What is my first Step to becomming an Electrician?

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DSousa

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There has been plenty of talk and good information passed around these forums so I figured I would ask!
I am 27 out of Rhode Island and have never worked in the electrical field. After graduating college, I went to work for a big Finance firm and it is not all cracked up to be what I had once hoped.
I am seriously thinking about becoming an Electrician (need to learn a trade these days) and have no clue where to start. I had talked with someone that works as an apprentice through the state and gets paid minimum for x amount of years untill he graduates.
He was very hard to follow and said that I had numerous options and going through the state of RI was not the only way.
Can anybody out there give me some good advice in what my options are and where I should Start?

FYI - a friend of the family is a good residential electrcian, but not licensed - can he help in any way?

Thank you for those who offer any comments!

Derek
 
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not much out there except sales and service - very rarely can you be your own boss in either of these 2 unless you have a heavy wallet - and I unfortunately don't.
 
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"You got a college education? Way to go! Stay out of the trade."

Maby he wants to do charity work, so residential electrician would be a good choice.


Try to find employement, with an electrical contractor, that is offering a state approved trainning program, make sure if your hired your registered in the program.
 
You can become an electrician if you really want to. Some of us do have college degrees but still work in the trade.

Generally, the best way to get started is by enrolling at a tech school's electrical program. This is usually a two-year program. You'll also need practical experience. Often you can hire on as a helper with an electrical contractor and arrange to work around your school schedule. I once met a guy who said that's how they do it in the union.

The laws vary around the country, so it would be a good idea for you to look into what is required to become licensed where you are. Some places require that you be enrolled in an approved apprentice program or have an "apprentice license" in order to work. Other places require no license of any sort. Apprentice/helper pay is fairly low, but it usually goes up each year. Once you are licensed at a level that allows you to work unsupervised (usually called a "journeyman" license), your pay should be reasonably good.

However, conditions do vary from place to place. In some places, there is plenty of work for electricians at good pay, while in others there are lots of licensed electricians who can't find work. In places with lax licensing laws, pay tends to be pretty low since contractors can hire anyone they want rather than being forced to use licensed people. In my area, there are literally hundreds of licensed journeyman electricians in the union who have no work. As a contractor (non-union), I've been called several times this year by guys looking for work. I do know there's no shortage of electricians, union or non-union, in my area. Residential work is probably the hardest to do well at since there are lots of DIYers out there, plus there is a lot of competition from unlicensed handymen (e.g., your family friend), and the authorities don't seem to do much to stop them. I doubt Joe the Handyman is getting hired to do commercial jobs.

You'd probably be better off going into plumbing or HVAC. They seem to do better than electricians.
 
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If you really think that is what you want to do ask you friend of the family if you can go to work with him a while and see how you like it. Also see if any electrical places are looking for helpers.
Are you thinking about going back to school and taking electrical? Good luck.

If I was gonna go back to school now I would love to learn more about lighting design/layout. That way I could just tell someone where the lights went and they could do the labor part. There is nothing like working out in the hot sun digging ditches and laying pipe (make me very happy to get back in the office in the air).lol
 
satcom said:
Maby he wants to do charity work, so residential electrician would be a good choice.
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What is it that is said about winning the lottery? " If I ever win the lottery, I will start an electrical contracting business, that wires new tract homes only and stay in it until I have spent every penny"
 
I got a better idea. You want to be self employed & an electrician?
And willing to work for little to nothing for years while you learn?
I'll sell & finance this company to you with an 8 year pay off plan.
For 8 years I'll make sure you have just enough to pay low rent & beans & rice for dinner. Then in 8 years after you have all the licenses ...Its yours!
You will have pride of ownership tomorrow.
 
