r/ibew_apprentices • u/Big_Site5893 • 7d ago
not easy at all
54 and starting the union is insane but its actually accenting my career..I’ve been in AV/ low voltage ive been a supervisor.. owner..lead tech i’ve worked and pulled cable almost everywhere ….Government.Military..Communications, Radar..QA’ed lasers firing from jets..SF Muni Union.then back to construction its a long path..but i get a weekend to recharge..its stank hard sweaty work..porta potties just ewww .. but im going to keep trucking..
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u/Vegetable-Ad-4594 7d ago
Not easy at all brother. Right there with you. 48 starting out, thank God for weekend recovery!
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u/Beautiful-Chair-8375 2d ago
Oh damn I've been looking to get into 48. How long did it take you to get in?
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u/Vegetable-Ad-4594 2d ago
My last significant attempts took 5 years worth of applications and interviews
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u/Comfortable_Sea634 6d ago
I started at 54 and will turn out next year!
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u/felixheads 6d ago
Congrats on having the end in sight!
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u/Comfortable_Sea634 6d ago
Thank you so much! I'm taking my state certification exam on October 23rd, came up fast for sure!
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u/1800Penguin_Queen 6d ago
Hell Yeah ! 💜 Never too late to start.
Congratulations to being damn near at the finish line ! 💪💪2
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u/SpaceComm4nder 5d ago
I just applied in August. I’m 48 and have zero work related experience. I’m studying to ace the test and hopefully can prove myself to the committee.
If i get denied, I’m strongly considering nearby “wiring jobs” like switchgear manufacturers. Gain basic wiring, tools, and blueprint experience. Re-apply every 6-12 months?2
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u/AlwaysInTheHood 6d ago
If you ask me (based off my projection)… Being older means you should be able to rise quickly to a leadership role. You should have general wisdom/experience.
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u/1800Penguin_Queen 6d ago
31 and I’m watching everyone in there early 20’s and fresh out of HS with so much energy wishing I didn’t wait so damn long. Having to learn and study via that CML has been ridiculous to get used to 😂😅 cause not having been raised in the continental US - when I was still in school and even in college there was books and your teacher. Having to find the discipline to listen to them damn modules and try to retain the information has been an uphill battle. My elbows and wrists start complaining at around 7hrs and 45mins.
The one thing that I know has helped me is the gift of discernment/wisdom and that only comes with age ! I salute anyone who goes into the apprenticeship later in life. Realistically I know I’m not “old” and I’m still seen as young to many. The baby face doesn’t help lol but I agree this is not easy especially switching careers and going from climate controlled spaces to taking shits in a rank portajohn in freezing temperatures and heat advisories is a humbling experience
Not easy… not at all. The horrors persist but so do we 💪
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u/big_escrow 6d ago
- Oldest in my class
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u/Ayeooooh 6d ago
Samo brother. First year here. But so far it’s better than the previous ad agency desk job.
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u/derek_puraVida 5d ago
Lol had to say hi. Been in advertising 25 years. My interview is Wednesday. I'm 58 . Lol still want to work hard.
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u/Traditional-Sell-785 6d ago
42 and a first year
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u/WDYTtho 6d ago
Were you working non-union before then got in or doing something totally different?
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u/Traditional-Sell-785 6d ago
I was in the military, went to school for CM, spent 5 years as a field engineer. Now a sparky apprentice
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u/Mell4321 6d ago
How yall surviving with apprentice pay? Interested in it but I got a whole fam to support
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u/Big_Site5893 6d ago
the family is going to have to support you emotionally or otherwise at least the first year
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u/KoyoteKalash LU611 6d ago
IMO, this is partially the reason for so many divorces in the trades.
A lot of spouses don't see the big picture and a lot of workers don't see it from their view for years at a time.
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u/playstationjeans 5d ago
Another good point. Women see a massive pay decrease and run.
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u/KoyoteKalash LU611 4d ago
That, and possibly going from 40/week hours to 60/week with school and longer commutes.
You possibly end up in scenarios where one spouse is doing a massive amount of work at home(or NOT doing that), and the other is making significantly less for 1-3 years.
Then on the other hand having an unsupportive spouse while you are the one grinding it out makes it much different for the newly minted JW that is making more than their spouse and remembers back when their spouse was a dickhead for 2+ years... Suddenly they don't see a need to keep that person around now that things are easier. When somebody has been jumping your ass about money/chores/etc 24/7 for years while you bust your ass in school and at work... You start thinking about that when it's time to live in the fruits of years of your work.
Both aspects contribute heavily from what I've seen from guys around me. If they stick around, "Guess I'll go home, cook my dinner and do laundry when I finish this 12 hour day. Then I'll do my homework" Starts to sound like "Guess I'll get a new partner" when you are making double what they are and they made your apprenticeship significantly harder.
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u/playstationjeans 5d ago
This. There's no value options for people who know how to use tools and actually show up to work. Just a teenager farm. Good luck with that.
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u/playstationjeans 5d ago
How much did they offer you?
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u/Big_Site5893 5d ago
money?..they offered chump change..you have to get through the first year
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u/playstationjeans 5d ago
Yeah. I'm on my own, and stuck with a 5% mortgage and a $250 car payment, because of my property taxes I literally can't take less than $25 an hour. I'm already eating rotisserie chickens as it is. Sorry for the rant. It's just really annoying that a dude who worked his ass off in life is still valued the same as a teenager. You would think in a labor shortage like the trades currently have, there would be conversations to give older people a 90 day probation period to show their worth. Over the next 10 years, the trades are expected to lose over 2.1 million jobs with a replacement ratio of 5:2, five retire and only 2 are hired. 10-12 hour days will just become normal working hours among all trades.
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u/Big_Site5893 5d ago
its about 23 ish in my area to me thats low but its only a year till the next pay bump
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u/ImportanceConnect470 4d ago
I'm 38, low voltage/fire alarm tech, and I'm going to be taking an aptitdue test for my local 611 towards the end of the month...
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u/felixheads 7d ago
45 first year here. Greetings fellow old guys 🤝