What You Need To Know Before Choosing A Career As An Electrician

After graduating from high school, people often find themselves at a crossroads, unsure of which route to take. If you are faced with the same dilemma, consider your preferences or what you envision yourself doing in the future. If you like working with your hands and see yourself working locally, you may want to consider a profession as an electrician.

Becoming an electrician is an excellent career choice as it allows you the freedom to work anywhere along with several opportunities and different challenges, so no project is ever dull. It also happens to be a well-paying career, and in relation to others, takes minimal time in a classroom and offers adequate job security.

However, if you’d like to explore the possibilities of becoming an electrician, you need to be aware of a few requirements before committing to this career path. To give you an idea of the necessities from your end, Bryant Electric Ltd. has explained a few things you need to know before choosing a career as an electrician.

Educational qualifications

The primary educational requirement to become an electrician is a high school diploma. After this, you need to get signed up as an electrical apprentice. Once signed up as an apprentice, you need to complete six thousand hours of practical experience and go to school for ten weeks a year for four years. In addition to this, you can take an introductory electrical course in high school or college that will help you get hired as an apprentice and exempt you from your first year of school as an apprentice.

A few years after receiving your red seal certification as an electrician, you can work towards your FSR Certification. (Field Safety Representative). This requires additional training and ongoing education to maintain but gives you the ability to pull permits.

Professional skills

The primary skills required to become an electrician are a decent ability to handle different tools and a sound mind for numbers. You will also need to communicate well with others (i.e., coworkers or customers). Being in decent shape can be beneficial, too, as you may need to scale heights to fix electrical problems or install electrical components. You also need to be hardworking as electrical work is a serious job that demands focus and precision to ensure durability and safety.

The benefits and challenges of a career as an electrician

The electrical field is vast, and once you have your ticket, you can branch off into many different career opportunities. With the growing demand for electricians, you can also be assured of job security and fair pay.

An entry-level position as an electrician will guarantee you anything between the high teens to low twenties depending on your skills and whether it is a union company that you are working for. But, as you grow in experience and proficiency, you will be able to demand more pay and even venture out on your own as an entrepreneur.

While the opportunities as an electrician are many, there are also challenges that you’ll need to face head-on. For starters, electrical work can be a very physical job and can be hard on your shoulders and knees. Similarly, you may often find yourself in unpleasant places such as attics, crawl spaces, etc., to lay wires or fix electrical issues. That said, the satisfaction from doing the job right tends to outweigh these challenges.

As a licensed and bonded third-generation electrical firm, we offer fiber optic installations, fire alarm installations, emergency lighting installations, lighting retrofits, preventative electrical maintenance, HVAC equipment installations, and much more. We serve clients around Terrace, including Prince Rupert, Kitimat, and New Hazelton.

To learn all about the electrical services we offer clients, please click here or get in touch with us by clicking here.