Thank you all for the advice, it seems as though in RI a good electrician is hard to come bye. Most contractors as well as residents wait weeks before an electrician can make it to a job.
Like explained, friend of the family is not a licensed electrician, but he makes over a 100k a year. Yes he works damn hard, but he is his own boss and brings home more than a nice income.
77401, I hear you and know what you are saying about school and all, but there are not as many good paying jobs out there for college grads. I figure I can learn a good trade that I can use the rest of my life, make a good living, work as my own boss, and with the education I can hopefully run a good business and maybe someday expand it.
Who knows, but what I do know is that the grass isn't always green on the other side. Most of you guys wish you were in an office with the ac cracking, and most of in the office wish we were on the outside (free) working - not chained to this stupid computer for a living. That is the way the world works!
 
DSousa said:
77401, I hear you and know what you are saying about school and all, but there are not as many good paying jobs out there for college grads. I figure I can learn a good trade that I can use the rest of my life, make a good living, work as my own boss, and with the education I can hopefully run a good business and maybe someday expand it.
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If your college degree helped you get perspective on the world around you and inspired you to keep learning, it will serve you well no matter what you decide to do for work.

There's a handful of skilled tradesmen running around my area with advanced college degrees, myself included. Word gets around, we share some of the same customers. What we all have in common is that we're self-employed -- too many philosophy or midieval history courses can make you unfit for normal employment, so you have to write your own paychecks. :) But really, it's not uncommon -- especially in a college town, folks get their degrees and realize they're living in a pretty nice place despite lack of work in their "chosen" field. So they stay put and raise families and find another way to pay the bills.

Most of the time I'm glad I changed careers. I miss the teaching, but I can pass on all the crap that goes with it. Now I go home every day knowing that I at least made one person's life a little better, and got paid for doing it. That's a nice feeling.

But man, on days like today, it'd sure be nice to be in an air-conditioned office pushing some paper piles around.... :)
 
My suggestion is stay away from residential. Residential is a cut-throat business, and to be quite honest - rather boring.

I would try work working for a utility company (you know, they send you a bill every month). I'm partial to long drives, bucket trucks and foul weather, though.

I would also try working a railroad - but NOT in the car maint. dept (boring). Either maintaining/constructing buildings, bridges, stations, catenary, etc (I did that for about a decade).

You could also try a [Local Union ]. There are 4 in your state: Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket and Cranston (again).

See what the requirements are to become LICENSED (so you can open your company), and follow the road to it :)
 
celtic said:
You could also try a [Local Union ]. There are 4 in your state: Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket and Cranston (again).
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I believe for general wiring you would be looking to 99 in Cranston.

At least that is the hall I am contacted by fairly regularly.
 
DSousa said:
Most of you guys wish you were in an office with the ac cracking, and most of in the office wish we were on the outside (free) working - not chained to this stupid computer for a living.
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Day 2 we went home early *1 hr* because of heat. Yes, I am one of those guys! Wanna trade?? :) I'll throw in a gatorade. You'll need it ;)
 
DS
The grass is always greener on the other side. I know the feeling about good Electricians in New England. I went up there in '87, cuz worked dried up down south. the first guy I met got so excited he met an electrician, as his couldn't even get his EC over for 3 weeks to look at his remodel.
Long story short, I flew home in a few weeks later to get my power tools out of storage & started making more money after hours than my 40 hour/week job.
Mass, was the only place I know that Electricians had more clout & status than Doctors or Lawyers. All in a state with more master degrees per capita than anywhere else.
If your set on go for it. A good, established, self employed EC should be able to net $300K a year in New England. But thats if you started in the trade 10 years ago...
Good luck!
 
DSousa said:
Most of you guys wish you were in an office with the ac cracking, and most of in the office wish we were on the outside (free) working - not chained to this stupid computer for a living. That is the way the world works!
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I'll happily say I am not part of the "most".
I've worked in those offices(as an electrician)...after having to be there for a few days - with free run of the place - the walls got small realy fast.
I can't imagine working in a cubicle...I'm sure I be terminated for bringing in one of these:
john_bazooka.jpg
 
Reciepe for disaster.... One plastic soda bottle (Empty), one soda can (Full), one carpet tube, half bottle of water, a roll of duct tape and some dry ice. Properly put together will launch full soda can 100 yards, improperly will blow your hands off. :eek:

Back on topic, why are you guys trying to scare the guy off the trade, don't like competion?
 
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