Veteran electricians had asked it at some point in their lives. New bloods themselves are probably—or will be—asking about the same thing as well. Heck, even anyone who does not aspire to become an electrician may have had thought about it.
Is Being an Electrician Hard?
This is perhaps a ubiquitous query that had touched the mind of many who had come across the subject, either as a random spurt of idea or as a deep-seated inspiration.
And the answer is pretty simple—it is!
But first, let us start off from the beginning why that is the case.
You Have to Work for Your Credentials to Qualify for Apprenticeship
The idea of becoming an apprenticeship for the electrician trade may seem to be as simple and straightforward as heading into a nearest institution to file for an apprenticeship program, leaving the building with a smile on your face, and foreseeing a bright future in your chosen career.
That may be the ideal. But it does not usually happen—at least, not for everybody.
In reality, given the perks that comes with any apprenticeship program , a successful application may require some proving—and even convincing your assessor, based on your merit—in order to become a thing.
Essentially, it is like entering into a university you like. You first have to prove that you have the mantle of the “right student” to your preferred educational institution.
Not many passes it which essentially makes it the initial screening of the student-filtering process.
Luckily, there are plenty of options in how you could earn your credentials which you could use to boost your chances of getting into apprenticeship.
Becoming an Apprentice is No Child’s Play
So, you think that getting approved to become an apprentice may be difficult enough. Wait until you become an actual apprenticeship who has to learn everything, piece by piece, from scratch.
They say that it’s always the “first time” that is the most difficult about life in general. Nothing can possibly be further from the truth than to actually be clueless about many things, whether in classroom or actual job, and then gain knowledge from that point as a fresh apprentice.
Now, of course, how easy or difficult your first year as an apprentice may significantly be dependent on how prepared you are prior to becoming one. But, even the “most prepared” of apprentice has its own limits as there are simply much to learn which also actual experience could only provide.
Just in case you are not aware, an apprenticeship can lasts you at least 4 years. Some even lasts for longer to up to 5 to 6 years, depending on what you are trying to learn.
Having to Choose Which Journeyman Role to Take Requires Personal Assessment and Understanding
So, you managed to go through your apprenticeship. Now, onto the next step—which type of electrician will you become?
Unless you are privy to the overall outlook about being an electrician, then you probably are not aware that not all those in the profession are the same. Although they are all equipped with the same fundamental knowledge, oftentimes that is where the similarity only comes from.
To be precise, there is more than a single path which a qualified electrician could take—plenty of them, in fact.
But who you become will ultimately fall into your own decision and will differ accordingly to a slew of different factors such as your ideal working environment, range of salary, projected career growth, and other perks.
For example, if your primary concern for choosing a career as an electrician, apart from learning a valuable trade and not be buried in debt in the process, is the highest possible salary, then choosing to work as an electrician in an oil rig in the middle of nowhere may be for you.
Now, it is worth considering that whichever option you choose from, every single choice has its fair share of trade-offs, both advantageous and disadvantageous.
You can always take a step back if you find your choice not suitable for you and thereby steer your career in a different direction. But there’s a significant upside to realize what fits for you early on in order to capitalize on it and reach a point in your chosen career early in the process.
Doing the Actual Job of a Journeyman Electrician is Not Easy
It goes without saying that by reaching the point of becoming a licensed electrician , you are probably already aware of the difficulties that come with the trade.
Even if you are well-equipped, both in actual gear and skill, there is simply inherently taxing about the job of a journeyman electrician that cannot be discounted.
For example, unknown to some, the nature of an electrician’s job is not just about connecting wires, making relays, and such, it also demands a lot on the physical body, too. Even when you are not carrying something heavy, you would still expect yourself to do strenuous jobs for extended periods of time in a day’s work.
Needless to say, in order to thrive from the job, you must literally be physically fit or at least, functional. Meeting this requirement in itself requires work and does not just happen naturally, even though it is convenient to think so in the process.
And then comes the risk.
Is Being An Electrician Dangerous
In case you are not aware, despite all the advancements we have in technology and how solid the guidelines are with regards to safety, there is still danger that comes when performing an electrician’s role.
Even the so-called “seasoned” electricians are not away from the harm that comes with the job. And by “harm,” it does not only refer to the potential high-voltage electricity that runs at the workplace, there are also other elements that pose as added hazard as well, such as heavy materials and heights.
Although many of the dangers that comes with the work could be easily mitigated by being stringent to the established safety guidelines, some of the hazards are actually accidental by nature, not borne from neglect.