Electricians are tradesmen whose responsibilities are to design, install, maintain, and troubleshoot electrical wiring systems.
These systems can be located in homes, commercial or industrial buildings, and even on machines and large equipment. Electricians work both indoors and outdoors to make the use of lights, televisions, industrial equipment, appliances, and many other essentials possible.
What does an electrician do?
Electricians are internal or external installers. These are the main concentrations, but there are several areas of expertise within each category. Duties also vary widely with each type of position or specialization.
Electricians who fall into the category of in-house electricians focus almost exclusively on building wiring. Structures range from a newly built home to an aging industrial building that is being repurposed for a new use. Indoor wire men, as the name implies, spend most of their careers working indoors. Working from plans, they install new electrical systems in new buildings and troubleshoot or replace old systems.
Outside linemen, by contrast, work outdoors for most of their careers. They must exhibit a moderate amount of physical fitness due to the requirement to climb telephone poles and electricity when a bucket lift is not available. Outside linemen must also withstand the elements to repair power outages in all homes, businesses, and other structures in the area affected by the outage. These electricians work with transformers, transmission lines, and traffic signs. They may also be needed for trimming trees or assembling electrical substations.
These main categories are subdivided into several areas.
Service electricians, for example, specialize in troubleshooting wiring problems and making repairs.
Construction electricians, by contrast, focus on laying wiring for new buildings and rarely perform maintenance. Electricians also specialize in marine, aerial, research, and hospital-specific applications.
What is the workplace of an electrician like?
Depending on their area of expertise, electricians work both indoors and outdoors throughout the year. In any case, your job is often labor intensive and requires manual physical manipulation of electrical wiring, wiring conduits, and in some cases even telephone wire. A growing number of electricians are becoming proficient in various types of electrical work, allowing them to work both indoors and outdoors.
In many cases, traveling is an essential part of the day. Electricians can travel more than 100 miles to a job site and can only work that job for a few days before traveling to another location. These electricians generally fall into the category of independent contractors or work with an electrical contractor. Their working hours vary from week to week.
Maintenance electricians, by contrast, work a standard 40-hour week. In some cases, these electricians may work on call, commit to overtime, or work night shifts. Their work is constant and regular and consists primarily of routine maintenance and troubleshooting.