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Hi all, been a user of the forum for many years now as a complete lurker and throughout this time I would firstly like to thanks everyone for their extensive knowledge and advice across the board. Ive probably learnt more valuable knowledge on this webpage over the past three years than I did on my city and guilds.

Now my question isn't anything technical related its more an issue where I'm losing faith in the trade and looking how you lot manage with it all. My gripes start with the more I learn about the industry the more I realise I don't know, but still expected to. Ive been in the game since i was 17 and I'm now almost 30. Still a baby in the grand scheme of things but in a lot of other industries I feel with such a gain in experience and knowledge that would warrant a much greater pay and position increase. When the sad reality is that I am earning the same money as the newly qualified lad who's just turned 24 and we both hold the same job title. Its a kick in the teeth. I feel as though you hit the ceiling pretty early as a sparky with no if any opportunities to progress any further? For info I am a sub contractor (albeit full time) currently earning £18p/h north west UK.

Always read and hear the phrase "Everyday is a school day" which isn't necessary a bad thing as it keeps things interesting, although what really bugs me is how in our trade we are held more accountable than most other trades on the job eg fire, manslaughter etc. but we're not paid much more in the long run? Painters behind me filling holes and at worst painting a wall the wrong colour? Plasterers whisking a mix what can go wrong? Joiners cutting wood, woops cut that too short no problem just get another piece! Plus the bricky outside and the ceiling fitters screwing pieces of tin together somehow earning more than us. How is this the case given the responsibility we have? Not taking anything away from said trades they are all very skilled professions but come on, the regs are a minefield yet somehow we're expected to adhere to said regs, whilst trying to finish projects on time and still make profit given how tight the price is and the schedule of works.

The latest topic I'm reading up on is the mini EICRs that are recommended before commencing any work, how are blokes out there making money spending time doing things like that before they give a customer an initial quote? Its an ideal circumstance and in my experience 90% of the time the circumstance isn't ideal.

This week had a sit down with the gaffer and put a quote together on 10 new builds at which we would be doing at a price that would pay the lads, run the vans and pay wages with much potential as with previous installs to blow the budget given overlooked aspects of the job or when the builder decides to add extras here and there but hit the roof if we dare put an extras bill in. I know the word is that no one makes much if any profit on new builds but what is the point in bothering if thats the case. (Builder does give us commercial work that we do make money on so its swings and roundabouts but still..).

I am having a huge moan here but a bad day has turned into a bad week so Im just out here venting and asking for advice on how you guys deal with this as I'm certain I'm not the only one thats had these thoughts cross their minds. If I knew what I knew now back when I was 17 handing my CV in to my first employer I would have told myself - Don't bother, its not worth the hassle!!

Thanks in advance for getting the violins out. :D
 
Doctor Marvo says you've got early onset acute mid-life crisis. There are drugs that can help and I can write you a prescription but they're only available on street corners, not pharmacies. Alternatively you can buy a sports car or fast motorcycle.
 
What electrical qualifications have you got? What areas of electrical work have you got experience in?
 
What electrical qualifications have you got? What areas of electrical work have you got experience in?
A loony bin, lol. I have got a tee shirt saying all that what the op saying.
Me, I'm just a one man band not everyday you can pick Roses. I just get on with the job. With this nasty Covid hang around thing will get worse and till you get the injection.
 
What electrical qualifications have you got? What areas of electrical work have you got experience in?
Time served apprenticeship. City and Guilds 2330 Electrotechnical building and structures, 18th edition, 2395.

Not some run of the mill spark put it that way.

Industrial, commercial, domestic.
 
Time served apprenticeship. City and Guilds 2330 Electrotechnical building and structures, 18th edition, 2395.

Not some run of the mill spark put it that way.

Industrial, commercial, domestic.
You're bored! You need to make a change.
Forget about the lovely, false reassurance that a regular wage gives you, its a trap!
2 options are to either go self employed and have control over your working life or a complete change of career.
30 is VERY young and you have a very long life left, you HAVE to make a change. View it as something exciting, which it is.
Good luck chap :)
 
Upskilling raises the wages to a certain extent. CompEX. Instrumentation. Allen & Bradley PLC RS logix training etc...

basic hourly rate here is $38. Move into the Oil & Gas the hourly rate jumps up to $65+
 
It’s a race to the bottom in some parts of the industry.

a one off new house.... you can make good money.... 10 new builds, the builder has gone for cheapest price, (or a good spark that’s close to cheapest) That’s why you can’t make good money doing that kind of work.
 
