Pursuing a career as an electrician is very promising since it is one of the valuable services that we need. After all, most of the things that we use nowadays run on electricity. And electrical services are essential for building a new house and for occasional maintenance.
But what does it take to become an electrician? If you are pondering on this thought, then it’s a must to continue reading as we will tackle some details about the basics of being an electrician in today’s post.
Things To Know If You Want To Be An Electrician
Like most professions, being an electrician requires experience, education, and passion. And you need to have the necessary skills since you’re dealing with a dangerous element. And to an untrained hand, electricity can lead to serious injuries (even death). So here are the things you need to remember if you want to be an electrician:
- Extensive Years Of Training – Before you become an electrician, you need to apply for an apprenticeship first. In short, you have to be under the tutelage of a master electrician who has been in the industry for many years. And you have to be under his guide for 4 years (or undergo a formal training/schooling of about 2,000 hours) before you can work on your own.
Aside from that, you should make sure you are not color blind since this career requires you to work on colored wires during wiring installations and repairs.
- Select An Area To Specialize – After honing your skills under an experienced teacher, the next thing you have to do is choosing your area of expertise. In short, you must decide whether you will work on residential which deals on construction and maintenance of homes, or commercial which focuses on the electrical works of buildings and offices.
You can also opt to be an industrial lineman or technician where you’ll be working on factories, data centers, electrical, and telecommunication companies.
- The Risk Involved – Of course, you also need to be aware of the risk involved while doing your work, as being an electrician exposes you to the risk of being electrocuted. Aside from that, you also need to be physically fit since doing wiring jobs requires you to climb and maneuver in open and closed spaces.
- You’ll Need A License To Be An Electrician – Electricians are licensed professionals, so be prepared to go through schooling (vocational program) and undergo theoretical and actual testing. And since the profession deals more with practical application, you must keep on practicing so you’ll be able to pass the exam and be a licensed electrician.
Becoming a licensed electrician requires having completed all the required courses and passing the licensure exam. The requirements vary from one state to another. You have to check the regulations in your state before starting your work as an electrician.
- Let’s You Earn A Good Salary – On average, an electrician earns around $50,000 to $60,000 annually depending on the location and expertise. And the good thing about this is you can earn more as you acquire more experience until you become a master electrician.
Final Thoughts
If you have what it takes to become an electrician, it’s an excellent career that requires upfront schooling but it’s also a kind of work that you can do until you get old. And interestingly enough, it’s a profession that lets you earn well while saving you from the ordeal of sitting in an office chair all day.