# Electrical Career Paths



## Coppersmith (Aug 11, 2017)

Well you can slice up electrical jobs in a number of different ways.

First off there is inside and outside. Outside are the linemen who work do all the wiring from the power plant to the meter outside homes, businesses and factories. The inside guys and gals do everything from the meter to the equipment being powered and also build the power plants together with linemen and women.

Then you can divide the jobs into industrial, heavy commercial, light commercial, and residential.

The wiring can be divided into power wiring; and data and telecommunications wiring.

Electricians also work in other trades like air conditioning, and elevators.

You will find electricians who specialize in just one of the above and others who can do most of it. Each area has it's pros and cons.

And there is engineering. Electrical engineers are not as smart as electricians even though they are more educated, but they get to sit in air conditioned offices and draw up plans for electrical systems.


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## joebanana (Dec 21, 2010)

Are you a union apprentice, or a "registered" apprentice? The best part of this trade is you're always learning something new. There are lots of different ways you can go, the possibilities are limitless, and sometimes you're just taken in a particular direction. It all boils down to how driven you are. Since you're new to the trade, the best advice I can give you is, ask lots of questions. Most old timers like answering them. Warning: Some co-workers can be d*cks, you'll figure out who they are real quick.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Welcome Con duit.


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## The_Modifier (Oct 24, 2009)

con_duit said:


> Hi I am a first year apprentice, started a couple months ago on a construction site that is residential/commercial. My question is what are my options as far as career paths in this Trade goes? What are the careers inside of construction, and outside. For the more experienced electricians out there, how did you come about that career path? Did it just happen over the years, did you have to bug someone about, was it offered to you? I've been asking at the job but I wanted to get some feedback from here as well. Thanks.


Ok....

First off, have patience with me- I am from Canada, and our apprenticeships are 9000 hours or "roughly" 4 1/2- 5 years. So that equates to 54- 60 months. And at ball parkish 40 hours a week for 48 weeks (minus the holidays/ sick days and required government holidays equaling 1920 hours per year for a total of 4.6875 years- at the best. Just lest that 4- 3/4 years.

Now that's for a base journey person (we have to be politically correct here- sometime those millennials ask questions on here and request REALLY VAGUE answers and expect a direct answer- like we can read their mind :wink::wink: )


But back to the point, after ANOTHER 3 years of WORKING in the field, you can then apply to go for your masters- keep in mind, it's not a right, to apply for a business to operate as a licensed electrical contractor. You will need a few other things in place in order to "hang your shingle"- (google it). 

As for your question, I came I saw AND conquered, sure as sh!t I took my lumps while learning. I found out that *I* was the shortest path to ground- definitely not the highlight of trade school. :wink: Or at least what I remember of them teaching- possibly I might have missed that day. :vs_laugh:

As running my own business- just like the trade, I learn something new everyday. And as the old saying goes- higher someone smarter than you. (This is where you take notes and actually study harder).

Moral of the storey/ TLDR is your parents were right! You CAN be anything you want with one caveat- you have FΩCKING WORK FOR IT! It certainly wont be handed to you. :wink::wink: 

There certainly needs to be more respect towards *AND* between the trades. This BS of "I am better than you" needs to stop, and we all need to start working together in order to stop being looked down upon by those useless white collars that think we know nothing. Some get it- but most seem to think that they are above us.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Welcome aboard @con_duit!

Worked in family electrical businesses (Union and non) as a kid until a young adult and went on to other things.

Then worked in electrical part time off and on until I decided to go that way fulltime after leaving a satellite communications career.

After a few years with a non Union company I tested into the Union and retired from it years later. 

I recommend you applying for a Union apprenticeship, you'll be happy when you go to retire.


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## manchestersparky (Mar 25, 2007)

The career paths in the electrical industry are quite vast like others have already spoken of. 
I managed to work in many areas of the trade. I started with Residential, found it boring 
Did residential service work, liked it but didn't want to do it all the time. Moved to commercial - liked it and stuck with it. Within the commercial part of the trade I worked in / on a multitude of various buildings / projects. I did tenant fit out at first, then moved up to larger jobs, did schools, spent many years doing nothing but Government work. Worked in MANY prisons (,both new and old /occupied ) 
I used to do work on weekends for a temperature control guy ( I ran his conduit). I did Fire alarms, Security Systems. After 26 years in the field - I took a job as a Commercial Electrical Inspector, Been doing that for 11 years. Now I'm starting to look into becoming a Commercial Electrical Plans Examiner for the jurisdiction I work for...
The path you can go is as vast as YOU are willing to go after


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## con_duit (May 8, 2019)

Hey I am non union, and registered. Although I am planning on gaining a little expereience then heading over to the union side. I've heard the training is much better. At the moment we have one journeyman to 5 apprentices.


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