ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Introduction/ Your Opinion

Hello! I've been looking for a site like this since I got into the trade, excellent advice and topics. I notice after reading through the forums that most folks here seem to take pride in answering questions as accurate as possible, which makes for time well spent and a growing relable info base.

Anyway I have been working in this trade for 5 years total, I have had my Journeyman's level fitness card for one year(Alaska-8000 hours.) I have worked mainly in the Arctic. My apprenticeship was pretty informal, lots of hours on the job- little formal instruction in theory and the like but a good amount of installation instruction plus enough NEC to get by. I now find myself in the oilfield doing service-calls and retro-fit-upgrade stuff, especially Auto or manual transfer switches, X-formers, Generators and the like. I have to say I'm a little intimitaded by the size of some stuff I'm working on 400-1200 amps and higher and the "crappy" workmanship I come across. Enough background-I'm heading back tommorow anyway. My question is what would you more expierienced vets expcect a 1st year journeyman to know? Where you guys/gals at skill wise your first or second year has a journeyman? any advice on how to keep yourself in check and not get overwhelmed with all the added reponsibility?- Thank you all in advance!

I've been in the trade since 1972. I guess the best advice I can give you is to not hesitate to admit you don't know it all. I recall when I first started out I was a "know it all", and I made my share of bone-headed moves. Now that I have the experience to really have seen it all (allright, only most of it), I realize just how little I did know way back when I thought I knew it all.
Read the instructions, ask questions, consult with the engineers, and listen to the old dogs. Then make up your own mind about what to do.
Our trade requires us to constantly upgrade our knowledge base. Never pass up the opportunity to gain knowledge. There is no possibility of becoming too knowledgable about a subject, only mis-informed.

Ditto:

earlydean, has it right, just about the same here.

Welcome to ECN!.
Personally I couldn't agree more with Earl's comments.
I don't want to sound silly or de-mean anyone here, but there are some Electrician's that I've met, that should know a lot more about the basics of Electrical Theory than what they already do, especially where it comes to Fault-finding.
Faults are usually caused 9 times out of 10 by simple things, having a guy that can't work things like this out is a bit of a disappointment.
I like the Electrical field, because it offers a new challange with every job and it keeps your brain active.

Earl, Les & Trump have it nailed.
I have a class of 'newbies', some working in our trade, some getting ready to jump in. I teach Basic Electricity....Ohm's Law, Series/Parallel/Power/and VD calcs.

Amazing how many blank stares at the base math (or arithmatic). Guess some of the younger generation 'missed' the class back in GS or HS??

I've been 'around' pushing 30+ years, 'helper', apprentice, journeyman, foreman, Lic EC, and AHJ, and I teach at Vo-Tech PT.........and damm straight, I'm still learning too!!!

John