Electricians Jobs Abroad

For qualified electricians working abroad is an option. NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3 with a technical certificate are recognised in most European Countries, Australia, Canada and the America. Immigration issues aside. If you wanted to work as a electrician in Australia you would normally need to secure work before you go to the country which can be hard. Another option would be to get a 1 year working holiday visa then travel to the country with savings to support you until you find work. This makes it easier to gain citizenship. Working in Europe is easier as you can work anywhere without gaining visas but on the flip side there is a big language barrier.

Electricians Working Conditions and Lifestyle

There are going to be two main options which have a big bearing on your working life and hence your lifestyle. Self employed or employee.

Employee Electrician

If you work for someone like British gas you will reap many benefits such as steady work, security, earning over 30k, new van bought for you, paid leave, sick pay, tools, pension, a support team...Pretty nice! This type of work is suited to most people but as you can imagine there is a lot of competition to work for larger companies. As a fully qualified employee most of your time will be spent in the field fixing, fitting and maintaining domestic heating systems. You will usually need more qualifications to be an employee, especially if working with gas. Working for smaller businesses may be more achievable but there are less perks the further down you go.

Self-Employed Electricians

For the self employed the story is different! No sick pay, no pension, no van, no paid holidays, no guaranteed wages to pay the bills, sorting your own tax out... Basically you are out in the mean old world with nothing but your body and your brain. But if you work hard you can build a successful business that pays you enough to get by ok... and unlike your contemporaries working for British case, you can decide when you work.

General Working Conditions for Electricians

In either scenario you will sometimes need to work in confined spaces in awkward positions for long periods of time. Physical fitness and strength are good bonuses. The job can be lonely at times and stressfully busy and frantic at others. I have heard people say it is not a job for big people but I know some rather portly electricians who dispel that myth.

Electrician Training MET uk

6 Female Electricians

The electrical trade is a male dominated one but more women are working as or training to become electricians. Women are required to have all the same qualities as male counterparts, dedication, hard work, determination to learn and improve.

Often people will be surprised to see a female electrician knocking at their door but on the whole people are positive about it. Sometimes women may meet people who don’t think an electrician is a job for a lady (ask them why – I bet it will be funny watching them stutter trying to think of a good reason). Thankfully these outdated notions are quickly dying out and the more women that work in plumbing the more they dispel the myth that it is only a job for the boys.

Electricians Wages

Before I go into electricians wages I will say that there is a LOT of variation in pay and the figures stated are only approximations based on research. What electricians get paid depends on experience, qualifications and the area you live in.

The average wage for an electrician is said to be £26k per year. At the bottom end of the scale you can work for £0, yes £0! People are so keen to gain experience they will work for free. I am sure I will have to do the same. There was a young lad on the local radio looking for an unpaid position only a couple of weeks ago. And with employment being like it is employers have the upper hand and at the same time are keen to reduce costs by reducing expenditure on electricians wages.

In Summary
• Starting Salary 15-20k
• With Experience 23-28k
• Experienced Specialists 30k plus.

Should I Become an Electrician?

Electricians are generally employed, so they are told when to work. They may be required to work overtime, weekends and spend some time on call 24 hours. It can be a demanding schedule. Most of the working day is spent in customers’ homes or businesses so there will be normally be plenty of travel. You will need to work alone and as part of a team so self motivation and team work are essential. Problem solving will be a big part of your job so it helps if you enjoy a technical challenge on a daily basis, some people just hate dealing with problems! There are good opportunities to progress your career in different directions which is ideal if you like new and different challenges (bored easily – like me).

Ask yourself these questions and write a list of pros and cons about becoming an electrician, this can be a huge help.

There is said to be a growing demand for electricians, in recent years plumbing has seen an explosion in demand but in a lot of areas this demand is well on the way to being met. Tough new EU regulations known as ‘Part P’ are expected to greatly increase demand (and pay)... Maybe working as an electrician has an even brighter future? – I would advise you to use Google to do your own research on this as nothing is set in stone, the situation can change and Google will have the latest information.

What Exactly is an Electrician?

Essentially electricians are skilled, qualified tradesmen who install, maintain and repair electrical circuits. They can work in and industrial, commercial or residential setting depending on their qualifications.

For residential customers your main duties will be fitting fuse boxes, wiring wall cavities, fitting sockets and switches, connecting wiring to sockets and light fittings, amongst many other things. Commercial jobs may include fitting security systems including CCTV and fire alarms.

To work as an electrician there are a number of different qualifications you will need to achieve depending on the area you want to work in. If you are 24 or under you can take the apprenticeship route, if you are older you will need to gain City and Guilds Technical Certificates before you move onto the NVQ’s/SNVQ’s.

We will cover all of these topics in more detail in a later post.