How to Become an Electrician
Do you want to take advantage of the many employment opportunities for qualified electricians? Starting at $40 to $50 dollar an hour, you can earn your keep while pursuing your passion of serving others and excelling in the field of electronics and communication. Here are a few pointers to consider if you want to become an electrician:
Take advantage of some basic high school courses.
Previous training and basic knowledge is crucial if you want to build a career as an electrician. Take high school courses or electives in electronics, mathematics, science, and mechanical drawing, among others.
There are other sources of knowledge available such as the U.S. Armed Forces and other postsecondary technical or vocational schools. If you are in good health and have good color vision, you may want to take advantage of military training in the electrical field. These courses will all prepare you to become a competent electrician. The ability of solve math problems quickly is also crucial in this field.
Join an electrician apprenticeship program.
By joining these apprentice programs, you can both have rigorous classroom instructions on how to become an electrician and at the same time, you can also have on-the-job electrician training.
Start by looking for organizations that can help you get into these programs such as the National Electrical Contractors’ Association and the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. These will provide you with 8000 hours of on-the-job training plus at least 144 hours of classroom lecture stretching from four to five years.
Those who are interested to apply for an electrician apprenticeship should be at least 18 years old and a highschool graduate or a G.E.D. You should also have complete mastery of the English language and basic math skills since most related manuals are written in English.
You will learn theories related to the subject as well as various methods on how to install and maintain electrical systems. You can also get specialized training in communications, alarm systems, soldering and heavy equipment.
On-the-job training meanwhile includes basic supervision of experienced electricians as you try your hand at setting anchors, drilling holes and attaching conduits. You will also learn how to interpret and draw circuit diagrams for different electrical systems. To complete your training, you should be able to demonstrate your mastery of work practices and processes as well as the electrian’s tools.
Get your license.
Before becoming a full-pledged electrician, you should be able to secure your license first since nearly all municipalities require electricians to pass a licensing exam that involves your knowledge of national electric code, electrical theory and other local and building codes.
If you are in good physical health, have a superior sense of balance and hand-eye coordination, then you will most likely be a good candidate to become an electrician. To further advance in your field, it also recommended that you take up not just English classes but also Spanish since the construction industry is also littered with Spanish speaking workers.