Have you ever heard of The Art of Manliness? Well, on their website artofmanliness.com they have an awesome series called So You Want My Trade. We know that a lot of our readers are aspiring electricians, so we wanted to share the “So You Want My Trade: Electrician” article with all of you. Here it is: http://goo.gl/Q1BQI5
If you don’t have the time to read it all the way through, that’s fine! We have summed it up for you here:
Meet The Electrician, Matt
- Matt Day is a 35-year-old electrician who is married with two kids. He lives in Indiana and has been working as an electrician for a little over 16 years. At 19 he began his electrician career working on the construction side, but became a railroad electrician about 5 years ago.
Why Did Matt Want To Become An Electrician?
- Initially he actually wanted to be an architect, but once he was taught some of basics of electrical work he was hooked. He loves the excitement and technical nature of his job, he also loves that he gets to work outside and in a variety of locations. He adds that one of his favorite parts of being an electrician is getting to work with his hands, which he says “makes you feel strong, independent, and manly.”
What Have His Different Electrical Jobs Been Like?
- Construction: Matt explains that there are three sectors in construction:
- Residential
- Commercial
- Industrial
- The main difference between these sectors is the scale of the job. He states that with most construction electrical jobs, electricians follow a layout provided by an architect or engineer, but that they often make alterations and modifications because blueprints very rarely reflect reality accurately. He adds that in recent years there has been a push towards clean energy, so more and more electricians need to know how to work with photovoltaic and wind systems.
- Railroads: Matt explains that the same basic skill set is required when working as a railroad electrician as when working as an electrician in construction, but that the focus is a slightly different. On railroads, the emphasis is more on maintenance and less on construction. Another difference is that he has to travel much further when working on the railroad.
What is an average day like?
- Matt tells us that when it comes to construction, deadlines are strict and things move at a fairly fast pace. This is because many construction jobs are bid on, so the more quickly you complete your work the more the contractor gets paid.
- Working as a railroad electrician is a bit slower paced, but that the expectations are similar: “There will always be conduit, wiring and other equipment to install and fix.”
What Is The Best Part Of His Career As An Electrician?
- Matt says that the best part of his job as an electrician is that he gets to do something different every day–he gets to go to different locations and explore various aspects of the trade each day. He says, “I’m not an assembly line or office person, never have been. I have nothing against that career path, I just love the freedom that comes with working with the trades. While others are wondering ‘what’s it like outside,’ I know what it’s like because I’m in it.”
Matt’s Parting Advice:
- “Being an electrician is an excellent career choice and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Whether it’s the young man just out of high school, or the not so young man wanting to make a career change. Being an electrician, just as any other skilled trade, is a skill you have for life.”
Matt is clearly an advocate of the electrician trade, and here at ATI we are are, too! Over the years we have successfully helped hundreds of young adults begin rewarding careers as electricians. And we can do the same for you! Our Electrical Technician program here in Las Vegas can be completed in as little as 9 months and we provide job placement services upon program completion so you are able to jump right into your new career.
Learn more about our electrical program and our career services by calling ATI today!