Looking to start a new career in HVAC, electrical, or even accounting

[Indy317]

All,

Any of you folks involved in HVAC or electrical type work? I'm looking to get out of LE and in less than three years I'll hit another pension vesting stage. I've also lost interest in my current line of work and unfortunately see things getting worse than getting better. Additionally, being in LE, there can be a lot more restrictions if one ends up moving to another state. Upon moving you might be too old, could take months to go through a hiring process, etc.. Being older and wiser I know that having a skill set with some sort of certification usually can help one get a job. I'm looking at possibly HVAC/electrical work on the skilled trade side and accounting on the office setting side.

It seems there will always be work in the HVAC and electrical fields. Given what my finances should be in the near future, making a ton of money isn't necessarily an issue. I would personally be content with starting at $30K. Wife would carry the benefits, but I do believe that within ten years, we will have national healthcare, so that likely won't be an issue anyways. Anyone here work in the HVAC/electrician fields? Any suggestions on how to start preparing for a career in those fields? I've looked at Ivy Tech's website and they have programs in both fields, though I'm not sure if that is the correct way to go about obtaining education, training, and eventually employment.

On the other side, I also like dealing with numbers and financial type stuff. I would mind an entry level accounting/financing job so long as it doesn't involve direct sales. I'm sure getting certified as an accountant helps, might even be a necessity, but don't know if that will definitely lead to a job or not.

For either career path, I'm open to various types of work settings. Thanks for any tips you folks can provide.

 

[Crbn79]

There's several of us in HVAC. I've found most reputable places around Indy are wanting you to have an HVAC certificate. I have right at 6 years of experience and found myself still needing to get the school cert.

I'm currently taking my 2nd Semester @ Ivy Tech. The great thing is Ivy Tech's course counts as transferable college credits. With that said, learning doesn't stop with that Certificate alone, they are always rolling out new equipment and if you want to progress in the field you need to keep taking training classes.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

How about lion taming?

[video=youtube;4h-wVe9a6rQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h-wVe9a6rQ[/video]

 

[Westside]

2nd the HVAC cert. The reason is most supply houses won't sell you refrigerants unless they have your cert on file.

 

[femurphy77]

I know at my facility the highest paid positions are in the electrical arena. We have a buttload of hvac guys but only two electricians and need two more. Get some training/experience, get the masters license and drop me a line. Hopefully in a year or two we'll be adding a couple more.

 

[hornadylnl]

What kind of electrical do you want to do? Bend conduit and pull wire? Residential? Automation?

I work on this kind of stuff. This is actually a pretty simple cabinet and this is half of it. If you want electrical that is mentally challenging, you want to go into the automation side of it. If you want to make the donuts, go residential or a union job that runs conduit and wire.

 

[femurphy77]

What kind of electrical do you want to do? Bend conduit and pull wire? Residential? Automation?

I work on this kind of stuff. This is actually a pretty simple cabinet and this is half of it. If you want electrical that is mentally challenging, you want to go into the automation side of it. If you want to make the donuts, go residential or a union job that runs conduit and wire.

That brings back fond memories; 12 hour shifts, 12 weekends a year off, going home smelling like rubber, 2 days on, 1 off, 3 nights on, 2 off, 3 days on, 2 off, 2 nights on. Repeat.

Seriously though, the WORK part of it was great!

 

[scott delaney]

don't want to bust your bubble,but I am going to tell $30k to start is a very big pipe dream.....more like $19k to start

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

What kind of electrical do you want to do? Bend conduit and pull wire? Residential? Automation?

I work on this kind of stuff. This is actually a pretty simple cabinet and this is half of it. If you want electrical that is mentally challenging, you want to go into the automation side of it. If you want to make the donuts, go residential or a union job that runs conduit and wire.

No arc-flash hazard warning stickers?


To Hornady's point, I am an electrical engineer who has been on the interviewer's side of the table for a fair number of the electricians we have in our plant. One of the biggest things that get my interest in a candidate is somebody that can convince me they are willing to learn on the job, a tenacity for solving problems, and enjoy technical aspects of the job. I always figured if a guy can give me examples of times where he was able to fix something where he had little documentation or maybe something he hadn't been formally trained on is a guy that can just get the job done. What we don't need are guys that will stop at the first obsticle and wait for help.

So atitude is most important. If you happened to also have experience programming/troubleshooting Fanuc robots, Allen Bradley PLC's, drives. & HMI's, Fanuc CNC's, and power distribution, you'd go right to the top of the candidate list.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

don't want to bust your bubble,but I am going to tell $30k to start is a very big pipe dream.....more like $19k to start

If you like to work lots of overtime, we have electricians that can break the $100K level.

 

[Crbn79]

don't want to bust your bubble,but I am going to tell $30k to start is a very big pipe dream.....more like $19k to start

I won't even look at my gauges for $9/hr. Even HVAC helpers are making $12/hr or better in Indy and if you're stuck there for longer than a couple of months you are doing it wrong. That's where they are starting guys fresh off the street with no school or certs.

 

[Crbn79]

If you like to work lots of overtime, we have electricians that can break the $100K level.

^This^
$19k is what you'd get at McDonalds.

 

[hornadylnl]

No arc-flash hazard warning stickers?


