Starting as an electrician

[max403]

Hello,

I am both new to Calgary and to the trade industry. To be honest I have spent years slaving away at menial jobs with little future prospect, low pay, and little to no satisfaction with the work conducted in these positions. I realized that trades are the way to go today for so many reasons so I am now ready to work an honest job that I can be proud of and one day have my red seal journeyperson certificate. After much research the trade I wish to follow is the electrician apprenticeship. Unfortunately I have no direct working experience in the role but am highly eager to learn from the bottom and work my way up. Being that I am not from here I have no clue where to look for local company willing to take on someone with no work experience and help them become a registered apprentice. Any help would be highly appreciated!

[GenericUsername]

You'll need google maps, a stack of resumes and a way to get around.

[max403]

That is for sure. I'm trying to round it down to maybe a half dozen companies to start off with. New to the city so I haven't bought a car as of yet so relying on public transit which is gonna make it really hard getting to all these places :s. Any idea who may be hiring new recruits at this time? Or a generally good company to work for?

[HuMz]

It's going to come down to luck, just apply in person to them all. There is a pre employment program through sait but I would recommend dropping off resumes instead.

[revelations]

Not to be a wet blanket, but if youre over 35 and have a list of menial jobs on your resume 10+ pages long - its going to a long road ahead to try to prove to a potential company that your worth their time.

Sure you can start at the bottom of most, pulling cable through concrete or something, but dont be surprised if it takes a few years to get noticed.

Either way, good on you for taking action.

[InRich]

Originally posted by GenericUsername
You'll need google maps, a stack of resumes and a way to get around.

Thats the losers way to go...

My recommendation is to start off on your own, and work your own jobs for people. if your good, your name will get around FAST, and you'll be set.

I had a guy, come out of as a fresh new electrician do my basement... back then he had nothing, today, just a year half later hes booking 1 month in advance, I cant even get him to come back to do some bedroom stuff I want done cause hes so busy...

Worse case scenario, you go work out in fort mac, making 100k++ 2 weeks on, 1 week off, where u get to do your own jobs on the side for people...

Also, wouldnt hurt to call all the reno companies in calgary for that 1 week off, and see if they need an electrician for their reno projects on the go, or in the future. its that easy...

But I would discourage working for someone else on salary basis.

[GTS4tw]

Originally posted by InRich


Thats the losers way to go...

My recommendation is to start off on your own, and work your own jobs for people. if your good, your name will get around FAST, and you'll be set.

I had a guy, come out of as a fresh new electrician do my basement... back then he had nothing, today, just a year half later hes booking 1 month in advance, I cant even get him to come back to do some bedroom stuff I want done cause hes so busy...

Worse case scenario, you go work out in fort mac, making 100k++ 2 weeks on, 1 week off, where u get to do your own jobs on the side for people...

Also, wouldnt hurt to call all the reno companies in calgary for that 1 week off, and see if they need an electrician for their reno projects on the go, or in the future. its that easy...

But I would discourage working for someone else on salary basis.

You can't just become an electrician, and take on your own jobs...

[revelations]

Originally posted by GTS4tw


You can't just become an electrician, and take on your own jobs...

Let me give you a tour of the new home construction in the NE ....

[max403]

Originally posted by revelations
Not to be a wet blanket, but if youre over 35 and have a list of menial jobs on your resume 10+ pages long - its going to a long road ahead to try to prove to a potential company that your worth their time.

Sure you can start at the bottom of most, pulling cable through concrete or something, but dont be surprised if it takes a few years to get noticed.

Either way, good on you for taking action.

Thanks! Luckily I'm not quite that old yet though. I'm 27 and in great shape so I think I would have a fair bit of potential to an employer.

I'm getting bad luck though, of the places I checked out 2 of them that are in the market for new apprentices just took on new recruits 2 weeks ago

[leftwing]

You could try Trotter and Morton, they called me about a month ago to see if I was still interested in becoming an apprentice with them.

[max403]

Originally posted by InRich


Thats the losers way to go...

My recommendation is to start off on your own, and work your own jobs for people. if your good, your name will get around FAST, and you'll be set.

I had a guy, come out of as a fresh new electrician do my basement... back then he had nothing, today, just a year half later hes booking 1 month in advance, I cant even get him to come back to do some bedroom stuff I want done cause hes so busy...

Worse case scenario, you go work out in fort mac, making 100k++ 2 weeks on, 1 week off, where u get to do your own jobs on the side for people...

Also, wouldnt hurt to call all the reno companies in calgary for that 1 week off, and see if they need an electrician for their reno projects on the go, or in the future. its that easy...

But I would discourage working for someone else on salary basis.

Whoa! You let a guy with no experience do the wiring in your home? No offence to the guy, I'm sure he did a good job if he is getting so many bookings now but I'm not sure if people would hire me with just the program from sait. To be honest the route I want to go is to be a journeyman anyways so Id have to work with a company under a journeyman so working on my own wont be an option till at least 4 years time. Well, from whenever I actually start :s.

Fort Mac is something I would be up for though, not a fan of the place but I would definitely not have to worry about getting my hours lol. Any idea of good eletrical companies that operate in the oil sands?

