Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That's the problem with many trades. The cocky guy is usually the guy who underestimates the potential for danger. Couple that with youthful delusions of invincibility, and you have a dangerous combination. Seen it happen before. Kid doesn't know what he's doing, but he does know everything (sarcasm) so he doesn't need to ask for help. Bad stuff is soon to follow. Maybe not the first time around, but the odds catch up to them. The lucky ones end up with stitches. Others break bones or end up with missing pieces of meat.
There's people who can do the job... Than there's people who can do the job for 30 years, without so much as an incident report being filed on their behalf.
You can learn to do most construction trades by watching short youtube videos. Can't say the same for professional jobs.
First I'm a PROFESSIONAL trained electrician and you couldn't be more wrong. Second the "professional" work that involves working in an office you most certainly can learn online. Skilled trades involve hands on training which can't be taught online obviously.
Trust me I watched thousands of youtube videos mostly involving electrical work and 95% of them are doing something wrong.
Yeah you might be able to learn how to wire a switch or a fan on youtube, but let me know where you can learn how to wire a whole hospital from top to bottom or a school or a mall or a car wash or anything commercial and industrial related.
Even residential... show me where you can learn how to wire a service over 200 amps from a youtube video. I can sit here all day and give examples of what you can't find on youtube.
To become a journeyman electrician it requires an 8000 hour apprenticeship program and a Master 12,000 hours of practical training. Also requires classroom training and continuing education.
With that said if it's so "easy" why require all of this training?
All I can tell you is that I sure am glad I'm married to a man who dons steel toed boots, fire retardant clothing, and a hardhat every day. Well, not every day, because he works two-three weeks on and then gets two full weeks off, all year every year, and makes more money than some doctors and MOST attorneys. Of course, he's been working his tail off (when he's not off) for thirty years but he's been making a very good living most of those years. He works in the oil and gas industry and is now what's known as a "company man" which is sort of like a project manager. He's an independent contractor and if he doesn't like working with a particular company, he just goes to work with someone else.
He has an associate's degree in petroleum engineering.
My son in law is getting out of the military and getting his CDL (he already has his HazMat certification). He will start out, probably with a wireline company, making about $75,000 a year and will go up from there.
The money is great but you have to be willing to do things like get up at 3 am, work outside in sleet, mud, or 105 degrees, get really dirty, work 12 hour days consistently, that sort of thing. But it pays off - definitely.
First I'm a PROFESSIONAL trained electrician and you couldn't be more wrong. Second the "professional" work that involves working in an office you most certainly can learn online. Skilled trades involve hands on training which can't be taught online obviously.
Trust me I watched thousands of youtube videos mostly involving electrical work and 95% of them are doing something wrong.
Yeah you might be able to learn how to wire a switch or a fan on youtube, but let me know where you can learn how to wire a whole hospital from top to bottom or a school or a mall or a car wash or anything commercial and industrial related.
Even residential... show me where you can learn how to wire a service over 200 amps from a youtube video. I can sit here all day and give examples of what you can't find on youtube.
To become a journeyman electrician it requires an 8000 hour apprenticeship program and a Master 12,000 hours of practical training. Also requires classroom training and continuing education.
With that said if it's so "easy" why require all of this training?
That's the problem with so called experts, both OTJ and on youtube... The people who talk the loudest and proudest are all too often the LAST guys who should be teaching. I've seen tons of weird advice and directions given on youtube. Sometimes, they could work in a pinch, but other times, it's just plain wrong. Very irresponsible to be teaching stuff that can be potentially dangerous or even deadly. This is why aspiring tradesman are often put through years of regulated teaching, and why trades often require licenses and/or certifications.
And there is often not one particular catch all way to accomplish a task. Depending on variables, you might have to tweak your approach a bit, or use your experience to devise another method. Youtube does not teach this. Years of OTJE might, if someone has a brain. Which is really what the trades are going to be needing in the coming years. Folks like Jman are merely spiteful of their lack of success, and in turn, spreading misinformation about their former occupation. Too bad, so sad, move on with your life already. Let the real tradesman do the work.
First I'm a PROFESSIONAL trained electrician and you couldn't be more wrong. Second the "professional" work that involves working in an office you most certainly can learn online. Skilled trades involve hands on training which can't be taught online obviously.
Trust me I watched thousands of youtube videos mostly involving electrical work and 95% of them are doing something wrong.
Yeah you might be able to learn how to wire a switch or a fan on youtube, but let me know where you can learn how to wire a whole hospital from top to bottom or a school or a mall or a car wash or anything commercial and industrial related.
