When did you "know" you were meant to be an electrician?

[DakotaL]

I replaced an outlet in my apartment earlier and was thinking about the screw holding the faceplate. I wondered if anyone else actually cares about how they are lined up, and found this thread http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=61553 .

It got me thinking about a time, maybe 6 years ago.. (I'm 22 now). My grandmother was preparing her house for sale, and I was replacing most of the switches and receptacles. I made sure to align the screws - vertical for one and two screws, if the plate had four or more, corners diagonal. I went through and aligned the screws on the plates I wasn't replacing as well. She asked me why I was doing that? I explained that it looks neater, and more professional.

I think it was at that point in time, that I just knew, I was going to pursue a career as an electrician.


So my question: When did you "know", this was what you wanted to do?

 

[ptonsparky]

I replaced an outlet in my apartment earlier and was thinking about the screw holding the faceplate. I wondered if anyone else actually cares about how they are lined up, and found this thread http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=61553 .

It got me thinking about a time, maybe 6 years ago.. (I'm 22 now). My grandmother was preparing her house for sale, and I was replacing most of the switches and receptacles. I made sure to align the screws - vertical for one and two screws, if the plate had four or more, corners diagonal. I went through and aligned the screws on the plates I wasn't replacing as well. She asked me why I was doing that? I explained that it looks neater, and more professional.

I think it was at that point in time, that I just knew, I was going to pursue a career as an electrician.


So my question: When did you "know", this was what you wanted to do?

Newly married, #1 child on the way, did not think I was smart enough to be an EE but realized being a beer drinking knucklehead was not going to cut it anymore. Responsibility reared its ugly head and I chose a path.

 

[480sparky]

I figure in about 20 or 25 years I'll know.

 

[junkhound]

7th grade.

Found out eyesight NOT 20/20, so could not be a jet fighter pilot, so went into EE. So just have been designing the elec part of them for 49 years.

 

[ggunn]

I was bitten by a radioactive spider.

 

[brantmacga]

Sophomore year of HS, got stuck in an "agricultural electrification" program; teacher said he would move me to another class with all my friends. Told him I was curious about electrical work for whatever reason. After the first week I was pretty hooked. Did the FFA state wiring competition, won my region, placed top 10 in state, and got some scholarship money. After that I was pretty certain this was what I wanted to do.

Fast forward, finished HS a year early and started EE program in college, got 3 years in and had a baby on the way at 20. Had to go work full time and found this small family outfit that was hiring; worked my way up to #2 within a year. Boss signed off on my apprenticeship after 3/yrs and I got my license.

My only advice on that situation is that if you're that far along in school, find a way to finish it. Things have worked out for me, but I regret not having my degree. It's not like I'd switch from contracting to engineering, but it's not having that education I regret.



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[electrofelon]

So my question: When did you "know", this was what you wanted to do?

I'm still not sure it's what I want to do, in fact every year I want to do it less...problem is I am really good at it.

 

[JFletcher]

I'm still not sure it's what I want to do, in fact every year I want to do it less...problem is I am really good at it.

Same, except the "really good" part haha. I swear I feel like I'm a reality TV show at times, "Worst Attics and Crawlspaces in America". I love troubleshooting and fixing problems, the rest of resi work, not so much. If we loved it all, it wouldnt be "work" tho.

At 17, I joined the military wanting to be an ET or EM. Became a MM. :slaphead:

At 23, I was operating waste water plants and tried to get into their electrical division. No luck. :slaphead:

Maybe someone doesnt want me to be an electrician, idk haha. But while I'm doing it I want to be as good at it as I can be.

 

[OldSparks]

About age ten. My Dad was a general contractor in the San Fernando Valley, and I took interest in helping his electricians. Worked for them during summer breaks, then, after High School, took a full time job with an electrical contractor in Morro Bay, CA.

Until "Uncle Sam" came calling. Then went into submarine electronics (radio and crypto equipment repair). Retired from the Navy and became the Senior Instrumentation Technician at a municipal water treatment plant (potable water). After 20+ years of that I'm actually retired. Now I do volunteer work at a museum, and am the defacto electrician there. Great fun.

 

[DakotaL]

Those are interesting stories, Brantmacga, im in a similar situation (no baby, just no money), I haven't finished the school-work, and have kind of stagnated. Really hoping to finish and start moving forward, I just don't have the money yet. I started college courses Junior year of HS, and had to work 2 jobs to even get as far as I am.

Fast forward, finished HS a year early and started EE program in college, got 3 years in and had a baby on the way at 20. Had to go work full time and found this small family outfit that was hiring; worked my way up to #2 within a year. Boss signed off on my apprenticeship after 3/yrs and I got my license.

My only advice on that situation is that if you're that far along in school, find a way to finish it. Things have worked out for me, but I regret not having my degree. It's not like I'd switch from contracting to engineering, but it's not having that education I regret.



