Electrician looking to change Careers.

bernobyrne95

Hi guys, new here, first post, just looking for some help.

I'm 9 years and electricican, fell into the trade after working in a local pub in Finglas for 3 years after leaving college after a few months studying counselling and psychology (wasn't for me). I've never really been passionate about the trade or my job, however am still good at it.. I've recently become totally disillusioned by it all though and am strongly considering a change of career. I'm 29 now, have 2 kids and just really dont want to be working sites for the next 40 years or I'll unalive myself 😂. I've always had an interest in law, and have been accepted to do a blended learning LL.B. in Griffith College for September.

I'm just wondering has anybody else made a career change similar to this so late in their life (I'm still in my 20s... Just lol) and is it doable? Would anyone have any tips, pointers, nuggets of knowledge or any info at all about how they went through it? Also, I fully expect Law to be difficult enough, so does anybody that's studied it have any heads ups they wish they had going into it?

Kindest regards all,

Bernard

SupaCat95

Ever seen seen Terry Gorry on youtube? Solicitor in Enfield? He talks about changing career in later life.

One of his points is he had his apprenticeship sorted before he got started. He knew a bit about law before he came into it. Can you hustle for business? Also I have worked with a few individuals who had law degrees who were not solicitors or barristers or needed their qualification for work. They were awful doses to deal with, trully unemployable in every sense of the word. Would not work or allow others to work, perfect union material.

I dont know law, its not my business. I do have lawyer friends and they say criminal law is a messy business. Its not glamerous and most of the time the accussed is guilty. Its the business they chose to be in. If you are well paid, dont "wear concrete boots to work", I would stay where I was if I were you. You have a sought after profession, good money and unless you have hint of HFA, and a load of connections I would stand fast.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058359475/electrician-looking-to-change-careers

Would you not build on your electrician qualification and maybe become a teacher of one of the practical subjects or use you qualifications to move on to something related but not site-based by doing top-up qualifications?

It takes a long time to get going in the law and it is expensive.

Kaybaykwah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122376463#Comment_122376463

Excellent suggestion is all I can say.

Ted222

You don’t have to work for builders to have a fulfilling career as an electrician. People are crying out for them.

Consider starting your own business perhaps through help and support from your local enterprise office.

If your heart is set on law, by all means go for it. But it may involve a couple of lean years before you break through to decent salary.

If you can afford it and are willing to make the initial sacrifice, follow your dreams

bernobyrne95

Thanks for the replies, gents!

I'd be continuing to work through this, I'll be paying my own way through college and it's 2 nights a week and Saturdays online in the evenings, so it works for me that way. I've just never really gotten into the trade in a passionate sense, I don't wanna spend the rest of life in a line of work that I hate getting up for every morning... Early morning at that! There's also the small matter of having psoriatic arthritis, too, so my body won't be able to keep right for the next 40 years in this kind of work if it breaks down. I'd love to get my degree, I'd love to go down the route of human rights law, maybe I've got my head n the clouds with it, but I also want my kids to be really proud of their Dad making a difference in the world that's more than wiring somebody's lights 😂 I'll always have the trade to fall back on and I have skills that I've learned will last me a lifetime... But for my own self fulfilment, I really do wanna give this a crack.

In 3 years I'll be 32 regardless; may as well be 32 with a Law Degree and a whole new door opened up in life for me!

Sheep Shagger

Mate, just my 2c worth but as a white collar professional in a corpoate environment, if I had my time over I'd do some sort of trade like a sparky or plumber and I'll certainly be encouraging my kids to do the same.

Transferable skills that that if they want to travel they can take the trade with them, nearly always good money and people always need them, recession or no recession.

If I could switch to a trade now I would, but in my 40s am too old and would take too long to get back to (and probably exceed) my current salary as a tradie.

Good luck.

airy fairy

Personally, I'd be looking at my partner and kids and asking if the disruption of family life will be worth it. The dedication needed will be not those 3 years getting a degree, and that requires not only those hours that you mentioned, but you'll need many more hours outside college hours to complete it. But the hard work starts after the 3 years. Getting a degree in law is the easy bit. You then have to start, in essence, your apprenticeship at a law firm, which will take tremendous effort and time away from your young kids. You're talking 5+ years at the very minimum.

