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

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jaylectricity

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
licensed journeyman electrician
I don't know if I'm "meant to be an electrician", I think there are other things I'd like to do, but not sure I'm good enough at them to make a career out of them. Of course my childhood dream of professional baseball player kind of died when I missed a couple of summers of little league for varying reasons.

That being said, I've always liked to tinker with things. When I was five I took apart my alarm clock radio because I wanted to see how it worked. When I was an adult I spent some time with my father who had been working with an electrician. I did a couple of jobs with them, but the work wasn't steady so I ended up getting another job.

Fast forward a few years I moved up to MA, worked with my uncle laying floors. We did a tile bathroom floor at an electrician's house and I mentioned that I had a little bit of experience. He had a job coming up that would require some help. He called me a couple weeks later and I was off to the races.

He said I was a pretty fast learner and before you know it he was leaving me to rough one job while he went to other jobs. (Totally illegal in this state, btw). He did a couple other things to fast track me to my license and I went from there.

Before working with my dad I don't even think I knew what an electrician was. But my favorite part of the work is when you install something for a homeowner and their faces light up (pun intended) when they see their new light, their new hot tub, whatever. The money is better than most of the other trades and it comes relatively easy to me.

Also most electricians I've met are kind of weird. So I fit right in.
 

keith gigabyte

Senior Member
I don't know if I'm "meant to be an electrician", I think there are other things I'd like to do, but not sure I'm good enough at them to make a career out of them. Of course my childhood dream of professional baseball player kind of died when I missed a couple of summers of little league for varying reasons.

That being said, I've always liked to tinker with things. When I was five I took apart my alarm clock radio because I wanted to see how it worked. When I was an adult I spent some time with my father who had been working with an electrician. I did a couple of jobs with them, but the work wasn't steady so I ended up getting another job.

Fast forward a few years I moved up to MA, worked with my uncle laying floors. We did a tile bathroom floor at an electrician's house and I mentioned that I had a little bit of experience. He had a job coming up that would require some help. He called me a couple weeks later and I was off to the races.

He said I was a pretty fast learner and before you know it he was leaving me to rough one job while he went to other jobs. (Totally illegal in this state, btw). He did a couple other things to fast track me to my license and I went from there.

Before working with my dad I don't even think I knew what an electrician was. But my favorite part of the work is when you install something for a homeowner and their faces light up (pun intended) when they see their new light, their new hot tub, whatever. The money is better than most of the other trades and it comes relatively easy to me.

Also most electricians I've met are kind of weird. So I fit right in.



Funny you you say most electricians are weird. Some may know this term some won't. One of my old jobs people used to say all you motor inspectors are a bit weird.
 

jeremysterling

Senior Member
Location
Austin, TX
When the Navy said so...I wanted to be a jet engine mechanic....so they made me a nuclear electrician and put me on a SUBMARINE! Can't get much farther from jets than that! Worked out good, though. Retired and loving it!

ET or EM? I wanted either, got MM instead. :slaphead:

I asked for ET and the Navy ordered me me to EM "A" and Nuclear Propulsion schools. After I volunteered for submarine duty, I was told by me shipmates that NAVY stands for Never Again Volunteer Yourself.

Before I joined the Navy, I couldn't spell electrician. Now I are one!
 
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