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Should I become an electrician?

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    #32
    Alphabigcock
    Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭Alphabigcock


    salmocab wrote: »
    I now work in the data centre industry and the money is good compared to normal sparks rate (which is decent money but youll never be a rich man). I got into this via a guy I used to work with and you will find after a few years that its a surprisingly small industry and you see the same people over and over so you get contacts along the way.

    Did you have to do any additional courses to do this line of work?


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    #33
    pablo128
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭pablo128


    Alphabigcock wrote: »
    That seems to be the recurring theme that I keep going back to. I genuinely don't think i'd be in college studying what I am if it wasn't for the paper chase. How anybody can just settle on what they want to do makes me so jealous. I can never make my mind up.

    If you have a big interest in the trade, your days will fly. I followed my dream and became a mechanic. But with no union the pay wasn't great. I eventually got a pain in my bollox after 11 years of mediocre money and jumped ship. I now work in a warehouse related to the motor trade and get more money. At the same time my bro who is still working as a sparks has no desire to change. He's happy with the work and the pay.

    Another brother is a plumber and he is the same. He has an interest in it and is paid well.

    If you genuinely have an interest, I'd say go for it.


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    #34
    Zimmerframe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,662 ✭✭✭Zimmerframe


    My advice for what it's worth, is try and figure out what kind of "sparks" you want to be.

    There are so many "trades" which now fall under the umbrella of "electrician", and some companies expect you to be all of them combined, other companies may let you stay in your specialised field.

    eg you could be an electrician, who would spend 90% of their career on a laptop programming plc's, vsd's, hmi's etc.

    Another electrician may spend 90% of their career cutting and joining metal of some sort eg. cable ladder/trays conduits etc.

    The above two examples are so far apart, that it's difficult to say that they are both electricians.

    Then there are examples like instrumentation or high voltage electricians.

    The one thing for certain, is if you are any good, you will not be out of work.

    As per 2011 advice, if you are starting an apprenticeship, choose your first employer carefully, i.e if you want to do instrumentation or programming plc's then don't start with the guy who only "wires houses", especially as you are 25 years old. thus you will be at least 32/33 when you are applying for your first real job with some experience behind you.

    You will be a "qualified" electrician at 29, but depending on where you trained, you may be qualified to do "damn" all.


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    #35
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,583 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Alphabigcock wrote: »
    Can I ask how you went about pursuing another career within the electrical industry?

    I became a full time student and obtained a degree in electrical & control engineering. I have been working as an electrical and instrumentation design engineer ever since.


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    #36
    the_pen_turner
    Registered Users Posts: 7,514 ✭✭✭the_pen_turner


    I will ecco the above.
    I know an electrition. he served his time working for a large commercial guy but spent all his time doing tray and conduit ahead of another team that did the termination and fault finding etc. as a result he is a top conduit guy but couldn't wire a board. he only ever did it in training to pas the tests.

    I would recommend training in commercial but working for a guy that does both domestic and commercial.
    you will rather commercial due to not having customers and their crap to deal with. but having experience (skills and tolerance) to work domestic. commercial can be very stop start so being able to fit in small domestic jobs can really help you out


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    #37
    Lleyn elec
    Registered Users Posts: 81 ✭✭Lleyn elec


    Alphabigcock wrote: »
    Can I ask what route you took to become an Electrical engineer?
    2011 wrote: »
    I became a full time student and obtained a degree in electrical & control engineering. I have been working as an electrical and instrumentation design engineer ever since.

    I went the same route as 2011 went back to college full time.


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    #38
    salmocab
    Registered Users Posts: 11,358 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    Alphabigcock wrote: »
    Did you have to do any additional courses to do this line of work?

    Not really but there are courses available, they really wanted someone who had a broad working range. My last job before this was with a large contractor but working with the QA/QC department, so I had a background that involved doing testing and verification and doing the paperwork involved in that as well as other works that the sparks I was on site with wouldnt have been involved in.

    There are always opportunities available and the trade is a good grounding to go on and do something else related. There are about 25 sparks in my place but plenty of them are now working in specialist positions or management.


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    #39
    Electric Gypsy
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Electric Gypsy


    Just said I'd bump this as I'm thinking about being an electrician too. I don't like the idea of working contract to contract though, as I see here. I'm 34 now and work as a bus driver. I like the job bus I don't particularly feel like I'm challenged enough, or that I've a sense of purpose. I just want to know what options I'd have as regards doing night classes, while working. Also, with the vast amount of knowledge out there on the internet, could anyone guide me to good place that I could self-learn?



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    #40
    Maewyn Succat
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭Maewyn Succat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121357059#Comment_121357059

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news but no amount of night courses will enable you to become an electrician. It can only be done through a 4 year apprenticeship.

    You may be able to get other electrical qualifications through part time study but for any of them worth doing you need to be prepared for at least a few years of study. Bear in mind these will be more engineering type courses with practically nothing in the line of practical skills that an apprentice electrician would gain through an apprenticeship.



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    #41
    Electric Gypsy
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Electric Gypsy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121364519#Comment_121364519

    What percentage of that 4 yr course is actual work done on site helping other electricians, in comparison to work carried out in the class room.

