It’s always nerve-wracking thinking about which career path to choose, or journeying towards a whole new career when you need a change or a fresh start. While it’s nerve-wracking, it can also be extremely rewarding professionally and monetarily. All you need is to research what type of position you’re better suited for and start the process of learning and training to the best of your abilities for that position.
If you’re especially good with your hands and it seems like your brain works especially well in regards to puzzles, then becoming an electrician might be for you! It’s well-paid in the grand scheme of salaries and it’s an experiential job that can prepare you to fix an array of electrical issues.
What you actually need to know about what it’s like to be an electrician has to do with training, work environment, and salaries. Once you’re educated on what an electrician does on a daily basis and how they can move up in their field, you’ll be more likely able to gage whether or not it’s the right job for you.
What do Electricians Do?
Electricians mainly focus on rewiring and wiring electric for factories, companies, and residential properties. Rewiring and wiring emphasize the different tracks in which electricians work. If focusing on rewiring, an electrician is a maintenance electrician. If focused on wiring new buildings, then this person is called a construction electrician.
After reading and studying the blueprints of a property, an electrician will get to work on how best to wire the building (or rewire it). They’re also always on hand to fix any electrical problems that could go wrong. As mentioned, being an electrician does require very similar types of skills if not the very same that an engineer uses.
Any place that needs electricity will realistically need an electrician taking care of it. Depending on the electrician’s specialty, the work could be either very complex or a simple fix.
Training and Education Needed
You will definitely need some training to become an electrician; it can actually be somewhat of a dangerous job. Electrical wiring can be finicky and requires a high level of knowledge to get the wiring right. Not just anyone can do it.
If you want to become an electrician, then the best first step would be enrolling in a vocational school. This will get you prepared educationally.
An apprenticeship can prepare you for a day in the life of an electrician and give you hands-on experience.
Where do Electricians Work?
As mentioned, many electricians work in residential properties, commercial buildings, and warehouses. These working conditions aren’t for everyone, but this is a good profession for someone who’s interested in a change of scenery where they work. There’s also the potential to work both inside and outside.
There is some risk in the electrician’s job. There is a high recorded number of accidents that have caused injury. There is also the likelihood of working in inclement weather and having to travel long distances to different job sites.
