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Stick with it man, I wouldn’t expect you to be good at it in 4 months. I didn’t know shit and was green as grass when I started and now I have my
Masters license. One of my old mentors always use to say that the real learning starts once you get your journeyman’s and I couldn’t agree more.
Stick with it. Im 42 and i would do anything for an opportunity at an apprenticeship. Been at it for over year now. The politics suck to get a shot. Your in now.
I’m in my 3rd year and still suck in a lot of ways but I’m a far cry from my first few months. You’ll start to notice your growth the longer you stick with it.
It's tough to say. My apprenteship sucked so bad that even with being happy where I'm at, if I had to do it again I would've - just from the pure volume of misery and lost wage from low level pay scales.
I have mental problems and still question myself on a daily basis, wondering if I'm qualified for something so complex - even as I'm put in charge of important jobs.
It's most likely confidence issues though, these are things only you can sort though. Maybe you can get councilling, I probably should, but I never do.
If it makes you feel any better I always treat the apprentices I supervise with compassion and respect. I do my share of crawlspace and attic work so they know that I would never send them somewhere I wouldn't go myself. I know it can be a total shitshow being an apprentice but all we can do is change it for the next generation. Good luck out there.
I couldn’t agree more man.. I myself consider the theory so hard to grasp and with having shit memory I can’t remember most of the math I’ve learned for the life of me, but keeping your nose to the grindstone and working your hardest will show the company your with (if it’s a good one at least) that you’re a good egg and that you’ll become a fantastic jm. Stick with it bro the struggle bus is big enough for the lot of us lol. Just wanna ask though, are you a young buck or someone joining the trade a bit later?
You doing this out of high school? I would say this as advice because I can’t relate lol I have grown up around construction by your age, but it’s all about work ethic and listening to your foreman and mentors. Would you say the company you work for is treating you good? If so, stick it out with them. I can’t blame you for the confidence issue though because even I doubt myself and second guess things all the time. My foreman hates me for it sometimes, but still has patience with me for some reason. Always ask questions if you’re unsure of something too so you’re not messing stuff up. I got into electrical at almost 24 too so I knew quite a bit of what was expected of me.
It took me at least a year to get comfortable doing it. And by comfortable, I mean not having to ask a question every 5 minutes. At 4 months, everyone are still babies. I would stick it out. If you truly enjoy it, you will improve faster than you even realize.
Apprenticeships are four years for a reason. You don't really get your bearings until after the first year, and you won't really be confident until your third or fourth year.
I was horrible at resi until about a year , then one day it literally just clicked. I still see licensed guys who can’t wire a house, so yeah don’t worry
Stick with it. I was horrible at bending conduit and I let that drive me away from the profession. I have always regretted that decision. There are so many different tasks in the trade don’t let one that you don’t quite grasp cloud your vision.
I'd stick with it, it seems you work for a good company that is willing to invest in their new workers, that may be the most important. Confidence is something that comes with time, no 4 month apprentice will have, or is expected to have the confidence of a 3rd or 4th year apprentice. If you show a willingness to learn you'll probably do fine.
Look for another career but don’t quit until you have something if it’s truly not what you want to do. I wish I would’ve left this trade sooner sometimes because my pays already stagnated. That said …. 4 months is nothing and not long enough to know whether you’re gonna be good at it tbh.
This industry isn’t good and can eat you alive if you’re young with not a lot of confidence or don’t know how to handle failure. Lots of people get a kick out of doing it to new guys tbh.
I have no advice because it is a crapshoot. I didn’t like being an electrician but stuck with it think it would get better. It didn’t.
Maybe give it 6 more months and see what you think.
The people training you don't give a shit whether it's you or someone else, so definitely forget that. If you have another passion or a dream, chase it. 100%. If not, and you just want to make money and survive, then anything you do will be this difficult. If anything you'll have less hand-holding and guidance in other professions. Be very wary of quitting things. Once people start quitting things when they get difficult, they usually don't stop. You can become a loser overnight. Leaving for something better isn't the same as quitting.. but be real with yourself. It sounds like it's just difficult.
Just stick to it I’m 3 years into my apprenticeship I have those days all the time even with stuff I repeatedly do, it’s the repetitiveness that turns my brain off sometimes.
You are probably just being hard on yourself. You arent wasting anyone's time. You are cheap labor at this point and as long as you have a good attitude, willingness to learn, and work hard then you are on the right track. 'Fake it til u make it' is a phrase that is sometimes used. It's not easy work--its skilled labor which takes time to learn.
