From Domestic to Commercial??

[NoTrip]

Hi all!! I'm going to keep this simple. I'm an newly qualified electrician with 17th edition, NVQ 3, Advanced apprenticeship, AM2, JIB Gold card, 2391 inspection & testing.

90% of my experience over the past 3 years has been working on domestic houses, installing, maintaing, upgrading and testing existing electrical systems. So carrying out domestic work is not a problem for me. However I want to take part in larger commercial projects to increase my experience in the trade.

So my question to you guys out the is, what is the best way to enter the commercial side of work when most vacancies want you to have commercial experience??

I don't mind going on as an electricians mate or improver. ATM gaining the commercial experience is what's most important to me.

Thanks in advance for any advice given...

 

[Big n Daft]

Work as a mate, its a different ball game to domestic, and you should gain knowledge reasonably quickly.
It still amazes me that all the quals dont produce a well rounded sparks like they used to.

 

[Big n Daft]

Unfortunatly its agency work, unless you can find a reputable company to take you as a mate.
If you go through one of the parasites they will send you as a spark, but dont let the weasels pay you mates rate.

 

[NoTrip]

Thanks for ur reply. Yeh I'm going to try and join a few agencies as a mate. I just need to gain more experience working within a commercial setting. And eventually apply for electrician positions.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

You don't need to sign on with the agencies as a Mate, they may not even allow you to do so, or if they do you may get stuck on Mates rates for ever.
You have a JIB gold card which grades you as an Electrician, that's what you are and that's what you should be paid as.
All the big companies are slashing the hours and rates, so you don't really want to be doing it for them.

 

[MDJ]

Agree with spinlondon, don't go on as a mate, you have worked hard to get the qualifications you have (well done by the way) you don't need to lower your skill level, be confident and you will be fine, we all had to start somewhere when we came out of our time, you can't be expected to know everything can you? none of us know everything, chin up keep trying to get on firms who do a mixture of work.

 

[trev]

Don't lower yourself mate. That bit of plastic tells everyone you're a qualified bloke, go to the agency scum and use them like they use you. There's no shame in saying to whoever you're put with that you're not fully familiar with something as long as you pick it up quickly.
You'll be fine.

 

[Johnuk]

yea dont lower your rate, agancys are scum, ive not done much com work, but ive been on some jobs now it it quick to pick up,

 

[Estimator]

I agree don't sign up as a mate.
I worked through an agency a few years ago on a job, and was getting fed up with doing all the hard work, installing tray, wiring and pulling loads of data cables in, when there were "sparks" putting sockets, greg roses and lay in fittings up all day. So I asked the foreman, what’s the game here I'm doing all the hard work and they're getting all the easy stuff. His reply... I can't trust them to do anything else and really I can only just trust them to do what they're doing...

Sad fact...
Agencies will send anybody to a job

 

[NoTrip]

Thanks guys, all the comments have been encouraging!! It's just the thought of them expecting me to do something that I haven't done before which is slightly daunting :s but I guess that I just need to believe in myself and if there's something that I'm not familiar with i just need to ask for assistance from someone who's more experienced.

 

[Big n Daft]

Correct folks. Just dont let them pay you mates rate and charge sparks rate. If you've got the card use it but be prepared for some stick from the dinosaurs like me.