What makes you an electrician

An electrician needs to work well with others to achieve a successful project's ultimate goal. While working on the project, electricians will need to work with many people such as homeowners, project managers, estimators, etc.

Effective people skills are essential for keeping customers up-to-date and comfortable. Customer Service Every person who pays for goods or our services is a customer. Customer needs to be treated fair and with respect. Customer service skills are important because you will get new business based on customer satisfaction. The amount of interaction an electrician has with customers depends on their type of position. If you work for a large organisation, you might spend maximum time servicing machinery within that organisation, and you might not come in contact with direct customers.

Problem-Solving Skills One of the most important skills of an electrician is diagnosing and repairing electrical issues. Electricians are often challenged to detect and solve the problem on their own efficiently. It is important to be resourceful and make the right decision on time.

So, gain and practice these skills for a successful career. Get emails of the newest jobs posted and be the first to apply. Job Title. Email Address. Privacy Policy. No Thanks Sign Me Up. Career and Job Advice Find the Job. Many electricians become competent in several types of electrical work to increase their job opportunities. Responsibilities As an electrician, you're responsible for getting electricity from its source to the places where individuals and business consumers can use it.

Schedule Electricians enjoy year-round job opportunities. Education Working as an electrician is one of the best jobs you can secure with only a high school diploma or its equivalent. Experience As electricians do not need a degree, their experience is more important than their education levels. Skills Electricians rely on a variety of technical skills and personal attributes to excel in their positions. While these attributes aren't usually listed on an electrician job description, don't underestimate their appeal to hiring managers: Understanding of electrical standards — Electricians must meet recognized standards for all installations and repairs.

Understanding of mathematical and scientific principles — While electricians don't need advanced mathematical and scientific skills, they will apply the basic principles of these disciplines to their work. Good comprehension skills — These will help electricians interpret and understand memos, blueprints, and technical documents they receive on new job sites. Keen eyesight and hand-eye coordination — Working with electrical products, components, and systems is precise work which relies on steady hands and excellent vision.

Independent worker — While electricians may work as part of a larger construction team, this position tends to be a solitary role that suits people who prefer working on their own. Time management — It's essential for electricians to complete work to manage their time well and complete projects on schedule.

Concern for safety — Electricians work in dangerous environments which place them at risk of shocks and burns, so it's important to be cautious. Critical thinking — After product and system testing, electricians use the data they collect to diagnose problems and determine the best solutions. Logical problem-solving skills — When electrical products and systems fail, electricians must think logically to find solutions to these problems.

Customer service skills — Having a personable demeanor helps electricians deal with residential and business customers. Physical endurance — Electricians often have to stand or kneel for extended periods, which can take a toll on the body. Physical strength — It's not uncommon for electricians to move heavy components weighing as much as 50 pounds. Leadership Skills — As electricians progress in their careers, they will be called on to manage apprentices and junior electricians in the workplace.

Salary Expectations How much do electricians make? With those skills, you can learn how to work on electrical systems within construction projects or troubleshoot, repair and upgrade them. You can also seek manufacturer-specific training opportunities, where you will learn how to use specific equipment or work with particular electrical components or appliances.

Knowing specific types of equipment can help boost your resume and impress potential employers. You typically learn soft skills through performing your job and personal development. However, depending on the soft skills you want to build, you may find training opportunities such as seminars or workshops. For example, you may pursue management or business training to learn how to lead others and oversee electrical or construction projects. If you are interested in managing your own business, these types of training programs can also help you prepare for that responsibility.

If you are beginning your electrician career, you may consider participating in an apprenticeship program. These programs typically combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training. You can use these opportunities to develop your technical knowledge and gain hands-on experience performing electrical tasks.

When learning on the job, you also gain the ability to develop your soft skills, such as communication and customer service. You may also participate in informal on-the-job training opportunities at any stage of your career. When possible, you may identify a colleague or another electrician whose skills you admire. You may ask them to be your mentor, using their extensive experience to provide you guidance and advice to support your professional development.

Observe how they perform their job and mimic and practice their techniques to help develop your skills. You can also ask this person for feedback on your performance to help identify your strengths and weaknesses. As an electrician, you must have an awareness of relevant standards for performing electrical work.

Study the National Electrical Code to make sure you know how to conduct your tasks safely and effectively. This code receives revisions and changes regularly, so reviewing it often helps ensure that your technical knowledge is up to date. You may need to learn new techniques or methods to adapt to these changes, adding to your skill set. Potential employers may ask about this type of knowledge, so having the ability to discuss recent changes may help impress them. When applying for electrician jobs, always review the job posting carefully.

To demonstrate that you are a good fit for the position, you can highlight the employer's sought-after skills in the following ways:. Assess the job description and develop a list of the hard and soft skills sought by the employer that you have. On your resume, create a skills section to list your relevant abilities. This section should describe your skills in a single word or short phrase, allowing the employer to readily and easily read them.

Try to limit yourself to no more than 10 items. You can also incorporate your relevant skills throughout the experience section to demonstrate how you used them in prior roles.

Your cover letter serves as an opportunity to expand on the information mentioned in your resume. Choose one or two of your strongest, most relevant skills to showcase.

Within your cover letter, describe examples of when you have used those skills in your electrician career thus far. You can change your cookie settings at any time. You can take a college course which may help you to find an trainee apprentice position with a company. Courses include:. You may be able to move into electrical installation work if you've got experience and relevant qualifications from a related industry, for example building services or electrical engineering. You can find out more about becoming an electrician from Electrical Careers and Go Construct.

You could work on a construction site, at a client's business, at a client's home or on the streets. With experience, you could move into electrical design engineering, site or project management, estimating or electrical contracts work. You could also set up your own business, train apprentices or teach in a further education college. Find out more about teaching in further education from Teach in further education. The Find a job service can help you with your search for jobs and send alerts when new jobs become available.