My future (help) suggestions

[SPARK2B]

hi all, I am just about to reach the end of year one of level 2 2365 at college and cannot believe the speed @ which it has passed,...


anyway, i have been thinking about the future, for me, in the electrical game, i have mentioned this to people i meet, and people i know, people in the trade, engineers, designers, people working in the railway side of electricity, sewage and water, etc, and the responses have been varied, now i ask you guys for your input, as always it will be most appreciated ..

if you was at my stge of training, looking forward would you aim to specialize, as it were ....

i have been told good options are / would be / opinions are

(remember i have been told this, this is not my input so dont know whats involved in these sides of the electrical life)

• panels (building / maintenance)
• industrial installation
• testing and inspecting (industrial)
• avoid domestic at all costs
• concentrate on comm and ind (there deffo seems to be a pattern here)
• go to austrailia and work in a mine
• go to aus, they are dying for sparks out there
• get into design
• PV is the future
• renewable`s is where its at
• there's no money or future in renewable`s, its a fad, its not going to last (this one made me raise an eyebrow)
• industrial maintainance
• domestic is the easiest work to get
• railways
• DNO
• powerstations
• dont bother, do gas instead (again, raised eyebrows)

any input guys, most appreciated....

spark2b

 

[cossie400]

Industrial all the way. Domestic is full of Electrical Trainee pushing prices down and doing a **** job too.

 

[amckay]

It depends on age circumstances and most importantly what YOU want to do. What interests you more?
Personally I'd go with rail industry but I can't do that as training with network rail involves living and working/training in Portsmouth for a year. Have a nagging wife and a baby you see!
Its your choice at the end of the day so do your research on all subject areas and go from there. Good luck

 

[trev]

training with network rail involves living and working/training in Portsmouth for a year.

Maybe true for a job direct with them but you can do a personal trackside safety course and then apply for jobs with companies which contract for them.
If I were a lot younger I'd be looking into instrumentation, my brother does that and he is on absolutely ridiculous money. Admittedly he has to go into some fairly unpleasant places to earn it but if you want to earn a lot and retire early........

 

[Geordie Spark]

Maybe true for a job direct with them but you can do a personal trackside safety course and then apply for jobs with companies which contract for them.
If I were a lot younger I'd be looking into instrumentation, my brother does that and he is on absolutely ridiculous money. Admittedly he has to go into some fairly unpleasant places to earn it but if you want to earn a lot and retire early........

What's this "If I were a lot younger" nonsense??

You're only just out of nappies as it is!!!

 

[wozz]

All of the above get a good apprenticeship then carry on form there keep studying , get all the c&g out the way then look at parts that interest you and keep studying, when you have a cv full of quals and experience of being out there and doing work make your choice then you may find the companies in your desired sector really want you.

Personally id id pick a real growth industry that interests you. You have at least three good ones (in my opinion) on the list there, all pay more than the average so you have got to set yourself apart from the rest to get the decent jobs. All depends what going on at the time and if you want to go where the work is.

 

[moospark]

P.V. is an extra string (pun intended) to your bow, nowt more.
Avoid getting sucked into domestic at all costs.
There's two off your list (only my humble opinion).

 

[jmunns]

I'm in the same boat mate. I finish my level two this June. Where about are you based? I've found finding work in London fairly easy, managed to get four weeks doing domestic, when that fell through I went for just over a month without work, now I'm doing temporary electrics on building sites.

It's definitely worth keeping the future in mind, but while you're doing your level three, it might be best to focus on bulking up your cv with on site experience. I've seen one or two posts on here by fully qualified sparks who are unable to find work because they don't have the experience.

 

[amckay]

training with network rail involves living and working/training in Portsmouth for a year.

Maybe true for a job direct with them but you can do a personal trackside safety course and then apply for jobs with companies which contract for them.

PTS course can only be done if a rail industry company 'sponsers' you.

 

[amckay]

training with network rail involves living and working/training in Portsmouth for a year.

If I were a lot younger I'd be looking into instrumentation, my brother does that and he is on absolutely ridiculous money.

I like ridiculous money. Tell me more

 

[Meggerman]

I like ridiculous money. Tell me more

Is ABC not your own firm? Would you rather not grow or own business than work for another?

 

[amckay]

I like ridiculous money. Tell me more

Is ABC not your own firm? Would you rather not grow or own business than work for another?

Yes it is but things are getting tight what with all these new sticker slappers popping up. I do a fair bit of pat but these muppets undercut left right and centre. I think this is a classic case of the grass being greener on the other side....maybe!

 

[Meggerman]

Yes it is but things are getting tight what with all these new sticker slappers popping up. I do a fair bit of pat but these muppets undercut left right and centre. I think this is a classic case of the grass being greener on the other side....maybe!

