ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
2 members (ampherder, Scott35), 261 guests, and 17 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
#155483 01/07/05 11:25 PM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 138
C
Member
I am a second year apprentice. I love the work, and I can't really complain about the pay. Only thing is...the company i work for is made up of me and the owner...he's the E1..I'm the apprentice. i have been working for him for a year and a half, and we do mainly residential some commercial...ect..a lot of times he drops me off at the job, and leaves to do other things...don't know don't care what they are...except...shouldn't he be there to answer any questions? He obviously wouldn't leave me there to do something i couldn't handle...but it still doesn't sound right to me...we just wired up a 6000 sq ft steel building...i did almost everything in it...alone...exept for pulling the feeders and mounting the panels...once He told me to wire up 2 waste oil furnaces by myself and i luckily had a schematic on the inside of the covers to look at...but before this job i didn't even know what a waste oil furnace was....anyway they work, and i am obviously gaining valuable experience by having to figure stuff out on my own...i consider my self as a person who is motivated and hard working and will most likely start my own business one day....any comments?

I have to add...in the steel building, there is an appartment on top of offices at one side...i forgot the outlet in the hallway in the appartment and it failed inspection...supposedly the inspector asked the building's owner who the electrical contractor was and if he had a liscence...pretty funny stuff...

[This message has been edited by Clydesdale (edited 01-07-2005).]

[This message has been edited by Clydesdale (edited 01-07-2005).]

Latest Estimating Cost Guides & Software:
#155484 01/09/05 02:11 AM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 86
N
Member
Clydesdale,
Legally an apprentice should not be working alone but being a two man shop myself it is very hard for the boss to be there all the time, especially if you are a service company like I am. The only time I will leave my apprentice alone is if it is work he already knows how to do, its dead, and our phones are working. I will tell you this, by the time you are done you will be a better electrician than those that install using a blueprint. I learned like you are in the 60's and 70's and I have never lost a single day of work. I love the service end of our business and trouble shooting is our favorite type of work. Just be sure to let the boss know if you are in any dought at all and ask plenty of questions. We do no new construction, we work directly for our customers and we have to lay everything out ourselves. Calculating feeders, motor loads etc is so much fun. Forgot one outlet? Thats all? Sounds like your doing all right for yourself. Good luck. Are you in a formal program?
norstarr

#155485 01/10/05 12:12 AM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 138
C
Member
Yeah..i am going to school right now...i have 2.5 years left until i graduate. i worked for a guy for 6 months and he kept saying he would register me...finally i said see you later, and my current boss hired me...he asked why i left my old company and i said basically it was because he wouldn't register me...the first month my current boss had me registered...that is definately a good thing about my boss...he is a man of his word...

#155486 01/10/05 10:11 AM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 80
B
Member
Clydesdale, you really owe your current boss the highest respect. You mentionrd that he is a man of his word!!! You don't find that in very many folks in todays world. He must think highly of you to leave you along on these jobs. Remember it is his company that is on the line, if you mess up. You can find another job, but he will need to rebuild his reputation as a quality company. Good luck sounds like you work for a pretty good fellow.

#155487 01/10/05 08:32 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
Hi there Clydesdale!.
It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what to do on a job site.
And it also sounds like your Boss has a great deal of trust in your abilities.
How ever, it does make things rather awkward, should you have an accident, while working un-supervised, I'm not saying you will and I most certainly aren't wishing any accidents on anyone here, but it wouldn't look too good to any investigation.
That said, I have to agree with Ron (Norstarr), no-one does an Apprenticeship totally under the supervision of an Electrician, to even think that would be silly.
The only way you learn, is to do things and work things out for yourself, we've all had to do it. [Linked Image]
Best of luck for the rest of your Apprenticeship!. [Linked Image]

#155488 01/11/05 12:20 AM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 138
C
Member
Yeah...I remember the first time he left me alone to do something...when he got back it was finished, and all he said was, " this looks good." I told him I thought it was great that he trusted me to be able to do the work unsupervised.....but there are definately times where I know how I would do something, and I'm not sure how he would want me to do it...you know? but one thing's for sure I know you can never lose by working your ass off...Oh...and i definately have complete respect for the man...the first month of working for him, we were wireing an A/C job and the homeowner wanted to add a receptacle outside the garage...he said I could have this one...charged them $100, and gave me the check!!I couldn't believe it!It took about 45 minutes!

#155489 01/11/05 05:47 PM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
Clydesdale,

You said "E1" so I am guessing you are from Connecticut. (E1 is the name of our licesnse for "electrical contractor.") So am I.

What town are you in? What school do you go to?

You can email me if you like. [Linked Image]

Peter D.

BTW, I don't think having you work alone and unsupervised is such a great idea.


Peter
#155490 01/12/05 09:26 PM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 138
C
Member
I am in Waterbury...how about you?...I have to find out what school I need to go to here because I just moved here..you know of any trade schools in the area?

#155491 01/13/05 03:07 PM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
There is a private trade school right in Waterbury. I forgot the name though.

Send me an email. [Linked Image]


Peter

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5