# Jumping from residential to industrial



## FizzSurge (Feb 26, 2018)

Is it a steep learning curve? I have 2 yrs experience in residential but want to get into industrial as I feel like that seems more mentally challenging, more steady work and better working conditions weather wise. I haven't really been getting replies back from the few hiring ads for industrial apprentices that were posted up. What can I put on my resume to show employers i could be a valuable addition to their mainentance team? Also would love to hear more about industrial from anyone with experience.


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## Sblk55 (Sep 8, 2017)

Not sure about the resume part but the working part depends so much on the plant. At a very large place that is always adding new equipment and moving other equipment there may be a crew that does nothing but run conduit, another that pulls and terminates wire, and the elite group that keeps everything running. 

In a smaller plant there may only be 3 or 4 electricians you would do it all. Some small plants even expect you to be part engineer.

Large shops as a newbe you may spend your first 10 years on afternoon or midnight. Given all that I like being at a small plant. It can take some time to prove to the powers that be that you are an asset. But after 20 years and everyone else has left then you are the one they depend on the most.

Hope that helps Steve


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

...Its a tough jump from residential to full on industrial as the jobs are miles apart. 

When comparing an industrial guy with residential guy , one will always outshine the other in their respective field of expertise . 

Pipe work, transformers, switchgear, VFD'S, 3 phase power, huge motors , is the norm for indistrial, but most industrial guys are lost in residentual, and usually over work most things residential.

A suggestion would be to start off in commercial and light industrial and work your way up , kinda. I don't mean it to be condescending, but it's a tough switch from full on residential to industrial.

Hope this helps .


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

Sblk55 said:


> Not sure about the resume part but the working part depends so much on the plant. At a very large place that is always adding new equipment and moving other equipment there may be a crew that does nothing but run conduit, another that pulls and terminates wire, and the elite group that keeps everything running.
> 
> In a smaller plant there may only be 3 or 4 electricians you would do it all. Some small plants even expect you to be part engineer.
> 
> ...


...great advice and great scenerio.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

There's a big difference between an industrial electrician and a maintenance electrician in a factory. While men working in each area might have the skill and qualifications to do each, it's two different mindsets and generally two different types of men. 

If you're hunting a factory electrical maintenance job, the resume needs to be especially crafted or you'll be looked at as a romex roper an the resume goes in the bin. What's the most complicated thing you do in residential? Wire a 3-way switch or build a service? A factory electrician will work on everything from as simple as the mushroom ventilator on the roof or the control power to the automatic restroom urinal flushers to as complex as rooms full of 100's of VFD's and starters of every sort and bleeding edge PLC's with 10's of thousands of lines of logic talking to motion controls for 30 axis servo controlled machines. Oh, and you might do some pipe and wire here and there. Have any actual training, experience, or knowledge in that stuff? If you were in my area I'd have some decent advice on how to get your foot in the door, but I don't have any particular knowledge of the conditions in Canada. From what little I know, they seem a little bit more protective and want formal training for an awful lot.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

"Industrial" is a big word. If you're in a refinery, you can work facilities maintenance which essentially is a commercial guy taking care of offices and buildings. It's very different than a process electrician. If you're working in a bread factory, maybe you do both.

Needless to say, if you have been yanking loomex for two years, you need to get out pronto and get other experience. Some guys stay residential forever but it's not a rut I would want to be in. A four year apprenticeship isn't long and, if you have invested half in residential, you already have some catching up to do.


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

FizzSurge said:


> Is it a steep learning curve? I have 2 yrs experience in residential but want to get into industrial as I feel like that seems more mentally challenging, more steady work and better working conditions weather wise. I haven't really been getting replies back from the few hiring ads for industrial apprentices that were posted up. What can I put on my resume to show employers i could be a valuable addition to their mainentance team? Also would love to hear more about industrial from anyone with experience.


Another thing to consider is your apprenticeship. If you are a registered apprentice doing residential, then you are either registered in “construction and maintenance” or “residential.” Both of them are compulsory and red seal meaning you can not do that type of work legally unless your registered as an apprentice.

Industrial electrician is not a compulsory trade meaning you don’t have to be registered and you also don’t need a licence to do the job.

If you are registered now, and leave to go work in industrial, you will most likely lose your sponsorship and your apprenticeship will be cancelled.


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## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

FizzSurge said:


> Is it a steep learning curve?


Huge.

In the romex world, in 2 or less, yrs you know, or better know, how to completely wire any new home, and trim it out. You do a half dozen, and you've pretty seen it all in.

You get into plant maintenance, and you'll never see it all. You might be swapping out hydraulic valves and sensors one day, to installing tray cable and network lines the next. So much more to learn.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I know nothing about the program but George Brown has online PLC training. If you were to become both an electrician and a PLC tech, job security would never be an issue. Dual trades are always money in the bank.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I've never roped a house and have respect for those that can bring one out of the ground and know all of the ever changing code requirements.


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