Landing a job as an electrician presents an exciting opportunity for apprentices. The electrical field provides many exciting opportunities and sectors to specialise in including commercial, residential, and industrial. With each type of industry comes a unique set of challenges, but these challenges can be overcome with hard work.

No matter what type of electrician you’d like to become, here’s everything you need to know about the industry.

What can I expect from a career as an electrician?

Working as an electrician can provide many opportunities for tradies. As an electrician, your job includes the planning, installation, and maintenance of electrical wiring systems. Depending on which field you work in, your day-to-day may look slightly different.

Residential

As with any trade, no two days are the same – especially when it comes to residential electrical work.

If you’re not working on a large project, there’s a good chance you’ll be working at multiple locations throughout the day. Things you might be encounter on a day-to-day basis are:

• Carrying out fault-finding
• Testing, repair and maintaining electrical equipment
• Installation of motors and switchboards
• Reading and interpreting technical drawings and blueprints
• Installation of new lighting and other electrical components
• Diagnosing and repairing problems in wires and electrical systems
• Replacing old or broken components
• General household lighting installation and repairs
• Maintenance of household appliances as well as heating and cooling systems
• Maintenance and installation of extractor fans and cooking systems

Residential electricians work primarily in private homes, so must be respectful of their customers and their house.

Commercial

Commercial electricians differ from a residential electrician as they work primarily in the business sector, catering to stores, restaurants and offices. In this field, electricians need to ensure that all wiring and electrical components operate safely and efficiently and within industry standards. Tasks that commercial electricians may encounter include:

• Installing electrical equipment and systems
• Maintaining and repairing heating and cooling systems
• Setting up and maintaining security alarm systems
• Installing lighting
• Designing blueprints
• Adhering to state, local, and national guidelines for wiring and electrical systems

Commercial electricians work primarily in areas that are readily accessible by the public.

Based on what type of worksite they’re on, they may also need to install specialist equipment that’s only relevant to that industry.

Industrial

Industrial electriciansare those who specialise in the industrial sector. This includes worksites like warehouses, factories, powerplants and mines. The work is often more advanced than other electrical roles, due to the nature of their job. Some jobs these tradies will complete can include:

• Testing and maintenance of complex machines and automation controls
• PLC programming and diagrams
• Safety control circuits
• Electrical schematics
• Power distribution
• Network overview and maintenance

In this role, you’re likely dealing with highly specialised equipment that requires advanced knowledge.

What are some of the challenges involved in electrical work?

As is quite prevalent in the trades industry, there is often overtime involved with jobs, requiring you to stay late and work odd hours. If you’re not a morning person, the early morning starts may also be a challenge, but one you’ll soon get used to!

Another challenge is the danger of the jobs as you can often encounter risky situations. Electricians have a higher rate of workplace-related injuries than the average rate of incidents. It can be possible when onsite to experience safety issues like burns, shocks and falls.

Electrician Chris Maguire* is qualified for all three of these specialities and enjoys each one for different reasons. However, Chris has said one of the biggest challenges he’s ever faced has been the COVID-19 pandemic. “As you get more experienced, you’re more aware of the safety concerns of the job, but the COVID pandemic was a new experience,” he says. “Businesses need to adapt to the conditions, and we are currently trying to fit in three months of backlogged work so we’re often doing 12–14-hour days which is quite challenging.”

What skills do you need to be an electrician?

Depending on what area you go into, the physical skills you need will differ slightly, and further study may be required. However, there are some generic skills electricians require. These include:

Problem-solving skills – Throughout your day, there are going to be challenges and problems you’ll need to solve. Something’s broken or needs installing and it’s your job to fix it! Problem-solving skills are needed to help you work through the issue that’s presented to you so you can work to overcome it.

People skills – For the most part (and especially for residential electricians), your job will involve some level of communicating with people, whether that be your client or your team. Having strong people and communication skills will make a huge difference to your work life, and you’ll come across as a lot more approachable.

Concern for safety – There are many safety challenges electricians face – no matter what you specialise in. Knowing and keeping up to date with safety requirements and regulation is crucial to succeeding in this industry.

Time management – Jumping from job to job means you’ll need to keep on top of your workload and manage the jobs you’re assigned as efficiently as possible. Managing your time can also help you from doing ridiculous amounts of overtime!

Tips for new electricians

The electrical field is a great place full of opportunities for budding apprentices. Chris says, “Having a career as an electrician means no two days are the same – that’s why I love this job. You might have a week doing a certain thing like lighting, but you’ll be at different houses and installing different lights, so it feels different.” So, if you’re after a career that offers variety and not being stuck behind a desk, this may be the perfect fit for you. Chris also advises, “Stick at it and stay on top of your schoolwork. Many electricians find the third year is the hardest, but you just must tough it out. Trust me, it’s all worth it in the end.”

The electrical industry is full of possibilities for apprentice and veteran electricians. There are so many career paths to explore and opportunities to excel at – the sky is the limit! Electricians need a tough, reliable uniform to match the profession. Syzmik Workwear have you covered with great ranges for every profession. Head to your closest stockist to grab yours or follow us on Instagram for further updates.

*Name has been changed for privacy reasons