If your child ended up being a sparky, would you be proud of them?

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Dan

Dan

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Something that might get deep this. And I'd like it if you guys kept it amicable like you usually do. But I wondered, if your boy or girl ended up being an electrician (not always like yourself EXACTLY perhaps they go down a different route but still end up doing electrics)...

.. would you be proud of them?
 
my lad is in slightly related field. electrics on wagons and trailers. lights/tail lifts/CCTV/etc.
 
Pete999 said:
What ever they did if it was legal and above board I would be proud, who wouldn't?
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Yes mate I would. If they were happy cutting their legs off to support their mate in a wheel chair I think I could eventually be convinced (rightly or wrongly).

The thread has spurred from this that I saw on a plasterers forum.

How many would actually be proud if there son became q good plasterer - http://www.plasterersforum.com/threads/how-many-would-actually-be-proud-if-there-son-became-q-good-plasterer.66968/

Checkout how quickly that thread went sour.
 
Dan said:
Yes mate I would. If they were happy cutting their legs off to support their mate in a wheel chair I think I could eventually be convinced (rightly or wrongly).

The thread has spurred from this that I saw on a plasterers forum.

How many would actually be proud if there son became q good plasterer - http://www.plasterersforum.com/threads/how-many-would-actually-be-proud-if-there-son-became-q-good-plasterer.66968/

Checkout how quickly that thread went sour.
Click to expand...
Not long at all really.
 
Not got kids but yeah would be proud of them, I've built a successful business from it and currently employ 3 lads so while I don't have kids myself I've hopefully made 3 sets of other parents proud lol.
 
I would love my son to do electrics with me. But rather selfishly as he could do all the hard work. He has however become a high flyer around computers/servers/software design at 100k per annum. I am proud of my Son for the person he is, very kind and polite, intelligent all that you would wish for in terms of character. The career is the natural corrollary of having the right attitudes in life and the can do ethos. Whatever he decides(ed) to do I will always be proud of him. My daughters... I have tried to get them interested but nothing doing which is fair enough. More than anything I want to see them working at anything earning for themselves, it grieves me to see them sucking off the state. But still I am proud of all my daughters (six) they are fabulous, but like any parent I do nag...don't know why really because it's just "yeeesss Dad" and nothing ever happens. Maybe time will do what I can not.
 
Yes i would be proud as i've done a lot worse jobs in my life i can tell ya but i'm not qualified yet so i really don' have the right to reply till i've had a few years under me belt but i find it interesting combined with graft and intelligence & you have something to show at the end. I am looking forward to a change of Jobs at 55 years old Fingers crossed passed me part P got me ECS Card & just took me 17th Edition but need to take it again as i only got 50% not 60% I cant wait to get a mates job till i know the ropes i live in sheffield so anyone fancy taking me on Please contact me Danny.
 
Danny Speddings said:
Yes i would be proud as i've done a lot worse jobs in my life i can tell ya but i'm not qualified yet so i really don' have the right to reply till i've had a few years under me belt but i find it interesting combined with graft and intelligence & you have something to show at the end. I am looking forward to a change of Jobs at 55 years old Fingers crossed passed me part P got me ECS Card & just took me 17th Edition but need to take it again as i only got 50% not 60% I cant wait to get a mates job till i know the ropes i live in sheffield so anyone fancy taking me on Please contact me Danny.
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Who are Danny Speddings Electrical Installations if you are looking for a mates job?
 
Dan said:
Yes mate I would. If they were happy cutting their legs off to support their mate in a wheel chair I think I could eventually be convinced (rightly or wrongly).

The thread has spurred from this that I saw on a plasterers forum.

How many would actually be proud if there son became q good plasterer - http://www.plasterersforum.com/threads/how-many-would-actually-be-proud-if-there-son-became-q-good-plasterer.66968/

Checkout how quickly that thread went sour.
Click to expand...

I've just read that whole thing, must say there are some utter morons on there Dan !
 
I wouldn't let them,mainly because there are better jobs out there,jobs that will look after you,pay you,when you are ill,build you a better pension,give you bonuses,extra days off,send you on courses & wont worry how long it takes,ecetera ecetera...
 
Dan said:
Something that might get deep this. And I'd like it if you guys kept it amicable like you usually do. But I wondered, if your boy or girl ended up being an electrician (not always like yourself EXACTLY perhaps they go down a different route but still end up doing electrics)...

.. would you be proud of them?
Click to expand...
Afraid not if I had any I would expect a lot more of them than just being an electrician..its a dead end job
 
If I had kids, as long as they were gainfully employed, worked hard and did a good job at whatever they chose I'd be proud. If they entered th e trades, I'd do my best to edumacate them to make sure they weren't cowboys (or girls) and that they treated their customers and their property with respect.

As for electrician being a dead end job... couldn't disagree more. Electricity and it's applications play an increasingly important role in our world and will do for the foreseeable future. So there will be a requirement for quality sparks for quite some time.
 
SparkyChick said:
If I had kids, as long as they were gainfully employed, worked hard and did a good job at whatever they chose I'd be proud. If they entered th e trades, I'd do my best to edumacate them to make sure they weren't cowboys (or girls) and that they treated their customers and their property with respect.

As for electrician being a dead end job... couldn't disagree more. Electricity and it's applications play an increasingly important role in our world and will do for the foreseeable future. So there will be a requirement for quality sparks for quite some time.
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Yes I think your correct there will be requirement for sparkies but this demand has to be matched by a willingness to pay a proper rate of pay. Lets face it its a hard physically demanding job that, as I understand, requires a reasonable amount of bookwork. and if I was a young person looking for a first job this trade does not stack up very well against the alternatives eg the computing industry.
 
