Five Common Traits of Great Electricians

When considering becoming an electrician, it helps to determine if your skill set matches up with the traits of successful electricians. If there’s a good match, chances are you can really excel in the trade and build a great career. And if not, don’t be dismayed, as these may be areas to work on and continue to improve.

Whether you’re looking to become an electrician, currently in an apprentice program, or a veteran of the trade, we find that these traits are common among those who excel. Below is our list of five common traits that make for a great electrician.

Common Electrician Traits Include

Knowledgeable 

Electricians need to meet the qualifications and experience necessary to be able to do their jobs, let alone do their jobs well. This knowledge comes from years of hands-on practice and training to build a strong understanding of electrical wiring and theory. But, it all starts with a solid foundation in math and reading comprehension.

Throughout your career as an electrician, you’ll have to calculate and measure currents, volts, cable lengths, and more. Having a strong understanding of algebra will allow you to be accurate and precise when working, which is critically important when dealing with electricity. Additionally, reading comprehension is necessary as you will consistently be reading and interpreting rules and standards. Being able to see a drawing or correctly read instructions will allow you to make smart, safe, and accurate decisions.

Good communication 

At every site, you will communicate with someone, whether that’s fellow electricians, contractors, home owners, architects, or others. Staying in touch with everyone involved in a project, articulating any issues correctly and timely, and being able to explain complex processes to others who may not have the same understanding are key components of good communication. These traits will also allow you to understand the vision for a project and deliver a better result. Not to mention, strong communication skills can lead you to be rehired and will help further build your career.

Critical Thinking 

Nearly every job will have a situation come up that requires critical thinking. There may be new fixtures you haven’t worked with before or complicated wiring tasks. Each of these situations will require you to think on your feet to determine the best solution and tools for the job. Being comfortable working in situations that require analytical thinking to troubleshoot problems is a major component of excelling in your career.

And, when you’re starting out as an electrician, most everything will be new! Having these skills will allow you to build your knowledge base and successfully navigate complex problems.

Dependable 

As you will be working with many people at job sites, you need to be reliable. Do you show up on time to calls and appointments? Do you deliver work on schedule and reasonably on budget? Do you consistently deliver on the most up to date standards and protocols? If the answer is yes to all of those, you’ll be more likely to be referred.

Beyond being personally reliable, the work you do needs to be dependable as well. Others will, literally, build on it. Your work should consistently solve the problem on time and to code.

Focused 

This is a broad term, but largely applies to time management. A key component of being a good electrician is creating a schedule and adhering to it. This will require a lot of focus on your part to ensure that you are efficiently working and managing your time well.

Practice to Perfect These Skills

There are many factors that go into being a great electrician, and these are critical ones that are common amongst electricians who excel throughout their careers. For those of you in an apprenticeship, these skills will frequently be practiced and developed.

Do you have some of these skills and are looking to join IBEW as a licensed electrician? Click here for more information.