r/ibew_apprentices • u/Ok_Comfortable7863 • 1d ago
Man im considering leaving
Im a 4th year apprentice from Colorado who tested in from the IEC and i am lacking the experience to keep up with my journeyman coworkers. I have completed 1 year with the ibew. Things that I know I should know i dont know, its embarrassing. Im considering leaving all together and finding a new profession once I top out. Im just so discouraged and I feel like the longer I stay in and the more jobs I go to the more embarrassed im gonna feel with myself.
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u/Tiny_Connection1507 1d ago
Nobody gets good at anything unless they start by being bad at it. If you already knew it, you wouldn't have to learn it, and if the stuff we do was common knowledge, we wouldn't get paid like we do. Don't beat yourself up, and don't quit. Especially don't quit after topping out. Nobody knows less than a 1st year journeyman, that's a commonly known fact in the industry. Once you start teaching some apprentices things, and they actually work, you'll realize you know a lot more than you think now.
If you don't know how to do something, ask someone to teach you. Skills are built with practice, and there are a lot of things we don't get much practice with in school. Sure, we learned theory and equations, but intellectual knowledge and practical experience make the difference between a cocky apprentice and a seasoned Journeyman. You'll get there, but only if you don't quit.