[quote]Legalsteel wrote:
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
[quote]Broncoandy wrote:
Hard to go wrong with electrician though for those with the aptitude. One of the more flexible trades (join a union or don’t, work lots of hours or don’t, work evenings / weekends or don’t, etc…).[/quote]
Agreed. There are SO many areas of specialty in the electrical trade. You can do light commercial service, technical service, disaster recovery, construction, fire alarm, motor controls, switchgear, tenant build-out, commercial, industrial, critical power, high voltage, signs, instrumentation, high voltage DC, marine/ship yard, offshore, Class 1 Div 1, residential, industrial electronics, battery tech, preventive/predictive maintenance, testing, commissioning, QA/QC, PLC/process automation, structured wiring, HVAC controls, generator sets, power generation, utility distribution, lineman, traction control, etc…
Each one of those classifications can be a career.
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How long does it take to get qualified? Is it a couple of years of apprenticeship with a few more years specialization?
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I did a five year apprenticeship and have been sent to numerous courses and classes by the various companies I’ve worked for. I have also paid thousands of dollars of my own money (and taken time off work to attend) on courses, classes and licensing over the years. I started doing electric work in '96.
But if you just graduate the apprenticeship, you can expect to make around 90K a year (in my jurisdiction). Maybe some more if there’s an overtime job.
But nothing is a substitute for experience and the ability to solve complex problems. That isn’t really taught in a classroom. Also, there is a bit of “who you know” that plays a large part as well. Being well connected will get your foot in the door. You can be the smartest SOB on the planet, but if no one knows who you are or isn’t willing to hire you, then you are just a bad off as a dumb SOB…