Trade vs. Degree
April 8, 2011 6:54 AM Subscribe
How to make the most of a Master Electrician license while attending school? Should my husband even be going to school?
After asking this question, we decided to do it! My husband quit his job last year, and as a surprise, his parents decided to give us hardcore financial help.
Things are going well, husband is working hard and getting excellent grades, and we are hopeful and happy.
However, yesterday Flood said something in another thread that blew my mind...and now we're having second thoughts!
My husband is primarily looking for a less physical, more motivating job. We are also looking for a good financial future, and thought EE seemed like a good, stable alternative. He has, however, a Master's License, and I am wondering now if it's a waste to go back to school? I kind of lobbied for the idea since we got married because I feel university gives you a different perspective on life entirely. I feel it gives you connections, friends, structure and knowledge that you can use for life in general. But I wouldn't want to push for it if it's more like giving a step backwards.
The other thought we considered was that my husband could then work as an electrician on the weekends. But we don't know how to advertise for it. Craigslist? Business Cards? Flyers? We thought of an "emergency/weekend electrician service" we could put together, but we don't know how to start getting our first clients. We could use the cash for savings, and we simply want to put his license to use...it took so much work to get it!
In other words:
1. Was going back to school a decision that will lead us to having a better life (in both the quality-of-life and financial aspects)?
2.If staying in school is the answer, how can we make the most out of his Master Electrician license? How do we advertise for his services?
After asking this question, we decided to do it! My husband quit his job last year, and as a surprise, his parents decided to give us hardcore financial help.
Things are going well, husband is working hard and getting excellent grades, and we are hopeful and happy.
However, yesterday Flood said something in another thread that blew my mind...and now we're having second thoughts!
My husband is primarily looking for a less physical, more motivating job. We are also looking for a good financial future, and thought EE seemed like a good, stable alternative. He has, however, a Master's License, and I am wondering now if it's a waste to go back to school? I kind of lobbied for the idea since we got married because I feel university gives you a different perspective on life entirely. I feel it gives you connections, friends, structure and knowledge that you can use for life in general. But I wouldn't want to push for it if it's more like giving a step backwards.
The other thought we considered was that my husband could then work as an electrician on the weekends. But we don't know how to advertise for it. Craigslist? Business Cards? Flyers? We thought of an "emergency/weekend electrician service" we could put together, but we don't know how to start getting our first clients. We could use the cash for savings, and we simply want to put his license to use...it took so much work to get it!
In other words:
1. Was going back to school a decision that will lead us to having a better life (in both the quality-of-life and financial aspects)?
2.If staying in school is the answer, how can we make the most out of his Master Electrician license? How do we advertise for his services?
I am guessing it's the difference between being on-call and being your own boss and tendering for commercial contracts. He could do online classes through a community college at his own pace while he works, and still have access to the library and study facilities.
posted by parmanparman at 7:02 AM on April 8, 2011
posted by parmanparman at 7:02 AM on April 8, 2011
Best answer: Having both an EE degree and Master Electrician status is going to help your husband to get bigger more lucrative jobs once he's done. I have a friend who has both and he runs a highly successful electrical contracting business and loves it because he's not stuck behind a desk all day like a lot of EEs, in his case the two skill sets combine really well.
You could get some nice-looking business cards printed up and post them anywhere that seems logical: Home Depot/Lowes type places, neighborhood diners, laundromats. If there's a local weekly paper a small ad might bring results. Be sure he puts his state license number on cards, or in ads. He could also call up/or send a note to local electrical contractors saying he's available for occasional work.
posted by mareli at 7:08 AM on April 8, 2011
You could get some nice-looking business cards printed up and post them anywhere that seems logical: Home Depot/Lowes type places, neighborhood diners, laundromats. If there's a local weekly paper a small ad might bring results. Be sure he puts his state license number on cards, or in ads. He could also call up/or send a note to local electrical contractors saying he's available for occasional work.
posted by mareli at 7:08 AM on April 8, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you for your answers. I'm particularly interested in knowing how to go about starting a weekend business. He has all the tools to do it, we just need to know what chanels to use. We're both not from the USA, so we don't really know what the practice is here!
