Being An Electrician Pros And Cons

1. No Instant Satisfaction

The apprenticeship program for aspiring electricians can stretch up to 5 years, with almost 500 to 800 hours of classroom instruction combined with 8000 hours of on-field training. Surprisingly, that’s not the end. After completing their apprenticeship, electricians must take their licensure exam to work as journeyman electricians in the electrical field. Subsequent to this, they need to complete an additional 4000 hours of electrical work to advance to the level of a master electrician. Only then electricians can think about moving forward with their plan to start their own businesses.

Hence, being trained as an electrician does not mean that all you need to do is finish your apprenticeship program. You must gain valuable industry experience working with senior electricians and handling independent projects as you move up the ladder.

2. No Specific Work Timings

Unless and until it’s a service agreement for electrical equipment, most electrical issues come announced at odd hours. So you never really know when it might be required to wear your uniform, gather your tools, and get going to the service location. Basically, you don’t have any fixed work timings, which can hamper your work-life balance. In the initial phase of working as an electrician, there is an incessant need to get your hands on as many projects as possible, be it for the money or your portfolio. In that scenario, you will need to take on jobs when they come your way. This might get a little exhausting as you never know when you need to be on the field.

3. Physically Demanding

The job role of an electrical is conspicuously physical, with tiring and strenuous duties combined with erratic work timings. All electrical work requires intense hand movements, which can feel super tiring at the end of the day. And keeping up with that cycle for the rest of your life is not everybody’s cup of tea. Moreover, in the long term, this could be a contributing factor to a plethora of health issues such as stress, burns, electrocution effects, shocks, lower back pain, muscle contractions, physical strain, etc., to name a few.

4. Hazardous Situations

Working in the electrical field comes with extreme challenges, one prominent being working in hazardous situations. Electricians are exposed to a plethora of dangerous circumstances, such as faulty wirings and equipment, overloaded systems, voltage issues, electrical shocks, climbing ladders, etc. Not just these, but they also need to carry on with their duties even during various weather conditions. The situation is worsened if the mentioned situations occur in confined spaces, making it difficult for them to move out of the area swiftly. This can hamper their overall health and physical conditions, which can be quite stressful.

5. Economic Dependency

Electricians indeed earn competitive salaries with a high median annual wage. However, this only applies to electricians who have worked considerable time in the field and are now over the apprentice level. In addition to that, electrician wages are heavily dependent on the economy. In circumstances of economic downturns, electricians face huge setbacks as their earnings take a dip and they suffer from significant losses.

However, since mending electrical systems is an ongoing requirement, electricians enjoy enough job security to prevent their careers from suffering.

6. Ongoing Education

Being an electrician is a continuous learning process that requires you to stay up to date with codes, techniques, strategies, methods, and knowledge regarding new electrical equipment in the market.

7. Licensing Procedure

Obtaining an electrician’s licensure is considerably lengthy and time-consuming. Additionally, the examination and interview procedures can be advanced, making it challenging for them to qualify on the first attempt.