Becoming an electrician - advice?

[judder]

Hello. I am a 30 year old physicist who is thinking of a career change.

Any help, advice and suggestion you can make (whether new or experienced in the trade) would be very much appreciated.

Having worked with loads of high voltage equipment in my current job and having enjoyed electrical work in my own home (now forbidden due to part P), I'm strongly considering becoming an electrician and ultimately being my own boss etc.

I am willing to work hard and am always dedicated to perfect completion of everything I do, but rate time with my family more highly than anything else (I realise that this could ultimately put a cap on potential earnings).

1) Do you enjoy your work?
2) Does it pay your bills and allow you to live a little?
3) What sort of salary could I expect as a newly qualified spark and then ultimately as an independent?
4) Are jobs (and work for the independent guy) abundant?
5) I'm hoping to sit the C&G 2381 and 2391 in the summer, but is there anything else I should aim for (looking for Part P competency and to be a good electrician)?

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[jj4091]

I do not want to answer your questions other than say plenty of electricians would probably wish they were physicists. It sounds like a case of green grass & I honestly think you would be making a decision you would regret in years to come. If you have worked to become qualified in your field I think the novelty of being an electrician would soon wear thin. While your plans for being self employed are applaudable I do not think you would acheive your goals of quality time etc. in fact quite the reverse.If this has not put you off then I wish you the best of luck in your future venture

 

[judder]

Thanks for the reply. My thoughts are not whimsical and I don't think it's the green grass effect. My current work is about 20 % hands-on, 40 % data analysis, 20 % writing and 20 % reading and thinking and the only art I really enjoy is the hands-on. Being a physicist is not particularly well paid and is certainly not glamorous. Thanks too for your good wishes.

 

[jj4091]

Thats the trouble with green grass, you don't know until you slip on it, every physicist I know earns a dam site more than the average spark, perhaps you are working for the wrong company.

 

[Adam_151]

If you're serious about it you want to go to the local college and ask about the city and guilds 2330 course, levels 2 and 3

Its what I'm doing at the moment, just be aware that you'll find it very boring to start with as you slowly plod through basic electrical theory and ohms law, etc

With your background, you'll probably find that while things like elfi might be new concepts to you, they'll 'snap' into place pretty easy and make perfect sense (as opposed to some other students on the course who will end up doing electrics by numbers with no real understanding of why they are doing things!)

also, get yourself some books, hang round the forum a bit more, etc, you can almost teach yourself the theory bits ahead of college

 

[judder]

Perhaps there always (subconscious) thoughts of greener grass in everything and perhaps my employer isn't the most financially rewarding of places (though they did give me a lot of support in my PhD to be fair to them).

Does the C&G 2330 obviate the need for 2381 and 2391 or is it a fundamental requirement for a good spark? As you say, I'm fairly well versed in the theory, I need to learn a lot about regs, terminology and practical experience. What is an elfi by the way?

 

[bernardgreen]

Thanks for the reply. My thoughts are not whimsical and I don't think it's the green grass effect. My current work is about 20 % hands-on, 40 % data analysis, 20 % writing and 20 % reading and thinking and the only art I really enjoy is the hands-on. Being a physicist is not particularly well paid and is certainly not glamorous. Thanks too for your good wishes.

Judder

My role as a self employed electronics designer has a similar ratio of hands on to paper work. I have also been involved in domestic electrics and industrial electrics.

Stay where you are and be grateful for a reasonably clean form of work. There is nothing glamourous reaching into dark dusty dank cavities in houses with some impatience and ignorant customer berating you for taking so long.

Electricians have specific skills and the ability to cope with customers from hell who cannot be turned off.

Bernard
Sharnbrook
UK

 

[Adam_151]

2391 is more indepth on the testing than 2330 and you should do it as well, I'm unsure about 2381 but for the price of sitting the exam you may as well just do it (its just an exam to check you can read a regs book! )

 

[sparkybird]

Hi judder

Ignore this lot! I retrained as an electrician 2 1/2 years ago after doing office based work for longer than I care to mention.

I only do domestic work and I have not one regret about making the swap. Of course not every day is peachy, but I like the flexibility of being self employed, enjoy both the hands on and hands off side of things and am not short of work. Any jobs/clients I don't like the look of I don't do (or charge more) and generally work no more than 20 mins drive from home (I am based in London). There is some evening work involved for quotes, but it's manageable.

As Adam suggests, I did 2330 followed by 2381 and 2391 and then registered with NIC. However the key is finding someone to take you on and train you in the practical stuff- wiring is the easy bit, I will be learning about getting access for cables and dealing with clients forever!

And I'm making a good enough living.

Go for it!

SB

Oh, and I'm female, so if I can do it anyone can!

 

[joe-90]

Oh, and I'm female, so if I can do it anyone can!

Couldn't agree more.

 

[breezer]

problem i see (perhaps sparkybird can give input) can you afford the wage drop while becoming qualified?

also do you want to be "bashing things" about when you are 50+ it is phscialy hard work (even with an aprentice)

 

[ricicle]

I find it hard to believe (thats just me though) that anyone could train to become an electrician and become self-employed within 2.5 years!

 

[JohnD]

If you're thinking of a career change, do as much training as you can before you give up your old job. You may be able to do some evening or weekend work while you try to verify that the new job suits you before losing your regular pay. Clear away any debts and build up a cushion of savings.

You will have little enough money coming in, without taking time off to study; and your earning potential will be low while you have no qualifications. You will also be "running a small business" which may be new for you, so look for evening classes in that as well as your technical skills. Basic accounting is not difficult if you are methodical and don't let things build up. There are some simple PC packages around like MYOB and Sage.

See if you can pick up any work doing PAT testing for local businesses - a simple and tedious job, but if you are precise and accurate and provide a good service at a fair price, you will be called back time and again, and should be able to pick up rectification and minor works as you are a familiar face and trusted.

 

[Adam_151]

I find it hard to believe (thats just me though) that anyone could train to become an electrician and become self-employed within 2.5 years!

well I don't know about one...look me up in 2009 and I'll give you my views

 

[Pensdown]

I find it hard to believe (thats just me though) that anyone could train to become an electrician and become self-employed within 2.5 years!

I think the term "Electrician" is changing and we need to get with the programme

It used to be

http://www.sjib.org.uk/grading-definitions.htm