gottspeed

I once watched a boss shred a one foot thick pile of resumes.

Go in and shake hands with the boss, or go work at the supplier.

Vapour Trails

After 4 months of applying and dozens and dozens of emails, letters, calls and handshakes I have decided to abandon trying to land an apprenticeship. I don't like sitting and waiting for something to happen, I feel powerless.

I have begun taking classes in the Certified General Accountant (CGA) program. Maybe you'll hire me one day to manage your financial affairs, who knows?

I think the way the apprenticeship program is set up is bogus. Few if any employers really want to train anybody, leaving a massive untapped resource of youth eager to learn and develop. This could be said of nearly every industry these days, though.

troubleshooting

That is too bad. I know that finding that first job, or that first contractor that is will to take a chance on you can be hard.

My son is about to graduate from a PE electrical program and he is pretty sure he has a job waiting.

But that is probably the exception, not the rule.

When I left construction to go into teaching it took me 2 full years to get a job and I had to move 600 km away. Some things just don't happen right away.

Good Luck.

Thomps

For many employers, it isn't a case of not wanting to train, but are unable to train.

I have a stack of resumes at the moment, and I have had too many conversations recently with would be apprentices who are unable to gain access to the trade.

The current ratio structure in Ontario is a chokehold on apprenticeship opportunities.

Our industry is so cyclical and our labour demands are always in a state of ramp up and the down.

I am sorry That you aren't able to get in the trade. You're not alone in that.

wcord

Noticed that IBEW has a posting on jobbank, for apprentices.
It was posted may 24, so may be worth looking into
goodluck

Rochsolid

Ya start with the union if all you wanna do is hump pipe for 4 years. I'm from Winnipeg and when I was looking to get I to the trade I went to the Merit Contractors Association website and printed off all the electrical contractors and started firing off resumes. Took me about 2 days to get hired on and have been with the same company for almost 5 years now good luck with whichever route you choose. Union or not

mtylerb

I live outside Edmonton and was applying at many electrical contractors from October of 2011 through until May of 2012 before one finally bit. I've spent the last 11 years working in anything not even remotely related to construction until August of 2011. I've had no pre-electrical training, either. So not much different than you.

2000 - Overwaitea Foods/ Save-On-Foods - General Clerk
2002 - TELUS - Call Centre
2006 - United Protection - Loss Prevention
2007 - G4S - Armed Guard
2011 - G4S - Uniformed Security at Edmonton International Airport escorting the contractors airside. This was my first contact with the construction industry.
May 2012 - MCL Power - 1st Year working at the Edmonton International Airport on all the renovations and upgrades.

Best change I've ever made in my life. Keep pushing.

bubb_tubbs

Keep at it, man.

When my wife got into medical school I moved with her and worked at a grocery store while I looked for real employment.

While I was there, I noticed a refrigeration guy and asked him if he knew any good electrical contractors that were hiring. He gave me a referral and I was hired right after the interview.

I happened to be lucky and got it on my first try, but I'm sure you can make it happen if you stick with it and continue to pursue companies. Just remember to really emphasize your trade-specific strengths when building a resume and during the interview process. Even obscure stuff can make a difference.

NSC

In short - yes. It is hard to get into the electrical industry for many reasons. First being the abundance of competition. The second being the typical journyman to apprentice ratio is 1:1, meaning for every apprentice you need at least 1 licensed electrician to "supervise" them.

Out of the 30 or so guys who I attended pre-trade school with only 3 or so of us actually landed an apprenticeship within 6 months of finishing school. I would also like to note that these 3 or so guys were in great financial need of an apprenticeship. I needed to start making more than min.wage as a grocery clerk to afford my rent. Another older guy quit his job and put everything on the line to go to eletrical pre-trade school. So needless to say those who were in the do or die position so to say got what they wanted.

It is hard to land an apprenticeship, but like anything else in life if you try and get it you will eventually succeed. I had to call probably 200 companies to land my first job, and maybe 50 or so to get my second job after I got laid off.

However every rule has an exception and that is you can be useless, dumb, ugly, incomptent, half brained or whatever but if your dad owns an electrical company you're in. Its all about who you know not what you know but if you don't know anyone you better know someTHING.

Dave L

Hmm seems I am in the same boat, its not easy, even when you think you have all the right things its still not easy.

I went back to school at 35 for a 2 year electrical eng tech program, I graduated with honours. I got on a Coop at Bruce power, received an award from my school for the work I did there, have the recommendations of my supervisors up to the VP level. While there I read most of the training material for an operator so I had a decent idea of how things work. My dad worked there for 30 years. I apply for apprentice positions - I get no call.

