# Learning the trade



## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

That sucks. You're not gonna learn a damn thing doing solar work, which is what almost all our locals do anymore. The foremans expectations are pretty reasonable for a 3rd year but it sounds like your local is doing a shít job in making you into a well rounded electrician


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## torok005 (Jul 14, 2012)

Hey brother, All you can do is be upfront with your foreman. If he or she can't deal with the fact that you still need training in certain categories then in my opinion they have unrealistic expectations. I've been topped out now for only 3 or 4 years, and while I feel like I'm getting a pretty good handle on what I'm doing, I'm not naive enough to believe I know it all. Where I come from it is up to the folks in the field to teach you the field surf and the folks in the classroom to teach you the classroom stuff.


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

Our apprentices transfer for a good reason and you have pointed that out.

As noted above be honest with him. This is a problem with your locals training or lack of training. Though if all your local has is solar, I guess you could be a solar electrician?:no:

Heck when we work for open shops I always try to tell apprentices they should move around to gain experience. 

Having said that maybe you need to work with a JW, I am not sure what time of work you are doing but most (depending on the type of job) of the stuff is not all that complicated, but can be daunting at first.

What type of work are you doing?


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## nternes (Sep 25, 2012)

This particular job is solar but not even close to the scale ive worked on the past 2years. Instead of endless arrays and inverters its solar panel covered parking structure with lighting underneath.........simple I know but, as far as the piping and the pull boxes and etc my experience is lacking. I can bend pipe fine but trying to find a way around obstacles actually running it is where I have trouble. I can get it done dont get me wrong. Just not in as timely as I or he wants because its new to me. Just the terminology alone gets me scratching my head sometimes. I just wanted to know if its a common thing. I am very mechanicly inclined as well. I just need the guidence and experience I guess


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## eejack (Jul 14, 2012)

I've been doing this a long time and the one thing I appreciate is an apprentice that puts in the effort but is honest about what they know.

Talk to your foreman and tell him what you told us, you are willing to do whatever he wants but you just don't know what that is. If he can't help you talk with one of the journeymen on the job. It is our job to train you to be our replacements and most of us would be happy to help.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

You're in a tough spot. By the time you hit third year, there are things you should know.

Planning out pipe work will come to you but, in the meantime, take care of those time eaters that you DO have control over. Plan ahead. Don't simply think about what needs to be done immediately, think about what needs to be done in the next five minutes, the next hour and over the complete work day.

Keep your batteries charged. Make sure you have ALL your materials for the job. Make notes. Use a pad of paper, not your phone. If you use your phone, your boss will think you're texting your girlfriend. If you don't use a pouch, buy one. A pants pocket electrician is useless doing ladder work. Practice economy of motion. If you're assembling fixtures, assemble all of them at the same time. Clean up your garbage as you go along, don't wait until the end of the day to wander around picking up trash.

Bad planning and rummaging around looking for stuff is probably the biggest time eaters in a work day. Even an average tradesman can look like a superhero if he takes care of the small stuff as he goes along.


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## dronai (Apr 11, 2011)

Suck it up and learn, you are paying your dues. No pain, no gain. Sink or Swim, etc. Everyone that has succeeded had to go through this.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

nternes said:


> I am an apprentice going into my thrd year, I have 15 years in construction (mainly paving and underground wet utilities, HVAC) and im only 32 so im not completely green as far as that goes. Unfortunately the majority of the work in this local has been utility scale solar. Thats all ive been doing thus far until recently. Now im at a real electrical job where im expected to already know how to run pipe, build strut quickly and efficiantly and be generally savvy on the terms and work which I am not at this point. The forman gives me these tasks to do by myself that I have never seen or done before and gets upset when I ask questions or take too long. Now the point.....isnt it typical that a jw is supposed to teach me these things? Help him build this stuff and learn? Or is this just something thats said but seldom practiced in the field? Any people have similar experiences? Any insight and critique is appreciated.


The bottom line is, being an apprentice sucks, I've. Been there myself one day. 

Most guys are unwilling to teach guys the trade for the same reason.

Now that you have found the forums you will learn much faster..:thumbup:


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

Black Dog said:


> The bottom line is, being an apprentice sucks, I've. Been there myself one day.
> 
> Most guys are unwilling to teach guys the trade for the same reason.
> 
> Now that you have found the forums you will learn much faster..:thumbup:


Some of my best memories are of the fun I had as a helper and friends I made. I really do not have any bad memories from those years.


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## Black Dog (Oct 16, 2011)

Bad Electrician said:


> Some of my best memories are of the fun I had as a helper and friends I made. I really do not have any bad memories from those years.


50/50 I made many friends and some of the others were bastards, this state is loaded with special electricians....:laughing::no:


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## nternes (Sep 25, 2012)

You bet im learning. The more I do things the better I get. Just wanted whine. Haha


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## Morales5712 (Oct 13, 2018)

Bad Electrician said:


> Some of my best memories are of the fun I had as a helper and friends I made. I really do not have any bad memories from those years.


Agree even tho I only have around 3 years in the trade I have so many fun times at work.


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