I have been a carpenter for about five years now and I have been trying unsucessfully to accomplish a dream of becoming an electrician..My grandfather was an electrician and so were some of my oncles and I have always been attracted to that trade….I have signed up for the union and taken all the test.. I have scored well on the test but I don’t think I did so good on the interview.I have been on the waiting list for a year. They wanted to know why i would want to start all over again as a grunt worker hmm..they wanted to know what clubs i was in in highschool…. I am 33 maybe they think i am too old to start from the bottom. I am in good shape i run i swim and lift weights. I don’t know i have another interview with them on thursday but i am thinking of blowing it off and trying to get an apprentice under a small firm…Anyone have any opions….
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Fine Homebuilding's editorial director has some fun news to share.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I am a union carp. No, I am not a dues paying member ATT. When I want to be an employee (money) and the job I want is a closed shop job, I will pay my dues, fees, and penalties, and go to work.
I joined at 31yo as a level 2 apprentice for 1 job. After that, stayed in the private sector for three years. A closed job came up and I got employeed as a j-carp first, then went and paid the hall about %3++.00 to skip the app's levels. During the three years as a civilian, I immersed myself in carps education material, from every source possible. I regret not going thru apprentice school as that would have covered many holes in my self education.
IMHO, because you want to cross over, the best course for you (like I know?) would be to join the carps, do the self education thing for about 6 mons and apply to the sparkys'. Here, http://electrical-contractor.net, is a good place to start. You can belong to more than one union, but YOU... MUST respect the others lines, exempt from anything your active hall says. Stay with the carps for one raise in P.G.
What you want to do is very doable, and you will be miserable if you don't.
Be Brave, Be Bold, Do Right, Do Good.
Don't...lie, cheat, or steal.
Especially from yourself!
DO it, do it, do it.
SamT
Don't know what area you are in, but as of last week the eletrical local here had almost 200 men still on the book, but the crew working on my project has 3 apprentices and two journeymen( one being the foreman).
Five years to top out as a journeyman in the IBEW. Starting apprentice wage here is $10.50/hr. Top out at just under $25.00/hr. Step raises in between of course, and the schooling is paid, but sometimes not your time to attend. A lot depends on your local. Before you blow them off, find out if they just don't have enough work to keep all thier members employed. Then ask about the "travelers book". The guys that are willing to work out of town to stay busy. If you are willing to go that route, they may be more interested in you.
Dave
Give the union a good try. I went that way. For the most part they are a great group of people. I got some of the best book and OJT training available. If you do and it doesn't work out you gave it a shot. You will have likely learned something of the trade and can move of head held high.
If you don't you, if your like a couple of people who didn't give it a honest try, will waste time wondering what might have been. Go for it and push hard.
I'm surprised they are not more enthusiastic about you joining. Your certainly not too old. Older apprentices tend to be more serious, work minded and reliable. Lots of the young bucks can't hang because they don't know how to handle a job. The first morning that's too hot or cold some just don't show up. If the job get tedious, dirty or rough they often quail or walk off. The school work is not too hard but three hour sessions after a hard eight or ten hour work day can test anyones determination.
They have no patience. They want full journeyman pay now and are unwilling to look past the pittance they start at to what is coming if they just hang in there.
hey thanks for all the support!this is great!!.i have been getting so much negative feedback from family and friends about the union....i was ranked number one on the union list and have fallen to number three after waiting a year...that is why i am going to have a re-interview to try to move up in the standings....i am not too old now but i am not getting any younger got to get moving on and i know the money will be tight but we do live frugally i could take a home equity loan...like a student loan. As far as moving around a lot that would be a little difficult i am married with a two year old but for a short time we could do it...i may try joining the carpenters union and get a feel for the union and maybe i will find a door that was not available to me before thanks for the tip. i do wish i had gone union to learn carpentery instead i had the school of hard knocks...a lot of yelling and screaming,cussin,getting fired, and not getting paid....a boss telling me we were just going to look at a roofing job and then working for eight hours in a blizzard without proper clothing. i going on too much sorry thanks for all your input though it is much appreciated..
Since you're a union carp, I was wondering how to join and if its worth it? From what I'm reading it seems worth it. Been a carpenter for 9 years and have an Associate Degree ( Building Const. Technology ). Making good money now, but no bennies.
I'm not trying to hijack this thread, just had that one question.Greg
You are a whole lot different from what I was... I was 30ish with little applicable experience. I think you should go straight to the hall "Been a carpenter for 9 years and have an Associate Degree ( Building Const. Technology )." I'll bet they take you in as a J-Man as is.
What I did, was bug the foreman at a union job everyday at starting time till he hired me, then I went to the hall and joined. they let me pay entrance fee over two paychecks. If you go this route, be sure to hire on as a J-Man, you earned it already.
