Regardless of the profession, it takes work, time, and great focus to become an expert in whatever you do. Moreover, being good at your work takes discipline and good morals. It is exciting and sometimes well-paying, but working as an electrician has its own set of challenges too. If you find it rewarding working with electrical installations and repairs, here are six things you must know if you are good at it.
1. Safety and Quality Are Everything
Electrical accidents are among the leading causes of injuries in homes and workplaces across the globe. These may range from electrocution to electrical fires and everything in between. As a matter of fact, many electricians fall victim to electrocution every year, with these numbers being particularly high in New Zealand and Australia. This is why the folks over at Mandarin, a Mandurah based electrician company, insist on the importance of ensuring the highest safety standards for electrical jobs. It involves keeping a vigilant eye on any possible risks of electrocution, fires, and potential wiring issues, to name a few. They also insist on providing customers with lighting and power solutions that don’t end up hurting their pockets, considering how energy bills have become a pain in the neck to many people these days.
2. While the Customer Is Always Right, Never Trust Them
When you have been an electrician for some time, you will understand that listening to your customer is something you must do wisely. When they make the call, they probably have an idea of what might be the problem. However, their perception of what the problem is should be taken as just that… an opinion! After all, you are the expert, so let your skills, expertise, and due diligence guide you when working on electrical issues. Otherwise, you could end up making a costly blunder just because you followed the client’s intuition or directions.
3. The Learning Process Never Stops
Most electricians begin their careers through apprenticeships. The skills they acquire from this build their base enough to get jobs and acquire more experience over time. As a good and reliable electrician, however, you need to keep in mind that this is not the end of your learning. Because the market is flooded and competition is very high, investing in improving your skills is the only sure way to come out as one of the best electricians. Furthermore, electrical standards and technology keep on changing. This means that to stay on top of your career, you have to keep updating your knowledge and skills. Simply said, continue investing in learning and taking every job as an opportunity to learn something new.
4. Your Communication Skills Are As Important As Your Expertise
It is obvious that to make a successful career; you will need to have reasonable skills in both maths and physics. Technical skills are a must-have as an electrician. However, the drafting of contracts as well as communication with your clients will require you to be good in writing and have good interpersonal skills. Every electrician who has been in the field knows this for sure. Managing your employees, clients, suppliers, and other parties in your business will require great communication skills. If all you can do is fix wires, then you need to find someone to effectively handle the paperwork as well as deal with the clients.
5. Your Eyes Are Your Best Tools
Dealing with electricity is more of a practical profession. This means that most of the work is going to be done practically. If you have been on the job for quite some time, you will agree that your eyes are your best tools in getting things done. With the right skills and experience, you don’t need to depend on the smoke test to know you have a good job. By paying attention to details, you can easily troubleshoot issues and find solutions to them.
6. Time Management Is Key
Every career person knows this. To be considered good in whatever you do, you need to be a good time manager. As an electrician, your skills are not the only things building your reputation. Being able to respond to your clients promptly and deliver projects on time will go a long way in ensuring your success.
Every career teaches you something while you are in the line of duty. These lessons are what differentiates the good from the amateurs. The list above covers some of the things that every good electrician should have or know.