Do you need to limit yourself to only that work. Diversity is key for self employed sparks. More work avenues the better.

 

[moospark]

Is ABC not your own firm? Would you rather not grow or own business than work for another?
Grow your own?

 

[Meggerman]

Is ABC not your own firm? Would you rather not grow or own business than work for another?
Grow your own?

Thank you.

but saying that... grow your own.... yes, that is definatly a business model right there .

 

[tomfj]

Maybe true for a job direct with them but you can do a personal trackside safety course and then apply for jobs with companies which contract for them.
If I were a lot younger I'd be looking into instrumentation, my brother does that and he is on absolutely ridiculous money. Admittedly he has to go into some fairly unpleasant places to earn it but if you want to earn a lot and retire early........

The money is good but you'll earn it, believe me and be warned there is a lot of study required, then the job is getting to be 50% paperwork,and now ****ing agencies are trying to cut the money :nonod:
but if you're seriously thinking instrumentation the city and guilds course is quite good i'm working with a couple of lads that did it and they certainly know their stuff They're both industrial electricians originally and now working as maintenance technicians to get instrument experience, they're better than some "graduate" technicians I've had the pleasure of working with.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Industrial all the way. Domestic is full of Electrical Trainee pushing prices down and doing a **** job too.

it is...and i`v said it for time..

but if you can get a few decent customers who will understand that value for money and pure cheap arn`t the same thing...

 

[SPARK2B]

thanks for all the input guys,...lots to consider,....as always, much appreciated..

always good to hear from those in the know....

cheers all

 

[Welchyboy1]

Industrial all the way. Domestic is full of Electrical Trainee pushing prices down and doing a **** job too.

I completed my apprenticeship with AMEC doing industrial and large commercial works and i really hated it,lots of travelling, hot damp and smelly factories, high viz vests, hard hats, and hard work for bad money(unless your running the jobs)

Once i had the experience i went straight into working for myself, i do mainly domestic and small commercial works and EICRs

all my work is within around ten miles of my house, my alarm is set for 7:30am every morning, I'm my own boss, i only take on the jobs i choose and if i don't like someone i wont work for them

the only encounters i have with five week wonders is when I'm ripping out there work and re-installing it, the reality is most of them dont last long on their own when let loose into the real world


once you build up a decent client base with a solid reputation you honestly don't need to worry about Electrical Trainee unless your a real poor sparks, most jobs for regular clients, i don't even get asked to give them a price, just to invoice them afterwards

i could never work for someone else anymore, you'll never earn anything over a wage, all my work is based on a price so the faster i work the more i earn which is a good incentive to work hard and fast, if your employed your generally on site till 5 no matter how hard you work and the day just drags

i easily clear 50k per year without weekends and charge around £250 per day, this is easily achievable once you have decent customers who choose value over cheapness(they do exist you just have to find them then keep them)


Being self employed is not for everyone though, its hard work especially at the start and it took me about 6 years to build my business up to where i am now, but in this day and age, even in direct employment there is no such thing as job security

 

[trev]

I like ridiculous money. Tell me more

Well just now he's looking at a 28/28 rotation in western Egypt @£100k+

 

[elliot123]

What does an instrumental electrician entail?

 

[Chrisuk]

thanks for all the input guys,...lots to consider,....as always, much appreciated..

always good to hear from those in the know....

cheers all

What exams have you done this year so far?
I only did the 202 which I passed, still had 3 to do before I left and the others now only have 2 months remaining

 

[amckay]

null

I take it that's 28days on then 28days off? That salary turns me on! What kind of training and quals are required as a starting point for progression?

 

[trev]

I know he holds an HND but as for the rest, I'll ask

 

[Silly Sausage]

Well just now he's looking at a 28/28 rotation in western Egypt @£100k+

I hope that £100K is per annum, not pro rata!
Plus danger money for Egypt these days.

 

[trev]

Nope not pro rata mate, he's just finished one in Kazakhstan which was closer to 150. Also not pro rata

 

[king_11]

This sounds very interesting . What type of works ? Do we have a job vacancy part of forum ?

 

[Silly Sausage]

Nope not pro rata mate, he's just finished one in Kazakhstan which was closer to 150. Also not pro rata

Still, quite tidy for 6 months 'work!'

 

[7029 dave]

Get into industrial / micro generation, don't do domestic it's more trouble than its worth.!

 

[Meggerman]

Get into industrial / micro generation, don't do domestic it's more trouble than its worth.!

However if you are experienced and good at it, it is bread and butter you can always fall back on, there is more houses than shops, offices and factories. I always have plenty of work, make good money, there is a lot doing it now I know but many are not doing a good job, this has genuinely helped my business as some customers will wait ages to get me. People write domestic off all the time, but I don't see it.