Padre_Pio

If I was an electrician then I would be looking for a factory job.

Friend works in Intel with great pay and benefits, clean work, predictable hours.

Tow

Plenty of electricians working in factories, hospitals or other large sites. Often in a more 9 to 5 job and supervising/managing any onsite work.

It is hard to make money in law, I know plenty of qualified barrister and solicitors who don't work at it.

ociarba

Depending on how you feel in general about developing I'm your current area there are two options that might be worth considering. One is an electrical engineering apprenticeship which is a follow on to your level 6. It can be done with a company and doesn't have the same level of off the job phases at al. The other could be directly with SOLAS itself as as an instructor. There's a huge backlog in trade apprenticeships at the moment due to the shortage

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122378086#Comment_122378086

If you want your job to have some meaning you could convert to electrical engineering and work in med devices.

dingding

I trained as an electrician over 40 years ago.

I would have got into electronics and IT and worked for a number of years on the road supporting network and hardware. The electrical training and faultfinding really suited this.

About 25 years ago I joined an Institute of Technology and had a career in education.

There are loads of opportunities in lecturing both in Univeristy and ETBs with the growth of the need to train apprentices.

For something completely different, something like one of the Level 8 apprenticeships. www.earnandlearn.ie The Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship

Deep Thought

I went back to college at 40 to get into IT.

18 years on, still working in IT.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058359475/electrician-looking-to-change-careers

I changed from Electrician to Engineer in mid-20's. I effectively changed career again in my late 30's to pivot to focus on a different role within the same broad industry.

You say you have a strong interest in Law. Have you spoken to people deeply about what that job looks like? Very very little of it is high profiel briefs arguing in front of judges. The majority of people who work in it either give advice (inhouse to large companies) or as a consultant or, (predominantly) processing paper working, coordinating case files, information gathering etc etc. I've a couple of friends who work as solicitors and both of them talk about a lot of boring work (which can include long hours) in which they still have to be focused and diligent, one of them has proactively managed her life to reduce her hours in the industry more and more.

I would suggest you find people working in different roles within the industry, LinkedIn can be a starting point for this and look at their career path, you may find some who came to it from another role through looking at their career path and if you do find them, I'd ask them to connect and then ask them for a short chat some time. If you get to this position ask about what their day to day looks like, was it what they thought it would be, what are the pro's and con's of it etc etc etc.

Another advantage of going this route to gather information, is you may be lucky enough to end up with some contacts which may help with mentoring or if not, then work placement opportunities or occasional advice.

Good luck. You're never too old to want to chase something that appeals to you.

Slightly Kwackers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122376463#Comment_122376463

What about a move to the US?

Seeing the way the lawyers act with Trumps antics, I would wonder if some had a full week training. It looks easy although maybe a few acting courses would help too.

I don't know how the JIB or whatever the institution electricians belong to rates its demands, but Engineering requires integrity of its professionals. That does not seem to be evident where law is concerned.

Human right law is s one over the most sought after areas in law that or corporate law.

It would take years luck and making contacts.

The OP sounds like a bit of a day dreamer tried psychology and counseling didn't like that, doesn't like being a sparks, now it's law.

Go for the degree if that what they want but it's not a magic answer.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122378039#Comment_122378039

or as a process technician in a factory (medical device or pharm). Your skills will be handy but your job won’t be as an electrian on there.

bernobyrne95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122378805#Comment_122378805

Jack of all trades, master of one, eh

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122378039#Comment_122378039

V good point, i'd actually never thought of that aspect of the job. You just assume it's working on housing or industry sites.

dingding

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122382074#Comment_122382074

There are a range of jobs that a good electrician should be able to do that do not include building work.

In my case I mainly worked in Maintenance (Factories), Refrigeration, Industrial Automation, IT and equipment repair, and then moved into lecturing.

The logic and systems thinking that you learn from going through an electrical apprenticeship is hugely valuable and transferable.

Also generally you will be good with people, able to direct and take direction as required and be safety conscious, which is in shorter supply than you would think.

You would also have an understanding of stock control and be able to use handtools safely and correctly.