posted by Tarumba at 7:23 AM on April 8, 2011
posted by Tarumba at 7:23 AM on April 8, 2011
Best answer: The key point of getting a Master's License is usually to be able to hire and supervise journeymen and apprentice tradesmen, thus multiplying your value as a holder of a Master's License, while you, as the Master, do bidding on new work, and run several projects at the same time, in supervision of various site journeymen who are actually at the job sites daily, and doing the heavy physical work. A Master's may also let you branch out into industrial, commercial and control work, where the ability to design, specify, and properly install electrically powered machine tools, building systems, and specialty lighting is needed. If your husband is not functioning as a supervisor/leader/firm owner in the electrical field, he's not making the most of the economic opportunities available to him as a Master Electrician.
OTOH, if his interests go towards industrial/commercial control and design, pursuing an EE degree may open up opportunities he wouldn't have as a Master Electrician, in that engineering functions are usually closer to leading edge technology and custom design, than electrical work of any kind is. If he finishes school, and works as an engineer, he'll probably essentially abandon his Master's License, by default, as few jobs require both skill sets, and engineering will likely be more interesting to him. That said, I do know of at least 2 guys who have gotten their EE degrees first, and then gotten a Master Electrician's license, for particular job related purposes. One is a manufacturer's representative, selling heavy duty electrical testing equipment to utilities and industrial firms, and the other was a plant electrical engineer at a major GE manufacturing facility, who got his Electrical license as a way to get on better with the union electricians he was regularly supervising.
Generally, I think there is no doubt that engineering work is less physically demanding than most kinds of electrical work will regularly be, but if a person is acting as a Master electrician, supervising journeymen, apprentices and laborers, mainly, a lot of the physical labor is eliminated, in favor of the bidding, management, and business development activities running a going electrical business entails. Of course, many people have more than one business activity, and nothing would prevent your husband from being both an engineer and an electrician, perhaps in different businesses.
You might want to contact SCORE in your area, for some free advice on starting and growing an electrical business.
posted by paulsc at 7:25 AM on April 8, 2011
OTOH, if his interests go towards industrial/commercial control and design, pursuing an EE degree may open up opportunities he wouldn't have as a Master Electrician, in that engineering functions are usually closer to leading edge technology and custom design, than electrical work of any kind is. If he finishes school, and works as an engineer, he'll probably essentially abandon his Master's License, by default, as few jobs require both skill sets, and engineering will likely be more interesting to him. That said, I do know of at least 2 guys who have gotten their EE degrees first, and then gotten a Master Electrician's license, for particular job related purposes. One is a manufacturer's representative, selling heavy duty electrical testing equipment to utilities and industrial firms, and the other was a plant electrical engineer at a major GE manufacturing facility, who got his Electrical license as a way to get on better with the union electricians he was regularly supervising.
Generally, I think there is no doubt that engineering work is less physically demanding than most kinds of electrical work will regularly be, but if a person is acting as a Master electrician, supervising journeymen, apprentices and laborers, mainly, a lot of the physical labor is eliminated, in favor of the bidding, management, and business development activities running a going electrical business entails. Of course, many people have more than one business activity, and nothing would prevent your husband from being both an engineer and an electrician, perhaps in different businesses.
You might want to contact SCORE in your area, for some free advice on starting and growing an electrical business.
posted by paulsc at 7:25 AM on April 8, 2011
Response by poster: He's passionate about wind turbines, and I think that's what he wants to work with for life. We are both more comfortable working for a stable organization (even the government) than managing our own business.
Thank you for the advice paulsc. If we start a business, it will be something tiny to have cash on the side.
posted by Tarumba at 7:30 AM on April 8, 2011
Thank you for the advice paulsc. If we start a business, it will be something tiny to have cash on the side.
posted by Tarumba at 7:30 AM on April 8, 2011
Best answer: Seconding SCORE. They're all about helping people start small businesses. Note that having your own business comes with both benefits and costs. The benefits are that you have complete control over your business and will reap all of the profits it produces. The flip side is that no one is really going to help you if you screw up or can't get work, and you'll be responsible for all the expenses too.
