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Morning all,
Odd one...I’ve recently started out on my own I’m with nic-eic and have a good amount of experience and knowledge, looking at my diary this week I have several jobs including outdoor lighting and two Cu changes including incorporating a garage sub main.
My question is do any of you guys feel nervous about upcoming jobs like somehow you’re not good enough or doubt yourself like you’re going to mess things up or burn the house down.

I know this is probably odd for most of you But I just wondered if anyone else felt the same before a “larger” job. Think I’m just a nervous and doubtful person as I’ve never actually burnt anyone’s house down ??
 
Although not an electrican as yet but have another trade & I have always suffered social anxiety, always think I am being judged, what if they dont like my work etc & yes if I am put on a new job I literally crumble in the car.
 
I don't, but then, again I don't work any more, personally I think it's only natural to worry, but in saying that, I'm a long time worrier anyway, think by worrying it makes you more careful with your work. or it did me.
I wouldn't worry to much about worrying, don't be over confident though, check and check again, good luck.
 
I had self doubt when starting my own work, mainly stemming from a move into domestic work when I had little experience in this area, but also because I'd never run a business before so even the day to day doings were alien to me.
I also tend to be a worrying type of personality so know where you're coming from. From my own experience newly self employed anxiety is normal but fades over time as your confidence in yourself grows in all aspects of running a business.

It helped me to just stop for a few minutes and think jobs through logically from start to finish. This is a good technique to develop anyway as it helps you quickly visualise jobs when you are quoting for them.

Just remember you're the best spark on the job so there's no better person to be doing it :grin:

If you've got any specific worries about your work, or just want to run jobs through from A to B, I'm sure the forum will listen and offer helpful advice.
 
Ditto that; working as a sole trader, means you have no one else to turn to for advice or solace, but yourself. I can recall, being concerned and hoping things go as planned.

Thats why this forum is useful to bounce around ideas.

PS seems you've a lot to get through with this week? Times money I suppose.
 
Stick with it mate, these people have given you the work over someone else so they trust you.....as others have said take your time plan jobs carefully and thoughtfully (I still run through the job after I’ve finished to make sure I have done everything) the longer you do it the easier it becomes, you’ll look back in a year or two and wonder what you were fretting about, and as @Pete999 says a bit of worrying keeps you careful and stops complacency....good luck mate

Edit...I would add never let anxiety hold ya back things are rarely as bad as you think they gonna be, get stuck in!
 
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Thanks so much guys! All your kind words and advice have made me feel much better now. Hope you all have a good week at work!
thanks again.
I know exactly what you mean Peter. This is exactly how I felt when starting out 7 years ago. I still remember walking into my first ever customers door feeling like a complete fraud and scared stiff (whilst trying to maintain an air of confidence). It was to fix a faulty light. The quote had cost me £5 off rated people and I only charged them £15 for the job but I walked out of there feeling fantastic after fixing their light and also with a tenner profit. The same job now would cost £50!

I think this is a normal feeling and shows that you care about doing a good job. These 'nervous' feelings (for me anyway) slowly disappeared over time. I don't feel nervous now about approaching any domestic electrical job, however I would say it took 2-3 years before feeling this way. During those 2-3 years the nervous feeling slowly diminishes without you really noticining that you are slowly getting less nervous.

A good question. Good for you for asking it :)
 
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I still get nervous drilling out someones newly plastered ceiling for down-lights. Regardless of the plans I draw out and double measuring. I have 35 to drill and fit on Tuesday :confused:

One of the best tricks of the trade my electrician father taught me when drilling out spot lights is to use a bent piece of wire(the type suspended ceiling are put up with). Bend the end of the wire to half the diameter of your spot light so that it is at 90 degrees right angle.
Nerves wire - EletriciansForums.net Make a small hole in the centre of your intended spot light and gently insert the bent wire up into the hole.Make it drop down on the other side of the plaster board and then spin it around.If it hits anything then you can move your spot light over with out having damaged the ceiling.Repeat on remaining spot lights and if there all clear then drill away.

I also use the DADE dust catcher when drilling spots.It saves alot of mess.
Hope that helps some of you!
 
I still get nervous drilling out someones newly plastered ceiling for down-lights. Regardless of the plans I draw out and double measuring. I have 35 to drill and fit on Tuesday :confused:

I'm ok with downlights having usually measured thrice. Keep meaning to get a laser......it's on the list.

What does give me squeeky bum time is drilling up behind 100+ year old plaster coving which can extend down a foot from the ceiling. A regular occurrence in the properties I work in.
 
It is a common phenomena to feel like a fraud and worry about getting found out in all sorts of professions. It helps to remember that your exam board think you are good enough so you should take solace from that. That is assuming you have any exam passes as your profile suggests you do not.
Aside from the general anxiety suffered by most as above there is also the anxiety about the job and doing it properly and successfully without any harm to "person or property" One of the things I always take assurance from is the testing of your work prior to commissioning. If you have done that properly then the live tests you have living proof that the work is kosher.
I used to worry after the job at night going to sleep wondering if I had made some stupid mistake and somebody would suffer as a result of it, mostly neurotic worrying I knew, but still did it for a while early on.
It is healthy to worry, it is a kind of intelligence in that it causes you to think more about what you are doing and be more conscientious. After all it is a dangerous profession with onerous duties and if something does go wrong it will go wrong very badly. So ditto to above, don't get complacent. I always, always do what I call my idiot check before I leave the site. Looking around very carefully to ensure all tools are collected, I haven't left the CU cover off, the MCB are on where they should be or off where they should not, no live ends exposed and so on.
 
I would say the moment you stop worrying like this is when you really should worry.
You can't and never will know everything in this trade, its a constant learning curve.
Overtime experience and skills improve to give you a firm understanding of your limitations.
In my case I hate access control systems including intercoms on apartment buildings, avoid it like the plague as have had bad experiences of them due to random colours being used on the wiring. Yet on the other hand I love nothing more than planning out an ev charger install that is outside the norm with long complicated cable runs etc.. My other area I really like is garden feature lighting.
Take testing, I sailed through my 2391-52 found it quite easy, I could take that as a sign I know all there is for a periodic but I recognise actually on some install such as larger commercial or really old installations I am out of my comfort zone so take my time, question things a lot more and read up. On one job I told customer I couldn't help as I didn't have the experience of the old wiring systems and machinery etc in the building to feel I could do a job worthy of that required. turned job down even though it was worth £700
Its all about knowing your limitations, there is far too much bravado in this trade, it can be dangerous so thumbs up for recognising your doubts.
 
Fault finding for me. Did one in between jobs, only had a couple of hours, and I couldn’t locate it, told the customer I’d come back. It was a simple fault, which I should of spotted.

I had that lightbulb moment and rang my customer to arrange time to call back. Kept getting his answerphone. Eventually I got hold of him, said I knew what it was. Don’t worry he said, I’ve found it myself.

Friggin embarrassed as hell, I was. :eek:
 

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