In an increasingly wired world, electricians are the lifeblood of any new venture, especially in North Carolina. The state has experienced an explosion of growth, with its GDP steadily rising by 2% over the past four years; this, in addition to a 1.3% population growth, demonstrates that this state is truly on the up and up.
All these new people and businesses require plenty of new buildings; in fact, Raleigh has the second highest rate of new residence construction in the entire country., Many of North Carolina’s older residences also require rewiring on a regular basis, which makes electricians highly sought after.
However, not everyone has what it takes to become an electrician, even if they want to join this lucrative career. Before you hop into training and spruce up your resume, consider these major factors that make a great electrician.
Strong Math Ability
Being an electrician is about much more than simply hooking some wires up to a breaker box. You need to be able to untangle complicated schematics, calculate wattages, and ensure that the systems you are installing have enough capacity for the energy needs of the building.
This requires excellent math skills, as well as a keen ability to translate diagrams into action. Those who struggle with mental math will have a hard time as an electrician.
An Apprentice Mindset
No one can simply waltz in and take the electrician exam to become a fully licensed professional: it takes thousands of hours of training in order to receive your license. In North Carolina, if you want to work on smaller projects that cost less than $50,000, you have to have at least 3,000 hours of experience, 2,000 of which must be actually in the field.
It can take well over three years to achieve just this minimal level of expertise; those who want to work on projects of any size need at least 8,000 hours of training.
As such, you need to be willing to continue learning under a master electrician for years before you can become licensed yourself. Those who are not able to remain humble and sharpen their skills, knowing that it will ultimately pay off, will not have the persistence necessary to become an electrician in North Carolina.
Good Study Skills
Any electrician who wants to work in the state needs to pass the electrician exam administered by the NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC). Everyone needs to take one exam, the NASCLA exam, which is standardized across states; this consists of 100 questions taken over 270 minutes, and it is open book.
Specific to North Carolina, there are three levels of the exam based on the types of projects that you can undertake: limited, intermediate, and unlimited. These exams can take up to 6 hours to complete and cover the intricacies of North Carolina law and business practices.
It’s clear that these tests are a major undertaking, so those serious about becoming a licensed electrician often take a North Carolina electrical license exam prep course. These courses will provide you a systematized approach to the exam, offering study materials and practice quizzes so that you can walk into the exam room ready to ace the test.
A test prep course helps to underscore the lessons you have learned in the field so that you can brush up on anything you forgot rather than panicking and flipping through pages on the day of the test; instead, you can quickly surf through the material to double-check your answers, sure that you’re correct.
Great Communication
While we often think of electricians as lone contractors who fix a few outlets in someone’s home, the most coveted positions are as lineworkers who help to keep the electrical grid safe and secure. These jobs are grueling, but they are also complicated and require frequent communication between groups so that nothing is overlooked.
Good North Carolina electricians, whether they work in residential contracting or at an electrical company, need to be able to explain concepts clearly and effectively to residents or coworkers to prevent accidents.
With homeowners, this means translating complicated concepts into everyday language, while when consulting with other electricians, it means following the organization’s lingo.
Another aspect of great communication is being able to skillfully assert yourself if you feel there is a problem rather than backing down because you don’t like conflict. Electricity is dangerous, and you shouldn’t shy away from protesting a poor job or unsafe working conditions.
Being able to express concerns in a diplomatic yet effective way is a necessity for any contractor, but especially electricians.
Conclusion
North Carolina needs more electricians as its economy grows, but not everyone is cut out for this specialized job path. Those who excel have a mathematically-oriented mind, a willingness to earn their stripes over time, great study skills, and strong communication abilities that will protect everyone on a job site.
If you’ve read this article and feel like you have what it takes, consider signing up for a trade school course and heading out on your brand new path as an electrical worker.
