What Should Apprentices Expect on Day One?

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As electricians (or any trades really), we all do not start off at the top- running things! We start off at the very bottom and work our way up. So, what should someone expect when they first enter the electrical trade? In todays episode of Electrician U, Dustin shares his perspective on what a brand-new electrician should expect to be doing as well as a few tips regarding work ethic.

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Let’s face it; there is so much to learn to become a journeyman electrician, that that amount of knowledge needed can be a daunting task to grasp. To be a great electrician, you must start soaking in that knowledge early on in your career AND continue to learn the entire time you are working in the trades. So, upon entering the trades, this learning starts day one. It may not feel like it, but it’s happening. For the first several months, a green apprentice (or helper) will be expected to be HELPFUL but not necessarily feel IMPACTFUL, and you should learn to be OK with that! You will be expected to do the mundane tasks of cleaning, organizing, and bringing parts/tools to those electricians above you. Part of the reason is because those tasks still need to be done, but the other reason is to learn. There are tons and tons of electrical materials/tools, and an electrician will need to know what those materials/tools are. So, by being asked to go find, restock, or deliver those materials/tools you get the repetitions in by searching for them and handling them.
You may also be asked to do many seemingly mundane tasks like doing nothing but putting the three wires on a receptacle, but not being allowed to screw it into the box. By doing an entire house of installing 3 wires on a receptacle, after several houses, you will become proficient at the task. At some point, your journeyman will recognize your proficiency, and will take the next step at letting you put those receptacles into the box and properly install the cover plate. Its all learning and repetitions! Even something as simple as sweeping up or cleaning. While this seems like something so easy to understand, you are actually learning attention to detail as well as learning how different journeymen want those types of tasks done, as each journeyman is different! Trust me, what works for one may NOT be the way another one wants it done!! You will undoubtedly be the one whom crawls in the attics or under houses. Almost all our work as electricians is hidden from view (with the exception of where the electricity will be utilized like receptacles, light fixtures, panels, etc.) and you will need to know how to get from point A to point B. in addition, veteran electricians have been in so many attics and under so many houses, that we no longer want to get in those spaces! Enter the apprentice!!
Something worth mentioning is WORK ETHIC. Construction work is hard work, and the electrical trade is no different. Show up to work EVERY DAY ready to put in 120% effort into the tasks you do. While not necessarily on day one, be willing to jump in to help when the need arises. Watch how other electricians do things and try to replicate those tasks. Phones can be a powerful tool when it comes to looking up information or things of that nature but can also be a huge distraction. And considering that those electricians who are above you are from a generation that sees them as a tool and not a source of entertainment, you should learn to not be attached to your phone while at work. Leave it in the truck if you have to but recognize that you are there to work and learn, not be entertained! If there is a reason for you to have your phone handy in case someone NEEDS to reach you (a relative is sick or your wife is about to go into labor or something like that), let your journeyman know the situation and they will most assuredly understand and accommodate you. We are not MONSTERS after all!!
We hope this has been an insightful look into what the early days of your apprenticeship would look like. Is there a topic you would like to see discussed on Electrician U? Leave a comment in the comments section and let us know. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly updating our content to assist our followers in becoming the best electricians that they can be.