# Ibew local 351 apprenticeship



## amitch95 (Aug 8, 2015)

new to ET so im sorry if there was a more appropriate place to post this.

im an ibew hopeful and will be taking my test on the 11th of this month. if anyone could give me any information they have about the test, the rest of the hiring process and post-hiring (pay, job security, environment, etc.) id really appreciate it


im 19 years old and my father was a member for 11 years until he got hurt. i grew up surrounded by great electricians. i graduated highschool in 2013 and tried my hand at college but realized it wasnt the route for me. i also looked into joing the USCG and took my asvab and scored a 96. not sure if anyone can tell me if that should translate into me scoring well on the test or not. im just a young guy looking to soak up all the info i can get so please, the more info the better. and anything local 351 specific would be great also. thanks in advance.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

Bump


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## CharlieCarcinogen (Aug 8, 2015)

The test will be completely different than anything you did for the Coast Guard.

What matters way more than the test or the interview are who you know in the local. Remember, sometimes you have to give a little head to get ahead. The poster above me will confirm that.


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## amitch95 (Aug 8, 2015)

im hoping the good relationships my dad had will help me out with that. ive heard all about the cliquiness of the union and hopefully ill be able to take advantage of the ins i already have. i guess its a neccessary evil to stay working.


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## CharlieCarcinogen (Aug 8, 2015)

amitch95 said:


> im hoping the good relationships my dad had will help me out with that. ive heard all about the cliquiness of the union and hopefully ill be able to take advantage of the ins i already have. i guess its a neccessary evil to stay working.


It will definitely help getting in. It may not help you as far as keeping you working. You need real clout for that these days.

Your best bet to stay working, which most hard core union guys will be against, is getting in with a shop. Company guys work all year, that's what you want to be. 

You don't want to kiss ass, but you want to show the contractor that you are valuable. Remember that your goal is to make the contractor money, if you keep up that attitude, everything else will fall into place. If you have the attitude that the contractor owes you this and that, you will be sitting at the hall more often than not. Some union guys think that getting laid off at the end of each job is a sign of honor, I think it's a sign of incompetence and laziness.


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## zlxngx (Jul 26, 2015)

I took and passed my exam on July 18 for Local 11 in Los Angeles. It's very straight forward, math, mechanical comprehension as well as reading comprehension. I am currently waiting for an interview. I'm a bit nervous because I don't know anyone in the union. Is this going to hinder me in any way? I'm also worried about getting in and not having any work, due to layoffs etc. Any advice and wise words will be much appreciated.


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## CharlieCarcinogen (Aug 8, 2015)

zlxngx said:


> I took and passed my exam on July 18 for Local 11 in Los Angeles. It's very straight forward, math, mechanical comprehension as well as reading comprehension. I am currently waiting for an interview. I'm a bit nervous because I don't know anyone in the union. Is this going to hinder me in any way? I'm also worried about getting in and not having any work, due to layoffs etc. Any advice and wise words will be much appreciated.


Knowing people in a union will always help get you in, always. For years my local was only taking 10 or less new apprentices per year and you could bet your ass that each one of them was a son, brother, nephew, etc. 

With that said, many unions will take lots of random people as well. If you score well, you just may be one of those people.


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## amitch95 (Aug 8, 2015)

thanks for the advice charlie, hoping my hard work and competence shine through and keep me working. even with the sucking up ill have to endure im still beyond excited to get this started and represent the trade right. and to zlxngx, if it helps any my father got in not knowing anyone, granted that was a while ago and he tested unbelievably well it is still possible. good luck to you, were all gonna need it.


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