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H

hillcbt

Hi

I am currently a teacher, but am looking for a career change. I just had some questions, I was hoping for some feedback on!

1. What academic qualifications do I need?
2. What is the average starting wage/potential earning power?
3. Which qualifications do I need? (Electrical)
4. Is it better to do a long course, or an intensive short course?
5. Is there demand for work...? Will I be earning as soon as I qualify?
6. Is it difficult to be set up as self employed, and to be successful?
7. How do I find out what to charge for a particular job?

I know there's a lot there, but if someone could answer I would be really appreciative. Is there anything else you think I should know?

Thanks, Craig :)
 
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1. i'd have thought as a teacher you'd exceed them
2. I dont know much about domestic earnings but potential to earn 40k (thats my best year so far) but like I say dont work domestic so may be well off
3. 2330 1+2 along with nvq3 etc 2391 inspection and test etc
4. Can of worms here lol, better to get working in the industry and learning alongside if possible
5. yes always demand, you will earn maybe not full once qualified
6. theres a lot to setting up on your own, being successfull will be dependant on experience and not jumping in the deep end.
7. on here :)

obviously the normal route into this work is serving your time in an apprenticeship etc, the short courses may seem tempting but ultimately it would scare me to death to see someone weeks into the game working alone.
 
i usually leave the cynasism and skeptism at work but this posts rings too many alarm bells
I am currently a teacher, but am looking for a career change. I just had some questions, I was hoping for some feedback on!
fair play if you're genuine and i apologise now
 
probobally seen one of those "you can be an electrician" ads in paper...........i did my 236 1/2 ten years ago,sitting my 17th friday,done my eal, WHERE DO YOU BEGIN??? then i have to chhoo chhoo choose a comp scheme.....school holidays, know where id rather be,reakon cost you £5000 on the outside just to get qualified then you gotta get experiance,get work in, test gear,van.......................

i usually leave the cynasism and skeptism at work but this posts rings too many alarm bells
I am currently a teacher, but am looking for a career change. I just had some questions, I was hoping for some feedback on!
fair play if you're genuine and i apologise now
maybe :pcaught with a finger in wrong kinda pie tee hee???
 
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hee ta man, got some great resources where im doing it ,shakey being one! bit confusing learning 16th regs for eal last week then dump that and pick up 17th! what comp scheme you gone to? tried nic earlier online,not happening!
 
i usually leave the cynasism and skeptism at work but this posts rings too many alarm bells
I am currently a teacher, but am looking for a career change. I just had some questions, I was hoping for some feedback on!
fair play if you're genuine and i apologise now


why does my enquiry make you skeptical, have you tried teaching? just wanted some advice on whether sparky was the right move for me im 5 years in first generation uni in my family dad, brothers, uncle all trade plaster, plumbers, and have decided teachings not for me. wanted to retrain before i become a lifer.

1. i'd have thought as a teacher you'd exceed them
2. I dont know much about domestic earnings but potential to earn 40k (thats my best year so far) but like I say dont work domestic so may be well off
3. 2330 1+2 along with nvq3 etc 2391 inspection and test etc
4. Can of worms here lol, better to get working in the industry and learning alongside if possible
5. yes always demand, you will earn maybe not full once qualified
6. theres a lot to setting up on your own, being successfull will be dependant on experience and not jumping in the deep end.
7. on here :)

obviously the normal route into this work is serving your time in an apprenticeship etc, the short courses may seem tempting but ultimately it would scare me to death to see someone weeks into the game working alone.


thank you for your genuine advice and willingness to help exactly what i was looking for
 
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hee ta man, got some great resources where im doing it ,shakey being one! bit confusing learning 16th regs for eal last week then dump that and pick up 17th! what comp scheme you gone to? tried nic earlier online,not happening!

Im not :) working as maintenance electrician and just looking into it lately wont be NIC though im lucky enough not to have to bow to them
 
respect if you want to change, my dad civil servant,has dad same..... wasnt for me either but i was always buggering about with stuff as a kid so only really natural to go and make a living playing with wires....if you know plumber etc go out for day with a tradesman,i knew of people who did 9 month block solid 236 1 and 2 in college<i did part time mine while working for company>they finished,got a job sparking and hated it!
 
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respect if you want to change, my dad civil servant,has dad same..... wasnt for me either but i was always buggering about with stuff as a kid so only really natural to go and make a living playing with wires....if you know plumber etc go out for day with a tradesman,i knew of people who did 9 month block solid 236 1 and 2 in college<i did part time mine while working for company>they finished,got a job sparking and hated it!

i work with my old man/uncle/brothers on weekends and during hols, all good boys, enjoy the work and environment
dads self employed the ultimate plan is for me and my brothers to set up with him cover/offer a range of areas/skills

in teaching you get loads of ****/meet targets/blar blar blar its nothin but hassel. need alt before to old to retrain and drop massivly in pay
 
in the words of arnold swartz:cool:..........DO IT.....................DO IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! go for it, i could never work for authourities again! best of luck!:):):)
 
in the words of arnold swartz:cool:..........DO IT.....................DO IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! go for it, i could never work for authourities again! best of luck!:):):)

the only other thing is all the 2391s 2381s etc nics 17th regs sounds very complicated once you start if you put in the hours is it easy to pick up? do you have to retrain everytime somthing new comes on the market? train with 17th retrain with 18th? etc
 
yep lol

although 18th isnt on the cards for a long time

lol. fear of the unknown :confused: more importantly what advise would qualified sparkies offer about... becoming an electrician, about training, job satisfaction, self employed or work for a company?