To Hornady's point, I am an electrical engineer who has been on the interviewer's side of the table for a fair number of the electricians we have in our plant. One of the biggest things that get my interest in a candidate is somebody that can convince me they are willing to learn on the job, a tenacity for solving problems, and enjoy technical aspects of the job. I always figured if a guy can give me examples of times where he was able to fix something where he had little documentation or maybe something he hadn't been formally trained on is a guy that can just get the job done. What we don't need are guys that will stop at the first obsticle and wait for help.

So atitude is most important. If you happened to also have experience programming/troubleshooting Fanuc robots, Allen Bradley PLC's, drives. & HMI's, Fanuc CNC's, and power distribution, you'd go right to the top of the candidate list.

You hiring? LOL.

I'm the guy you're looking for stuck with the other guys you described. If a powerflex 40 manual doesn't fall out of the sky into their hands turned open to the relevant page and information highlighted, they're done.

I've been battling with my management for a few weeks now. I like what I do and I make enough but I'm fed up having 10 times the responsibility of my counterparts for no more pay. The biggest thing that keeps me there is that I realize this isn't a problem with my employer. It's human nature. I'm a firm believer that no matter the profession or employer, there's only about 10% of the people who excel at what they do.

 

[hornadylnl]

Back to the OP.

My progression into an industrial electrician and automation tech has been a long and strange path. I started at my employer as a laborer. Within 3 months, I was a production welder. They used to offer a maintenance trainee program and at 6 years, I got in. I was in the last group of maintenance trainees we've had.

My trainee program consisted of 8 hours of classroom 3 days a week and 2 days on the floor for 3 months. I spent the next 3 months on the floor before officially being placed. At 13 years, I got into an automation tech slot with on the job training. Other than the joke of maintenance trainee classes that were mostly irrelevant, all of my education has come from doing the job. I had construction and residential wiring experience when I was in high school. I guess I impressed my interviewers enough to get selected for the trainee program.

To find out if you're right for the type of work I do, you have to ask yourself some questions. Do you love understanding how things work? Does looking at a mechanical device intrigue you? Do you enjoy taking something that is broken and fixing it? Do you enjoy math? That seems silly but if you have a math homework assignment, do you get lost in the fact that it's an assignment and you have to do it and instead have the mindset you can't give up until you've solved it?

My coworkers see that it's 10 minutes til end of shift and they're done. I can't do that. I can't shut it off. If I do leave work without something done, I still think about it when I get home. I get on a call and I can get lost in the fact that it's a job and I'm getting paid for it. If you have that kind of mindset, industrial electrician and automation is a good field for you.

What I do is about problem solving. I'd rather go out and fix something that is broken than running wire and conduit. I like the challenge of troubleshooting.

 

[atvdave]

I started out working on both AC/DC motors and worked my way up to working on circuit breaker's and power panels from 15KV on down. The company I work for is about to buyout a HV service company so that will put us in the 500KV range. I'd stay away from the small shops as they pay a lot less than the larger company's like GE & Siemens. You can easy make 100K+ with little OT. as long as you get in a union shop. Like others have said.... take a vocational class to get your foot in the door.

 

[atvdave]

don't want to bust your bubble,but I am going to tell $30k to start is a very big pipe dream.....more like $19k to start

My first year working on electric motors I was well into the $50K area, and that was with a non-union shop almost 20 years ago.

 

[Lectric102002]

I've been in the electrical biz for 42 years and nearing what I hope will be a comfortable retirement. I started out digging ditches and gluing PVC conduit together, worked my way up to learning how to bend conduit and pull wire, then building services and installing devices. Eventually got into the service department and learned PLC's and control wiring. Had a stint with a utility and learned to climb poles and do line work. I've worked 24 volts all the way up to 69,000.

Never held a union card and never got laid off. I'm now an electrical engineer and senior project manager, well into 6 figures.

Yeah, it's a good field. If you're strong enough and willing to put in the work.

 

[femurphy77]

don't want to bust your bubble,but I am going to tell $30k to start is a very big pipe dream.....more like $19k to start

Wow, this is great!! If I can find somebody willing to work for $9.50/hour maybe I can talk them into letting me hire 3!

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

You hiring? LOL.

I'm the guy you're looking for stuck with the other guys you described. If a powerflex 40 manual doesn't fall out of the sky into their hands turned open to the relevant page and information highlighted, they're done.

I've been battling with my management for a few weeks now. I like what I do and I make enough but I'm fed up having 10 times the responsibility of my counterparts for no more pay. The biggest thing that keeps me there is that I realize this isn't a problem with my employer. It's human nature. I'm a firm believer that no matter the profession or employer, there's only about 10% of the people who excel at what they do.

We should have hired a good looking bunch a candidates last year. But after all the interviews and we'd selected what we hope are the best of the group, the corporation decided to put a freeze on hiring any more skilled trades for now (from what I've been told). We need some guys. Our plant has started growing again and we've got A LOT more automation than we used to. (I've told them for years: automation gets rid of direct labor but you've got to add back in a certain percentage of indirect labor to service the equipment).

But our shop would probably be a lot like you're used to. The guys that don't mind being "the guy" get leaned on a lot. You've got to have a certain pride in your trade, craft, and your workmanship...we've got guys that are just there to collect a check too.

 

[Bigtanker]

You could always join us TRUCKERS on the "other side" of the law.

If you like time to yourself, and lime to drive, it might be an option. Yes it is a few years of jobs that aren't the best but I work 4 days a week, home every night and the money is great. (Over 65k)

There will ALWAYS be a need for [STRIKE]truckers[/STRIKE] professional drivers and a good paying job is not hard to find.

You could drive one of these.