Well after looking high and low for a decent job the past year, I start as an electrical apprentice monday.
What should I expect? What kind of jokes do yall like to play on the new guy?

Going on out on a 6 man crew, me and a second year apprentice, whoever works out better gets to stay perminently.

Work your ass off. If a guy has experience respect him. and LEARN.

And above ALL else...
Don't get the nickname, SPARKY.

Shocking

Good luck!
I was a first year apprentice in 1980. I had to address the Journeymen as "Mr".
It's a great trade.

Go see if that is hot

Electricians are all sparkys.

 

I give my apprentices nicknames. They're all "kid" until I think up a good one.


Some of my better selections include Buckshot, Country Fried, Jackson, Willie, Noodle, Weasel, Soup Bone, and Stimpy.

You're gonna love pulling wire through conduit!

Two eyes and one mouth. Use them proportionately.

Keep your mouth shut and ears and eyes open.

If you don't have something to do, grab a broom and start cleaning.

Don't try to do something you don't know without guidance

Try to buy one tool a week, don't buy junk. Klein, knipex, or other name brand shit.

NEVER assume that the power is off, verify

I'm not in the trade but I interact with union electricians quite a bit at work.  They're all very professional, polite, and hard working.  That's why I still see the same guys year after year.  Try to be like that.  

I already planned on working my ass off!
One if the journeyman ( who happens to be a teacher) on the job site I went to high school with.
I'm also already known as the oilfield guy.

What all does pulling wire include if someone could explain that to me?

Start stocking up on Dunkin Donuts coupons. And just write that shit down. Nobody is gonna be impressed if you can remember the orders, and you'll just be hated if you get it wrong.

Also, double check the order before you leave the store. Every time. For fucks sake.










Hahahahahahahahah

Good advice above-heed it. We older 'Sparkies' didn't get this way by being stupid lol.

As for jokes? One prank where I work is to wait till someone is just about to power something up. At just the right time you slap the side of the control cabinet and watch the newbie jump through their skin. Much amusement  :)

Better yet, the power is always on.

Knipex FTMFW.

Awesome advice

And buy a Fluke DVOM

1. Work your ass off.
2. Study whatever material you can get your hands on at home.
3. Work your ass off some more.

Being an electrician is a pretty darn good trade. A couple years of dedicated hard work and you can have a real trade where you can earn a good living.

Since you're competing with someone else, you want to be the one everyone likes (more). Just keep that in mind.

And during breaks, you talk about anything other than work unless someone else brings it up.

You're gonna be working on ladders hanging conduit above your head and running it everywhere else. Then you'll be pulling a mulitiude of cable and wire through it. Its bullwork and usually reserved for the cherries. Its not complicated, just labor intensive.

Came here to post pretty much this.

Doesn't sound difficult. Sounds more time consuming and a sore neck!

Your personal appearance will mean a lot.  Be clean shaved, wear clean clothes every day, wear work blue jeans and a button FR long sleeve work shirt, keep your hair cut, spoke when spoken to, keep busy, move quickly, and try to anticipate what the Journeyman needs. If you are unsure about something, ask.  Above all, be on time and be there every day, including when you are sick.  Don't bitch about anything. You will have class work, keep up with it.  Oh, watch out for the shit birds as they will get you into trouble. Stick with the people who see themselves as professionals.

An occupational hazard for electricians is drinking after hours; don't do it.  It will slow your response and thinking process the next day or so.  You are there to learn.

You're gonna probably have a sore neck back and feet for a while. You'll be able to mine some diamonds though when its time to hook it all up. You'll learn as you go and most likely have some classroom time to learn the fundamentals.

Are ffr's becoming the new norm? I have friends that have to wear them and some that dont..

Around here it is what the "Professionals" wear .

Act like you want to learn , keep moving , leave your phone in your car or lunch box , do not ever stand with your hands in your pockets , tie your bootlaces proper (don't be one of those guys) , don't complain no matter how mundane you first days are , if a guy explains something to you , listen and ask questions if you don't understand.  I'm a carpenter 35 years , but I know what is expected out of an apprentice , work hard , you will do fine.

They will be essential when you work (safely) around HV.  Go watch some YouTube videos on arc flash and decide for yourself.

Oh, and never ever say "it's hot" when you are working in a attic during the summer. Trust me...

Oh ok. I was told I'd get company t shirt monday..it's not in a new construction zone. That FR stuff confused me. I also interviewed as a groundman for a local municipality and they said they supplied fr's  (even short sleeve) I have 2 pairs of fr's but long sleeves and stained up from rig work. (We had to wear full long fr's sleeves down no matter what temperature)

Oh, and don't get a neck tattoo.

Bust your ass. Ask if they need anything, as simple as coffee.
Everyone is Sir or Mam'
You know nothing to them.
Learn.

Test everything to make sure it's off. Especially when you know that it's off.
Learn how to use a different testers especially a Wiggy.

Show up 15 minutes early for work.

Insisted on carrying your Journeymans tools.

Treat them with respect and They'll show you all there tricks.

Work with as many different people as you can you'll learn
different tricks and everyone of them.

Even different companies think of it as an opportunity when you
get laid off not a punishment.

You'll be given lots of shit jobs to test you to see how bad you want
to be an electrician.  (Digging ditches mowing the owners yard.)
You decide if you want to be one or not.

Don't worry about FR gear right now,
Apprentices by law in most states are not allowed to work on energized equipment til they are into their fourth year.
Most good shops will either provide, If you're IBEW the shop will provide all necessary safety gear, or have discounts arranged with providers for your FR gear when you need it.
But ffs get hot work training and arc-flash training before you do any.
Never be coerced into doing something you either do not have the training for or are uncomfortable doing.

