Advice on starting up please - no previous experience

[mikejm0]

Hi, I currently work in IT in the public sector with no previous experience of electrical installation work. I have the option of taking voluntary redundancy and I would really like a career change. I'm thinking of taking the redundancy and spending some of the money on an electricians course to gain my NVQs with the intention of being a self employed domestic electrician.

I realise I would need some on site experience so was thinking of perhaps working with a company for free once I had got the qualifications to gain the experience. How long would you recommend I do this for? If I were to decide to work for a company rather than be self employed, is this usually a good way to get a foot in the door?

Is this a wise move? Is there much work about at the moment? Or should I abandon this idea and consign myself to a desk job for the foreseeable?

Any advice appreciated!

 

[malcolmsanford]

To be honest Mike it is not the time I think to come into the industry, you only have to look on here at past threads concering

a) guys offering to work for nothing to gain experience

b) the amount of "experienced" electricians looking for work.

If your in work I would recommend you stay in it. You could look at doing your training via night school and college, and once you are nearing your finishing the training, things may be picking up

 

[Dunc]

Whole new career and going self employed at this moment in time is going to be a hard slog if you choose to go down that route. I don't mean to be rude but i don't hold electricians who do a college course and go self employed in very high regard as there is far too much to learn which can't be done in a classroom. I've worked with two electricians in the past who have made career changes and on paper were qualified to do the job however, there skill set was lacking and there industry knowledge was appalling.

I did an apprenticeship which i started when i was 16, i'm now 25 and have been self employed for 4 years doing mostly my own work except for a short period of sub contracting in my second year in business. I don't claim to know everything by a long shot but the 5 years spent working with qualified electricians was invaluable. I would say that the first 3 years whilst doing day release at college were particularly important.

As for the industry at the moment it very much depends where you live and who you know. Where i'm from in South Lincolnshire there appears to be a fair bit of money still around so work isn't too hard to come by. I do however have 2 regular customers who throw a fair chunk of work at me so everything else is a bonus. It's still not perfect and i could always do with more work but for the time being i can't see myself being poverty stricken just yet.

If i were you i wouldn't make the jump just yet, setting up a business a year before the recession hit was a poor move for me in hindsight but things are improving. If you do go for it i wish you luck.

 

[mikejm0]

Thanks for the replies. I live in the North Fylde area of Lancashire, near Blackpool.

I realise I would have to work without pay to gain some experience once I got the qualifications. Doing a course at night school might be my best option though, I think I'm too old to get an apprenticeship (32) and there doesn't seem to be any available.

It would be nice to get qualified but gaining experience seems to be a case of who you know not what you know and as far as I know I don't know anyone who knows anyone in the know....

 

[Electricalserv]

Don't listen to the scarmongers. You can do it if you put your mind to it and believe in yourself. I know a guy who worked in social services for 15 years, came out and went to college to train as a spark. Took him 4 years to get his quals. He done bits for electricians as a mate but never a steady job in 4 years. He now runs his own successful business. Hes got a fair share of the market in my area and employes 5 people.

Its all about self belief. There is work out there but you've got to find it and there is no one better than yourself to do so.