- Location
- Florida
After some thought I’ve decided not to go the mechanic route and I have now gotten the opportunity to become a lineman for fpl or peace rove anyone have any advice?
Career out of High school
- Thread starter Josh Watson
- Start date
- Location
- Granite Falls, Wa
I work in public power. It's a great career. Lots of potential for moving around, and as the aging people start to retire, a great opportunity to get seniority at a company. I will say this, be prepared for overtime. Lots of work all the time, as power is essential, and doesn't sleep. Also, my advise to you is keep a clean driving record, and stay away from anything "illegal" since 99% of your companies out there will force you into getting a CDL. Again, a great career with potential. Get your feet wet, and find out what you want to do. I am a mechanic for them, as lineman is not the career path I took. I wish I did. As a mechanic, I work on the things I love(d), I do side work on the things I love(d) and now put all my projects on the things I love(d) on the back burner, because I do it all day. Like many people said earlier, trades is a great way to go, and if you can get a journeyman card as a lineman, that's one of the best trades to be in, in my opinion.
- Location
- Florida
That’s my plan, I know it’s hard work but I’ve heard it’s very rewarding and I have a very great work ethic so I think I will succeed! It’s really weird ( this whole adult thing ). I’m very excited to get a start on my life and figure out everything. Hopefully to some jet-skiing through it all
- Location
- Granite Falls, Wa
Other advise is listen to your elders. They have been doing it alot longer than you. I tell them "it's only 3 wires how hard is it" when I go out and work on their half million dollar truck with a laptop. The experience of the guys in the field is amazing. Those guys have seen alot. I went on to help with the wildfires in California, I've been to Houston for the hurricane with mutual aid. It's amazing where the places you can go and not ever think you'll get that opportunity. It's rewarding, but it can burn you out quick if you don't learn to take time for yourself. We have snow and wind here in the northwest. My "storm" weeks usually entail a 40 hour shift, 8 hours off and then work 24 hour shifts with 8 off in between until the last person has power. I also get calls regularly at 2am to go look at this, or fix this. Rewarding, but but like I said, power doesn't sleep. Great career choice, don't blow it.
- Location
- Florida
I’m definitely going to try my hardest to learn everything anyone wants to teach me! I’m very excited but nervous at the same time. I just hope that everything works out but I also know and I am going to work very hard for it too. Thank you for all your advice!!!!
Half flip95
Formerly pondracer95
- Location
- Lake Havasu City AZ
Lineman get paid the big bucks because it is a dangerous job. The money is good but not everyone has the stomach for it. Go climb a transmission tower wit 50lbs of gear then grab an energized phase with a 10’ plastic stick. No thanks
- Location
- La Crosse, WI on the BIG River
If I didn't go the college route I would have become an electrician. I already had a solid understanding of house wiring and circuits in middle school.
I went to school for 6.5 years trying to get a Computer Engineering/Science degree. I never graduated....got a job as a Software Developer and never looked back. I failed Differential Equations and stopped caring about electrical theory, but writing code became an art to me. My first intern/job was intense, and most of the guys I work with now would never have made it a month there. Thank you Norsoft for the SQL Skills.
I could get a job now as an electrician. As you get older you get to know more people who run things. I could become a roofer, electrician, or small engine mechanic tomorrow if I asked friends.
My BEST ADVISE is don't waste time like I did in College wasting your youth. College was awesome(parties, girls, friends, etc), but school sucks. There was no better feeling than never having to go to School again. FREE TIME
I went to school for 6.5 years trying to get a Computer Engineering/Science degree. I never graduated....got a job as a Software Developer and never looked back. I failed Differential Equations and stopped caring about electrical theory, but writing code became an art to me. My first intern/job was intense, and most of the guys I work with now would never have made it a month there. Thank you Norsoft for the SQL Skills.
I could get a job now as an electrician. As you get older you get to know more people who run things. I could become a roofer, electrician, or small engine mechanic tomorrow if I asked friends.
My BEST ADVISE is don't waste time like I did in College wasting your youth. College was awesome(parties, girls, friends, etc), but school sucks. There was no better feeling than never having to go to School again. FREE TIME
I think college is for doctors, lawyers and teachers. Most people arent any of those and you dont need college to touch boobies.
Get on with some job as a grunt and learn, listen, and work hard. Then keep doing it consistently. Dont miss work for parties on weekend overtime. Your future is more important than that party you missed where Shirley showed her boobs then went down on the star linebacker and quarter back at the same time.
When you finally gain some respect you teach the next new guy what you learned as the new guy. That shows a lot of character you may not realize right away. I am a cocky ass sometimes but I learned you dish it then you take it when you eff something up. Apologizing for making a mistake is NOT a sign of weakness.
Respect is not a right. Respect is earned. Especially in employment.