So far after applying for 25+ jobs I got 1 call. I recently wrote the operator test at AECL another nuclear facility. I passed the test, I felt I did well in the interview the trainer really liked my answers but the HR girl just seemed to focus on my business background. Got the rejection email today.

I am frustrated beyond belief, I am currently working and do some repairs to industrial electronics stuff but there is hardly any work so I sit at a desk and stare at the computer plus the commute 2hrs/day (if no accidents) is killing me.

Follow your dream they say - but its turning into my nightmare.

Keep going, keep applying - thats all I do.

NSC

The difference between the OP and all the apprentices in the world is your motivation and determination. The people with apprenticeships have more of it than you and if they don't then they just have luck. You currently have 0/3.

I'm not trying to be a **** but all you have to do is keep trying. Youre competing against a million people and most employers have a stack of 300 resumes. No joke. You jusrt have to keep applying at places until you're lucky enough to have your resume on the top of the tile when said employer starts hiring.

FastFokker

I gave up another career (aviation) because it was too difficult to get into, there was too much competition, the pay was horrible, the work conditions were brutal and the the pay was laughable.

I don't regret giving up and moving into something that is a hot where I live and forecast to continue that way.

So.. you could move, you can keep trying or you could take up a new career.

NSC

Great post. This is a perfect example. If putting in all that hard work wasn't worth becoming a pilot to you then obviously it was the wrong career path. Same for OP. Its not easy but if you really want to do it it should feel like its worth it to you.

Ewcelectric

A secret (not really) I will share with you is apply at the electrical parts suppliers. Get to know what your doing and get to know the contractors. You will see who you like and who you don't. ( If a jackass is yelling that there's no more Boston cremes left on donut Tuesday is probably one to avoid) mention to them you'd like to get on the tools, good chance someone will hire you.

spinninwheels

That's funny, because I was in the similar situation. When I decided that I needed to change careers, it was between resurrecting my PPL and finishing off my commercial licence, or getting into electrical. I knew from my time in TO what type of dues would have to be paid in the aviation industry. The cost of training and experience relative to what one would initially earn is frightening.

After I finished my ELT, it took about four months to land an apprenticeship. And from what I understand, not many in my class landed jobs. Jobs here on the island are scarce, and I was persistent enough to keep on applying to the same contractors about every six weeks. It just so happened that my resume was viewed at a time when two of their apprentices were heading off to school, and they had a spike in work.

I have been on the hiring end in a few of my past jobs, and honestly you are inundated with resumes. You may only keep a handful, if that, when you don't need to fill a position. But when you need someone, timing can be everything. A resume appearing at that moment may be all the luck you need.

__________________
life is a wild adventure or nothing - helen keller

FastFokker

I love electrical.. Craigslist has hundreds of job postings, the government job bank has several dozen and everyone you talk to is short handed.

As for aviation, there are 0 pilot jobs on Craigslist, 0 pilot jobs on the government job bank and every company out there has hundreds of resumes on file.

I'm too lazy to compete like that.

I have a good buddy I went to aviation college with who also gave up flying, but his first job was doing banner towing & traffic reporting in Toronto. I think he said he was paid $20/day. Couple years after he quit, the plane crashed and killed the young pilot. Risky sh!t for low returns. The stories are endless about near-death experiences, until you get to Air Canada and then want to kill yourself. lol

I still love flying, but I'd rather keep it as an expensive hobby. At least with how the industry has become and it's only getting worse.

elecnoob

FastFokker,

I am in the same boat, except instead of aviation, I was in the film industry wasted 7 years of my life...

I'm really torn on taking an ELT program. My old high school friend who works in Alberta laughed at me and said not to take it.

I'm under the impression that it's a " BC " thing and like everything in BC, very political for the reason being that no one will look at you here until you have an ELT.

lortech

First and foremost, working at the supplier gives you vast experience in knowing what electrical items are, what they do, who makes them and so on.

You get to know the employers and if they have the personality that you feel you can work with them. The last company, the employee I was working with and who was in charge of LV electrical was a Jackass rude, had emotional issues. What I never told him was, I was going to be his boss over him and others. I did not care for the company and left.

Right now, i sub out for two nationals as a low voltage AND telecom/Network technician. As long as the work is there, I love it. The work is not new construction its often just RERE or diagnose and replace. The downside is that there is not nearly the volume of work, when it is not new construction.

lortech

Dave L, Give TunaRez in Chicago a call. She goes a excellent job converting your resume from mediocre to a great resume that generates calls from employers. If you have all the experience and training in you resume, she will make a resume look soo good, you will get calls from employers.

Rochsolid

It's the 1:1 ratio that makes it do hard for guys to get their foot in the door. Just gotta be persistent and don't give up