Since I first decided to become an electrician, I have been lucky enough to learn from some of the best journeyman electricians in the trade. From the very beginning I have never limited myself to only specializing in one field in the electrical industry. Whether its wiring houses, security systems, fire and life safety, data cable systems, solar, commercial, agricultural, or industrial there is a place for everyone!
Industrial Wiring
Several of my friends in the trade like to specialize or find their knitch in the electrical trade. This can make it so that they are one of the best in that area of electrical, but I have found for myself that this approach can also cause you to become limited in being able to market yourself when looking for a job and most of all you miss out on learning other in demand areas of electrical. If you own or plan on owning your company, specializing in only one scope of electrical work, such as residential house wiring can be a good plan. For the most part it is and can work out great. When the economy is good, and you have a lot of competition you can dominate your area by specializing, being efficient and cutting costs. Your company can boost its profit margins substantially since you will be able to outbid competitors and finish jobs faster that require shorter time schedules. Also, your quality of work should be the best around since that is what you specialize in.
The down side to this can be that if work gets slow it may make it harder for you and your company to pivot to other types of work like light commercial, low voltage, solar or agricultural and so on.
If you are just starting in the trade it could be very advantageous to get yourself working on all types of electrical scopes. I can’t tell you the number of low voltage electricians that have told me they wished they would have chosen to go to the next level. You may be thinking to yourself that you only want to do one type of electrical work like fire alarm, security or any low voltage systems. That is great if that is what you want to specialize in, but do yourself a favor while you are in the apprenticeship learning the trade, get licensed to do it all. After you have that license you can still choose to do low voltage projects only, specialize in it and make lots of money, you just won’t be limited should you change your mind later.
Low Voltage Controls
Try to get yourself exposed to as many parts of the electrical trade as you can. I’m not saying that you need to be great at all of them but have a basic understanding, the rest you can develop on the job depending on the path you decide take. The electrical trade changes so fast that you will always be learning and changing installation methods and the materials being used. If you do this, you will be a more well-rounded electrician, and you will be way more valuable to future employers. You will also find that low voltage and high voltage wiring is getting more and more interconnected every day. Smart houses and controls, generator backup systems, everything is beginning to be controlled by wireless or some sort of low voltage control systems so knowing all sides of it make you very valuable. If nothing else, it is a great sense of accomplishment, and pride in knowing that you can do all aspects of the electrical trade.
