Becoming an electrician can be a lucrative career since job demand will always be high for this career path. However, electrical contractors face unique career challenges that other workers may not experience. Learn more about these career challenges and what you can do to overcome these obstacles in your career.
1. Competitive Job Bids
One of the biggest career challenges electrical contractors face is competitive job bids. Although electricians are often in high demand, the number of major job bids for electrical contracting work is also highly competitive. For example, if you are a contractor who wants to work on major commercial properties, your electrician business may have more competition to overcome.
That said, electricians who work on a smaller scale, such as repair and installation electricians for residential buildings, may have a slightly less competitive job market. All the same, for a high-demand industry, electricians must be truly talented to get the best job opportunities.
2. Advancements in Electrical Technology
Electrical technology is constantly evolving. With new wiring and compliance laws, electricians must stay on the cutting edge of new technology. Because the advancements in electrical engineering are so rapid, electricians who cannot keep up with new electrical technology may lose opportunities for certain jobs.
How Can You Keep Up With Continuing Education?
Electricians must keep up with all the latest advancements, which is why electricians may need to comply with continuing education requirements per the regulations of their state. Your state likely has specific laws about continuing education for electricians, which you can check out online with your state licensing board.
You must stay in compliance with continuing education rules to remain an active electrician. This means you may need to have additional certificates or other proof of continuing education when you apply for license renewal. Additionally, if you want an advanced license, you must meet certain continuing education requirements.
3. Completing a Job On Schedule
Because electrical engineering can be a complicated process, some electricians face the challenge of completing a job on schedule. The inability to complete electrical installation or repair on time can negatively impact the reputation of your business, which can then make it more difficult for you to win competitive job bids in the future.
4. Fewer Qualified Electricians
Because of the advances in technology and new regulations governing electrical contractor licenses, there are fewer qualified electricians available. This can be a double-edged sword. For example, fewer qualified electricians may make it easier for you to win competitive job bids. On the other hand, with fewer qualified electricians, it can be more difficult to complete these jobs on time.
How Can You Become an Electrician?
In general, there are two paths to becoming a skilled electrician. The first is attending a trade school and learning the electrical trade from the basics. A trade school will give you all the educational and practical learning experiences you need to accumulate the qualifying work hours you will need to apply for a license.
On the other hand, you have the option of becoming an electrician through an apprenticeship. Usually, becoming an electrician through an apprenticeship is a slightly longer process that may require additional work experience to complete. However, an apprenticeship will allow you to earn money as an entry-level electrician immediately, which can be a good option for some people.
5. Frequent License Renewal
Depending on your state, you may need to have your contractor's license as an electrician frequently. For example, some states require these licenses to be renewed every two years. When you renew your license, you will have to submit a renewal application and renewal fee, which will vary based on the type of license you have and the work you intend to complete with that license.
How Can Electricians Overcome These Challenges?
Overcoming career challenges as an electrician is a matter of experience and dedication. That said, the way you will overcome challenges in your career will depend on if you are a small business owner or an individual electrician working for a business.
For business owners, you can overcome challenges for your small business by creating more electrician leads, cultivating return customers, and using the right software to manage your business.
Generate More Leads
To be successful, your business must generate more leads. You can generate more leads for small businesses in a few different ways, such as using digital marketing tools like search engine optimization or social media marketing.
By generating more leads, you were giving your business more opportunities to convert leads into clients, which can increase your overall revenue. Generating more leads as an electrician is essential because not all of your work requests will require recurring work. New clients are always a new opportunity to remain competitive with other electrical engineers in your area.
Cultivate Return Customers
Truly successful contractors can also enjoy repeat business from return customers. For example, some electrical installation jobs will require continued maintenance once or twice a year to maintain performance quality. When a customer is pleased with your work, they may trust you to perform this maintenance for the foreseeable future. Cultivating returning customers can also benefit your business reputation.
Use Service Software
Finally, using software that is designed for service companies can also help you overcome any challenges electricians may face throughout their careers. Service software that helps you manage the day-to-day operations of your business can increase your productivity and help improve your business reputation.
Some key features of service software can include recurring work orders, scheduling and dispatching, client information management, job management, inventory tracking, and much more. Given the demands on electricians to complete jobs promptly, using high-quality service software can be crucial for the overall success of your business.
Electrical contractors may face several career challenges, including frequent license renewal, competitive job bids, and advancements in electrical technology. However, electricians can overcome many of these challenges, particularly when they use service software and digital marketing strategies. For more information, get in touch with ServiceBox today.