Even residential... show me where you can learn how to wire a service over 200 amps from a youtube video. I can sit here all day and give examples of what you can't find on youtube.
To become a journeyman electrician it requires an 8000 hour apprenticeship program and a Master 12,000 hours of practical training. Also requires classroom training and continuing education.
With that said if it's so "easy" why require all of this training?
I completed a 5 year commercial electrical apprenticeship and am licensed. Electrical isn't fast food or even manufacturing, but it sure as he'll doesn't require the same level of intelligence, communication skills, and interpersonal skills as most professional corporate level careers that require a degree. No matter the job, your basically just running pipe and pulling wire all day. The hardest part is looking at the blueprints. while the class work can sometimes be challenging, You don't even use most of what you learn in the classroom on the job.
I think your perspective on the trades varies based on your social economic class and where you live. I'm bigger cities with a lot of good corporate office jobs, they are looked down on. If your in some small blue collared city and from a lower middle class family, then they are respected.
No matter the job, your basically just running pipe and pulling wire all day. The hardest part is looking at the blueprints. while the class work can sometimes be challenging, You don't even use most of what you learn in the classroom on the job.
You are assuming every electrician was doing the exact same job as you. Which is why 5 years of experience pulling wire all day and cleaning the mess DOES NOT give you a well rounded experience in any trade.
I started out doing boring, mundane, mindless work. Guess what? I was a know it all and thought I could do it all. How wrong I was when I changed jobs and got a taste of some of the more advanced work. It damn near kicked my butt. I still keep my mouth shut and listen to the advice of those with more experience.
If you're not learning something new every week, you need to change jobs. As for the classroom teaching... So because you didn't use much of what was taught on the job, that means nobody uses it anywhere, ever???
Quote:
Originally Posted by jman07
I think your perspective on the trades varies based on your social economic class and where you live. I'm bigger cities with a lot of good corporate office jobs, they are looked down on. If your in some small blue collared city and from a lower middle class family, then they are respected.
You are assuming every electrician was doing the exact same job as you. Which is why 5 years of experience pulling wire all day and cleaning the mess DOES NOT give you a well rounded experience in any trade.
I started out doing boring, mundane, mindless work. Guess what? I was a know it all and thought I could do it all. How wrong I was when I changed jobs and got a taste of some of the more advanced work. It damn near kicked my butt. I still keep my mouth shut and listen to the advice of those with more experience.
If you're not learning something new every week, you need to change jobs. As for the classroom teaching... So because you didn't use much of what was taught on the job, that means nobody uses it anywhere, ever???
It's better when you don't think. Trust me.
Challenging for you maybe. Not for someone who is smart enough to graduate college.
I completed a 5 year commercial electrical apprenticeship and am licensed. Electrical isn't fast food or even manufacturing, but it sure as he'll doesn't require the same level of intelligence, communication skills, and interpersonal skills as most professional corporate level careers that require a degree. No matter the job, your basically just running pipe and pulling wire all day. The hardest part is looking at the blueprints. while the class work can sometimes be challenging, You don't even use most of what you learn in the classroom on the job.
I think your perspective on the trades varies based on your social economic class and where you live. I'm bigger cities with a lot of good corporate office jobs, they are looked down on. If your in some small blue collared city and from a lower middle class family, then they are respected.
I doubt you are licensed but whatever that's here nor there. Yes most commercial work involves running conduit just like most "professional" work involves talking and using a computer which most people know...so what's your point?
"but it sure as he'll doesn't require the same level of intelligence, communication skills, and interpersonal skills as most professional corporate level careers that require a degree."
My 4 years of college was my 4 year apprenticeship same as college. Since I'm an electrical contractor I meet people every day and communication skills are critical to me making money. In "professional" occupations most of the time you deal with the same people all day every day.
Challenging for you maybe. Not for someone who is smart enough to graduate college.
Ya... That's why companies are bringing on engineers to do my job... We get it. You're butt hurt cause the electrician gig didn't pan out. More than likely chased out by coworkers who couldn't stand your arrogance. Those are the guys that usually hurt themselves, or the people around them.
Ya... That's why companies are bringing on engineers to do my job... We get it. You're butt hurt cause the electrician gig didn't pan out. More than likely chased out by coworkers who couldn't stand your arrogance. Those are the guys that usually hurt themselves, or the people around them.
He isn't an electrician. He claimed that he served a 5 year apprenticeship and is licensed but yet he talks down on the trade? Nobody goes through all that and gets licensed to talk smack about the trade it makes no sense.
You are right he tried to get into the trade and failed that's very clear.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Nobody goes through all that and gets licensed to talk smack about the trade it makes no sense. 
