John Valdes

I guess I'm looking at teaching from the outside in.
I see a professional atmosphere. I see decent pay. I see a clean working environment. I see the ability to build on what you already have. I see summers off. I see full medical, dental and vision insurance for you at little and maybe no cost. I see teachers still having knees and backs after decades.
I could probably go on and on. Being an electrician for me was not really a hard thought out choice. I got an opportunity and took it.
I had no diploma from high school (had to back to night school when I had a full time job, a wife and a kid).
I had the opportunity to go to college like my sister. I did not take that opportunity. Today I wish I had.

Sometimes I wish you guys would just take the summer you get off and take a laborers job for the summer. I bet you would have very different feelings about this.
Starting out in the electrical field is no cake walk. Try digging ditches all summer long. Then come back and tell us how you like that.

You have an option to drop the shovel and go back to an air conditioned office. Not many guys here have that option.

If you are considering NC for a union apprenticeship, good luck
Just the mention of unions in the south are grounds for termination in the eyes of many.
There used to be a guy here that was in NC and he was a union construction elect. He is the only one I have met here since 2007.

Thens

I appreciate the input. Those are all reasons I wanted to become a teacher as well. It sounds very good on paper, and it is for some people, but I’ve just realized it’s not for me. I didn’t want to realize it because it does seem like such a good gig. It is for some people, but I have done manual labor over two summers while I was in college, landscaping, and I don’t mean just riding around on a zero turn. It was very hard work. I made a lot less money doing work that many people hate and I still liked the job better than teaching. If I ever needed to I could go back to teaching, but for me personally this type of hard work is what I enjoy. I know there will be hard things that come along with starting this new career but it’s worth it to me. The grass isn’t always greener, and I may find that out, but it feels right and I want to give it a shot.

brian john

The further south you go the less power unions have which means generally limited membership.

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Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now

TGGT

I think North Carolina has the fewest union membership in the US.

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John Valdes

Do what you want. You asked for advice and you got it.

I would think SC would lead that list. NC is the most open minded state in the south east.
Heck, they even voted in a new Democratic governor.
SC will elect a Democrat when hell freezes over.

Bird dog

In my best Foghorn Leghorn imitation "Govnor McTaxster".

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EARTH FIRST! We'll strip-mine the other planets later.
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stiffneck

If you're young and healthy, go for it. You can always go back later, to a teaching gig. Here in Missouri, teachers are some of the lowest paid. In shizt holes like East St. Louis, IL. sometimes pay roll checks bounce. We had a guy leave the East St. Louis schools to work here at the Airport. Before teaching, he worked out of local #309 or so of Belleville, IL. He slowly went broke, teaching, not wiring. Had huge school loans to pay off too. You can teach much later in life, however, not always the case with trades. It's a myth that all local and state government workers are paid well, with good health insurance and decent pension. Around town, private (mostly Catholic) schools pay even less.

just the cowboy

Your young go for the trade. THEN use them skills and go back to teaching electrical classes and raise some great electricians.

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A cowboy may get thrown down, but he always gets up and walks forward and don't look back at what thru him.

Thens

Yes! That is the plan right now.

yonkanif06

Just wanted to say this resonates strongly with me. I currently have an office job, my background is in Accounting and I'm 29 looking to get into this trade either through IEC or NTEJA here in TX (luckily I have family in the trade to help me out). You're right at one point you realize this is not for you and you want to find something different. And it may sound insane for some people; but for me personally I find manual labor more fulfilling than paper pushing.

nmblack

i'm not very active here, but this topic resonates well with me. i have an english degree (i know, i know) and wanted to pursue journalism or teaching after i was through. i graduated from 1 medium-sized university with 700 people getting english degrees at the same time. i came to realize that i was only really qualified to work entry level office jobs and largely struck out trying to find that dream gig.

a friend helped me get into an apprenticeship with the company he'd been working for and it has been the best decision i've ever made. i very occasionally will be on a job in building with people my age sitting in interesting offices with air conditioning and restrooms with running water and feel like i made a mistake, but it's always fleeting. i like to walk away from an installation on a job site and feel proud that i've taken part in something that is or will be important to an overall picture.

Switched

That's funny, we all feel the same way in the dead of winter when we are wet and freezing or in the heat of summer when we just lost 20 pounds in 10 minutes of sweating....

Switched

@brianjohn

I always enjoy your Union/Open Shop posts. Probably one of the most balanced guys when it comes to the argument.

There are pros and cons to both, and both can lead to very lucrative careers that are more importantly fulfilling.

If you can't get one, then take the other and don't look back. Being successful and educating yourself isn't just about someone else teaching you, it is about you taking control and learning.

My advice is to get a job, then keep looking.

I remember a boss saying something stupid to me once, I told him "I was looking for a job when I found this one", he stopped talking and laughed.

Where you start isn't where you finish. Just get in the trade.

John Valdes

Welcome to the forum. Both of you. Thank you for filling out your profiles.

yonkanif06

Reading your statement it makes me feel more reassured I’m making the right decision. About how long it take going from when you applied to when you started working?


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nmblack

the company i'm working for--which has about 400 field guys at a few locations in my state--is always trying to expand their roster. and because they figure green apprentices are people that can be fully built up from nothing to learn the correct and proper ways to do things, they're generally interested in hiring people with zero experience. i interviewed, got an offer letter, and started 2 weeks later. i took an initial pay cut, but my previous position was stagnant and i've made way more money the past two years than any of the entry level, degree-requiring jobs was offering to start.

the work is truly not for everyone, and i've seen a lot of young apprentices fall short and either realize it themselves or not make it through their initial probationary period. if you show up, continuously learn and bank your new skills with the ability to recall them when needed, you'll do well and learn to love it. be an apprentice that can think a few steps ahead while working with a journeyman and they'll love you for it.

lighterup