Here's the thing though: this kind of skill is generally associated with construction work, and the construction industry is in the toilet right now. For example, my county has built about a third as many homes in the past year than they did a few years ago. Commercial construction is almost at a standstill. So while there's still demand for competent, experienced workers like your husband, it isn't anything nearly as much as it was during the boom. But definitely put out some feelers and see what you can get going. You may find that there are local companies who would appreciate some extra help on the weekends.
posted by valkyryn at 7:32 AM on April 8, 2011
Here's the thing though: this kind of skill is generally associated with construction work, and the construction industry is in the toilet right now. For example, my county has built about a third as many homes in the past year than they did a few years ago. Commercial construction is almost at a standstill. So while there's still demand for competent, experienced workers like your husband, it isn't anything nearly as much as it was during the boom. But definitely put out some feelers and see what you can get going. You may find that there are local companies who would appreciate some extra help on the weekends.
posted by valkyryn at 7:32 AM on April 8, 2011
Best answer: "... If we start a business, it will be something tiny to have cash on the side."
posted by Tarumba at 10:30 AM on April 8
Just to challenge and expand your thinking a bit, Tarumba, there may be no need for you to start a business, to get economic value from your husband's license. Often, small electrical businesses can be bought as going concerns, with owner financing, as a means of passing the business on from owners who want to retire, move or otherwise have an ownership succession for personal reasons (divorce, death, partnership issues, etc.). Having a Master's license is a significant trade qualification that makes your husband a desireable step-in business partner or owner to small firms, as a means of keeping contracts that call for having such credentialed individuals in supervision. Therefore, this might be a great way of getting directly on to something with established clientele and cash flow, without the large effort and upfront costs of doing your own start up. Moreover, most such arrangements call for the seller to remain available as a consultant, which could help you and your husband "learn the ropes" of the bookkeeping, and of the local markets for electrical work. Under such an arrangement, you'd be learning from experienced people, who'd have a strong interest in your success, as they'd be financing your purchase of the business, and would need the business to continue being successful, to have their sale price be paid out of ongoing operations (also called a "leveraged buyout").
You might want to cultivate relationships with local business bankers and accountants, who may know of firms "up for sale" as going concerns, for succession reasons. And do talk about buying/taking over existing businesses, on owner financing, with your SCORE advisor.
posted by paulsc at 7:56 AM on April 8, 2011
posted by Tarumba at 10:30 AM on April 8
Just to challenge and expand your thinking a bit, Tarumba, there may be no need for you to start a business, to get economic value from your husband's license. Often, small electrical businesses can be bought as going concerns, with owner financing, as a means of passing the business on from owners who want to retire, move or otherwise have an ownership succession for personal reasons (divorce, death, partnership issues, etc.). Having a Master's license is a significant trade qualification that makes your husband a desireable step-in business partner or owner to small firms, as a means of keeping contracts that call for having such credentialed individuals in supervision. Therefore, this might be a great way of getting directly on to something with established clientele and cash flow, without the large effort and upfront costs of doing your own start up. Moreover, most such arrangements call for the seller to remain available as a consultant, which could help you and your husband "learn the ropes" of the bookkeeping, and of the local markets for electrical work. Under such an arrangement, you'd be learning from experienced people, who'd have a strong interest in your success, as they'd be financing your purchase of the business, and would need the business to continue being successful, to have their sale price be paid out of ongoing operations (also called a "leveraged buyout").
You might want to cultivate relationships with local business bankers and accountants, who may know of firms "up for sale" as going concerns, for succession reasons. And do talk about buying/taking over existing businesses, on owner financing, with your SCORE advisor.
posted by paulsc at 7:56 AM on April 8, 2011
Best answer: Finding customers is always the hard part of a service business. I'm not sure you can point to anything that works as well as simply pounding the pavement.
Were I an electrician looking for quick jobs I think I would focus on the immediately surrounding neighborhoods and tasks that are well-contained but either require middling skill or nerve to do. I think that would be things like changing light switches and electrical outlets, replacing exterior lights or interior fixtures (like say a kitchen ceiling light).
