Had a big demo job got paid to pull all this out . Unfortunately these jobs are becoming more rare.

Last year, I quit my 20 yr career and took a 9 mth electrician program. I enjoyed every minute of it. Understood everything in the classroom and excelled in the lab. I especially took a liking to motor controls, relays, and basic plc setups. I built my own relay board and had fun challenging myself with different ladder diagrams. Towards the end of the program, a local security systems company reached out to our school looking to hire. My instructors threw in my name, so I interviewed and I got hired. I’ve been here for just under a year. Its residential security. No conduit. But I am already building 12v main panels, subpanels, connecting 2wire or 4 wire devices, having fun with cat6 cables, security cameras and nvrs.

Im not green. I’ve built and upgraded numerous things in my house. I set up my own EV charger (into the wall, down through the crawlspace, everything code compliant). I hooked up my friend’s business with new dedicated circuits.
I have my own collection of power tools. Im comfortable drilling, running wire and wiring anything.

I’ve been trying to transition out of here. I applied, tested and interviewed for almost every local union (11, 501, 40) and I just dont place well. I’ve applied/interviewed for many small shops and have had several last round interviews with big name companies, but nothing.
Im want to grow far with this trade. I really enjoy it. I want my hours and hopefully by the time I’m 49-50, I can go for my C-10 or Journeyman. Working in Industrial would be a dream, but no one wants to take this old guy seriously :)

Is it really that saturated out there? Is it my age? Im not a shy guy, am I just talk too much during an interview? Im just looking for some perspective. You guys tell me, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Customer stated that their bedroom baseboard heaters weren't working. I think i found out why.

Anyone else seen one of these panels?

2nd year apprentice, got sent to a new job site to help them catch up. Got my first chance to do all the lighting on my own! (not shown in picture: broom behind the column)

Looks like the fuse is melting through the plug??

Been thinking about moving to a warmer climate as im currently in Wyoming and just wanted a good change of scenery. Thanks in advance

Apparently headlight fluid isn't just automotive.

I just accepted a new job as a foreman and I start in two weeks. I'm a journeyman with 10 years of experience who had no desire for leadership until about two years ago. I've worked as a lead on crews for the past year and a half and feel that my leadership skills and electrical knowledge are pretty good. I get along with my guys and my crews production is typically very timely and of good quality.
The part I'm a little nervous about are the things on the back end and paper work side. I'm just looking for suggestions and advice from some of yall that have been foreman for awhile

I genuinely thought these were a bit of a gimmick for awhile now. After finally trying them, I can’t imagine working without them. I can cut about anything, strip most wire with a little bit of finesse, and not to mention they have a cool holster that goes on the belt.

My only complaint is that they make for an incredibly shitty hammer.

Im 2.5-3 years into my apprenticeship. Had a lot of ups and downs and a lot of job changes. How do you know if the career is for you. I feel like im too old to make a change but I keep forgetting steps on installing certain things and I keep second guessing myself. Should I pack it in or have any of you had to deal with the same kind of thing?

Low voltage work in Korea, and this was the day before a slab pour: all we did was get conduit into the rebar before it disappears under concrete.

What went in: blue corrugated conduit for comms and camera drops, black for two separate runs, and a yellow one for power, kept apart from the LV work.

How we set it:
1. Drop points marked off the drawing and measured from the grid lines, not from the formwork. Formwork moves during the pour, the grid does not.
2. Tied to the rebar with tie wire every 60-80 cm, bend radius kept generous. A tight bend is fine today and a nightmare when someone pulls cable through it two years later.
3. 30-40 cm left standing above the finished slab level. Too short and you are chasing the wall to find it once the level is set.
4. Every end capped, then taped over.

Two things I keep going back and forth on:

- Tie spacing. I use 60-80 cm on a slab like this, but I have seen people go much tighter around the coil so it does not shift under the chute. Is there a rule of thumb you actually stick to?
- Caps or plugs. We tape the plug on top, which works, but I have seen sleeves still get a slug of concrete in them when the hose lands right next to it.

If I did it again on this job: bring more caps than you think you need, and set the coils facing away from the pour direction so the chute does not knock them flat.

Doing demo in an old 9 story building. Aside from the last two pictures (old belt driven squirrel cage motor) these were still being used.

I find stuff like this on a weekly basis How is this acceptable.

im a first year apprentice, my company seems to be niche working mostly marinas. i've helped on a few jobs. i've been wondering the Value in this line of work for someone learning the trade. i've just seen its more physical, pulling wire mostly. i dont wanna get stuck not knowing much else.

Would you send a first year apprentice 6 months in alone to rough in an entire floor of an apartment building without periodically checking his work? Ive been on this job alone and have roughed an entire floor of 3 apartments alone and have gotten checked on once by my jman who was definitely drunk lmao.

Has anyone gone through this process recently (or at least since the DOL Apprenticeship rules changed in 2023). I just finalized my application and I’m waiting for board review. How long did it take before you got permission to test?

Picture is of a random 8”x8” j box I made up. Little back story before my question but I’ve been on this project for a few months now and every time my journeyman has us layout lights we end of moving them multiple times due to a variety of reasons. Reasons such as owner request, obtained new set of prints, scale not accurate, etc.

My question is, for when I become foreman is how can I avoid constantly moving lights after installment? Is there a way we could just install once and be done? Or is this the way commercial work goes. For more context we’re doing a fairly large restaurant and bar.

I wanted to say thank you to everyone here , from your posts I've learned what to do and what not to do. Plently of tips and tricks I've applied and taken back to work to share with the rest of the team. You were apart of my path as much as my coworkers were. Finally done my apprenticeship, skated by nearly , the test was hard but we got it done !

Ontario , Canada