IT engineer turned electrician

[1Justin]

It seems strange that popular opinion warrants that as people age, they should be moving OUT of the more manual jobs into more sedentary ones.
The complete opposite is in fact true. - Youngsters have the constitution to remain nearly stationary nearly all day and still stay reasonably healthy. This also applies to eye damage and repetitive strain injuries, caused by fixed focus half a metre in front of the nose and using a mouse all day.
There are real benefits to taking on a more manual job!

 

[Adam W]

I think you have made a mistake, I know several lads in the IT business and they make a mint and do not graft for a living, adice to you, stick with the IT lol

There's money to be made in anything if you play it right, but there's no such thing as 'easy money'. When I left school people used to say "there's money in computers"; a mate of mine did a short course in IT and got a job on an IT helpdesk for not much more than minimum wage and hated it.
Nowadays you tell people what you do and they tell you "Oooh there's good money in that, and plumbers".

 

[Steve Bramah]

Welcome to the industry. Unfortunately in our industry, qualifications are just the start of a massive mountain climb. I used to interview people that, at the time, had more qualifications than i had (no longer possible), but when it came to putting their quals into practice, they were useless. Typically, 20 year olds that had BS 2391 (Test and inspection). I had my No 1 take this kid to a finished new build and my man said " ok, take me through a T & I. He didn't know where to start! I sacked him 2 weeks later because he thought he was above making a brew. Even I brew up. Only experience will allow you to put your qualification into practise.

 

[Steve Bramah]

Welcome to the industry. Unfortunately in our industry, qualifications are just the start of a massive mountain climb. I used to interview people that, at the time, had more qualifications than i had (no longer possible), but when it came to putting their quals into practice, they were useless. Typically, 20 year olds that had BS 2391 (Test and inspection). I had my No 1 take this kid to a finished new build and my man said " ok, take me through a T & I. He didn't know where to start! I sacked him 2 weeks later because he thought he was above making a brew. Even I brew up. Only experience will allow you to put your qualification into practise.

 

[Max Lions]

What's the trickiest part of becoming an electrician?
What would an experienced electrician tell his or her rookie self taking their first step into the industry?

It's good to take on a new challenge but it's best to start off by asking those in the know ...

 

[davesparks]

Got a bundle of electrical quals now and looking to do more as I can afford them. It seems you can never run out of qualifications to collect in this industry!

I can’t say I agree, I’ve been at it 13 years and so far all I’ve ‘collected’ is an apprenticeship, 17th edition course and a driving licence.
I’ve built up a successful little business with regular customers and none of them have ever asked what qualifications I have, they only seem to care about having the job done well.

 

[Dave Rudderham]

I think you have made a mistake, I know several lads in the IT business and they make a mint and do not graft for a living, adice to you, stick with the IT lol

They're very lucky then. IT up here is paying just above minimum wage if you're lucky. I was lucky, I migrated from Electronics to IT then to Data/Telecoms and on to Electrical work (not on my own before anyone jumps down my throat) on the side then decided to qualify Sept 2016. Just finishing college. Considering a degree. The Level 2 and 3 was far to easy.

 

[SparkyChick]

What's the trickiest part of becoming an electrician?
What would an experienced electrician tell his or her rookie self taking their first step into the industry?

It's good to take on a new challenge but it's best to start off by asking those in the know ...

I would say the trickiest thing is gaining relevant experience if you're not doing an apprenticeship.

The advice I would give myself is don't underestimate how long even the simple jobs can take, purchase that anti-slip ladder mat and even though you know it's the last accessory on the circuit and it's not live because you've been cutting out the old supply, still test it to make sure it's dead before disconnecting it and grabbing the conductors

 

[Dave Rudderham]

I would say the trickiest thing is gaining relevant experience if you're not doing an apprenticeship.

The advice I would give myself is don't underestimate how long even the simple jobs can take, purchase that anti-slip ladder mat and even though you know it's the last accessory on the circuit and it's not live because you've been cutting out the old supply, still test it to make sure it's dead before disconnecting it and grabbing the conductors

Agreed, I count myself very lucky. I had a few years working for a spark on the side of my day job, he told me I 'was wasted fiddling with phone cable" (even though he still passes his phone work over to me) and to go to college to get qualified which I did.

 

[MDJ]

They're very lucky then. IT up here is paying just above minimum wage if you're lucky. I was lucky, I migrated from Electronics to IT then to Data/Telecoms and on to Electrical work (not on my own before anyone jumps down my throat) on the side then decided to qualify Sept 2016. Just finishing college. Considering a degree. The Level 2 and 3 was far to easy.

Easy yes, but experience counts, you have a long way to go

 

[Dave Rudderham]

Easy yes, but experience counts, you have a long way to go

It does, but I gained a lot whilst working on the electrical side. Worked several days a week for several years. Encountered a lot, built up experience and competence. I certainly learnt more in the field than I did at college. College was the paperwork.

 

[RedFox]

I have worked in IT for 20+ years, it's been no good for my physical or mental health and having been made redundant in July I decided I just couldn't do it any more. Now retraining and very much looking forward to a new challenge and not being stuck behind a desk all day.