrating that there are no clear formal equivalents between the governments, which is the real problem in my mind, but if I were the EU I probably wouldn't want to let people come in from the US, since I think our university training prepares people much less for applied work.

If you're lucky (which one sometimes is), then you can "upsell" your international degrees to an employer and convince them you've got the experience to be a project manager or supervisor. If you're unlucky, they'll just discredit it. I'd say you should try for the former, and apply to more than one job!

For the business side, there are more nuances that change from country to country, because the legal and liability frameworks change (civil code vs. commonlaw, for example). Liability is a way bigger issue in the US, and codes are always subject to more local modification/interpretation than they are in most of Europe.

There are some things that are more "strict" here, even if in my opinion the EU codes are more "logical." By "strict," I mean that you can't do as many interesting things... In the US we are more worried about liability, so we restrict the options available to AEC professionals to a narrower range than in other countries. This is because our codes are written by private corporations that don't want to get sued in the rare, outlier cases, whereas liability isn't the primary variable in the EU.