My future (help) suggestions

[SPARK2B]

hi all, I am just about to reach the end of year one of level 2 2365 at college and cannot believe the speed @ which it has passed,...


anyway, i have been thinking about the future, for me, in the electrical game, i have mentioned this to people i meet, and people i know, people in the trade, engineers, designers, people working in the railway side of electricity, sewage and water, etc, and the responses have been varied, now i ask you guys for your input, as always it will be most appreciated ..

if you was at my stge of training, looking forward would you aim to specialize, as it were ....

i have been told good options are / would be / opinions are

(remember i have been told this, this is not my input so dont know whats involved in these sides of the electrical life)

• panels (building / maintenance)
• industrial installation
• testing and inspecting (industrial)
• avoid domestic at all costs
• concentrate on comm and ind (there deffo seems to be a pattern here)
• go to austrailia and work in a mine
• go to aus, they are dying for sparks out there
• get into design
• PV is the future
• renewable`s is where its at
• there's no money or future in renewable`s, its a fad, its not going to last (this one made me raise an eyebrow)
• industrial maintainance
• domestic is the easiest work to get
• railways
• DNO
• powerstations
• dont bother, do gas instead (again, raised eyebrows)

any input guys, most appreciated....

spark2b

 

[tomfj]

Maybe true for a job direct with them but you can do a personal trackside safety course and then apply for jobs with companies which contract for them.
If I were a lot younger I'd be looking into instrumentation, my brother does that and he is on absolutely ridiculous money. Admittedly he has to go into some fairly unpleasant places to earn it but if you want to earn a lot and retire early........

The money is good but you'll earn it, believe me and be warned there is a lot of study required, then the job is getting to be 50% paperwork,and now ****ing agencies are trying to cut the money :nonod:
but if you're seriously thinking instrumentation the city and guilds course is quite good i'm working with a couple of lads that did it and they certainly know their stuff They're both industrial electricians originally and now working as maintenance technicians to get instrument experience, they're better than some "graduate" technicians I've had the pleasure of working with.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Industrial all the way. Domestic is full of Electrical Trainee pushing prices down and doing a **** job too.

it is...and i`v said it for time..

but if you can get a few decent customers who will understand that value for money and pure cheap arn`t the same thing...

 

[SPARK2B]

thanks for all the input guys,...lots to consider,....as always, much appreciated..

always good to hear from those in the know....

cheers all

 

[Welchyboy1]

Industrial all the way. Domestic is full of Electrical Trainee pushing prices down and doing a **** job too.

I completed my apprenticeship with AMEC doing industrial and large commercial works and i really hated it,lots of travelling, hot damp and smelly factories, high viz vests, hard hats, and hard work for bad money(unless your running the jobs)

Once i had the experience i went straight into working for myself, i do mainly domestic and small commercial works and EICRs

all my work is within around ten miles of my house, my alarm is set for 7:30am every morning, I'm my own boss, i only take on the jobs i choose and if i don't like someone i wont work for them

the only encounters i have with five week wonders is when I'm ripping out there work and re-installing it, the reality is most of them dont last long on their own when let loose into the real world


once you build up a decent client base with a solid reputation you honestly don't need to worry about Electrical Trainee unless your a real poor sparks, most jobs for regular clients, i don't even get asked to give them a price, just to invoice them afterwards

i could never work for someone else anymore, you'll never earn anything over a wage, all my work is based on a price so the faster i work the more i earn which is a good incentive to work hard and fast, if your employed your generally on site till 5 no matter how hard you work and the day just drags

i easily clear 50k per year without weekends and charge around £250 per day, this is easily achievable once you have decent customers who choose value over cheapness(they do exist you just have to find them then keep them)


Being self employed is not for everyone though, its hard work especially at the start and it took me about 6 years to build my business up to where i am now, but in this day and age, even in direct employment there is no such thing as job security

 

[trev]

I like ridiculous money. Tell me more

Well just now he's looking at a 28/28 rotation in western Egypt @£100k+

 

[elliot123]

What does an instrumental electrician entail?

 

[Chrisuk]

thanks for all the input guys,...lots to consider,....as always, much appreciated..

always good to hear from those in the know....

cheers all

What exams have you done this year so far?
I only did the 202 which I passed, still had 3 to do before I left and the others now only have 2 months remaining

 

[amckay]

null

I take it that's 28days on then 28days off? That salary turns me on! What kind of training and quals are required as a starting point for progression?

 

[trev]

I know he holds an HND but as for the rest, I'll ask

 

[Silly Sausage]

Well just now he's looking at a 28/28 rotation in western Egypt @£100k+

I hope that £100K is per annum, not pro rata!
Plus danger money for Egypt these days.

 

[trev]

Nope not pro rata mate, he's just finished one in Kazakhstan which was closer to 150. Also not pro rata

 

[king_11]

This sounds very interesting . What type of works ? Do we have a job vacancy part of forum ?

 

[Silly Sausage]

Nope not pro rata mate, he's just finished one in Kazakhstan which was closer to 150. Also not pro rata

Still, quite tidy for 6 months 'work!'

 

[7029 dave]

Get into industrial / micro generation, don't do domestic it's more trouble than its worth.!

 

[Meggerman]

Get into industrial / micro generation, don't do domestic it's more trouble than its worth.!

However if you are experienced and good at it, it is bread and butter you can always fall back on, there is more houses than shops, offices and factories. I always have plenty of work, make good money, there is a lot doing it now I know but many are not doing a good job, this has genuinely helped my business as some customers will wait ages to get me. People write domestic off all the time, but I don't see it.