from EE to Electrician, good decision?

[Zaid...]

Hi
I worked 10 years in the Oil and Gas Industry (started overseas then continued last 5 years in USA), I was preparing and maintaining electrical tools and controlling panels (big specialized tools to measure rock properties) and supervise a crew to preform the measurement inside oil wells (up to 24000 ft deep).

Co shut down and I got laid off, I have B.SC Electrical Engineering from ABET-Accredited University in Dubai. What do you think I should do next ? I found a job as an electrician helper here in Florida and considering it now to pay the bills.

I have no connections around here in Florida and I appreciate your advice on what should I do.

 

[pc1966]

I can't speak for the USA, but in the UK you would be well-placed to retrain as would have several of the basics already. What is often rather different are the specific regulations that apply, both electrical and building-related.

Hopefully someone from your side of the pond (@Megawatt maybe?) can help advise you!

 

[Megawatt]

Hi
I worked 10 years in the Oil and Gas Industry (started overseas then continued last 5 years in USA), I was preparing and maintaining electrical tools and controlling panels (big specialized tools to measure rock properties) and supervise a crew to preform the measurement inside oil wells (up to 24000 ft deep).

Co shut down and I got laid off, I have B.SC Electrical Engineering from ABET-Accredited University in Dubai. What do you think I should do next ? I found a job as an electrician helper here in Florida and considering it now to pay the bills.

I have no connections around here in Florida and I appreciate your advice on what should I do.

Zaire with your education and back ground and you go to work for an electrical Contractor they will use you as a grunt and would have to start running conduit and mounting panels and pulling some real big wire. Your background is impressive and you need to get paid for what you know not what you can do. Try and get in touch with Cargill which is a cooking oil refinery and has I know of 1 plant in Florida. They are companies out there looking for people like you. Put your resume on indeed.com. Take the job for now to pay the bills but don’t stop looking. Good luck

 

[Zaid...]

Zaire with your education and back ground and you go to work for an electrical Contractor they will use you as a grunt and would have to start running conduit and mounting panels and pulling some real big wire. Your background is impressive and you need to get paid for what you know not what you can do. Try and get in touch with Cargill which is a cooking oil refinery and has I know of 1 plant in Florida. They are companies out there looking for people like you. Put your resume on indeed.com. Take the job for now to pay the bills but don’t stop looking. Good luck

Thank You Megawatt,
Yes I realize that the job will be basically intensive manual labor but I heard that If I contact the licensing place after some time they might consider my experience as an electrical engineer and fast forward my journeyman to have in 2 years instead of 4-5 years granted passing the exam and that's basically what I am hoping for.

I can do the job because in the oil field we used to work in much worse conditions but as you said its not what you can do its where to apply knowledge and value.

I applied to several places but once they see my experience in the oil field doing things they don't understand ( specially the requiting personals ) I get skipped.