Making good money now, but no bennies. the money is as good, probably better, the bennies are great, they change over time, but should include medical, dental, eyes, retirement, vacation, maybe school allowance, plus state UI is maxxed and easy. Hint, apply for UI everytime your laid off, the first time is a pita, but next time a phone call can reinstate your claim. I'm KISSing it cuz there is so much that can be said.
Good luck, good life,
SamT
I don't know. I worked for years in an independent meat store. When I moved to va, I tried to get into the chain stores ( union). They said yeah, except I had to wait for an opening, (who knows how long), but I could cashier for 5.50 an hour. I got a job shoveling asphault instead for 7.00., which led to...........
I was a union carp for 13 years, and discovered that I liked doing electrical work, also. The IBEW here is looking for apprentices, so I went in to sign up. They said that I needed two years of highschool Algebra, or one year of college level to qualify for the program.
OR I could hire on as an apprentice for an electrical co for one or two years, then the IBEW would take me in w/o the Algebra, and put me at a higher level on the apprentice ladder.
Still haven't worked up the nerve to start out with a company at $10 or less an hour.
Or the nerve to take a college level algebra class!
Jen
Edited 4/27/2003 11:38:21 AM ET by Jencar
Oh Danny Boy,
An alternative to the union approach to becoming an electrician is thru the Association of Builders and Contractors. You didn't give your location so I can't tell you if there is a branch near you. Where do you live?
I think their site is abc.org. [or use google]
The program is four years and probably the same routine as the unions. Work and classes. Also a drug test but they don't let you pick which drug you get to test. The algebra is somewhat important -- mainly manipulating like E = IR into I = E/R into R = E/I and P = IE and then substitution so P = I(IR) = I^2R. But that's about it. If you can plug numbers into formulas and operate a calculator, you've got it made.
The only advice I can give you about the interview is to wear jeans and workboots. And, of course, go to the interview.
~Peter
|""""""""""""""""""""||_
| Panama |||""|""___,
|____________ ||_ _|||_|__|)
!(@)'(@)""""**!(@)(@)*!(@)
is that "Henry's" truck?
I gottsta ask it...........Are you Irish? :)
i heard it was really easy only two wires - no wait ,maybe a red one too, no wait also a green - OK thats 4 wires.
I would try to get in - esp for the training.
Try your local IBEW they have programs with training and you work while training, they have a national web site (http://www.ibew.org) it will help you find a local in your city. i think the traning progam is open to any high school grad .......good luck
This is not a union town, all you do any is get a job with a local non union as a helper then you on your way
Go to the interview, the experience can only help. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
if they don't give ya the go ahead what's wrong with finding a trade school and taking out a student loan?
33 ain't too old to give 18 months of your life up...I did it at 30 for carpentry and haven't looked back since.
I was actually looking at finding an evening electrical program till I decided I's still sub my elcetrician but learn CAD instead. Now I gotta find an evening CAD program.
What's one more student loan, huh? Just as long as it pays for itself in the long run.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
Dannyboy,
Join a strong union instead.Become a teacher.
thanks for all your input i am about to head up to helena for my interview...i hope all goes well...it is a litttle nerve wracking that i am about to be judged by eight guys and a fifteen minute interview, that is how they rank you..i just want to be honest and straight forward...Last interview they asked me what my pet peeve was and i said when guys lose their temper and throw things and cuss...but maybe that happens a lot and was not a good answer.. Anyway this is my last haraah with the union if i don't get a good enough ranking that will allow me to get picked up in the next six months i gotta move on....maybe try to get in with an independent electrician...sigh....thanks....oh and by the way i am not irish just the opposite...i am one of those I...taliens.... Daniel is the american version of Danoto...but i do like the irish have spent some drinking time in ireland with them....
Barry; has you hall picked up anymore work? Looks like things are starting to sloooowly move here. Maybe by full summer, some of the guys still on the book can get back to full time work.
Dave
Dave,
The work situation is just starting to pick up here in my corner of N.E. Ohio.Our jurisdiction has a General Motors plant that is gearing up for a major re-tooling,so that should clear the book before long.The problem is almost no commercial work.The economy has businesses skiddish about building or re-modeling stores and restaurants.That's what I need to have happen because I HATE working at GM and the big industrial jobs anymore.The safety police make it nearly impossible for you to accomplish anything.
Dannyboy,
Good luck with whatever you decide.While I am proud to be a second generation union electrician,I'm not proud of my union anymore.It (the IBEW) has become very much like the Soviet Communist party of the early 80's,concerned soley with it's own agenda while turning its back on the welfare of the individual member that it pretends to protect.Seriously,if you want to join a union with some balls become a teacher and join the NEA.I wish I had.
Barry