Most of us are probably the kind that can fix most anything, know how stuff works, fix our own cars (at least when we were younger), and just grew up doing hands on stuff and figuring stuff out.

There are other types of people out there who grew up a different way, maybe they are good at retail or banking, or the restaraunt business etc. They never cared to know how stuff works, and would just as soon pay to have things done for them. They had no interest in taking stuff apart and figuring stuff out.

My question is, do you think the people who fall into the latter category could become good electricians in mid life? I have been approached by a good many of these types, and asked if I would be willing to train them. I feel that the reason they want this, is that they are sick of what they are doing and they think what I do looks easy and makes a lot of money, not because they have developed a sudden interest in the building trades.

I am doubtful that someone who has grown up with no mechanical inclination can sucessfully learn to be a GOOD electrician, not just a Romex jocky. I find it hard to imagine they would be able to understand the theory, and not be a hazard to themselves and others. What would suddenly drive them to learn stuff they never had an interest in?

I truly believe the vast majority of these people simply do not realize they are not capable of a career such as this. I do not mean to insult anyone, and I would like to hear the opinions of others, especially anyone who has taken on the task of training a person who has had no previous interest in the things we grew up doing.

I think anybody involved in technical fields was once curious child, taking things apart to see how they work. I have worked with guys who have done something technically related all their lives and are fantastic technicians, I have also tried to train guys without a technical background and they just don't seem to grasp simple concepts. I have worked with a few guys who didn't understand relay logic, and they just didn't work out.

Can it be said that great technicians are born and not made? Only made better once the groundwork has been laid?

I know that it a pretty bold statement, but did anybody here stay inside as a child (or lad for our overseas folks), not eat dirt, not break open an old remote control car, or just wonder 'what makes that work'?

Hello, This is my first posting on this site. I would answer yes, even in mid-life. The trade is so much more the just yanking wire. Mechnical applitude in my eyes is essential. Electricity is about logic. Electrical construction is hands and tools. Electrical repair and troubleshooting is both. The trade is not for someone who is in it just for the money. If you do choose to pursue a career, do not half step. Do your homework to find out what the requirements for your jurisdiction. If possible and if required by your jurisdiction and get enrolled in an apprenticeship program. Get your appretice credentials. If you do not have it, your hours will not count towards your journeyman. Ask questions. Be tactful about it but do not settle for, "because I said to do it that way". Learn to do it right. It sounds like you have been around the block so you know what I mean when I say if you learn to do it the wrong way, you will keep doing the wrong way.

I appreciate the responses so far, hope we can liven it up with some more!

Sparkyinak...WELCOME, I'm a 'Jersey Guy'!

As an Instructor at a County Vo-Tech School (Evening Classes) I get to see a lot of entry level guys.

Class #1 is an explanation of the Trade, working conditions, expectations, physical responsibilities, etc. After that, time permitting I show a video on Arc Flashes, and what can happen to someone in the wrong place.

Occasionally, at class #2, a few may be missing.

I've had guys that drive trucks, office guys, tech guys, an Architect, an elevator tech, two lawyers, and a bunch of guys that work for contractors.

Within Class #1, I mention that a 'good living' can be made in this Trade...BUT..for those who are going to seek a License...it takes more than being a 'good 'lectrician' to be a good Electrical Contractor. A few Business related courses are in order!

My 2 cents...
John

Some would say "thick skin", others, a tendacy to be a preidonna.

I couldn't even imagine crossing over to the white-collar world. It would be darn near impossible because like everyone there is a financial concern that goes along with a career change. The really good electrician just makes it look easy after years of hands-on training and classroom study. Our work is not something you learn over the course of a few months or a few years, it takes alot of time and a lot of time of putting in your time (crawl spaces, dirty rooms, cold/ warm temps, working all hours of the night, etc).

Hey ShockMe77, you for got a couple. How 'bout shorting something out by accident to where it needs replaced and knocking the power out to an occupied building

As crossing over to the white-collar world. It is as bad as it seems. It has it pluses but I prefer to be in the trenches.

If someone wanted it bad enough.But at mid-life would they be willing to pay their dues?Who knows?I would give most anybody a chance.

Sparkyinak, it's even better when you let all the majic smoke out into a room full of people, and kill the power in an occupied building. Nothing like a bunch of computer nerds going nuts when their servers lose power...LOL

Im 48 now with almost 6000 hours in and 2000 to go includeing my code class hours. Was it easy no. Was there a problem doing the work no. One problem I hadd was sometimes the EC went to fast over looking things. Box fill calculation,Putting 2 wires under the regular romex staple, things like that. People my age know what it is to show up every day, do what we have to and keep our mouth shut.One guy recentley told me i was too old to apprentice. Although I do not do much resi work he can to our job site he was a friend of my boss and said if i knew you could do work like this I would have hired you. Im really looking forward to being a fully licenced electrician in the state of mass.