Thanks for the info though, appreciate it

[max403]

Originally posted by leftwing
You could try Trotter and Morton, they called me about a month ago to see if I was still interested in becoming an apprentice with them.

Speak of the devil, that was one of the companies that I spoke to 2 weeks too late :s. Thanks though!

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by InRich


Thats the losers way to go...

My recommendation is to start off on your own, and work your own jobs for people. if your good, your name will get around FAST, and you'll be set.

I had a guy, come out of as a fresh new electrician do my basement... back then he had nothing, today, just a year half later hes booking 1 month in advance, I cant even get him to come back to do some bedroom stuff I want done cause hes so busy...

I can't tell if this post was serious? Maybe my sarcasm detector is broken?

In order to become a Journeyman Electrician you're looking at roughly a combined 4 years of on the job and institutional training. Once someone holds a J.man ticket, yes there are many opportunity for self employment, especially in Calgary, and if your willing to do reno's. But that's not what the OP asked, he needs someone to indenture him first.

I think most employers don't put a whole lot of value in the pre-employment programs offered. It's been said before, the OP's best bet is to continue to knock on doors and hand out resume's. Eventually you'll get someone that will bite.

[chathamf]

Check PM.

[msommers]

Fire out as many resumes as you can. If you have to start residential then so be it but from everyone I know who has done it, it's not really favoured. Commercial seems to be the happy medium between pay, living at home and type of work. Industrial pays the best but you're out of town and likely pulling cable in -30 (trust me I know). Then having a heat gun going hung over a junction box because you have to use your bare hands...man good times!

Unrelated, I would stress buying quality tools the first time. This was a lesson a J-man gave me on day 1 and I never had to replace a tool unless I lost it. And running back to Crappy Tire, even if it is a free replacement, would be a giant pain considering how garbage so many of their tools are it would be often. Sockets sets are probably the only thing worth looking at there.

Don't think I have to say this but I'll do it anyways. Do not for the love of God start your own business without any experience. I suspect there are major legal implications as well if something were to happen to someone's house, ie: fire.

[max403]

Originally posted by msommers
Fire out as many resumes as you can. If you have to start residential then so be it but from everyone I know who has done it, it's not really favoured. Commercial seems to be the happy medium between pay, living at home and type of work. Industrial pays the best but you're out of town and likely pulling cable in -30 (trust me I know). Then having a heat gun going hung over a junction box because you have to use your bare hands...man good times!

Unrelated, I would stress buying quality tools the first time. This was a lesson a J-man gave me on day 1 and I never had to replace a tool unless I lost it. And running back to Crappy Tire, even if it is a free replacement, would be a giant pain considering how garbage so many of their tools are it would be often. Sockets sets are probably the only thing worth looking at there.

Don't think I have to say this but I'll do it anyways. Do not for the love of God start your own business without any experience. I suspect there are major legal implications as well if something were to happen to someone's house, ie: fire.

Haha yeah, it never hurts to say that. Id never start my own business out the gate though, I wouldn't trust my own skills without a ton of experience under my belt to do something like that. Besides I want to be a journeyman so working on my own wont be an option till I do my 4 years worth of work and education.

Good advice on the tools. Will definitely follow your advice on buying good first. Also going to go out and get all my safety tickets pretty soon to help out my chances of getting hired (WHIMIS, fall arrest, confined space, first aid, etc.)

Still firing out resumes. Do projects and hiring slow down
this time of year in Calgary and Alberta for electricians? Or is it pretty steady year round here?

[HuMz]

Steady year round, try and get as much residential and commercial experience as you can during your apprentership. For industrial I would recommend joining the ibew 424, that is where the money is and there are periods they get work at home. The job I'm currently on paelectrician roughly 130000 for the year and that's home every night 5 days a week.

[max403]

Originally posted by HuMz
Steady year round, try and get as much residential and commercial experience as you can during your apprentership. For industrial I would recommend joining the ibew 424, that is where the money is and there are periods they get work at home. The job I'm currently on paelectrician roughly 130000 for the year and that's home every night 5 days a week.

Nice! But in order to join a union I would first have to be a registered apprentice right? They wouldn't take me on and help me find a job that would register me or anything would they?

[aquamarine]

Looks like some great information. I'm moving to Calgary (From Saskatoon now) in two weeks time and interested in getting into a trade. Personally, I've always liked technology and wired/re-wired home electronics and my parents basement so I'm seriously considering trying to get a job as an electrician as well. We will have to see what happens if anyone's even willing on talking to a 31 year old guy with a B2B marketing background but you never know, could happen.

Good luck to you mate, and good luck to me too. Perhaps I'll see you around too.

[HuMz]

Originally posted by max403



Nice! But in order to join a union I would first have to be a registered apprentice right? They wouldn't take me on and help me find a job that would register me or anything would they?

Correct, you would have to be fully registered and indentured. Because all of the union work is industrial, your better off starting you first couple years doing residential and commercial.

During your apprenticeship I wouldn't worry about being too loyal for the full 4 years if your not getting a good range of experience. Alot of these bigger commercial jobs become extremely repetitive which will hurt you in the long run.

Try and get 6 months doing houses and the rest doing commercial with a bit of industrial.