Apprentices

mikebro22

I am wondering what all of you Journeymen consider a great apprentice to be. I myself am a first year (8 months). What do you expect us to know up to this point & do you have any suggestions to help me get ahead of the game persay. Also what are some gripes or petpives about us newbies.

Teetorbilt

I run a continuous apprentice program, it is the only way to get the results that I need.

Apply to the best companies, they will have the most pros.

Try to hook up with a mentor that you like. This is a teacher, not some grizzeled old fart although most of them have soft hearts. They can also be some of the best instructors once you break through the ice.

If in doubt about anything, ask for direction before proceeding.

To mention your chosen line of work will help with the responses.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

mikebro22

Sorry ,I'm in the electrical apprenticeship program.This is the electrical forum right? I'm working for a small company right now it's like a family so I'm learning alot. This is the only company I've worked for & my goal is to stay with one company throughout my entire apprenticeship. I know that as you move up the pay scale it's much harder to hold a job, especially if the second years make more than alot of journeyman. I'm curious as to what I'm expected to know from year to year. I'll be into my 2nd year by august. What type of work do you think I should be capable of, and what is a 2nd year expected to know.

Glasshousebltr

Knowledge is power baby! Just learn anyway ya can.

Bob

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Bob

JAL

This is very good advice.

My advice goes a little further. Not only do you need to hook up with a good mentor but also one that has a wide range of knowledge and experience that is willing to pass it along to another. You need to learn and experience as much you can because it will make you a better Electrician. My personal motto is “Learn or Do Something New today!". If you stop learning and doing new things, move on so you can learn and do more.

As Bob said:

"Knowledge is power baby! Just learn anyway ya can."

As to your question of "I'm curious as to what I'm expected to know from year to year". My answer is that you are required to take what you have already learned and be able to apply it, Year after year after year............ until you get to the point where people start asking you questions.

Making a mistake is a very valuable tool in the learning process. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, everybody makes them. You can and should learn from your mistakes, just make sure you don't make them again.

You need to think of yourself as Mr. Spock doing a Vulcan Mind Meld with every Electrician you meet. Then You MIGHT Know it all!:whistlin

Glasshousebltr

No...not Spock....Kirk.....Spock never gets laid. I think it's the ears.

Bob

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Bob

JAL

As Larry the Cable Guy says "All men need is sleep,food and sex"
Bob, you have been listening to him WAY to much.

Sparky Joe

I've seen a lot of apprentices that run around like chickens with their heads cuy off, trying to look good by staying busy. But they never just stop to watch how something is done or ask why its done that way, so theyre never really learning anything. I've seen apprentices running jobs by their 4th year, which is a state recognized journeyman here, and I've seen some that'll never be put in charge of anything because they never made the effort to work smarter not harder.

fridaymean

Alot of "it" is ambition, which I think Joe was eluding to. If someone wants to learn, in my opinion, they have a leg up on someone that just wants a paycheck. People the do not constantly want to take the next step in thier career, or are constantly asking questions to learn, or studiing, I personally would not hire.

A first year guy, where I work, should know how to bend pipe, pull wire, install fixtures, all basic devices, and have a basic/fundimental understanding of electrical theory. Most important....he/she should want to learn more. Same with a Journeymen, he/she should constantly be learning.

mikebro22

This is all very great advice muchas mas appreciation!

RobertWilber

I have been doing this for 35 years [OMG]
thought I would be dead by 25
When I started, I was given a screwdriver, knife, strippers, linesmen's, and a code book.
I was told to leave everything in the truck but the book for three weeks and required to tell EVERYONE whether what they wanted to do was legal or not
Then I spent four months putting in ground screws and mounting boxes on crayon lines.
You don't need to think yet. If you do, they aren't teaching you!
Read EVERYTHING you can get your hands on!
WATCH everything they do.... and ask why ... ?
When you can hand them what they need next without being asked for it, then you can start to worry about what you should know... and you will probably be getting a raise ... [or looking for another job]

Sparky Joe

Just out of curiosity, what is a 1st step apprentice making in HB?

hilltop

The best apprentices that I've had are the guys that show up for work on time and everyday. They are motivated to learn and listen to their journeyman. They take a look around and see what's going on and try to get tools and materials ready for the next step in the job. The best ones make their journeyman look good....think about it and you'll understand what I mean. If you encounter some down time on the job for some reason find productive things to do such as straightening out the tools boxes and organizing materials. Read the code book and Ugly's electrical references. Ask questions about how things work but be genuine in your asking...I can see right through the b.s. when an apprentice is asking a question just to try and look smart. One of the big things that is said is "Apprentices should be seen and not heard." The ones that constantly run their mouth and don't pay attention to the job get laid-off pretty fast around here. Don't stick with one contractor. Every contractor does different kinds of work and has different ways of doing work, that way you get a well rounded education.

Sparky Joe

Like hilltop said, its easy to spot the guys that want to be there and the ones that just want a check.
In my local they rarely bring in guys under 23(unless theyre related to someone) because "kids" usually dont know what they want. Though sometimes I have no idea what they were thinking when they bring in some guys.

mikebro22

I live in HB but work in san dimas. $15/hr

Sparky Joe

Thats a drive I wouldn't want to make daily, though I would't move from HB.

About the what you should know issue, at first most things you'll do because you're told, but as your schooling catches up with OJT, it'll all start to make sense. It works out nice that way for when you're taking tests in school, it's usually easier to remember how you did something on the job rather than what you read from a book. Particularly when the subject material is boring, like grounding. And of course given that your with a good contractor that does things right, and that your paying attention to what your doing. Some journeymen don't like being asked questions much, usually because they don't know the answer, so you'll get that grumpy old man response of "you just do it that way because you have to". But if you're a quick learner and can do the things you know how to quickly, you'll get the better journeymen wanting to work with you because like someone else said 'you'll make the journeyman look good' and thats where you'll get your best experience.