ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Is it a good career?

You are right Roger. I appologize if I sounded like I was trivializing the whole trade but 1&2 family is certainly getting dumbed down so that it really doesn't take 5000 hours to learn the day to day.
Big commercial is definately a different situation but with so much industry pushing offshore I am not sure how many folks they will need. When you look at things like GM talking about screwing employees out of their health care, pension plans being abandoned and airlines demanding that pilots have to take pay cuts, I am not sure simply working for a big company is any guarantee that you will keep getting fair compensation. IBM just sent letters to a bunch of retirees saying they made a mistake and that calculator you used to predict your pension check was wrong. They are adjusting your check to the "correct" lower amount. They were supposed to be the best company for benefits, job security and pensions.

Sometimes they say,
"a wireman can install but an electrician can repair the problem"

Most of the single family work I do is pretty high tech... Lots of automation/intergration here, not work for a "Rope-A-Dope". And some of the high end work can make you feel more like a craftsmen and artist than 'just' an electrician.

If youre reffering to the "speculative building" portion of our industry, thats another story. A great place to pick up bad habits, and learn very little. And end up as a "Rope-A-Dope".

IMO, and I say this strongly... You are either an "Electrician" or you are NOT. Be it residential, or commercial.... The only difference I see is material, and often where I am the material is the same. I pipe and MC a lot of residential. A "Rope-A-Dope" in residential work is just as dumb as a "Rope-A-Dope" in commercial. He just might be a "Pipe-Dope".

[This message has been edited by e57 (edited 07-11-2006).]

I guess seing that the OP is not in the Trade or at least yet, we should probhably define what an "Electrician" is. As opposed to the other terms like "Rope-A-Dope", "Technician", or "Installer". For that matter "Mechanic", "Apprentice", "Journeyman" or the other various terms not mentioned.

These are my definitions, others may vary...

• "Installer" synonomous with "Rope-A-Dope", often reffered to as "Bodies" if reffered to as a group... Couldn't design a circuit to save thier lives, often hand fed work item by item, so as not to confuse or overwhelm thier fragile little minds. All derogitory terms for either the totally un-skilled, Apprentices, or Journeymen alike who lack certain skills or knowledge. Or who are often careless about thier work, but they are reffered to as "Hacks".
• "Electrician" (In my personal opinion) is a "Journeyman" with a well rounded range of experiance. May also be reffered to as a "Mechanic", "Wireman", "Lineman" (For our POCO friends) or "Technician". Sometimes even a "Specialist"... Most of these are just titles they hand out on certification or buisiness cards, but "Electrician" is kind of an earned title IMO. But it doesn't make you a Jedi Master, as there is always more to learn, even as a "Master Electrician"

I'm sure others will elaborate.....

Just because you become an electrician, does not mean you have signed on for the trade to serve up your destiny.