# Second shift apprentice



## Slay301 (Apr 23, 2018)

Homeownerpiping said:


> Is it possible to find a second shift apprentice job while maintaining a corporate 9-5?


Most apprenticeships don’t allow you to work nights while in school. But just do it our apprentices start off 40% of JOurneyman 19$ an hour plus benefits with raises after every so many hours up to 8000 hours then your JW


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Homeownerpiping said:


> Is it possible to find a second shift apprentice job while maintaining a corporate 9-5?


Totally depends on the apprenticeship rules in your area but I don't think it's likely, you'd have to find a maintenance electrician apprenticeship with a shift that starts at 5:30PM? 

Finding part time work, even cubicle type places, nights and weekends after your 7:00-3:00 shift as an apprentice might not be too hard, people are desperate right now, paying better and being more flexible about hours. Of course they might not be as cooperative, generous, and flexible in a year or so if the labor shortage loosens up.


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## Vladaar (Mar 9, 2021)

Non-electrical Part time jobs are easy to find, but I think what @Homeownerpiping wants to do is work 2 full time jobs? It would burn you out even if you could do it. Make yourself dangerous/careless from lack of sleep on the job, where you might get fired?

There are no part time jobs in electrical for helpers/apprentice work that I have been able to find. At least I can't find one. I've looked for a good while, until you can go full time electrical they don't need you.

You could as they said above probably do a part time job, in addition to your full time apprentice job. Unless you have some provision that prevents it.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Vladaar said:


> Non-electrical Part time jobs are easy to find, but I think what @Homeownerpiping wants to do is work 2 full time jobs? It would burn you out even if you could do it. Make yourself dangerous/careless from lack of sleep on the job, where you might get fired?


I think you're right, not all but most people I've known who worked two full time jobs, found one that you could sleep at. Some found jobs that they could punch in and go home. Now with "work" from home (LOL) you can do it without having a buddy punch out for you. I have some pretty funny stories doing service type working in plants third shift, believe me some of these guys got more rest at work than they ever did at home. I have some really outrageous stories about waking up police but I won't be getting out of any tickets if I tell you those. 

Those jobs,


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## Homeownerpiping (Feb 22, 2021)

Vladaar said:


> Non-electrical Part time jobs are easy to find, but I think what @Homeownerpiping wants to do is work 2 full time jobs? It would burn you out even if you could do it. Make yourself dangerous/careless from lack of sleep on the job, where you might get fired?
> 
> There are no part time jobs in electrical for helpers/apprentice work that I have been able to find. At least I can't find one. I've looked for a good while, until you can go full time electrical they don't need you.
> 
> You could as they said above probably do a part time job, in addition to your full time apprentice job. Unless you have some provision that prevents it.


Between my two jobs and rehabbing my house, I’m pulling 90-100 hour weeks. I’m the energizer bunny from hell.


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## mburtis (Sep 1, 2018)

2nd or 3rd shift industrial maintenance positions are probably available depending on your area. You can get into some really advanced electrical stuff in these gigs depending on what the plant does. Some pay extremely well too. Not really the type of job you could do in addition to another one though.


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## Vladaar (Mar 9, 2021)

Yeah, if you can handle it by all means do. I just wouldn't want to risk my reputation/career on how well I did on apprenticeship by burning the candle both ends. I want to be alert, energentic and retaining everything I am taught. I think if your half asleep, or even living on energy drinks your a half step behind.

That might also be the difference between being laid off over another guy.

Part time job sure, I'll prob do one myself. But 2 full time jobs, good luck.


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## Easy (Oct 18, 2017)

mburtis said:


> 2nd or 3rd shift industrial maintenance positions are probably available depending on your area. You can get into some really advanced electrical stuff in these gigs depending on what the plant does. Some pay extremely well too. Not really the type of job you could do in addition to another one though.


When I first stared out I worked for a non union contractor during the day and had a full time union maintenance job at night. The electrical contractor I worked for during the day just happened to be the Lead Man on 2nd shift at my union job. So it kind of worked out for a while but it was very tough. There were 3 people at that plant that did electrical contracting during the day and worked 2nd shift as maintenance electricians. It worked out ok for them because during the day they were just running crews and not doing anything physical but for me it was killer and I only lasted 2 months.


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

I would not even think about it. If you worked your 9-5 job then went to work as an electrician it would not be safe. We have all worked 16 hour shifts at some point and work results go way down after 12 hours. This is when costly mistakes and accidents happen. If you make a mistake at a 9-5 job it is one thing, make that mistake as an electrician you can die.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

You run some conduit and think that being an electrician is easy enough to be able to work 4 years of nights and become a JM?
Totally different situation, from doing work for yourself and having to produce because of a deadline.
You want to get into the trade, then quit your climate controlled office, get rid of the suit and get out in the heat and cold ready to get dirty.


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## Homeownerpiping (Feb 22, 2021)

wcord said:


> You run some conduit and think that being an electrician is easy enough to be able to work 4 years of nights and become a JM?
> Totally different situation, from doing work for yourself and having to produce because of a deadline.
> You want to get into the trade, then quit your climate controlled office, get rid of the suit and get out in the heat and cold ready to get dirty.