Eyes and ears open, mouth shut except for questions of your journeyman.
Never just stand around unless you are directed to for a safety watch or similar.
Theres always clean-up, organizing, etc.
Get familiar with the parts: get some catalogs and look em over real good.

As others have said, stow your phone in your car. Give your foremans phone number to your wife or other that may need to get you in emergency,
but otherwise stow that phone.  I've laid guys off that cant seem to leave it alone.

Get good tools. Most apprenticeship programs have agreements with your local supply houses to give apprentices discounts on their tools.
Find out if this is available before you buy many tools.

Your first days you most likely won't need many tools besides a combo screwdriver, maybe a 16' tape, pencil, notepad, and a knife.
Never be without a sharp knife. But if you have a good journeyman he will help you with your tool list.

You will have to do alot of menial jobs but everybody does it.  Always clean up after yourself, never leave filings or debris in panels, etc.
Wear good comfortable steel toe boots, be clean, polite, and always keep a log of your hours, where you worked and what you did.
This will save you much heartache if your training records are lost, payroll is in correct, or any number of other problems pop up.

I've been in the trade 35 yrs, 25 running a service truck, signing supervisor, now a commercial inspector for Portland Or.

If they provid a company tee shirt, then that is what you wear. If you only get one, wash it every night.

So only drink while on the clock?

Who do you work/hang around?! If I even do much as nap in the afternoon I have to shower and put clean clothes on when I wake up...I can't do dirty clothes or body.

Eta: is 16' tape the standard? All I have are 25s (keep one in the truck) but don't want to look like douche on first day.

Keep your ass in the truck, and don't fuck with the radio, kid!

Seriously though, don't be afraid to ask questions.  I remember being sent to the material box for beam clamps, but I had heard "bean plants".

Don't be lazy, but don't be overly eager, or you'll get taken advantage of.  Just do what you're supposed to be doing.  Right now, you have a strong back, and a weak mind, but learn as much as you can.

Don't go in with your own drill motor and circular saw.  Just take a couple screwdrivers, a couple channel locks, a level, tape measure, a pencil, a flashlight, and a pocket knife.

Don't be afraid to wear safety glasses, earplugs, respirator/dust mask, or gloves, when needed, even if they're not mandatory on your jobsite.  Your PPE protects shit you only have one of, and anybody who doesn't use it is a dumbass.

If you get sent after sky-hooks, or a wire stretcher, just go stay out of sight, have a couple smokes and fuck off for a while

LOL you have a lot to learn. You will meet the nastiest, smelliest mother fuckers working construction.

25' tape will be fine, you do know how to read a tape right?

Don't fall for the wire strecher trick. Also there is no such thing as a box of switch legs.

Arc flash incineration. Once in a lifetime experience.

And watch out for the anal sex when you pass out



 

Monkey snot in your tool pouch...shit's nasty...

Op is going to be an electrician, not a cop. He will have to actually work for his money.

Fishing (fish tape) a rope or string through a conduit (usually 3/4" up to 4"), tying it onto the wire or cable on the spool, then using either manpower, or a tugger, to pull it into the conduit, so that it goes from point A to B, such as from the switchgear, or motor control center, to the "peckerhead", or from a panel to junction boxes.

Frequently, the wire is lubricated with "soap", "lube", or "yellow 77".  If you get that job, lube it liberally.  I always get irritated at the "you're using too much soap" comment.  Soap is cheaper than manpower, and I'm like, "fuck you, was it too easy to pull?"

If a tugger (motorized puller) is used, rope tension is high, so stay the hell out of the way of anything that might come loose, such as pulleys, shivs, the tugger itself, or the head of the wire, which is frequently attached to cable using a "bullet" and a "horse cock".  The job of operating the tugger is usually given to an old guy, not because it's a pud job where he just sits there, but because he usually has the most experience, which is necessary when controlling one of the most dangerous evolutions of the job.

When pulling wire or cable, pay close attention to how to make up a head, which is the attachment of the conductors to the string or rope.  That's an invaluable skill, and if it comes loose on a big pull, a lot of people come out of the trailer to show their displeasure.

If you get put on the pulling end, make sure to communicate with the guys on the feeding end.  Establish a cadence (I like: pull-2-3-4, pull-2-3-4...) so that everybody knows when to expect the wire to get pulled from them, AT A MEDIUM PACE!  There's nothing that gets under my skin like a guy yanking and jerking on the wire as fast as he can, because he was never taught better.  You could jam somebody's hand into the conduit or box they're pulling into, or possibly scar the wire, if you're not careful about this.  Constant communication is imperative, in case there is something like a tangle, or other issue on the feeding end, that would prevent normal feeding.

That's wire pulling in a nutshell.  In retrospect, a lot of it sounds laced with homosexual innuendo.  Offer your JW a handy at break time.

I'm headed into the same style of work and was advised to start learning the slang terms for parts. Lineman have a slang term for just about every part. This was your journeyman will not have to explain quite so much.

Keep my fucking van organized...

And keep your dick out of the Noalox... It's not a personal lube... It's nasty.

What the hell are you trying to do, give away all the secrets?

if you're less then 15 mins early,you're late

 

Yup. Not only that but getting sammiches and coffee for everyone.

I did an apprenticeship for a few years. Spent a lot of time hole hogging and running errands.


Also, this is what the OP's first day of work will be like.

Be on time.
Listen and learn.
Get a book or two on electricity to learn. Ohms law,etc. Even get a Uglys book.
Do you have tools? Do you have a GOOD meter?
Do you know anyone who is a electrician?

Is your work commercial, Industrial, Healthcare?

If you have any questions ask them here. If you want to learn and have a great trade, work hard.

Lock Out Tag Out/ Learn it live it.

You're not speaking from experience? I hope.