This blog entry is a little different. Today, I’m going to talk about working as an electrician, or in electrical technologies. That’s another career track that RSI offers, and it’s a pretty strong one.

When I think about going into a career, the first thing I do is check a site called the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS for short. You can check it out here: Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s a government site that can tell you lots of details about a job you’re interested in. You can learn about the job functions, the salary you’ll earn, and whether your job will stick around for years to come. This is all pretty important — as you go through life, you’ll want to buy a house and a reliable car, probably. And, if you’re interested in parenthood, kids can be expensive. A secure, high-paying job is hard to come by nowadays — but it’s one of the best things ever.

RSI offers several training options for electrical design and electrical work. Why is this important? Because currently, there are more jobs for electricians than there are skilled electricians! That’s kind of funny, because the work is interesting — you never have the same day twice — and the pay is great. Consider: The lowest-paid entry-level electrician earns over 12 dollars an hour. That’s almost twice what a food service or retail job pays. And, that figure is most likely for a rural area with a low cost of living. Most electricians start out at 15 or 16 dollars an hour.

Not enough people choose to become electricians. That’s one reason the pay is so good and the jobs are so plentiful. But electricians are also needed because the U.S. population continues to grow. New homes and office complexes are being built all of the time. And, even more importantly, houses and buildings that are already there need their wiring and circuitry to be fixed and maintained at all times. Some older buildings need electricians for house rehabbing and upgrading work. For example, a neighborhood in New York City called Harlem is undergoing a renaissance. Many old, worn-down buildings and houses are being re-done. Electricians are necessary for this sort of work.

Another reason I think there aren’t enough electricians is because teens and young adults aren’t encouraged to be electricians. When I was in high school, it was still pretty common to work in a blue-collar field (meaning, a labor job) after high school. My high school even sent students who were interested in this kind of trade to special technical schools. Nowadays, the emphasis is on getting into college. That’s fine — but college doesn’t work for everyone. And, if your heart isn’t in something, you won’t do well at it. You have to have your heart set on college, or it just won’t work for you.

Another nice thing about training to work as an electrician is that you start earning money faster. Before officially becoming an electrician, students work as apprentices. They learn what they’ll need to do on the job hands-on, while being supervised by experienced electricians. An apprenticeship is always paid — so, you’ll earn money while you’re still learning.

A four-year college isn’t for everyone, and there’s no need to feel bad if you’re thinking that it isn’t for you. It’s important to stay in high school, and get your diploma or GED, though, if you haven’t already. (If you’ve already graduated, or gotten a GED, congratulations — you did it!) Nowadays, you need to finish high school before you can train for any job that earns you enough money to live on. During your junior and senior years, sit down and think about what you really like to do. If you like to figure things out, work with your hands, and solve problems, then a career as an electrician might be just right!

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