Retraining in my 30s - Electrician
Discussion
I've read a few posts about people wanting to retrain at various points in their lives, I'm just starting the journey now myself so thought I'd keep a little thread on it.
Quick bit of background, I left school after underachieving and kinda fell into a driving job which I've been doing ever since. Pay is reasonable but I really don't enjoy it anymore, I feel like I need to use my brain again and get out of shift work. So, earlier in the year I decided to take the plunge. I spent a long time over the years considering different routes and careers but in the end decided on becoming an electrician.
I dropped my hours down a touch at work and I signed up for a City and Guilds 2365 Level 2 diploma, part time at weekends with the intention of doing Level 3 after. Along the way I plan to do the wiring regs, inspection and testing and hopefully get myself a bit of real world experience and hopefully getting myself employed as an 'improver' or similar towards the end of next year. All this of course is subject to change but that's my current plan.
I started the level 2 a few weeks back now, I spent the run up to it crapping myself and thinking about how little time I've spend in a classroom since school and that I wouldn't have a clue what I was doing but thankfully it's been very enjoyable so far. Had my first test last week, few jitters the night before thinking I wasn't prepared but it turns out I needn't have worried! Passed comfortably and it's give me a bit of a confidence boost.
Currently doing the practical then the science theory to do then a little break before level 3 starts. Wish me luck!
Quick bit of background, I left school after underachieving and kinda fell into a driving job which I've been doing ever since. Pay is reasonable but I really don't enjoy it anymore, I feel like I need to use my brain again and get out of shift work. So, earlier in the year I decided to take the plunge. I spent a long time over the years considering different routes and careers but in the end decided on becoming an electrician.
I dropped my hours down a touch at work and I signed up for a City and Guilds 2365 Level 2 diploma, part time at weekends with the intention of doing Level 3 after. Along the way I plan to do the wiring regs, inspection and testing and hopefully get myself a bit of real world experience and hopefully getting myself employed as an 'improver' or similar towards the end of next year. All this of course is subject to change but that's my current plan.
I started the level 2 a few weeks back now, I spent the run up to it crapping myself and thinking about how little time I've spend in a classroom since school and that I wouldn't have a clue what I was doing but thankfully it's been very enjoyable so far. Had my first test last week, few jitters the night before thinking I wasn't prepared but it turns out I needn't have worried! Passed comfortably and it's give me a bit of a confidence boost.
Currently doing the practical then the science theory to do then a little break before level 3 starts. Wish me luck!
Good luck with it, it's a brave move to go in a different direction.
After illness in 2005 I was forced to look elsewhere. I did a two-year night course and gained my C&G, 16th Edition. It was lots of fun, one night was theory, another practical. I really enjoyed the theory nights and making the old noggin' work for a change. I was not employed elsewhere though so was not learning 'on the job'.
When the 3rd year came around, I was helpless. Not a f
k in hells chance without being employed as an improver. It went from installing a lighting circuit in the loft to designing an installation from the ground up in a commercial unit with 3-phase!
I left after 3 weeks but the knowledge I gained in the first two years were invaluable for DIY.
After illness in 2005 I was forced to look elsewhere. I did a two-year night course and gained my C&G, 16th Edition. It was lots of fun, one night was theory, another practical. I really enjoyed the theory nights and making the old noggin' work for a change. I was not employed elsewhere though so was not learning 'on the job'.
When the 3rd year came around, I was helpless. Not a f
k in hells chance without being employed as an improver. It went from installing a lighting circuit in the loft to designing an installation from the ground up in a commercial unit with 3-phase! I left after 3 weeks but the knowledge I gained in the first two years were invaluable for DIY.
Do you like getting dirty, because you're going to get dirty.
My brother jacked in being a web developer, qualified as en electrician, then went back to being a web developer because, in his words "It's fking gross". I recently had to go up in our loft to change the bathroom downlighters and I now understand what he meant! That said, I have toyed with the idea myself (our grandfather was also an electrician and I used to go on jobs with him as a kid). Good luck with it!
My brother jacked in being a web developer, qualified as en electrician, then went back to being a web developer because, in his words "It's f
king gross". I recently had to go up in our loft to change the bathroom downlighters and I now understand what he meant! That said, I have toyed with the idea myself (our grandfather was also an electrician and I used to go on jobs with him as a kid). Good luck with it!Cheers guys.
Once I've done level 2 then in the new year the priority will be to get someone to give me some hands on experience. It's all well and good banging some bits on a board in a classroom but no doubt it's a whole new ball game in the big wide world.
I wouldn't say I like getting dirty but I guess it depends on what we are talking, sewers and stuff not so much but I don't mind getting stuck in generally.
Spookily I didn't realise my grandad was an electrician until I said I was going to train up. My uncle was a sparky too but unfortunately he's not on the tools anymore.
Once I've done level 2 then in the new year the priority will be to get someone to give me some hands on experience. It's all well and good banging some bits on a board in a classroom but no doubt it's a whole new ball game in the big wide world.
I wouldn't say I like getting dirty but I guess it depends on what we are talking, sewers and stuff not so much but I don't mind getting stuck in generally.
Spookily I didn't realise my grandad was an electrician until I said I was going to train up. My uncle was a sparky too but unfortunately he's not on the tools anymore.
Oakey said:
Do you like getting dirty, because you're going to get dirty.
My brother jacked in being a web developer, qualified as en electrician, then went back to being a web developer because, in his words "It's fking gross". I recently had to go up in our loft to change the bathroom downlighters and I now understand what he meant! That said, I have toyed with the idea myself (our grandfather was also an electrician and I used to go on jobs with him as a kid). Good luck with it!
+1. My brother jacked in being a web developer, qualified as en electrician, then went back to being a web developer because, in his words "It's f
king gross". I recently had to go up in our loft to change the bathroom downlighters and I now understand what he meant! That said, I have toyed with the idea myself (our grandfather was also an electrician and I used to go on jobs with him as a kid). Good luck with it!I had a friend a few years ago - his day job was working in the tech industry, but he was also a qualified electrician. He used to do lots of DIY type stuff on the side at weekends / evenings - everything from simple electrical to kitchen / bathroom installations.
We all got made redundant 5 years ago, and he decided to go full time as an electrician. He only kept it going for a year or two though - because he decided he was simply too old for it (40s). Think he said he'd made that decision while cramped into a loft space at midnight one night.
It's also worth mentioning that the billing side of it seemed to be a nightmare - he had quite a lot of work but a lot of people were very slow to pay.
Good luck, C+G lv 2 and 3 stuff is reasonably straight forward. Hopefully you enjoy it! As others have said don't be too blinkered, household work can be awful. I work in defence, at times it can pretty minging, but I'd take grime over dust and fibreglass any day. Lots of scope for a varied career. Don't get lax with your tag outs and lock offs.
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