Becoming An Electrician - Is It Right For You?

One of the best decisions I ever made was to undertake an pre-apprenticeship electrical training program. Not only was I able to get valuable training that I could use for the rest of my life, but it also allowed me to get an insight into what work an electrician performs on a daily basis. Once I'd seen some of the work the they got to carry out, I knew then that that's what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But not everyone has the option or money to undertake these sometimes expensive courses - so how would you know if that type of work is for you? We've put together some tips for you to help you try and see if this is the kind of field you'd like to get into.

1. Math work. If you don't enjoy math, or are extremely bad at it, then being an electrician probably isn't the best for you. Before undertaking my training, I had been informed that I would need to be ready for a lot of math, but I was underestimating just how much I would need this skill. On the upside, you are usually working with the same types of calculations, so if you're skills aren't the best, then they will definitely pick up along the way simply due to repetition.

2. Working in different locations. Electricity is everywhere, and becoming an electrician has allowed me to work in 3 different coutnries. But it's not just traveling internationally, when I'm working in my home town, I can travel to up to 6-7 different job sites in a single day. This will all depend on what type of electrician you become, as some certain types require you to stay in the same place permanantly, such as in a foundry, factory or hospital.

3. Working with your hands. In my day, I use a variety of hand tools and power tools to get the job done. The most common job you'll likely be doing is stripping, installing and testing cables and circuits. To undertake these tasks, you'll use hand tools such as pliers, cable cutters and screwdrivers, as well as testing equipment like digital multimeters, analog multimeters, and insulation testers.

4. Problem solving. Not a single day goes by at work where I don't have to do some sort of problem solving. How am I going to get that cable inside that wall without dirupting other power circuits? How much voltage drop is in this cable run? Why did that ciruit breaker overload? Questions such as these make you think on your feet, and some days can defrinitely be more mentaly challening than others.

Conclusion: Being an electrician is truly rewarding, it's a great feeling knowing that you've helped solve someones problems, but the metal and physical work is not for everyone. If you're sitting on the fence about becoming and electrician, I would advise seeking out a qualified tradesman and asking to spend the day with them to see the tasks they perorm and see if their work still interests you.