Where To Go Next?

CNC

i entered the trade young, 17, and now am a Certified General Journeyman, at 22. I love learning, and realize there are so many avenues to go in electrical. I have spent most my hours on high end residential, but worked for over a year with a traffic signal company working on maintaining intersections, and troubleshooting signal cabinets. ALOT of aerial work out of a bucket truck.

My past year has been spent working on a commercial processing room. I have probably 4-5 close friends who got into electrical a year after i did. A couple of them ambitious SOMEDAY to start there own company, as i am.

I am looking at my future now, being i have a few options of where to work, (well see with this economy, ill cross my fingers, because i have not slowed yet) BUT i want to choose wisely on what i focus on, so i have an upper hand in the future with being a specialist, when i am competing against other people for work.

What im getting at is, i have time for seminars, different certification, college even. ( i dont want to get to crazy tho) But does anyone have any advice, where you wish you could go, or would have gone, or have gone? example, Solar, smart homes, service, more business, track homes, contracts?
I really liked the aerial work, and have dreamed of having my own bucket truck, doing LED conversions for the future, for private accounts. OR solar, i think being educated on alternative energy, or lighting could help. Maybe lighting design? Im all over the place for sure, i would just like to set myself out from the rest, and specialize so i have THEM calling me, instead of just being another sparky. ( in a non derogatory way

thanks guys

acrwc10

It is always good to continue learning. Be careful not to fall into "niche" markets only, as they have a tendency to go away rapidly. If you are a specialist in one area that no one needs, how will that help pay the bills.
Now that you have your J-mans card let me let you in on a little know secret, you have a lot more to learn. You will never be done learning.

CNC

I agree, i wont ever. this card is just the start. Its just one barrier, of the many to come. I will (depending on the economy) have work with the contractors i have worked for, i can always go to work, make a descent living, as long as im healthy) If i specialize it will be just that much more on my resume, and i was curious of any insight you guys had.

Celtic

I really can't offer much advice for you in California....I am pretty far away [NJ] and have no first hand knowledge of your convoluted laws

I can offer this:
- Keep taking classes. Once you fall off the learning horse, it's hard to get back on it.

- If you are working for someone [ not EC'ing yourself]. let the boss know you want to be challenged [don't tell him you are already challenged ]. Tell him you WANT the "tough jobs", the "dirty jobs", the "head scratchers"...it will help you in the long term.

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JamesNLA

I have been thinking about this too. Here's my take on it:

Advancing tech always has a markey for people with money. Your not going to get too many request for smart home or LED can lighting from on budget customers...however it (IMO) is important to learn that stuff. There is good money in advancing tech....alot of guys just keep on keeping on....cruising along in cruise control as the world passes by. I am the opposite, I am always researching and studing new things...or things that I don't know much about. Do a search on fiber optic lighting....there are maybe 2 or 3 guys on here that actually know enough about the system to tell you how to do it. Point is no one is going to come running up to you with fist fulls of cash for you to work for them. You gotta do your homework. As far as what to learn....what do you like to do? You like flying around in a bucket....ok, go figure out a way to make a company NEED you....LED retrofits are a great idea. But that is just one.

Solar is going to become huge here. All govt. buildings and schools will soon be required to do it....that will be union guys for the most part, but this state is so nazi with all the green freaks it's kinda like Obama mania....once a few start doing it, everyone will follow suite. Solar tech is barly worth it, but hopefully the engineers will have a better product in the near future. Solar is easy and the last 3 or so jobs I was on...not one guy there spoke english and that managed to hack it together enough for the sigh off. It is fairly straight forward.

THe best advice I can give you is love whatever it is you do. Soon enough you will have a family and an expensive ass wife with all these mouths to feed, and you may find yourself doing what you need to do, not doing what you want to do.....ant that gets real old - real quick.

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"....And then we all switch places when I ring the bell"
-Adrock

Magnettica

I think since you're out in California gaining experience in solar and wind power is something you'd benefit from. Lots of Hollywood-liberal types that have the money for that kind of thing will be bending over backwards to out do one another to save the earth. The solar thing is nice but I didn't like working on the roof myself.

Celtic

....and it calls for extra insurance

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CNC

I can confirm that the laws are frustrating sometimes. The people also! Im working for a guy that trained me at the first company that gave me my apprenticeship. He just started his own gig, and is busy through the first half of the year of 09', a couple 4-5000 sf houses toward san francisco. so i have work right now. (unless they pull the plug or run out of money) The market is very stagnant right now, due to the economy, but there are still high end homes being built, just not many. But i have been working on and off for him, and he has mentioned me running some of his jobs, im very comfortable in resi work, and wonder if i want to spend more time doing it, or focus on other stuff.
I have worked in this area for 5 years now, and think that there is a solar market coming, if not already started taking off. Solar installs seem interesting to me, i like heights, and don't mind roofs. Insurance is a good point.

Service has always interested me, after years of you guys running your biz, what do you prefer? service or construction? servicing lighting and signals was easy on my body, and satisfying because i like troubleshooting and repairing. Maybe im thinking too much? im just trying to figure out where i want to focus my energy, and it what direction i should head.

acrwc10

Believe it or not out here a lot of roofers are getting into the installation of solar, then they have an electrician run in the connections. Not much mark up.

CNC

I will do research, i know nothing about it, I have been fallowing LED technology, and been looking forward to it improving. I like technology, and think it will be important for me to stay on top of it.

Magnettica

The problem we had in NJ was that each individual panel had to be grounded separately. And unless the roofer who installed them had an electrical license, the electrician had to be the one doing the work. Could the roofer do the work and the inspector never know? Sure. But the company i worked for did it all by the book, no short cuts.