Would you reccomend getting into the trade?

Sit it out, get the best pension that you can and retire early.

 

To be honest, it takes 5 years to be good at anything.(apart from house bashing)
Look at your yellow pages and see how may "electricians" are there.
Pages and pages of them.
Allow for the kitchen fitters and others who are allowed to work on electrical installations after a five minute course and judge for yourself.
Allow for all the DIYers who come on here asking how to do stuff...and get told...lol
Look at what is now notifiable (not much) and Part P is now a farce.
The registration bodies are a total rip off.
Gas guys can can charge 2500 MINIMUM to replace a boiler in a day, (I have just done that and it was a cheap quote and some cash and i did all the tidying up after) with a profit margin of approx 1200 to 1400 quid clear...how many sparks can do that ?
Allowing for tax, van, tools, pension, medical, accident cover, public liability , registration, 5 weeks holidays, courses ...ad nausaum I suggest you need to be able to earn 75 to 100K per annum.
Ask an accountant what he needs to charge per hour to make a decent living....
Ask an estate agent with no skills and no qualification what they charge for doing virtually NOTHING to sell your house ?
You are better off going on Xfactor and playing the spoons to earn some decent money.
Hope this helps.
RS

 

Would I recommend getting in to the Trade?


No!

Been in the 'Electrickery Trade' since 19 and it just doesn't pay that well at all.

I diversified in to other area's to boost income.

 

Well put, then add in the factor that you don't always get paid, told yesterday that a company that owes me £4500 in works done has gone bust. B. J

 

That's rough mate.

 

That is rough, kin ell

 

Worst thing is that the company knowing what was going on, didn't really need the stuff doing, which I suppose is easily spent when it's not yours...

 

Sorry to hear that Blue.....
RS

 

Yeah, sorry to hear that B J.

People who have been around this forum for a while know that I changed career and went in to the electrical trade just like the OP is asking about. I did it 12 years ago but went self-employed and did freelance work in my old career whilst getting some foothold in my new venture. I did C&G Part 1 full time and C&G Part 2 at night classes. Also did 16th edition at night class and C&G2391 at night class. I was 43 years old when I changed and 44 when I did the actual swap and burned all bridges. Gotta say its been a roller coaster. Had some brilliant times and some really tough awful times that I would rather forget. Been to hell and back tbh. After 12 years in this trade I can finally say I think I have earned my right to be an electrician and feel totally at home now. In the beginning every single job I did was a learning curve and it was very very stressful. I had to think hard about doing even simple wiring circuits that I just do in my sleep these days. I find I am far more relaxed and enjoy having some good customers and friends in other trades I have met along the way.

If you are thinking of going in to the trade I would not give up your day job until you have got your C&G under your belt. Even then test the water and go out on a few jobs to see how you feel. 38 years old is still young enough to do it but if I am absolutely honest it is a young mans game. I find it hard scrambling around in lofts and kneeling down all the time. If I had done this ten years before I actually did I reckon I would be minting it in now. There IS money to be made, the biggest mistake many self-employed make is not charging enough. i doubt that at 38 you would find work employed as electrical companies need experienced electricians and would find it hard to employ a 38 year old apprentice. I could be wrong but I couldn't find anyone to employ me at 43 so my hand was forced.

Good luck if you decide to explore this trade but be warned it ain't no walk in the park. Customers can drive you mad as hell and you will get some really tough situations to overcome but if you set your mind to do it then I am proof it is possible.

 

Thanks Guys.....another day another dollar....

 

I'm actually happy in my work now after 10 years of going-it-alone.

But living out in the sticks I get varied work: Old houses (from Domesday Book listed onwards: I'm still to tick 12th and 13th century off the list but I've bagged all the other centuries); farms; estates (as in country, not housing) ; village Parish Council stuff; as well as interesting new-build/ major refurb projects from a builder/architect team I've linked up with.

I couldn't hack day-in-day-out urban/suburban work.

 

I would recommend a trade, go for it. I tried to get my oldest son to do an apprenticeship when he left school at 16 but he knew best. Then at the age of 21 he was sick of working for agencies (factory work) and asked if I would take him on. He is in his second year of apprenticeship now and doing well. And he actually said " I wish I took your advise years ago"

 

^^ I was earning more 15 years ago in another job, and managing to save money. Not now. Ticks by OK. But it's not the 'loads-a-money' some customers think when they get the bill.

 

Charge more then
Keeping rich customers richer is a mugs game. If they can afford it then they should expect to pay it. Presumably they got rich by doing just that. Being a cheap always busy fool will not help you.

 

I do charge quite a lot. But I'm still not earning what I earned in my previous life... I was earning above the VAT limit then (pure income, no outgoings to contribute to turnover) for sitting on my **** and working at home in my underpants, occasionally getting out to meet people.

The grass is always greener...

 

If you have a job,keep it. If you are short of money (and who is not) get a part time job at weekends. If you are totally fed up get a new hobby or sport. Count your blessings that you have a job. Many don't. Some might even be 55 year old redundant electricians.
Changing career completely is a massive, massive change and might throw up problems which you might find impossible to deal with. Don't forget you would be competing in the jobs market or against self employed electricians who had served an apprenticeship in their teens and done it ever since.
You go to work to get money. You are getting money. If it ain't broke don't fix it .Unfortunately there is no easy lunch and no doubt there are electricians and other trades and professions out there who hate their position as much as you.

 

Hi Mark

I started in the trade back in 1973 and did a full apprenticeship with the electricity board. Did both domestic and industrial with them. At that time you were not guaranteed a job at the end of your appenticeship so I moved into industrial. First job was wiring over head cranes and their control panels.

After a couple of years changed to a high volume production environment. From there went into automotive manufacturing, then pharmaceutical then a job that could put me anywhere, industrial, commercial, domestic. Now back in automotive.

The main difference you would find is that with industrial you will work on machinery as well as the services. You can be working on steel wire armoured one minute, conduit the next and then in the office with twin and earth or on a machine working with singles.

The variety is good and you are guaranteed a salary, but it may not be great. You don't have the worry and overheads that being self employed brings and if you are in a maintenance team you have support when things go wrong.

It has good days and bad days, but a safer option if you can find work as a newbie as you can learn from your team mates.

Hope that helps.

Edit: New laptop and the keyboard is dyslexic

 

I have been at this game for about the same time as Roy, we have met a few times on courses over the years exchanging horror stories.

Big question about getting into this trade. . .Its a lot of Red tape now and bureaucracy more than ever with too many players sitting on the sidelines shouting orders to us (IET/NICEIC/NAPIT/BC) and if you want to stay in the game you got to take that on board as well.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's I did some part time work with a Mobile discotheque and local radio doing outside broadcast, I decided this year that I am going to reduce work on my hands an knees and do Mon-Thurs on the tools, Friday is for books, Invoices and bankings, Friday nights is for out playing my love of music (Mainly Funk/Soul and Disco) and earning a few quid from that.
Most of the kit is now on board with bookings within spitting distance.

Saturdays are for Mrs SiFi and Kids on alternating weekends

Thats my plan now

Si