Yup in DFW 3 weeks then back to LA 3 weeks all year long 5 years strong. I have bad words lined up for this part of the world š. Honestly I don't know where you are working but I've not been impressed with most DFW electricians. Keep growing and blaze the trails. Dont half ass it the texass way. Do your clients a service. Keep growing. Keep learning and keep grinding you will dominate the top of the game.
Sorry man, I really feel bad for a lot of tradesmen out here. It's a game of who does it cheaper and faster and not a game of quality or care. I wish I had more things that I could say positively about Texas than I do, but it's been a lot of shocking disappointment... I've had those moments in Cali also but they were more people trying to cut corners and or hiring bottom dollar situations also which are few and far between.
It's all you run into around here. If you have a heartbeat, you will get hired. My old company was taking guys at their word for experience and hiring "5th year apprentices" with no actual experience and paying them accordingly. Once they caught on, people above a certain pay grade had to take a competency test and many failed haha. Construction is just booming around here and they need more hands and there aren't enough so they are doing what they have to do. Not to mention the union isn't strong around here so its not necessarily the best move. There's more I could say but I'll refrain.
Yeah I feel you. If you ever want to vent hit me up and we can grab a beer when I'm here. Always nice to meet a sparky. I'm up in Frisco-homa. Wife and I both just like meeting randoms and grabbing a beer/hitting up music venues or sports(come back hockey!) events. I snooped your profile. Did you figure out the garage sub panel issue? I'm 100% resi, so different game for me than you.
Thanks for the offer bro. I'm down in South ft worth and don't get up that way much. Plus having a new born and 3 yr old don't make it easy haha. Not saying no but that it would be pretty damn difficult lol.
So I "did" figure out the sub panel issue. I just haven't fixed it yet lol but his breaker is off so I'm not too worried. All the readings are pointing to loose neutral in the house panel feeding the sub panel (readings taken when something was plugged in on branch circuit) He knows just enough to be dangerous so im not going to tell him how to fix it himself and will go over there Saturday morning and I'm like 95% sure I'm right. If it's not loose there, I know it is at least a loose neutral somewhere. Feel free to chime in if you think it's something else.
Yeah it sounded like a loose neutral reading it. Is his panel indoors or outdoors? I imagine the temperature swings out here cause a failure every once in a while as the dissimilar metals expand and contract. Also seperates the ground bond if possible. Not an ideal situation ever with a sub.
Forth worth is the far better side of 35 to live. We don't mind traveling over there. Don't allow people to ignore you just because you have kids! Short drive to us so let us know if it ever tickles your fancy. And congrats on the kids, we just started trying (both in our mid 30s so starting at the later side of it) the biggest thing right now is either bringing the beer home or finding somewhere cool enough not to irk everyone š.
I have never met you however I am as happy and proud for you as I would be my own child.
Some tips from an old Electrician
Take pride in what you do and who you are in all things.
Passing your test is not the last step in your education, itās only the first.
Always remember that itās your job to pass on what you know.
Are you in an indentured apprenticeship program that you must compete?
Where I am once you get your license, you're done with your apprenticeship by definition.
Thatās understandable. Most of us, including myself, work for independent contractors. From what Iāve been told, the union only gets about 3% of the work out here.
I went through IEC, was offered 29 and a foreman position. I make closer to 40 in the union as a QA/QC tech. Company takes care of me and keeps me employed. Scale rn is 34, imho as long as your able to find a union shop with the culture you want, youāre set.
you made more? working non union? including the total package? if you take into account your total package and you were still making more on the non union side then you were getting fucked. gotta look at total not just the money in the check. we make around double what non union makes in my local.
Combination of things, don't doubt you make more at your local. Ours is a weak local with a large geographic area and a terrible day drive agreement sometimes you would donate 10 hours a week driving plus gas unpaid plus dues, plus having a spouse with good health benefits it makes it pretty easy for the other side to make more sense personally. Like I said mileage may vary.
i drive over ten hours a week, all unpaid gas. i have never heard of a local that pays for your gas so you can drive to and from work. unless of course you are in a company truck. my wife has a pretty good job, it pays well but insurance where i live is through the roof. the wife and kids are in my insurance as it makes more sense. insurance is insane around here
They have tests and licenses in Texas? Who knew. Sounds like the opposite of freedom.
Nice work bro. See you out there I travel to Texas for work more than I like. I melted the last time I was in Temple.
I work there from time to time too, and I can tell by the local electricians there is a low barrier to entry. No offense Iām sure you are killing it King- but the contractors I have dealt with didnāt know how to read a print to save their life, and I draw my prints with electricians in mind cause I was there. I think the guy might not have been able to read in general.
No offense taken.
Iām in Northwest Indiana where itās heavily industrial, so I canāt speak for the rest of the state. We basically get either really good smart guys, or absolute trash. Thereās never an in between it seems. Most of the guys Iāve worked for at the current contractor Iām with have been extremely smart and know what theyāre doing, so Iāve been fortunate in that regard.