Get on with some job as a grunt and learn, listen, and work hard. Then keep doing it consistently. Dont miss work for parties on weekend overtime. Your future is more important than that party you missed where Shirley showed her boobs then went down on the star linebacker and quarter back at the same time.
When you finally gain some respect you teach the next new guy what you learned as the new guy. That shows a lot of character you may not realize right away. I am a cocky ass sometimes but I learned you dish it then you take it when you eff something up. Apologizing for making a mistake is NOT a sign of weakness.
Respect is not a right. Respect is earned. Especially in employment.
- Location
- La Crosse, WI on the BIG River
I worked more I went to college than I do now out of college. Yes there are some weeks I put in 70 hours, but those are like once a year. In college I had two jobs and went to school. I was averaging 41 hours of work along with school work. Now I try to never go over the 40 mark(salary).
If you're working overtime you better make sure it's worth it. I'm the guy with TOO many hobbies, so free time is worth about 10 times more than what I make.
You're young and you should have no bills. Have fun
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
I personally just want to say thank you to YOU dude. You've done something that the vast majority of you young lads don't...you asked life experienced techs right here on the X (or in general) about if being a full time tech (or whichever field) as a first career move is a good idea. You listened and didn't throw back attitude, you keep listening and are taking sound advice to heart. As one offering experience and suggestion, reading your responses is a pleasure because our feedback is not going out wasted. That alone puts you leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Up here in Canada, university is considered the thing to do but the reality here is, university for the most part won't get you far. Unless you're going into some serious technical regions like full on electronically controlled automation, or legal, or medical...fields like philosophy or obscure niche realms are a dead end. Those that go to college here stand an 80% higher chance of getting a career in their respective field. So things like these definitely need to be considered, will your educational aspirations yield results or just debtload. You're going to do well fella, just don't leave the decision for too long, school or straight to work. If school, get on it asap. Most of the time those like me that put it off for a year, or so we thought, it ended up not happening because you start building life expenses that require full time work. After that, school now gets put on the back burner because without full time income, financial stresses pile on and soon it becomes just take what you get to pay the bills...it makes life much less than fulfilling at the end of the day. If you're plan is get the education relevant to the field, do it now before you get loaded down with debt.
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
Don't shoe horn all electricians into just wiring houses either. It's a very broad field with no limits other than your own ambition.
I started out wiring houses, moved on to industrial maintenance and eventually automation and controls. I've built power lines and sub-stations, worked in open pit gold and copper mines, oilfields, Sawmills, OSB mills and even built Boeing 787's and Gulfstream jets for a few years. Chit, I even owned a chiropractic clinic for a couple years.
One universal rule to advancement, it doesn't matter what you are asked to do, do it better than anyone else. If i was asked to dig a hole today, it would be the best damn hole ever dug and I would be just proud of it as solving a million dollar coding problem on the production line.
I started out wiring houses, moved on to industrial maintenance and eventually automation and controls. I've built power lines and sub-stations, worked in open pit gold and copper mines, oilfields, Sawmills, OSB mills and even built Boeing 787's and Gulfstream jets for a few years. Chit, I even owned a chiropractic clinic for a couple years.
One universal rule to advancement, it doesn't matter what you are asked to do, do it better than anyone else. If i was asked to dig a hole today, it would be the best damn hole ever dug and I would be just proud of it as solving a million dollar coding problem on the production line.
- Location
- Detroit metro
#1 rule, do NOT go out and run up a bunch of credit card debt! It might be nice to have the latest and greatest whatever, but you need to focus on building a career first. All the other stuff can come later after you are financially set.
- Location
- Northern michigan
Great lineman school at our community college. Most graduate and are above 100k their first year out.
- Location
- Florida
Thank you for your advice I’ve been taking practice test for my cdl which is the first step to get into the Feild as a lineman, thank you!
- Location
- Florida
Thanks, that’s what my plan is anything I do I’m going to put my all into, I just started my cdl so hopefully I can get a move on to life! And a little bit of jetskingDon't shoe horn all electricians into just wiring houses either. It's a very broad field with no limits other than your own ambition.
I started out wiring houses, moved on to industrial maintenance and eventually automation and controls. I've built power lines and sub-stations, worked in open pit gold and copper mines, oilfields, Sawmills, OSB mills and even built Boeing 787's and Gulfstream jets for a few years. Chit, I even owned a chiropractic clinic for a couple years.
One universal rule to advancement, it doesn't matter what you are asked to do, do it better than anyone else. If i was asked to dig a hole today, it would be the best damn hole ever dug and I would be just proud of it as solving a million dollar coding problem on the production line.
- Location
- Florida
I’m going into peace river here in Florida which will pay for my schooling hopefully everything works out
- Location
- Florida
Lucky the company I’m trying to get into has 401k so I’ll be good to go
- Location
- Florida
Why’s that?