Do I think running 4” conduit 30’ high is easy? Pulling 500 mcm easy? Crawling around in crawlspaces, Etc? No, being an electrician is hard work...I have a hell of a work ethic and I believe I could do it. I’ve been rehabbing a house with no hvac. Temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95+ with 80% humidity.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Homeownerpiping said:


> Is it possible to find a second shift apprentice job while maintaining a corporate 9-5?



Some commercial jobs have 2 shifts to get the job done. Probably not very stable work. Look around for a large commercial company and see if you can be of help to them.


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## gpop (May 14, 2018)

Homeownerpiping said:


> Do I think running 4” conduit 30’ high is easy? Pulling 500 mcm easy? Crawling around in crawlspaces, Etc? No, being an electrician is hard work...I have a hell of a work ethic and I believe I could do it. I’ve been rehabbing a house with no hvac. Temperatures ranging from below freezing to 95+ with 80% humidity.


You might be able to find one. You might also be able to find one that's fluffy with the reported hours.


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

Unlikely. Electricians are typically not 9-5, EVER. There are nonrotating shifts but apprenticeship on nights is a bad idea, and they are typically 12 hours. Construction does come up on rush jobs but pretty rare. And often construction jobs run 10s or 12s and 5-7 day schedules just to encourage guys to apply.

But over and above all that almost all electricians do emergency work. So overtime is very common. So even if you find a 6 P-2 A job to marry perfectly with a 9-5 you are going to get pushed to work 4-8 additional hours staying late or coming in early,

Plus realistically there are TONS of human performance studies showing your productivity goes down a LOT after 8 hours and by the tine you hit 12 hours you’re worthless. After 16 hours you can’t pass a field sobriety test. But you are going for 16 hours which is exactly where you will be. Once in a while is one thing. Or doing a mindless production job. But electrician is a thinking mans game.


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## wiz1997 (Mar 30, 2021)

I've got a story about working my regular day shift and then teaching school at night.
It almost killed me.
I was 45 at the time.
I'd work my regular 7A to 3:30P job then go teach an apprenticeship program at a local college from 6P to 10P.
Get home about 11P and get up at 5:30A to do it all over again, sometimes 2 days a week, sometimes 4.
Did this for 10 years until it finally caught up to me.
One day at work I was walking towards our shop when I got light headed.
Right before I hit the floor I saw a large stream of blood coming out of my nose and watched it hit the floor.
Woke up with people around me trying to get me up.
Hospital wasn't too far away so my boss put in his truck and off we went.
The ER doctor said I was close to having a stroke and if the blood vessel in my nose hadn't ruptured I probably would have had a bad stoke.
End of second job.
Lost some of my short term memory that day.
I'd see a movie ad on TV and tell the wife, "let's go see that", her reply was " we already have".

Stress can hurt you without you even realizing you are stressed.


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## u2slow (Jan 2, 2014)

paulengr said:


> Unlikely. Electricians are typically not 9-5, EVER. There are nonrotating shifts but apprenticeship on nights is a bad idea, and they are typically 12 hours. Construction does come up on rush jobs but pretty rare. And often construction jobs run 10s or 12s and 5-7 day schedules just to encourage guys to apply.
> 
> But over and above all that almost all electricians do emergency work. So overtime is very common. So even if you find a 6 P-2 A job to marry perfectly with a 9-5 you are going to get pushed to work 4-8 additional hours staying late or coming in early


Where the heck is that?

Construction here (PNW) is regimented to 8 hr shifts starting between 0600 to 0800 (depending on noise bylaws), 8hr days, and no employer wants to pay a cent of overtime. Once in a blue moon you may get on a job that does 4x10hrs weeks (by agreement) and waives the OT.



> Plus realistically there are TONS of human performance studies showing your productivity goes down a LOT after 8 hours and by the tine you hit 12 hours you’re worthless. After 16 hours you can’t pass a field sobriety test. But you are going for 16 hours which is exactly where you will be. Once in a while is one thing. Or doing a mindless production job. But electrician is a thinking mans game.


Current job, we're regulated to 14hrs by law if you're starting the same time again the following day. Not every hour/job is taxing on the brain though. 12hrs is plenty long, and I definitely would not have lasted trying to do that in construction as an apprentice - basically burnt by the end of 8.


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## Wardenclyffe (Jan 11, 2019)




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## Homeownerpiping (Feb 22, 2021)

Thanks for the input everyone. I’m going to call around and see if anyone has any need for a part time apprentice (20-30 hours/week).
I doubt it but I don’t feel like killing myself and this is just me wanting to get my feet wet and see how I really like it


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## Johnboi (Aug 12, 2021)

Slay301 said:


> Most apprenticeships don’t allow you to work nights while in school. But just do it our apprentices start off 40% of JOurneyman 19$ an hour plus benefits with raises after every so many hours up to 8000 hours then your JW


*The average salary for a journeyman electrician is $38.92 per hour in Seattle, WA and $16,063 overtime per year....$19 seems a bit low but then that might be in the South.*


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## Slay301 (Apr 23, 2018)

Johnboi said:


> *The average salary for a journeyman electrician is $38.92 per hour in Seattle, WA and $16,063 overtime per year....$19 seems a bit low but then that might be in the South.*


A jw here makes 46 a hour at 40% = 18.40 a hour on the check plus benefits that’s Midwest that’s not counting OT


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## Slay301 (Apr 23, 2018)

Also if we factor in benefits with no OT it’s over 120k a year and if u work OT benefits are paid in at 1.5 and double time as well


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