    Having been through college, it's painful having to sit through huge amounts of classes that are either:

    • taught in an unnecessarily long winded way
    • are about stuff you already know
    • or are about stuff you don't need to know

    Is an electrical apprentice any different?



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    #42
    Maewyn Succat
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭Maewyn Succat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121380047#Comment_121380047

    The electrical apprenticeship is split up into 7 phases. Phases 2(22 weeks), phase 4(11 weeks) and phase 6(11 weeks) are spent in college while the rest of the 4 years are spent on site with the employer. There is also quite a bit of practical work in college especially during phase 2.

    How much experience have you had with electrical work?

    In my experience very little of the stuff is taught in an unnecessarily long winded way and most of the information is relevant to the trade. Its a vast trade so if anything the apprenticeship only scratches the surface of it.



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    #43
    Zimmerframe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,662 ✭✭✭Zimmerframe


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121380047#Comment_121380047

    As I said above in a post from nearly 6 years ago, it's such a diverse trade, you can pretty much do anything, so some of your questions are difficult to answer.

    First point , nothing is taught in an unnecessarily long way, you may or may not have a "boring teacher" or you may be a very quick learner, you have been through college, so you should know about teachers and you should have figured out the latter.

    Second depends on how much you already know, only you and eventually your employer/assessor can answer that.

    Third point, most of the "stuff" is designed to get you "qualified" so there is no option there, you do need to know it.

    I always feel within a short period the direction to head, should become clear. eg if you are more mechanically minded, you may prefer cable tray, containment, the physical installing of panels etc etc. That guy/gal may be salivating at the new Milwaukee threaded rod cutter or the green laser level.

    The next guy will be looking at end ferrule crimpers, and drooling over the schematic drawings.

    It takes all sorts, no particular facet is better than the others, it's what rocks your boat. Some guys vanish, when there is a circuit fault, others relish in trying to find it. Some can handle the pressure of the boss asking "how long ? " before you have even opened the toolbox, others get into a panic and in the end, don't know what day of the week it is.

    When you are on site helping electricians, it depends on the electrician/company. It may be pulling cables through attics for 4 years, it maybe panel building, programming plc's etc. So in an ideal world, if you can decide your direction first, then decide the company/electrician to steer you there.

    One thing for certain, if you are interested you will never be bored, or sick of learning. It's continually evolving and the biggest challenge is "keeping up"



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    #44
    Electric Gypsy
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Electric Gypsy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121381320#Comment_121381320

    I have no experience.

    I do know that some people suggest that those who study FAS courses weren't that intelligent in secondary school, or that they'd have come from LCA in the leaving. In comparison I have an MSc (one year taught masters) which would be a level 9 I think. But I don't get the impression that I would find such an apprenticeship any easier than my third level stuff... which I could bullshit my way through a lot of. I know that must sound like a stupid question, but I still have to ask!

    Where'd be a good place to start self learning online? And also, does the apprenticeship go into the actual science of it much? Because if I were to study it I'd like to come at it from both angles.

    Post edited by Electric Gypsy on


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    #45
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,966 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    There's no point self learning to be an electrician, you cannot work as an electrician unless you complete an apprenticeship



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    #46
    Electric Gypsy
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Electric Gypsy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121385817#Comment_121385817

    But I mean, even if I never got to work as an electrician, I'd still like to understand it. That's what I mean?

    If I were doing an actual course on it, I'd be following up on the in-class topics later on the internet in some way, in order to reinforce it and it see it from a different perspective.



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    #47
    Maewyn Succat
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭Maewyn Succat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121385737#Comment_121385737

    I think you are underestimating the practical skills required to work as an electrician. These cannot be learned online. You could learn all of the technical aspects of electrical work but if you don't have the practical skills you would never be able to work as an electrician.

    The apprenticeship doesn't go deep into the science of it. That would be more to do with electrical engineering. Maybe this is what you would be more interested in?



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    #48
    Electric Gypsy
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Electric Gypsy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121388222#Comment_121388222

    I think I'd like to do both. I've had enough theory in my years of education. You pass exams but you don't feel like you've an actual skill.

    And I guess the best way of doing both would be to do the apprenticeship while doing some self learning of the theory online.



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    #49
    Maewyn Succat
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭Maewyn Succat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121400961#Comment_121400961

    When you say you would like to do both how do you plan to do this?

    An apprenticeship is 4 years as is a level 8 degree in electrical engineering? There are options for qualified electricians to do degrees part time after they have completed their apprenticeship which is a good option.

    Does any of your theory in your years of education relate to electrical engineering/theory?

    What type of electrical work interests you most?



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    #50
    Electric Gypsy
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Electric Gypsy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121403037#Comment_121403037

    No, I studied biosciences.

    I don't know what type I'd be into. What types are there?!



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    #51
    Maewyn Succat
    Registered Users Posts: 506 ✭✭✭Maewyn Succat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121403098#Comment_121403098

    Was there much maths in your studies so far? Electrical engineering is very heavy on maths and I've seen some people get tripped up on the maths in the Electrical apprenticeship.

    As an electrician you could be doing anything from wiring houses to maintenance in a factory or power plant. I can't recommend staying away from wiring houses enough though.

    Electrical engineering is a vast field:

    https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/engineering/what-jobs-can-you-do-electrical-engineering-degree



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