I am wanting to work in the USA

[wams]

Hello everyone,


I'm looking for some advice if any of you can help, I will get straight to the point!


I'm an american citizen living in the uk, I've been living here since the age of 3 since my parents divorced. I also have sisters and family members who I've just recently connected with who I have not seen for 30 years. They live in Nevada, Arizona and California.


I have decided I want to work over there on a temporary basis to see how it turns out. At the moment I am keeping this quiet from my US family as I don't want to excite them or put them in a position of burden! My JIB electrical qualifications are: 2330 level 2/3, 2382 level 3, NVQ level 3 with AM2. Other quals are: Ipaf, Pasma, safety passport, asbestos awareness and first aid.


I am hoping to find work in 1 of those 3 states above. I have just received my Social Security Number form the US embassy, I have also bought the NFPA 70 online which got delivered Friday.


I am wandering what other qualifications I could obtain from the UK to further employment potential? I was thinking of doing the 2394/2395 even though they don't do much testing in those 3 states due to the all year round dry conditions. I was also thinking of doing the NEBOSH?


I am travelling to Las Vegas in June for a week. There is a International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Henderson, Las Vegas which I'm going to visit. Can any of you tell me if there are any decent websites to search for work in the USA? Also has anyone tried using LinkedIn for international jobs?


My main concern is enhancing my electrical profile! Any help from you guys would be very much appreciated


Thanks WAMS

 

[telectrix]

very hard to comment on what's required in US. think with your quals. you should not have too much trouble.

 

[wams]

I believe each state has there own electrical contractors licensing board, so if I get one, let's say Nevada I can transfer it over to California and Arizona.

im thinking if it's all worth while to get the testing or nebosh or just go with what I've got. But when I get there in June I will be doing some serious investigation.

thanks for your reply though Telectrix

 

[gutterball]

What has dry conditions got to do with not testing?
I think we have a few US members on here, wait and see if any of them reply. They would be better able to tell you whats required.

 

[wams]

What has dry conditions got to do with not testing?

nothing! I've been tracing my steps back to the weekend when I was browsing for info, yahoo US forum site mentioned something about a Dry Conditions. I must have interpreted the info wrong.

 

[Bobster]

nothing! I've been tracing my steps back to the weekend when I was browsing for info, yahoo US forum site mentioned something about a Dry Conditions. I must have interpreted the info wrong.

A lot of the states I've worked in don't test at all like we do.

Switch it on, if it doesn't go bang it's fine.

 

[Jake1992]

A lot of the states I've worked in don't test at all like we do.

Switch it on, if it doesn't go bang it's fine.

Is there a reason for why they don't?

 

[Bobster]

Is there a reason for why they don't?

It's not in their NEC.

Although different states work to different versions of the NEC, I'm not o fay with all the versions.

 

[fadox21]

I have worked with a few US sparks and most of them said they never test an installation turn it on and hope for the best. Most had never heard of a zs before either! get ready to start sharing neutrals and earths on final circuits. One lad who I used to work with states that in las vegas (maybe this is the case all over the states) you get put on a union list if you join the union and you can only do electrical work through them. So until your name is top of the list you cannot do any electrical work. He worked in a warehouse until he was top of the list and then went on a casino new build for 2 years, seems a strange way to me. He did say it was good money when he got on a job though, that is through the union only as I know some lads do not work through the union and can do what they want. Hope this helps

 

[Risteard]

Most had never heard of a zs before either!

Earth (which they refer to as ground) fault loop impedance would be a better description as different abbreviations than Zs can be used for it in other places.

 

[KennyKen]

Neutral conductor is White. Hot wire is black. Which is also a phase colour. Most houses are split poly phase 110v to 220v. Earth conductor is a bare earth which is called ground. An RCD is called a GFCI or GFCI protected (Ground Fault current protection) recpticles aka socket outlets can be Two or Three Pin and range from 10a to 20a. Strapper's for two way lighting are called Travellers generally wired using a red and blue core.

Three phase colours are different between states but the generic colouring is -
L1 - Red L2 - Black L3 - Blue.

Although these characteristics change when dealing with rural applications a transformer configuration called High Leg Delta comes into play. Voltages will range from 240v 208v and 120v between each seperate phase. The Neutral conductor is centre tapped between L1 and L2 on the secondary winding's. Industrial applications are generally 277/480 WYE The phase colours also change with Brown Orange and yellow the generic colouring. As mentioned before can change per state. The frequency is also at 60HZ. Cable sizes are sized using the AWG scale meaning lower the number the bigger the diameter which can become confusing. Americans use a lot of steel EMC conduit bending it using Hockey stick pipe bender. A lot harder then using a Hilmore.

Bit late with the message but hope this tiny amount of info helps

 

[norcal]

To work in California you need to be a certified electrician, or be enrolled in a approved training program(me). Here is a link to provide a bit more info: Division of Labor Standards Enforcement - Electrician certification program - http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ECU/ElectricalTrade.html A electrical contractor (C10 classification) is regulated by the CSLB Contractors State Licensing Board Contractors State License Board - http://www.cslb.ca.gov/ Applicants - Contractors State License Board - http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Applicants/


Please note, 110/220 volts is a prewar voltage, the residential voltage is 120/240 volts, (there are some antique 30A 120V services still out there) the only crap that comes with those voltages is garbage electrical from Europe, and China, & try to stay from all those products.

 

[wams]

To work in California you need to be a certified electrician, or be enrolled in a approved training program(me). Here is a link to provide a bit more info: Division of Labor Standards Enforcement - Electrician certification program - http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/ECU/ElectricalTrade.html A electrical contractor (C10 classification) is regulated by the CSLB Contractors State Licensing Board Contractors State License Board - http://www.cslb.ca.gov/ Applicants - Contractors State License Board - http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Contractors/Applicants/


Please note, 110/220 volts is a prewar voltage, the residential voltage is 120/240 volts, (there are some antique 30A 120V services still out there) the only crap that comes with those voltages is garbage electrical from Europe, and China, & try to stay from all those products.

Thank You Norcal