The computer industry may be the IN thing nowadays, but don't forget they'd be dead in the water without us Sparkies.
 
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I'd be happy with my child getting any trade because once qualified you can always change careers and come back to the trade.

What my dad's always said to me however my grandad, uncle and dad have been roofers since they were lads.
Strange that I opted to be an electrician like my mums dad.

Much better than being in IT which was my original idea (soul destroying being behind a desk all day)
 
It may seem soul destroying at the moment but just wait until your back and knees start hurting and your lungs are all clogged up with dust and asbestos and your friends are getting on in life . have you looked at the price of houses recently? you will not be able to afford one on a sparkie wage .....alternatively find yourself a rich wife.
 
Mumfi said:
It may seem soul destroying at the moment but just wait until your back and knees start hurting and your lungs are all clogged up with dust and asbestos and your friends are getting on in life . have you looked at the price of houses recently? you will not be able to afford one on a sparkie wage .....alternatively find yourself a rich wife.
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Well the moment all my friends are contemplating committing... they all have their dissatations, debt when they leave and no guarantee of a job once they graduate ...
Or work in Iceland etc...
Quite happy with my career choice atm despite the apprentice wage... roll on July next year!

I've also seen the prices of houses that need work doing... with family of trades I have little worries :D
 
Trust me, the software industry is not all it's cracked up to be. I spent 20+ years in it (and other technical roles such as hardware design and development for cash handling and ticketing machines - one of the more satisfying roles because it involved building things) and whilst at times, it was rewarding and quite satisfying, those times are far out weighed by an unwillingness to pay well and reward hard work appropriately (sound familiar).

The levels of stress present in what is perceived by many to be a cushy office job are at times astounding and having had several near misses with mental health issues brought on by that stress, if someone asked me should I be a trades person or a computer guru... I'd say trades person every time because you graft, you get rewarded and the satisfaction levels are through the roof in my opinion.

I go home physically tired nowadays, not mentally drained and when I leave the job site... I leave the job site (unless I have to write up a cert or report)... in computing, when you leave the office, more often than not you just change your working location because you get home and log on and pick up where you left off in the office.

As for the comments about the physical side effects of being a spark... lungs... get a decent respirator (I wore one all day yesterday, first fixing in a remodel cutting plasterboard etc. and I always always wear it when I venture into peoples lofts), if you choose not to use one that's your business. Protect your knees. And as for your back... I've had back problems since I was 15, nothing at all to do with being a spark. Sitting in an office chair... not good. Since starting my business I've lost over two stone without trying. Took me 12 months to lose half that in an office job.
 
Ah we obviously have had different experiances in the job..give me a nice warm office in the winter anytime at least there is somewhere warm to eat your lunch
 
Mumfi said:
I get the impression that maybe you are new to the job..i wonder if you will feel the same in 20 years when your physically knackered
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I've been in the game 15 years and still love it....Don't get me wrong I have the odd bad day but the majority of time I couldn't see myself doing anything else. I have two apprentices and two qualified sparks working for me one of which completed his apprenticeship with me. I earn a good crust from what I do and when my lad is old enough I would be more than happy for him to get in to the trade if that's what he wanted to do....There are a lot worse ways of making a living out there than being a sparks.
 
D00DY_T00DY said:
Well the moment all my friends are contemplating committing... they all have their dissatations, debt when they leave and no guarantee of a job once they graduate ...
Or work in Iceland etc...
Quite happy with my career choice atm despite the apprentice wage... roll on July next year!

I've also seen the prices of houses that need work doing... with family of trades I have little worries :D
Click to expand...
OK so you have an advantage with the skills of your family but you still have to purchase the house and earn a deposit which in nigh on impossible for the average sparks, what you also fail to realize is that your friends who go to university will have opportunities denied to you, once you are in this game you are stuck in it, its very difficult to get out of it, trust me I've tried you are always viewed as a dim electrician.
 
Mumfi said:
OK so you have an advantage with the skills of your family but you still have to purchase the house and earn a deposit which in nigh on impossible for the average sparks, what you also fail to realize is that your friends who go to university will have opportunities denied to you, once you are in this game you are stuck in it, its very difficult to get out of it, trust me I've tried you are always viewed as a dim electrician.
Click to expand...

Reading your posts on various threads I'm starting to conclude you just come on here to troll?
 
Leesparkykent said:
I've been in the game 15 years and still love it....Don't get me wrong I have the odd bad day but the majority of time I couldn't see myself doing anything else. I have two apprentices and two qualified sparks working for me one of which completed his apprenticeship with me. I earn a good crust from what I do and when my lad is old enough I would be more than happy for him to get in to the trade if that's what he wanted to do....There are a lot worse ways of making a living out there than being a sparks.
Click to expand...
I'm pleased it has worked out for you, Id be very greatful if you could tell me how you did it, I've been 40 years in the game and last year took home 8000 pounds...not a great deal compared to other jobs
 
Mumfi said:
I'm pleased it has worked out for you, Id be very greatful if you could tell me how you did it, I've been 40 years in the game and last year took home 8000 pounds...not a great deal compared to other jobs
Click to expand...
You are working for the wrong people quite clearly.....If your qualified and experienced you should be walking in to full time employment and earning at least 30K a year for a 40 hour week.
 
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