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Well, I need some advice, and I was hoping that someone here would be
able to help.
Recently (as in, for the past 7 years :o ), I've been working in the
banking industry. Well, mostly. I've held several jobs, but by far the
most common position I've had was as a bank teller.
Today, one of our customers, who happens to be an electrician,
recommended I work with him as an apprentice. In talking to him, it
sounds a *lot* more like something I would be interested in than what
I'm doing now, and the starting pay is better than what I'm getting now.
There are just a couple of things that concern me about it, though.
First, is that the application on the union workers' web site states
quite clearly (though only once) that you are not guaranteed 40 hours of
work per week. While I could probably miss a few hours every week or
two, I would definitely prefer full-time employment. Especially since,
even though apprentices make more than I make now, they don't have to
miss very many hours before the balance tips back in favor of the bank I
work for.
Secondly, the apprenticeship program is for 8000 hours, or roughly 200
weeks of full-time employment, meaning it's a four year program. I'm
concerned about getting into a long term program like that, because I
was hoping to go back to school later this year (I've finally gotten my
student loans straightened out to the point where its possible), and
finishing a CS degree.
I've been looking for another job anyway. I mean, let's face it, as a
bank teller my job is pretty much to be an ATM that makes small talk.
And although I've worked as a Banker in the past (new accounts, CDs,
IRAs, etc), my current employer has no such positions availableeee, and
only needs me as a teller right now. They also pay better than other
banks in the area, so it's not like I can hop across the street to a
better position at another bank.
But do I really want to get into a long term work program, when I'm
trying at the same time to go back to school full time for something
completely unrelated? Granted, I might enjoy being an electrician, and
the pay's not bad, so if it works for me it could end up being a long
term career. And, honestly, I've never had a real job dealing with IT,
so I might find that working professionally with technology isn't nearly
as rewarding as it is when this stuff is a hobby.
In other words, I have no idea what I should do right now :(
--
...Ben Chambers
www.pacificwebguy.com
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Chambers <ben### [at] pacificwebguy com> wrote:
> Well, I need some advice, and I was hoping that someone here would be
> able to help.
....
> In other words, I have no idea what I should do right now :(
>
> --
> ...Ben Chambers
> www.pacificwebguy.com
Although I would never presume to give "advice" per se, I'd be happy to act as a
sounding board and try to help where I can. A careful reading of the language
you used reveals (at least to me) an inner reluctance to go ahead with the
apprenticeship. No one that I know who has followed a career path solely out
of a sense of obligation to "follow the money" has ended up happy. It sounds
to me like you're trying to talk yourself out of it. While there's no reason
at all why you should take advice from me, I really think that you should
listen to yourself and only go ahead with a commitment of this magnitude if
it's something that you really feel good about. Good luck with any decision
that you make.
Best Regards,
Mike C.
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On Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:54:22 -0700, Chambers <ben### [at] pacificwebguycom> wrote:
>Well, I need some advice, and I was hoping that someone here would be
>able to help.
I agree with Mike, you don't sound as if your heart is in the change. You might
not realise it but there is more than one type of electrician. There are
electricians that work on domestics such as house wiring etc. Or in industry
with control circuits or the power industry in power generation and
distribution. All of these disciplines have different skills and different job
opportunities. Although I'm not an electrician I have worked as one when I
worked offshore in the oil industry. It was not long after that I stopped
working offshore as I was being asked to do things outside of my competence
level. I was an electronic tech/engineer used to working at a maximum of 50
volts. But I digress, some of an electrician's work can be rewarding both
intellectually and financially. Some of it is mundane and boring all of it
involves working with your hands generally in not the best of conditions.
I'm not trying to put you off but just to make you aware of it. Another thing
you say that you have been working for seven years already, does that not make
you a bit old to start an apprenticeship? Here in the UK apprenticeships
generally start after leaving school about age fifteen (shows how old I am :) to
seventeen. Again I don't mean to put you off if that is what you want to do but
going back to school is not a bad idea. You could even go back into banking with
your new skills and old experience. On the positive side if you enjoy working
with your hands, building and fixing things an electrician's life can be good.
School is not for everyone. It was not for me (the school of hard knocks is how
I was educated :).