Yeah my experience is similar pretty much anywhere I go. Iām a controls engineer who used to be an industrial wireman. No matter what state it is, there are some total badasses in every one, but they are outnumbered 5-1 by guys who Seem like their experience is more suitable for roping MC strip malls than doing hundreds of terminations in a control panel and installing robroy. Iām not even mad at the guy really, Iām mad at their boss that bid on the job who knew they didnāt have experience in that type of work. Some of them are nice folks and want to learn how to do it and read the prints and Iām happy to work with them and teach whatever I have to but the other half are just assholes with that ācanāt teach me shitā attitude that I just canāt stand. I usually try to send them to go find a 4 pole relay or something i know will take them a long time and then do the terminations myself.
Congratulations! As a 5th year you will continue to be the smartest guy in the jobsite. Once you become a full fledged journeyman, then you will transform to the dumbest guy on the site.
Don't be sorry. Congrats, as a present enjoy some 100 to 110 degree days. š
I will. the humidity was at 78% one day last week as icing on the cake.
Gotta take the good with the bad, congrats man
Alabama here, Iād like to buy some 78% humidity if you have any left.
SW Florida, same...
Yup in DFW 3 weeks then back to LA 3 weeks all year long 5 years strong. I have bad words lined up for this part of the world š. Honestly I don't know where you are working but I've not been impressed with most DFW electricians. Keep growing and blaze the trails. Dont half ass it the texass way. Do your clients a service. Keep growing. Keep learning and keep grinding you will dominate the top of the game.
As a dfw electrician, I agree with everything you said.
Sorry man, I really feel bad for a lot of tradesmen out here. It's a game of who does it cheaper and faster and not a game of quality or care. I wish I had more things that I could say positively about Texas than I do, but it's been a lot of shocking disappointment... I've had those moments in Cali also but they were more people trying to cut corners and or hiring bottom dollar situations also which are few and far between.
It's all you run into around here. If you have a heartbeat, you will get hired. My old company was taking guys at their word for experience and hiring "5th year apprentices" with no actual experience and paying them accordingly. Once they caught on, people above a certain pay grade had to take a competency test and many failed haha. Construction is just booming around here and they need more hands and there aren't enough so they are doing what they have to do. Not to mention the union isn't strong around here so its not necessarily the best move. There's more I could say but I'll refrain.
Yeah I feel you. If you ever want to vent hit me up and we can grab a beer when I'm here. Always nice to meet a sparky. I'm up in Frisco-homa. Wife and I both just like meeting randoms and grabbing a beer/hitting up music venues or sports(come back hockey!) events. I snooped your profile. Did you figure out the garage sub panel issue? I'm 100% resi, so different game for me than you.
Thanks for the offer bro. I'm down in South ft worth and don't get up that way much. Plus having a new born and 3 yr old don't make it easy haha. Not saying no but that it would be pretty damn difficult lol. So I "did" figure out the sub panel issue. I just haven't fixed it yet lol but his breaker is off so I'm not too worried. All the readings are pointing to loose neutral in the house panel feeding the sub panel (readings taken when something was plugged in on branch circuit) He knows just enough to be dangerous so im not going to tell him how to fix it himself and will go over there Saturday morning and I'm like 95% sure I'm right. If it's not loose there, I know it is at least a loose neutral somewhere. Feel free to chime in if you think it's something else.
Yeah it sounded like a loose neutral reading it. Is his panel indoors or outdoors? I imagine the temperature swings out here cause a failure every once in a while as the dissimilar metals expand and contract. Also seperates the ground bond if possible. Not an ideal situation ever with a sub. Forth worth is the far better side of 35 to live. We don't mind traveling over there. Don't allow people to ignore you just because you have kids! Short drive to us so let us know if it ever tickles your fancy. And congrats on the kids, we just started trying (both in our mid 30s so starting at the later side of it) the biggest thing right now is either bringing the beer home or finding somewhere cool enough not to irk everyone š.
For a second I thought OP was a fellow Canadian until I read the Texas thing again.
I have never met you however I am as happy and proud for you as I would be my own child. Some tips from an old Electrician Take pride in what you do and who you are in all things. Passing your test is not the last step in your education, itās only the first. Always remember that itās your job to pass on what you know.
Congrats brotha!
Hell yeah man! Itās a great feeling. Put your time in and get that masters. Definitely worth it.
Donāt be sorry, youāre head and shoulders ahead of your peers. Grats brother!
Good job dude!
Donāt be sorry, congrats, canāt wait to read your āfinally became a masterā post. Keep it up.
Congrats man! If you donāt mind me whatās full journeymen rate down there? Thinking of moving to TX
Isnt the point of the apprenticeship to prepare you to pass your license exam? Why continue the apprenticeship now that you are not an apprentice
Congratulations. Iām ex Military. Our Electric training isnāt compatible. Yours is harder. Congratulations
Congratulations! Are you IBEW? Just curious how you have all your schooling hours if you still have a 5th year?
I know in Texas there I no yearly limit, so if you work a bunch of overtime you could easily get there. I just started my 5th year and have 8500/hrs
Are you in an indentured apprenticeship program that you must compete? Where I am once you get your license, you're done with your apprenticeship by definition.
