I personally got into the electrical field, 'cause I figured, no matter what, people are going to need electricians. The electrical field is very broad as well, there are so many different areas you can get into. I have experience in residential, commercial, industrial and service work, including low voltage stuff like fire detection, security, cat 5, fiber optics and electronics and control work (sorry, it sounds like a resume).
I also attended a 4 year apprenticeship school throught the Independent Electrical Contractors (the non-union equivalent). Let me tell you it was the deciding factor for me landing my current job! The boss said he really likes an electrician with schooling, and the schooling has paid off in the field as well. I've heard from many experienced electricians two things: 1. they wished they had the schooling that is available today when they apprenticed. 2. they prefer a well rounded electrician.
But I think the biggest factor in your decision is do you really enjoy working with electrical stuff? When you read these discussion forums and read the interests of the contributors in their profiles, you see a very high percentage that list electrical as a hobby as well as a career. Personally I tried something totally different when I got out of electronics (avionics) before I became an electrician, I found I really missed the variety and working with both my hands and my head! Can't beat it!
-Good Luck!
