Our friends at electricianslibrary.com compiled a list for entry-level electrician job applicants. In consultation with journeymen electricians, the team at electricians library share with recent graduates the skills, knowledge and etiquette it takes to become an electrician.
Of course here at the Lamson Institute our priority is student success, and while succeeding as an electrical technician requires mastery of the subject, there is more to it than that!
Check out this short YouTube video to see what being an electrician really takes!
No time to watch it? That’s okay. The team at Lamson are always looking for ways to help students succeed, so we have summarized the recommendations and added some of our own thoughts.
- Be teachable – this is a great piece of advice, and one our students are taught in the classroom, but don’t realize applies when they are hired as an apprentice.
- Be humble – this quality ties in with being teachable. Being humble shows your bosses you’re not a know it all, and that you respect their seniority and expertise.
- Focus on mechanical skills – meaning, know how to complete tasks. While you may think of yourself as management material, as an apprentice you need to prove yourself first.
- Learn how to use the NEC as a reference, not as a how to. If you’re one of our students already you know how important the National Electrical Code is, so do yourself and your future bosses a solid by learning it.
- Don’t use your cell phone – remind you of any of our teachers’ syllabi? We completely agree with this point! It’d be pretty weird if your teacher decided to check Facebook and post on Instragram mid – lecture, right?
- Clean up your messes – this will make your work as an electrician much safer, but it will also make you more likeable among your colleagues.
- Arrive on time – as a tradesman, work often commences early, and deadlines are tight so as a newbie being on time is more important than ever.
- Ask questions – working as an apprentice is an opportunity to apply classroom learning to real life situations, under the guidance of journeyman electricians.
- Dress like a professional – when you show up for class there isn’t a uniform, but once you enter the workforce making a good impression is crucial.
- Have your tools with you – in the classroom we provide any tools you may require for hands-on-learning, but once you start working as an electrical technician expectations shift.
- Don’t complicate what is simple, don’t simplify what is complicated – we think this applies to all aspects of life. Fortune cookie material, perhaps.
- Accept your mistakes – reminding us of point number 2; be humble.
- Listen more than you speak – can you believe it – your mom probably said it, your teacher probably said it, and your boss will say it!
- Work hard even when you’re alone – ever heard the proverb, while the cat’s away the mice will play? This means that when a person in authority is absent, people take advantage by doing as they please. Our advice to students seeking an entry-level electrical technician position is to be comfortable with working alone. Trades are not often social jobs.
- Don’t make up new solutions – becoming an electrician is not the same as becoming an inventor and standardized techniques must be followed.
We here at the Lamson Institute agree these tips are important considerations for recent graduates entering workforce, but we want to add a couple of our own.
- Take initiative – if you’re applying for apprentice electrical technician jobs be sure to stop by the career center at Lamson to go over your resume. Once satisfied with your resume, send it out to potential employers. The next crucial – but often ignored step – is to follow up! Following up shows initiative and persistence – two qualities employers love to see in employees.
- Develop interpersonal skills – the ability to develop good relationships between yourself and other people may seem insignificant to aspiring electrical technicians, however, people skills will set you apart from other candidates. Interpersonal skills will also benefit you on the job site when interacting with clients, and advance your leadership potential.
So what does this all mean to you?
- Existing students – already enrolled in our electrical technician diploma program? We suggest stopping by our career center and working on your resume so that upon completion of your program you can hit the ground running.
- Lamson graduate – already completed the electrical technician diploma program? We want to say congratulations on selecting an accredited electrician technician program and working hard until the finish line. This blog post is especially for you! We hope these tips are helpful as you transition from student to apprentice electrical technician.
- Future Lamson student – hoping to go back to school, or quit a dead end job? The Lamson family welcomes you to study with us at our accredited career college in San Antonio, Texas. We offer accelerated, hands-on training to become an electrical technician or HVAC technician, as well as medical career training in: medical billing/coding, optometric assistant, medical assistant, lab assistant/EKG tech, phlebotomy.