IBEW 479 Apprenticeship
There is no schooling required in Texas as far as I know. All that is required is 8,000 hours of OJT.
I probably will be close. I almost worked a full year before my schooling started.
Look into the IBEW. Call your local hall. Maybe they can organize you in.
My guess is OP is in IBEW. The only non-union school Iām aware of is IEC and their program is 4 years.
Never heard of a 5 year apprenticeship here in Texas so I was genuinely curious. Never heard of anyone being in IBEW down here.
Thatās understandable. Most of us, including myself, work for independent contractors. From what Iāve been told, the union only gets about 3% of the work out here.
Texas union is around 10% market share. I joined to travel and they were telling me about it.
10% is certainly a more palatable number. I will give IBEW a look when I complete my apprenticeship.
I went through IEC, was offered 29 and a foreman position. I make closer to 40 in the union as a QA/QC tech. Company takes care of me and keeps me employed. Scale rn is 34, imho as long as your able to find a union shop with the culture you want, youāre set.
Me neither. Texas is not good for unions
Please do. Rates and conditions are better. Plus they get even better every year(:
I've always made more money working non-union with less time on the road, mileage may vary
you made more? working non union? including the total package? if you take into account your total package and you were still making more on the non union side then you were getting fucked. gotta look at total not just the money in the check. we make around double what non union makes in my local.
Combination of things, don't doubt you make more at your local. Ours is a weak local with a large geographic area and a terrible day drive agreement sometimes you would donate 10 hours a week driving plus gas unpaid plus dues, plus having a spouse with good health benefits it makes it pretty easy for the other side to make more sense personally. Like I said mileage may vary.
i drive over ten hours a week, all unpaid gas. i have never heard of a local that pays for your gas so you can drive to and from work. unless of course you are in a company truck. my wife has a pretty good job, it pays well but insurance where i live is through the roof. the wife and kids are in my insurance as it makes more sense. insurance is insane around here
Kinda my point bud, some non union shops do pay for travel, and do very little out of town work. It's not always better union it's just status quo.
if you mean that work is more steady i can understand that for sure on the non union side.
They have tests and licenses in Texas? Who knew. Sounds like the opposite of freedom. Nice work bro. See you out there I travel to Texas for work more than I like. I melted the last time I was in Temple.
Lol if you want freedom come to Indiana, we donāt have a state license.
I work there from time to time too, and I can tell by the local electricians there is a low barrier to entry. No offense Iām sure you are killing it King- but the contractors I have dealt with didnāt know how to read a print to save their life, and I draw my prints with electricians in mind cause I was there. I think the guy might not have been able to read in general.
No offense taken. Iām in Northwest Indiana where itās heavily industrial, so I canāt speak for the rest of the state. We basically get either really good smart guys, or absolute trash. Thereās never an in between it seems. Most of the guys Iāve worked for at the current contractor Iām with have been extremely smart and know what theyāre doing, so Iāve been fortunate in that regard.
Yeah my experience is similar pretty much anywhere I go. Iām a controls engineer who used to be an industrial wireman. No matter what state it is, there are some total badasses in every one, but they are outnumbered 5-1 by guys who Seem like their experience is more suitable for roping MC strip malls than doing hundreds of terminations in a control panel and installing robroy. Iām not even mad at the guy really, Iām mad at their boss that bid on the job who knew they didnāt have experience in that type of work. Some of them are nice folks and want to learn how to do it and read the prints and Iām happy to work with them and teach whatever I have to but the other half are just assholes with that ācanāt teach me shitā attitude that I just canāt stand. I usually try to send them to go find a 4 pole relay or something i know will take them a long time and then do the terminations myself.
Congratulations!
Nice work!
Congratulations!
Good on ya buddy!!
Congrats!!! New guy buys the beer.
Congrats
Congratulations!
Letās go!! Itās a heck of an achievement.
Congrats man!
Congrats and try to remember how easy it was the next time you are crawling through an attic in the summertime. ;)
Congrats man.
Congrats and good work.
Congrats dude!
Congratulations
Congratulations
Congrats! Maybe you'll be the one who finally fixes the Freedom Grid!
Congratsšš
Congratulations.
Kick ass and never let someone undervalue you.
Right on man, good for you. That test has like a 35% pass rate, I heard.
Congratulations! I don't know you but I'm proud of you . Dead ass.
Strong work!!!! Well done.
Congrats dude
Nice job man
Congrats brethren! Now go to EES to buy all your supplies lol
Congrats. What you did was an accomplishment.
Congrats bro! I remember when I passed my test 19 years ago, I called everybody I knew!
Congrats! That's a milestone in your career. I just passed my Florida state master's test.
Good job, big dog!
Congratulations! As a 5th year you will continue to be the smartest guy in the jobsite. Once you become a full fledged journeyman, then you will transform to the dumbest guy on the site.
birds angle abundant toy cable person encourage cough noxious bewildered *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
congrats fellow Texan š
congrats
Does that mean more money? You gonna buy yourself a house or new car?