 

[7029 dave]

However if you are experienced and good at it, it is bread and butter you can always fall back on, there is more houses than shops, offices and factories. I always have plenty of work, make good money, there is a lot doing it now I know but many are not doing a good job, this has genuinely helped my business as some customers will wait ages to get me. People write domestic off all the time, but I don't see it.

TBH Megger, I spent a lot of time on domestic, back in the good ole days, but with all the part p nonsense it just seems one big head ache.!!

 

[Meggerman]

TBH Megger, I spent a lot of time on domestic, back in the good ole days, but with all the part p nonsense it just seems one big head ache.!!

Part P is no drama. Just pay your £400 and that's it, you're good to go. The rest is as you were before.

 

[SPARK2B]

What exams have you done this year so far?
I only did the 202 which I passed, still had 3 to do before I left and the others now only have 2 months remaining

just gearing up to do 202 ,...thatll be the first one,..cnt wait to get it out the way......congrats on passing urs...

 

[7029 dave]

Part P is no drama. Just pay your £400 and that's it, you're good to go. The rest is as you were before.

I am happy in metering now, to old for all that old (well you know). lol

 

[davesparks]

Part P is no drama. Just pay your £400 and that's it, you're good to go. The rest is as you were before.

Part P is drama because of the whole culture of nonsense which has grown up around it.

 

[Meggerman]

I am happy in metering now, to old for all that old (well you know). lol

If your happy bud, that's what it's all about

 

[amckay]

I know he holds an HND but as for the rest, I'll ask

Thanks trev

 

[Knobhead]

A lot depends on how you regard work. Do you want something that rarely varies or something to keep the brain active and therefore interested.
I loved industrial work, not many days would pass without the planned work going out the window. Breakdowns add to the variety to the work, you never know what the day will bring.

 

[SPARK2B]

luckily, i have entered a field with a lot of possible paths,.....

((reading that back , it sounded like the midst of a story about hiking or something ))

.....but, yer the reason i decided on electricity when the opportunity for a change came up was all the different routes i could take from it, i mean i can read every career posting, job site, info site on the web, but like the rest of life, the real info comes from people,.....you people, on here,...... that's where the experience lies, the stories, the know-how, the knowledge .....its great to meet and talk to people and get the insight.

at my sisters wedding,back in august 2013 i got chatting to the owner of the photography set-up, we talked about this and that, and i told him i was starting this course, ...turns out he went to college as an adult learner, and now works (in his primary job) as a designer / planner for the railways signalling arrangements ......another guy who did my mums domestic inspection had done a massive amount in the electricity game, all varied and interesting,...from dom, heavy industry, light industry, fire and alarm systems, cctv, and now, in his later yrs, simply does domestic stuff with one big industrial client that he said he did testing for every 3 months......like i said, its all very interesting

i simply dont want to get bored, driving forklifts, the MoD, shop fitting design ...everything i have ever done , it all got sooooooooo boring in the end.....day in and out of the saammmeee thinngggggg.....and i swore that one day i was going to end up with a blood bubble in my eye just before i passed out from pure repetitive machine like set ups,.......and wake up 15 days later in some kind of secure facility.....

cant wait to get to college every week,...so hoping thats a sign of things to come...

spark2b

 

[Geordie Spark]

luckily, i have entered a field with a lot of possible paths,.....

((reading that back , it sounded like the midst of a story about hiking or something ))

.....but, yer the reason i decided on electricity when the opportunity for a change came up was all the different routes i could take from it, i mean i can read every career posting, job site, info site on the web, but like the rest of life, the real info comes from people,.....you people, on here,...... that's where the experience lies, the stories, the know-how, the knowledge .....its great to meet and talk to people and get the insight.

at my sisters wedding,back in august 2013 i got chatting to the owner of the photography set-up, we talked about this and that, and i told him i was starting this course, ...turns out he went to college as an adult learner, and now works (in his primary job) as a designer / planner for the railways signalling arrangements ......another guy who did my mums domestic inspection had done a massive amount in the electricity game, all varied and interesting,...from dom, heavy industry, light industry, fire and alarm systems, cctv, and now, in his later yrs, simply does domestic stuff with one big industrial client that he said he did testing for every 3 months......like i said, its all very interesting

i simply dont want to get bored, driving forklifts, the MoD, shop fitting design ...everything i have ever done , it all got sooooooooo boring in the end.....day in and out of the saammmeee thinngggggg.....and i swore that one day i was going to end up with a blood bubble in my eye just before i passed out from pure repetitive machine like set ups,.......and wake up 15 days later in some kind of secure facility.....

cant wait to get to college every week,...so hoping thats a sign of things to come...

spark2b

Take-up farming, then you could have a career where you would be outstanding in your field.

 

[SPARK2B]

Take-up farming, then you could have a career where you would be outstanding in your field.

bit late, but worth a chuckle,...:icon6: