Other/new relating work fields ?

[Mynamesmatt]

I've been an electrician for 5 years now and have recently been thinking about a slight career change.

My qualifications are purely electrical (nvq/am2/c&g etc) so obviously different jobs would have to work with that.

But what my question is, is what other jobs could spur from my qualifications? Even if it required me to do a little extra training or to go back to a fast-tracked trainee sort of thing.

Any ideas, either similar to electrical installation or even a complete different job role would be appreciated!

Look forward to some feedback
Cheers

 

[Ryan Foley]

telecomms installs, alarm work, audio visual equipment install etc.

i'm currently working, installing phonelines in houses for british telecomms. the work is ok and decent paidbut i would still prefer to be working in my own field.

 

[act1988]

well i think it really depends on what type of job you are looking for. It could be that you want to spur of into a more specialised field eg solar installer etc or you could look at some kind of electrical design job with a little bit of extra training...

 

[i=p/u]

what about automobile electrics, is there much training involved in that??? anyone know

 

[Ryan Foley]

im sure an auto-electrician is a different apprenticship entirely

 

[i=p/u]

battery to fuses, fuses to points, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Engineer54]

If you have an aptitude towards testing, and i'm not talking about 17th ed testing, but rather more towards the more specialised testing of LV, MV, HV Main Switchboards, incorporating protection relays etc. Along with the many other one off types of panels with specialised protection facilities.

Getting into that side of our industry within specialised companies, you will never be without work, and can take you around the world. When certified and experienced you'll never be offered 8 quid an hour, i can assure you!!! I've personally known these testing Engineers earning in excess of 100K a year, but you'll need to know your stuff!!!!

 

[i=p/u]

so would you only learn this testing and specialist work within specialised companies...

 

[Engineer54]

Most of these testing guys started life and got a lot of there training in the bigger switchboard manufacturing companies, actually building and wiring the controls that go into these panels. Some of these panels can be 20/30+ metres long, made up of individual sections. Others have come from Transformer manufacturers. Some have even come from DNO type companies where they have been steered towards substation maintenance and the like... So i guess there would be several different angles of approach into this field of work...

 

[Liamsparks]

Doing Electrics at festivals and gigs are fun

Working for the likes of Neg Earth or PRG.

 

[Knobhead]

If you have an aptitude towards testing, and i'm not talking about 17th ed testing, but rather more towards the more specialised testing of LV, MV, HV Main Switchboards, incorporating protection relays etc. Along with the many other one off types of panels with specialised protection facilities.

Getting into that side of our industry within specialised companies, you will never be without work, and can take you around the world. When certified and experienced you'll never be offered 8 quid an hour, i can assure you!!! I've personally known these testing Engineers earning in excess of 100K a year, but you'll need to know your stuff!!!!

Nice work if you can get it. I’ve tried several times to get in with HV companies. Years of experience count for nothing if you don’t have a degree in toilet seat fitting. Just before one interview I got talking to another candidate, he hadn’t a clue what a “hot stick” was used for. (It’s the one bit of HV work I hate). He got the bloody job!

 

[mattmoo1974]

Air con seems to pay well when ever iv seen it advertised 30k+.
Iv looked into it myself few gas courses(1 week max) there expensive tho its on hold for me at the mo.

 

[Engineer54]

Nice work if you can get it. I’ve tried several times to get in with HV companies. Years of experience count for nothing if you don’t have a degree in toilet seat fitting. Just before one interview I got talking to another candidate, he hadn’t a clue what a “hot stick” was used for. (It’s the one bit of HV work I hate). He got the bloody job!

Very few of these guy's are degree level engineers Tony, and they don't just test commission MV/HV switchboards, but LV too, they are mainly into the protection relay testing/commissioning field. But they can also undertake the whole 9 yards, depends what the client or contract calls for. Most of the smaller commercial side will have these guys setting up, testing, and commissioning the MV/LV protection relays and GCBs/ACBs to the main switchboard panels. Where on a complete HV/MV and MV/LV sub-station for argument's sake, they could well be contracted to build, install, test all the Main switchboards through to final testing and commissioning of the system, in conjunction with the clients Engineers etc!!!

These specialist companies bread and butter work is firmly based on national/international testing and commissioning of newly installed switchboards and panels, there main clients being the main project contractors and switchboard fabricators. Some switchboard fabricators have there own testing/commissioning teams, but not that many these days, but are still a good source of receiving training and experience....

 

[SMB]

I've been an electrician for 5 years now and have recently been thinking about a slight career change.

My qualifications are purely electrical (nvq/am2/c&g etc) so obviously different jobs would have to work with that.

But what my question is, is what other jobs could spur from my qualifications? Even if it required me to do a little extra training or to go back to a fast-tracked trainee sort of thing.

Any ideas, either similar to electrical installation or even a complete different job role would be appreciated!

Look forward to some feedback
Cheers

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