I think the competition is Home Depot & Lowes. I'd go look and see what they charge if you walk in and buy a light fixture - I know they offer some contractor services. Find out what sort of experience/license/bond those folks have. I don't think you necessarily need to be cheaper but you need to know the alternatives.
I'd probably create doorknob hangers with some simple ad copy. Be the go-to for folks who want to do something but don't know exactly how. I'd bet lots are interested but the hurdle of picking an electrician at random and not knowing what they'd cost (or having to call and ask) is a trait you can exploit by being accessible or answering that question in your little ad.
Then pound the pavement and hang the things on doors. Concentrate on quickly reachable neighborhoods - when I did on-site computer work it was the travel that cut most deeply into my profits. I didn't get paid to drive 30 minutes to get somewhere. If you can't be there in 5 minutes you don't want this work.
Be prepared, by the way, for the occasional crank like myself who hates door hangers. If you can think of a way to do this outreach without hanging these "I might be empty, rob me" signs on doors, please do it. But nothing comes to my mind.
posted by phearlez at 8:21 AM on April 8, 2011
Were I an electrician looking for quick jobs I think I would focus on the immediately surrounding neighborhoods and tasks that are well-contained but either require middling skill or nerve to do. I think that would be things like changing light switches and electrical outlets, replacing exterior lights or interior fixtures (like say a kitchen ceiling light).
I think the competition is Home Depot & Lowes. I'd go look and see what they charge if you walk in and buy a light fixture - I know they offer some contractor services. Find out what sort of experience/license/bond those folks have. I don't think you necessarily need to be cheaper but you need to know the alternatives.
I'd probably create doorknob hangers with some simple ad copy. Be the go-to for folks who want to do something but don't know exactly how. I'd bet lots are interested but the hurdle of picking an electrician at random and not knowing what they'd cost (or having to call and ask) is a trait you can exploit by being accessible or answering that question in your little ad.
Then pound the pavement and hang the things on doors. Concentrate on quickly reachable neighborhoods - when I did on-site computer work it was the travel that cut most deeply into my profits. I didn't get paid to drive 30 minutes to get somewhere. If you can't be there in 5 minutes you don't want this work.
Be prepared, by the way, for the occasional crank like myself who hates door hangers. If you can think of a way to do this outreach without hanging these "I might be empty, rob me" signs on doors, please do it. But nothing comes to my mind.
posted by phearlez at 8:21 AM on April 8, 2011
Best answer: I had a journeyman's license when I went back to school to finish up my bachelor's degree. I am now making very good money (doing network wrangling, which sort of came out of work doing coax ethernet installs) and I don't have to worry about being unable to do my job if I sprain an ankle or something.
So, I'd vote it a great choice on my part. I can't speak for how it'll work out for you guys. One possibility would be for your husband to end up in a position to do design/build if he goes into straight up "get a PE" kind of building engineering electrical engineering.
As for marketing the electrician business, that I'm less certain of. Most of the small business tradesfolks I know started off doing work on the side and then got enough clients to do it full time. Is he currently working for someone else? Definitely try craigslist, and put the word out among people you know that he's looking for electrician work. Most people, in my experience, who need a tradesperson, will start out by asking people they know to recommend someone.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:13 AM on April 8, 2011
So, I'd vote it a great choice on my part. I can't speak for how it'll work out for you guys. One possibility would be for your husband to end up in a position to do design/build if he goes into straight up "get a PE" kind of building engineering electrical engineering.
As for marketing the electrician business, that I'm less certain of. Most of the small business tradesfolks I know started off doing work on the side and then got enough clients to do it full time. Is he currently working for someone else? Definitely try craigslist, and put the word out among people you know that he's looking for electrician work. Most people, in my experience, who need a tradesperson, will start out by asking people they know to recommend someone.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:13 AM on April 8, 2011
Best answer: Tarumba - first let me say, I didnt mean to imply in the other question that your husband is doing anything wrong. Everyone takes a different path.
I completely understand an electrician who wants less physical work. Electrical work can often be back breaking, literally. Never mind other potential dangers of the work.
I would also say that education is definitely a good thing, always. Everything you said about university is correct. Whatever happens, no time spent learning is ever wasted.
Degrees and licenses do open doors to careers. And your goal is to find the right career.