im on 28,000 at the moment rises yearly by bout 1000, got job surcurity, & good pension... thats bout it i no longer enjoy any aspect of it, far to much politics with idiots 'in charge' you punch you gut out to help the kids and they dont even want to be there

is this the way forward??????:eek:

yep lol

although 18th isnt on the cards for a long time

:eek: lol... yep its easy to pick up or yes its complicated :eek: cheers
 
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I certainly couldnt do it but then I have zero patience :eek:

I enjoy it, dont get excited by wideboys claiming 5k a week though in my experience its all bull! you will make a good living though and with a bit of luck and loads of drive you can sit back in 20 years time watching a fleet of vans with your name on it flying about.

I think thats what all sparks dream of when they start, sad truth is many retire with a full toolbag
 
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I certainly couldnt do it but then I have zero patience :eek:

I enjoy it, dont get excited by wideboys claiming 5k a week though in my experience its all bull! you will make a good living though and with a bit of luck and loads of drive you can sit back in 20 years time watching a fleet of vans with your name on it flying about.

I think thats what all sparks dream of when they start, sad truth is many retire with a full toolbag

thanks again i value your opinion, how long have you been a sparky? are you self employed if not who/where du work ?
bit cheeky i know sorry :eek:
 
Not a problem been an electrician since I was 16 (which seems forever even though im 28) went down the maintenance route (industria/commercial machines automation) it interested me more to be honest.

I now work for a food manufacturer (quite well known making snack products for major supermarkets) so if anyone likes scotch eggs/ cocktail sausages give me a shout:)
 
Have just read through this thread and the first thing I will say is that it's a brave decision to make a career change away from teaching.

If you are serious about being an electrician then realistically the advice given about courses at the beginning of the thread is a good starting point. With regard to 2391, don't worry about it until you have got 2330 or equivalent as test and inspection is part covered in this course.

Try chatting with a couple of local eletricians an see if there is anyone wanting a mate. This will get you your practical experience while you do your courses.

I don't know enough about short courses to make a valid comment on them. The only thing that I can say is that it concerns me that firms offer a short course to teach what it took me several years at college to learn (this is just a personal opinion and I am prepared to hear from those who know more about these courses than I do)

You no doubt have contacts in local colleges, have a chat with them. Be prepared to start on a relatively low wage but at the end of the day what you are prepared to put in you should get out.

If you decide to go with the career change, I wish you all the very best and I agree with an earlier comment, go for it. Whatever you decide post it on the forum and if you do join this insane industry if you have any questions then hopefully someone here can help.

Good luck, whatever you decide.
 
Not a problem been an electrician since I was 16 (which seems forever even though im 28) went down the maintenance route (industria/commercial machines automation) it interested me more to be honest.

I now work for a food manufacturer (quite well known making snack products for major supermarkets) so if anyone likes scotch eggs/ cocktail sausages give me a shout:)

thanks

g'iz a job' lol
 
Hi Craig

In answer to your questions;

1,3 and 4) academic qualifications required would be minimal maths, maybe physics. The standard electrical qualifications C&G electrical installation, the testing and inspection and 17th edition. It is probably possible to pass these within 2 to 3 years but the actual qualifications stand for very little in the terms of practical knowledge. The best way to learn is by working within the industry for a period of time with more experienced sparks. There are so many "tricks of the trade" that aren't covered in a class room. For this reason i think that evening courses or day release would be more suitable as short intensive courses will be more difficult to take in if not working within the field

2) Average starting salary can be anything from 14k to 18k. I don't think that a company would pay more for someone straight out of college with limited experience. Obviously as you become more proficient the money should begin to increase but unless you are running your own business or putting in some serious overtime i think that 28-34K is a realistic figure for a 9-5.

5) your demand will depend on the qualtiy of your work. Most of my work comes from recommendations or the previous merits of the work we've carried out. Yellow page ads and such like provide mainly annoying additional sockets etc too much hassle for small return.

6) The question about setting up is perhaps a little pre-emptive. I think that with little experience you will struggle to set up alone as without the knowledge of several years within this trade there are too many learning curves where you could get unstuck. Of course a smart guy would set up, employ someone who knows what their doing and skim of their wage and knowledge. Running a business is a completely different ball game to being an everyday sparks - NIC or governing body enrolment and inspections, insurances, vehicles, wages, people not paying, VAT, H&Safety, correct estimating, invoicing....the list goes on.. and this is not including the everyday struggle of actually doing the work.
7) Charging for work will be dependant on what the other people are charging in the area. Most domestic installations the owners will have called in maybe 3 different people. You can find out by just phoning around competitors with a few carefully placed questions.

Hope this is of some help. I have recently taken on a guy aged 32 who decided to change his career. He has found it a challenge but enjoyable from previous work. It is not something that happens overnight. Hope this is of help and good luck!
 

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