Old boy needs advice on which route to follow

Rainman68 · Jun 10, 2022

Hello folks
I'm just looking for some advise regarding career route path.
I'm 53, been a sparky all my life.
I have a Maintenance gold card, 18th regs and 2391 52 amongst other add on qualifications.
I'm currently in a fairly well paid role as a full-time electrical test engineer in the industrial sector.
I've always wanted to keep my options open and wondered if a step across to the domestic sector would be the right move.
An opportunity has arisen for a position into domestic and wondered what any of you learned people in my position would do hypothetically.
It's a bit of an open ended question I realise that but just wanted to put it out there into the sparky world.
Thanks in advance for the help.

Rainman68 · Jun 11, 2022

telectrix said:
don't go into domestic you'll regret it for the rest of your knees and back.

I hear you loud and clear.
Thanks for the short shock of reality

Rainman68 · Jun 11, 2022

Vortigern said:
Tell you what I will swap skill sets with you. I think you are in a skilled and preferred area doing what you are doing. You would definitely regret such a change and pine for the good old days and wonder what the hell made you think domestic was better than what you are doing. I suspect quite a lot on here would take your job like a shot if they are doing domestic especially in social housing, it's a nightmare. Do not do it, don't even think about it.

Point taken on board, thanks for your input, my thoughts (I should definitely stop having them this late in life) have been put to bed

telectrix · Jun 11, 2022

Rainman68 said:
Point taken on board, thanks for your input, my thoughts (I should definitely stop having them this late in life) have been put to bed

have been put to bed

alongside with crowbars, wall chasers, bolster chisels and lump hammers.

swaRRR · Jun 11, 2022

If the money is the same, commercial/industrial is a much physically easier gig. Domestic is a lot of climbing in lofts, carrying stuff up stairs, dealing with customers who're often not in or you have to plan your schedule round theirs, there can be payment issues, material supply issues, etc etc.

If you're going to be your own boss, then domestic pays much better than any commercial PAYE or CIS position, but if it's like for like working for someone else and being paid a wage, or unless you're doing mostly testing and not installation, it'd have to be much higher for me to switch from industrial to domestic. A domestic EICR gig might be a good option.

I used to work in commercial and now i work in domestic. Although going on site in some hangar in the dark in -3 December isn't very nice, i do pine for being able to just go up in a lifter to attach a through-box when i'm in a loft rolling around in insulation in 35 degree summer heat.