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[ActionDave]

I started out in the trades as a concrete worker. Conscripted into the construction trades away from my much loved position as a line cook in a diner where all the waitresses wore short skirts was not my choice. A friend of my father's came and grabbed me by the ear and put me to work forming and pouring foundations and driveways. Looking around, I saw a lectrician holding on to the end of a screwdriver instead of the end of the shovel and that looked pretty good to me. Nobody told me that I would have a shovel in my hands as an lectrician too,, dammit. It all worked out though.

 

[poohs.smart.brot]

When I was 4 I was taught how to make my own drop cord. My grandpa was an EE for AT&T » General Dynamics and taught me lots. By age 10 I was able to replace switches and outlets by my self. Went to college for engineering but I saw people with degrees getting turned down due to lack of experience in the field, and I was not so keen on dropping $120,000 on a degree that was not getting people jobs. Came back home, within 6 weeks had a job at a local electrical company. 14 months later I've gotten two raises/promotions and look forward to the weekend ending so I can go back to work. I know I'm not going anywhere, but I love what I do...

They call me spongebob at work. I'm a special person indeed

 

[electrofelon]

...problem is I am really good at it.

....Thats the electrician end of things, not the business end

 

[keith gigabyte]

Been at it 25 years. 20 industrial with about 5 of those commercial and industrial together. 5 years at current residential. Too late to change path now and besides I own the company. Resi contracting

 

[goldstar]

Been at it 43 years now (20+ years working for other contractors) and still don't know what I want to do when I grow up.

It wasn't until I started my own business in '93 that I realized - this is what I want to do. I don't like chasing money but I do love going to the bank.:thumbsup:

 

[drcampbell]

Seventh Grade.

We had a large (12x17 feet) Lionel train layout which had been handed down from the previous generation, disassembled, moved and reassembled. After my dad & uncle did the heavy lifting, I hooked up the wiring and troubleshot it.

I was a high-school sophomore when the 1973 OPEC oil embargo occurred. Suddenly getting a glimpse of geo-petro-politics, I designed electric vehicles. My power, energy & weight budgets suggested that the project might be marginally feasible -- I think I predicted 20-30 miles range in a full-size pickup with a one-ton flooded-lead-acid battery pack -- but not so the financial budget. It would have been absurdly expensive, even though the price of gasoline was skyrocketing. (I think it went from 30 to 50 cents per gallon that year)

Started practicing engineering at 23 and and became a PE at 39. Might take early retirement and pursue my journeyman card.

 

[just the cowboy]

6 th grade

6 th grade

When I was in 6th grade I did a science project with a lattern battery, pushbutton and bell. Well since I was a lazy kid I made a handle to carry the battery with a piece of wire wrapped from the easiest place to hook it, the + and - terminals. When the wire burnt my hand I wanted to know "WHY". My teacher said he didn't know, to take shop class next year and find out. After 10 years of school and 40 years in the field I "THINK' I know why.

 

[DakotaL]

6th Grade Science Project

6th Grade Science Project

When I was in 6th grade I did a science project with a lattern battery, pushbutton and bell. Well since I was a lazy kid I made a handle to carry the battery with a piece of wire wrapped from the easiest place to hook it, the + and - terminals. When the wire burnt my hand I wanted to know "WHY". My teacher said he didn't know, to take shop class next year and find out. After 10 years of school and 40 years in the field I "THINK' I know why.

Oh, that brings me back... We did a project in 6th grade science class, we had to make circuits of varying types, I think the requirement was 3.. I ended up building a posterboard to which I mounted an outlet and a light switch. I used old Christmas lights, routed them from the back to near the outlet. I snipped the crossover on the hot side of the outlet so that the top socket was controlled by the switch. This was all powered by a 9v battery.

I remember my teacher telling us to use electrical tape because it would help conduct the electricity. I was like WTF? Ended up teaching her about how electrical tape works, teaching her about voltage and insulators/conductors.

 

[JFletcher]

When I was in 6th grade I did a science project with a lattern battery, pushbutton and bell. Well since I was a lazy kid I made a handle to carry the battery with a piece of wire wrapped from the easiest place to hook it, the + and - terminals. When the wire burnt my hand I wanted to know "WHY". My teacher said he didn't know, to take shop class next year and find out. After 10 years of school and 40 years in the field I "THINK' I know why.

hahaha! I think my first experience with electricity was hooking up a 4.5VDC Lego motor to 120VAC and watching the magic smoke release. I wondered why that happened. I was maybe 8. Good thing we didnt have TR outlets back in 1983.

 

[DakotaL]

hahaha! I think my first experience with electricity was hooking up a 4.5VDC Lego motor to 120VAC and watching the magic smoke release. I wondered why that happened. I was maybe 8. Good thing we didnt have TR outlets back in 1983.

Not sure what a TR outlet is, but that "magic smoke" being the transistor? I hate that smell. I can smell it a mile away, same with antifreeze. Maybe thats why i'm an automotive technician right now.