IT skills for an electrician? - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

jad1975 · 05-30-2009, 03:21 PM

I have a couple questions if anyone has the time to help me it would be appreciated.

Back in the late 90's I got an associates degree in computer networking and for the past +10 years I have worked in the IT field, mostly doing systems administration. I also have a boatload of IT certifications; MCP, A+, AIS, Network+, etc.

I am completely burned out with IT and am wanting to get into an apprentice program to be an electrician. Looking at various sites I saw that our local IBEW offers Cisco CCNA certification classes. That kind of blew me away because I cannot think of why an electrician would need a CCNA. It also got me thinking, if a CCNA could be valuable to an electrician, then would my experience in IT also be valuable in my new career?

So does anyone know why the IBEW would be offering CCNA classes and is there any possibility that my IT experience could help me in my new field, or could it at least help me get an apprenticeship?

p_logix · 05-30-2009, 04:37 PM

Your experience in IT could be very helpful if you get into maintenance electrical work. In maintenance you could be working with ethernet communications. Working with PLCs and Doing things like configuring modules with IP addresses for remote I/O, troubleshooting network connections etc.

iaov · 05-30-2009, 06:05 PM

I ran thousands of feet of CAT5e last week. Spent a lot of time with a push down tool and terminated a sit load of lines with RJ45 connectors. These are little girly man wires but it paid the same as when I pull the more manly stuff!

MDShunk · 05-30-2009, 06:10 PM

I think the IT skills will help you more if you're headed in the controls direction or the factory automation direction. Generally, they'd help any electrician speak intelligently with the IT guys and keep them from BSing you.

mikeh32 · 05-31-2009, 02:30 AM

wont do much. i have a 2 year computer science. a year in electical engineering.
mcse,a+, net+, ccna, and more POS engineering certs then i can remember.

i applied for the telco/data apprenticeship....

all they did was ask why would i leave IT.

iaov · 05-31-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDShunk

I think the IT skills will help you more if you're headed in the controls direction or the factory automation direction. Generally, they'd help any electrician speak intelligently with the IT guys and keep them from BSing you.

My experience with IT guys is that they are very used to BSing people, It hangs them up when they have to talk to some one who understands what is going on with networks/computers.

John Valdes · 05-31-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeh32

wont do much. i have a 2 year computer science. a year in electical engineering.
mcse,a+, net+, ccna, and more POS engineering certs then i can remember.

i applied for the telco/data apprenticeship....

all they did was ask why would i leave IT.

Seriously. Why would you leave IT. Rather dig trenches? Like being humbled everyday? Pay cut? and Dirty?

mikeh32 · 05-31-2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Valdes

Seriously. Why would you leave IT. Rather dig trenches? Like being humbled everyday? Pay cut? and Dirty?

lol. because i hate engineering. I specialize in designing cash register systems for large corporations. it sucks. i have to travel all the time, work 70-80 hr weeks.

idk, for some reason i enjoy playing with wires all day.

jad1975 · 05-31-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Valdes

Seriously. Why would you leave IT. Rather dig trenches? Like being humbled everyday? Pay cut? and Dirty?

Yeah, I kinda would rather dig trenches.

Seriously, I have been in IT for over ten years and given the choice between another 10 years in IT or a couple lead aspirin, I'd choose the latter.

jad1975 · 05-31-2009, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeh32

i applied for the telco/data apprenticeship....

all they did was ask why would i leave IT.

Did you get the apprenticeship? If so, how is it going?

mikeh32 · 05-31-2009, 09:21 PM

nope. didnt get it. got an 80, and never heard back

skinnz · 06-01-2009, 10:20 AM

It could help with controls,like logix 5000 and panelview plus setting up ip address's for wireless communications also robots and other devices

Hawk · 06-01-2009, 08:59 PM

Your IT background would be very useful to Allen Bradley;Siemens;Honeywell;ABB; All of which have sales and support staff that are dispatched to the field to service PLC,VSD, and EMS. I could of used a guy with your skills a few years ago. Drug manufactures and packagers are forced to call the machine manufacturer for approved mechanics because of FDA commisioning. Google some folks that build the machines and send them your resume. If you land an apprenticeship with one you will be a able to build on your IT skills while learning the mechanical engineering aspects. "Spinen them wrenches"