The role of an electrician, in all its forms, is no simple feat. Not only is there a hazard to dealing with high-flowing electricity at high voltages, it also takes wits and applied knowledge of the subject to call oneself a man of the profession.
But, as a beginner, there’s also other sides to becoming an electrician which you might not yet know.
Here are 20 things to consider in no particular order on your first year in the job:
1. It’s truly a risky job
Unlike your engineer counterpart who mostly only does the planning and supervision of any electrical project, your job as an electrician is about executing the plans to fruition. This means getting yourself exposed to conditions where danger lurks in every corner, mostly in front of you. Consider your safety at all times during work.
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2. Your fitness is as good as your skills and tools
The role of an electrician may not be as intensive as your average labor worker. But electricians know ought to know how the human body positions itself when doing electrical jobs. When your ability to move is impaired, so is your performance at work.
3. Your knowledge and hand-eye coordination are your “bread and butter”
You did not work your ass off for nothing. As an individual with an esoteric knowledge on a certain field, what you know and what you can do is what gives you value and where you source your livelihood from. Treasure it.
4. It’s just the start of a lifelong learning process
You may well be equipped with the right knowhow as an electrician, but there are things that you could learn which only personal experience could teach. Your first year at the job is crucial to it. Be open-minded to what you could know.
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5. Your workplace varies
Depending on your company, the setting for your job would vary. For instance, if you are working for an electrical distribution company, you might consider the open field as your large work area, connecting or repairing electrical lines from one post to another. Otherwise, you might be working in closed spaces, doing the same job involving circuits and electricity. So, set your expectations straight when holding a particular job as an electrician.
6. You move around places as part of the job
Many electrical jobs are located in remote areas which will have you temporarily migrate to do a job that lasts between weeks or months. While you may be lucky enough to handle jobs in your area, this idea is not necessarily always the case.
7. Maintenance jobs guarantee regular employment
Certified electricians are always in demand. This is true primarily because the demand for ongoing electricity is staple, be it from residential or commercial spaces. But if you are seeking regular employment in the profession, no other role provides as much guarantee than the maintenance position.
8. You could work for a company or as an individual contractor
You must be a person with a corporate mindset to consider working with other people in a company. But you could also work independently, too, if you wish to.
9. Your experience is more important than your degree
Although, for a technical job, concepts and theories play important role in the overall work of a technician, what you learned in college or university is only as good as how you apply them with practicality. You become a valuable asset to your employer or client when you demonstrate the logic to be true.
10. Learn time management
The work of an electrician may not be easy. But it does not imply the need to be slack. Like all projects, the tasks being given to you is strictly time-bounded. Being able to finish any particular project insinuates how you value your work.
11. Always be mentally sharp
Your role as an electrician is not as simple as merely connecting one part to another given a planner’s blueprint. At times, there are instances where your learning might be put to the test. Always keep your wits about you by actively applying everything you had learned from training and school.
12. Sharpen your problem-solving skills
There are chances in your role as an electrician where you will be confronted with a problem which you yourself is tasked to solve. How you address the problem at hand will significantly reflect your capability in the job.
13. Develop your soft skills
As an electrician, your job is not always only on the technical side. Another side of it involves dealing with people, especially clients. It is important that you know a thing or two about proper socialization. Building business relationship goes a long way.
14. Strive to learn more
Experience can propel you further into your career more than anything else will. If you are aspiring for a solid career as an electrician in the future, invest in yourself by learning more, either through further training or advanced studies.
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15. Know the basic symptoms of a faulty electrical system
A live electrical system is like a living thing. When something is off, there is likely something wrong about it which might manifest in little or simple ways. By knowing the faults, you would know early on how to apply the fixes.
16. Value your tools
You may be the best electrician in the area, but if you do not have the right tools, then you are severely limited. Value your tools as if it’s a part of yourself.
17. Maintain solid awareness of the codes
Codes are essentially a jargon. You would find it hard to comprehend or converse if you are lacking it. Go back with the basics and master it, if you have not already.
18. Brush up on your math
While being an electrician may not require intensive and advanced learning in math like a rocket science would, you must at least have a clear grasp of the basic.
19. Do not forget the scientific principles
There’s a lot of science involve in the work of an electrician. You would just have to be reminded about it by constantly dabbling in it.
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20. Aim for the prize
Whatever your goal is for pursuing a career as an electrician, always focus on the prize. Your prospect about life is a lot more positive that way.