You're bored! You need to make a change.
Forget about the lovely, false reassurance that a regular wage gives you, its a trap!
2 options are to either go self employed and have control over your working life or a complete change of career.
30 is VERY young and you have a very long life left, you HAVE to make a change. View it as something exciting, which it is.
Good luck chap :)
Thanks pal appreciate that
 
Upskilling raises the wages to a certain extent. CompEX. Instrumentation. Allen & Bradley PLC RS logix training etc...

basic hourly rate here is $38. Move into the Oil & Gas the hourly rate jumps up to $65+
Is mining still rife in Oz? What part of Oz are you from?
 
Actually reading that made me depressed at being an electrician and I've only been doing it 49 years! Nah, not really. I love the job. I win some and lose some on the costings but it's so interesting. I am just naturally full of the love of life that very little gets me down except my kids. Now there's something if I had known what would transpire my zip would still be zipped today. If I were your boss I would not be leading you into jobs that don't make enough money to bring a smile to your face. I like people who work for me to be motivated and take delight. I don't suffer people who can't see the joy in life. It's just a job at the end of the day. One of the most common reasons for losing the joie d'vive, is a lack of gratefulness at what one does have. Count your blessings. Can't you talk to your boss and get him to see that racing to the bottom is a mugs game? Really, you must price to cover everything or lose out, simple as that. If you are taking on work you know is going to be a loss then no wonder you are down, not a pretty prospect really. You have to price for the job and have the courage to lose the job knowing you won't be working for peanuts, it's a downward spiral if you take the road of bad pricing for a crust or the bones thrown to you. It's a big world you all sound tooled up and wise in the ways of contracting Yoda, so vie for new work and price to win.
 
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Actually reading that made me depressed at being an electrician and I've only been doing it 49 years! Nah, not really. I love the job. I win some and lose some on the costings but it's so interesting. I am just naturally full of the love of life that very little gets me down except my kids. Now there's something if I had known what would transpire my zip would still be zipped today. If I were your boss I would not be leading you into jobs that don't make enough money to bring a smile to your face. I like people who work for me to be motivated and take delight. I don't suffer people who can't see the joy in life. It's just a job at the end of the day. One of the most common reasons for losing the joie d'vive, is a lack of gratefulness at what one does have. Count your blessings. Can't you talk to your boss and get him to see that racing to the bottom is a mugs game? Really, you must price to cover everything or lose out, simple as that. If you are taking on work you know is going to be a loss then no wonder you are down, not a pretty prospect really. You have to price for the job and have the courage to lose the job knowing you won't be working for peanuts, it's a downward spiral if you take the road of bad pricing for a crust or the bones thrown to you. It's a big world you all sound tooled up and wise in the ways of contracting Yoda, so vie for new work and price to win.
Great advice that has been noted. I'm going back to the drawing board and re assessing my current situation at the firm I currently contract to.

Thanks
 
Let us know how you get on.

These days life is very hard for some folk. Sometimes they have no job, others they don't have a life as previously known. But that will eventually pass.

Look at possible opportunities and consider all things carefully. What is clear is you can't keep going in the current situation, so change has to come.
 
although what really bugs me is how in our trade we are held more accountable than most other trades on the job eg fire, manslaughter etc. but we're not paid much more in the long run? Painters behind me filling holes and at worst painting a wall the wrong colour? Plasterers whisking a mix what can go wrong? Joiners cutting wood, woops cut that too short no problem just get another piece! Plus the bricky outside and the ceiling fitters screwing pieces of tin together somehow earning more than us. How is this the case given the responsibility we have?
I can definately relate to this part of your post. I was nearly tempted to try retraining as a plasterer a few years back after a stressful few months... More or less similar money, turn up skim a wall, get paid and go home again, no stress and the only thing I need to worry about is if I've got somewhere to plug the kettle... No paperwork.. No regs.. No schemes...
 
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