This is an amazing topic. I am sorry that I didn't tag on sooner. Part of the problem is that the white collar guys go to home improvement stores and see all of the "you can do it" presentations. Then, there are the home improvement shows on TV, where once again they hear the "you can do it" catch phrase.

Yes, it's true, you can "do it", but each project shouldn't involve learning a new task. This task should be able to be performed without Web searches, books and trial and error. Performing a task should be something that you can just go in and "do".

I was a very inquisitive youngster ('Lad') and taught myself just about everything I know. My parents don't know which direction to turn a light bulb, so they were no help. I had the desire in my blood and even at the tender age of five, I replaced the plug on an air conditioner that my father faught with for days. I believe that it truly is in the genes, but it skips a generation. My grandfather (my father's dad) was a railroad engineer and he knew how to fix anything. I guess that I inherited his techno-genes.

Lately, it's the computer guys who think that they are suddenly telephone men. Since there are many computer programs that emulate telephone systems, they find it appropriate to attach this title to their resume'. I just don't get it.

Learning any technical trade is learned through the school of hard knocks. There's no "on-line" course that trains a person to become tradesman-level. True, a person can learn computer-related skills via their computer, but nobody, I mean NOBODY is going to learn the best practices to pull four 500MCM cables into conduit without field experience. This also must be while working along with seasoned professionals. This isn't "shirt and tie" material.

It's almost as foolish to make such a trade-jump decision to say "Hey, I cash my check every week at the bank and I watch what they do. I think I can become a banker".

If your not mechanically inclined by your mid-life, you never will be. It's learned and practiced over the years by watching (helping) you father, uncle, neighbor, etc day after day, year after year. Struggling to keep a 15 year old car running, doing your own brakes, picking up parts from a junk yard.

Your a tradesman first, electrician second.

I once hired a 35 year old guy whose father was a master sparky, thinking he would pick it up quick. He quit in two weeks - wasting my time and his. Too hard to go from selling insurance to working in attics as a middle aged noob.

I won't try it again.

oops.you know you may want to consider de-energizing the next time.

What a great topic. My mother wrote it down in my "baby book" that when I was 9 months old she couldn't keep me from crawling to electrical items and playing with their cords. I once got stuck under a refridgerator at a grocery store because I was following an orange cord. The manager heard me yelling and pulled me out by my feet. (I was 2 at the time).

Fast forward a bit. I am now 19. I have run a sound company out of my basement since I was 12. I have loved electrical things all my life, and I have dabbled in my share of other past times. music, sports and many other things that "normal" kids amuse themselves with. All the while, however, I could never get over the feeling of "this is not what I want to be doing". I have spent my whole life tinkering, taking things apart (and putting them back together sometimes) and collecting everything that I could get my hands on. I was pretty much regarded as a misfit in elementary school, I could install a ceiling fan but I couldn't shoot a basketball. ( I still can't). As I got older, I met more people who shared the same interest. I have met many neat people along the way, and have no regrets. I very much believe that the best way to find out if you enjoy something is to spend some time away from it. If you think you like electrical work, take a job with a landscaping company for a month or two. If you find yourself spending the entire time thinking about how much better the garden could look with a nice lighting system installed and some outlets on pedestals, then you probably have found your calling. If you don't miss what you left, then 2 weeks of apprenticeship with a passionate person would be a waste of their time. I love what I do, and would gladly do it for no money. When you find something like this, you know that you have found your occupation, and not just a job. I know that I am still young, but I get the feeling that I will probably be one of those people who never retires, simply because I will have no idea what to do with myself if I do.

For a start,
I personally hate the term "Sparky", it suggests that we are a trade full of wire- pulling people that dropped out of High School and might know how to change a fuse, if we are lucky.
I prefer the term "Electrician", which is what anyone that has served an apprenticeship in the Electrical trade should be called.
There are a LOT of skills that the modern electrician has to have and that scope is ever-widening.
Having trained a few Electrical Apprentices myself, I would say that the most important skill an apprentice can have is being able to listen to what they are being told and to follow instructions to the letter.
Sure, I have to agree that you can't have a person come into a trade like ours and hope to pick it up automatically.
I had a girl that came from a design school and after that didn't work out, she tried Electrical Fitting, but at the end of the day, she told me she had been taking things to bits since she was 5, that was enough for me.
She finished her time as an Electrical Fitter 9 months ago.
Us electrical types must have been pretty destructive as kids.
I grew up in a mechanical engineering background and I had all the tools and thing to really reek havoc on my fathers workshop.
But, you don't learn, IMO if you've never had your hands on the tools.
Good Electricians are born, not made.