The one thing I would say - is this degree career orientated? Again, the goal is a career, not a degree. Electrical engineers do many, many different things. What specifically is he planning to do with the degree? What career path?
There are many career paths with a masters electricians license. Have you fully explored that? Working for city governments, school boards, park systems. Government electricians can do well. What about stadiums, resorts, and amusement parks. (I live in Central FLA, and know a few Disney electricians.). Being a real estate home inspector, or city code enforcement inspector. None of these options are as back breaking as residential work. And those jobs can make very nice money, with great benefits and retirement packages.
I would simply say, think career path, not degree. I am less familiar with the career paths for an electrical engineer.
I also would definitely suggest starting his own business to do side work. He is licensed to do it. A good summer project for him would be to set up his own little company, so that he can legally and responsible use his master license to do side work. How do set up a small company - that is for another mefi question.
I would also say, set up the business, then worry about advertising. As noted above, electrical work can be dangerous. One mistake could destroy you - unless you you are properly set up. Insurance, reigstered with the building department, occupational license, tax ID number. That stuff is important.
The real big money to be made as an electrician is in owning your business. Doing the work your husband was doing before, but owning the company. Then, the back breaking work seems more worth it. Your husband might find that he can earn a week's salary for a single saturday of work. No matter what happens with the current degree, having the business in place to do a side job will be worth while.
I can not really tell you what is right - be a master electrician or an electrical engineer. From my point of view, you guys are REALLY young. Your husband is still searching for the right career path - right for him. Again, focus on the career path, not the degree. And it will all work out.
posted by Flood at 3:02 PM on April 8, 2011
I completely understand an electrician who wants less physical work. Electrical work can often be back breaking, literally. Never mind other potential dangers of the work.
I would also say that education is definitely a good thing, always. Everything you said about university is correct. Whatever happens, no time spent learning is ever wasted.
Degrees and licenses do open doors to careers. And your goal is to find the right career.
The one thing I would say - is this degree career orientated? Again, the goal is a career, not a degree. Electrical engineers do many, many different things. What specifically is he planning to do with the degree? What career path?
There are many career paths with a masters electricians license. Have you fully explored that? Working for city governments, school boards, park systems. Government electricians can do well. What about stadiums, resorts, and amusement parks. (I live in Central FLA, and know a few Disney electricians.). Being a real estate home inspector, or city code enforcement inspector. None of these options are as back breaking as residential work. And those jobs can make very nice money, with great benefits and retirement packages.
I would simply say, think career path, not degree. I am less familiar with the career paths for an electrical engineer.
I also would definitely suggest starting his own business to do side work. He is licensed to do it. A good summer project for him would be to set up his own little company, so that he can legally and responsible use his master license to do side work. How do set up a small company - that is for another mefi question.
I would also say, set up the business, then worry about advertising. As noted above, electrical work can be dangerous. One mistake could destroy you - unless you you are properly set up. Insurance, reigstered with the building department, occupational license, tax ID number. That stuff is important.
The real big money to be made as an electrician is in owning your business. Doing the work your husband was doing before, but owning the company. Then, the back breaking work seems more worth it. Your husband might find that he can earn a week's salary for a single saturday of work. No matter what happens with the current degree, having the business in place to do a side job will be worth while.
I can not really tell you what is right - be a master electrician or an electrical engineer. From my point of view, you guys are REALLY young. Your husband is still searching for the right career path - right for him. Again, focus on the career path, not the degree. And it will all work out.
posted by Flood at 3:02 PM on April 8, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
But it's also quite possible, if he's doing well in school and becomes a EE, that his license becomes something to simply hang on the wall and the thing which he USED to help support the family with. Simply put, successful EEs make a hell of a lot more than electricians.
I think you may be suffering too much existential angst over the effort he made in the past to earn one thing, then switching directions.
A friend of mine was a licensed chiropractor/acupunturist. At age 35 or so, he joined the FBI. Now making more money and doing something he feels is more valuable, in addition to not having the stress of owning his own business/practice or having to work with people he thought were unethical.
You might want to look at and ponder the business concept of sunk cost.
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:01 AM on April 8, 2011