Regards
Stephen
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Stephen wrote:
> On Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:54:22 -0700, Chambers <ben### [at] pacificwebguycom> wrote:
>
>> Well, I need some advice, and I was hoping that someone here would be
>> able to help.
>
> I agree with Mike, you don't sound as if your heart is in the change. You might
> not realise it but there is more than one type of electrician.
Oh, I realize it. This particular position would be for wiring houses,
apartments, condos, things like that.
> volts. But I digress, some of an electrician's work can be rewarding both
> intellectually and financially. Some of it is mundane and boring all of it
> involves working with your hands generally in not the best of conditions.
Well, what I'm doing now is almost always boring, never using my hands,
in a safe and secure environment. So this might be a change for the
better for me :)
--
...Ben Chambers
www.pacificwebguy.com
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Mike the Elder wrote:
> sounding board and try to help where I can. A careful reading of the language
> you used reveals (at least to me) an inner reluctance to go ahead with the
> apprenticeship. No one that I know who has followed a career path solely out
> of a sense of obligation to "follow the money" has ended up happy. It sounds
But isn't that what I'm doing working as a teller? It's the "safe" job
that I know I can get hired for. In fact, whenever I've tried to leave
the industry, I always end up back in a back (or at one Credit Union,
but that's practically the same thing).
> to me like you're trying to talk yourself out of it.
What I have to wonder, though, is if I'm trying to talk myself out of it
because it wouldn't be a good idea, or if I'm just afraid of taking a
risk on something new.
--
...Ben Chambers
www.pacificwebguy.com
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On Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:22:26 -0700, Chambers <ben### [at] pacificwebguycom>
wrote:
>Stephen wrote:
>> On Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:54:22 -0700, Chambers <ben### [at] pacificwebguycom> wrote:
>>
>>> Well, I need some advice, and I was hoping that someone here would be
>>> able to help.
>>
>> I agree with Mike, you don't sound as if your heart is in the change. You might
>> not realise it but there is more than one type of electrician.
>
>Oh, I realize it. This particular position would be for wiring houses,
>apartments, condos, things like that.
>
There would be a lot of cross disciple work involved in that type of
job. You would become a very handy person to know :)
>> volts. But I digress, some of an electrician's work can be rewarding both
>> intellectually and financially. Some of it is mundane and boring all of it
>> involves working with your hands generally in not the best of conditions.
>
>Well, what I'm doing now is almost always boring, never using my hands,
>in a safe and secure environment. So this might be a change for the
>better for me :)
It might indeed. I've been working in an office environment for the
last ten years or so. I sorely miss working on the tools. One
advantage is that my old bones and joints have less stress on them the
disadvantage is I don't get enough exercise at work.
I wish you all the best whatever you decide.
--
Regards
Stephen
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As a quick followup, I decided not to take the apprenticeship. They
pretty much wanted a 4-5 year commitment, which I'm not willing to give
them.
Instead, I've been talking with the guidance counselor at DevRy, and I'm
going to start classes again this summer, studying Game / Simulation
Development :)
--
...Ben Chambers
www.pacificwebguy.com
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On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:07:28 -0700, Chambers <ben### [at] pacificwebguycom>
wrote:
>As a quick followup, I decided not to take the apprenticeship. They
>pretty much wanted a 4-5 year commitment, which I'm not willing to give
>them.
>
>Instead, I've been talking with the guidance counselor at DevRy, and I'm
>going to start classes again this summer, studying Game / Simulation
>Development :)
I'm glad that you've made up your mind. Is there much work for Game /
Simulation Development? :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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Stephen wrote:
> I'm glad that you've made up your mind. Is there much work for Game /
> Simulation Development? :)
I certainly *hope* so! Otherwise I'll just be another out of work
programmer, sitting by the road & hoping to catch a job...
Oh wait, that's a different profession... ;)
--
...Ben Chambers
www.pacificwebguy.com
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On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:12:09 -0700, Chambers <ben### [at] pacificwebguycom>
wrote:
>Stephen wrote:
>> I'm glad that you've made up your mind. Is there much work for Game /
>> Simulation Development? :)
>
>I certainly *hope* so! Otherwise I'll just be another out of work
>programmer, sitting by the road & hoping to catch a job...
>
>Oh wait, that's a different profession... ;)
LOL and it probably pays better.
On second thoughts it is probably the same one because at times it
feels like it :)
--
Regards
Stephen
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