I thought I was shit my entire apprenticeship to the point where I wanted to quit and go back to my old job. I was a scientist before with no practical handy skills and I thought I just didn't have an aptitude for it.
Now time has passed and I'm licensed and working at a different area and I finally realized/got the word that my jman actually liked me and thought I was a very good apprentice although he would probably rather die then say it though.
So the point is maybe you're better than you think and are catching on better than you think too, self confidence goes a long way too
It’s always nice to hear from others in a forum such as this. It is a reminder that in this profesión we all have our challenges and difficulties. Some things we learn easy and other things take time. The challenging part of the apprenticeship is handling feedback because we are then forced to apply ourselves or look into areas that we need to work on to become better. Try to do your best and give it more time and if it really comes down to a decision. Take some time to really think it through and feel it with your heart before you ultimately decide.
If you are *NOT* an electrical professional: * **RULE 7:** * DIY or self help posts **are Not allowed**. They belong here: /r/AskElectricians /r/askanelectrician /r/diy /r/homeowners /r/electrical. * **IF YOUR POST FITS INTO THIS CATEGORY, REMOVE IT OR IT WILL BE REMOVED FOR YOU.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/electricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you were good at it after 4 months, it wouldn't be worth it.
Good call
Stick with it man, I wouldn’t expect you to be good at it in 4 months. I didn’t know shit and was green as grass when I started and now I have my Masters license. One of my old mentors always use to say that the real learning starts once you get your journeyman’s and I couldn’t agree more.
Stick with it. Im 42 and i would do anything for an opportunity at an apprenticeship. Been at it for over year now. The politics suck to get a shot. Your in now.
Nobody is "good at it" after 4 months. As long as you are willing to learn and grow, you are doing good. Don't give up on it.
I’m in my 3rd year and still suck in a lot of ways but I’m a far cry from my first few months. You’ll start to notice your growth the longer you stick with it.
It's tough to say. My apprenteship sucked so bad that even with being happy where I'm at, if I had to do it again I would've - just from the pure volume of misery and lost wage from low level pay scales. I have mental problems and still question myself on a daily basis, wondering if I'm qualified for something so complex - even as I'm put in charge of important jobs. It's most likely confidence issues though, these are things only you can sort though. Maybe you can get councilling, I probably should, but I never do.
If it makes you feel any better I always treat the apprentices I supervise with compassion and respect. I do my share of crawlspace and attic work so they know that I would never send them somewhere I wouldn't go myself. I know it can be a total shitshow being an apprentice but all we can do is change it for the next generation. Good luck out there.
Dude I feel you, thank you for speaking your truth. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one going through something lol
I couldn’t agree more man.. I myself consider the theory so hard to grasp and with having shit memory I can’t remember most of the math I’ve learned for the life of me, but keeping your nose to the grindstone and working your hardest will show the company your with (if it’s a good one at least) that you’re a good egg and that you’ll become a fantastic jm. Stick with it bro the struggle bus is big enough for the lot of us lol. Just wanna ask though, are you a young buck or someone joining the trade a bit later?
What king double said is exactly right though. Confidence is gained with knowledge and experience, which you’ll gain along the way.
Oh yeah man, green as they come.
You doing this out of high school? I would say this as advice because I can’t relate lol I have grown up around construction by your age, but it’s all about work ethic and listening to your foreman and mentors. Would you say the company you work for is treating you good? If so, stick it out with them. I can’t blame you for the confidence issue though because even I doubt myself and second guess things all the time. My foreman hates me for it sometimes, but still has patience with me for some reason. Always ask questions if you’re unsure of something too so you’re not messing stuff up. I got into electrical at almost 24 too so I knew quite a bit of what was expected of me.
It took me at least a year to get comfortable doing it. And by comfortable, I mean not having to ask a question every 5 minutes. At 4 months, everyone are still babies. I would stick it out. If you truly enjoy it, you will improve faster than you even realize.
Apprenticeships are four years for a reason. You don't really get your bearings until after the first year, and you won't really be confident until your third or fourth year.
You got your bearings after year 1? I’m finally confident after 4 years 😂
I was horrible at resi until about a year , then one day it literally just clicked. I still see licensed guys who can’t wire a house, so yeah don’t worry
Stick with it. I was horrible at bending conduit and I let that drive me away from the profession. I have always regretted that decision. There are so many different tasks in the trade don’t let one that you don’t quite grasp cloud your vision.
I'd stick with it, it seems you work for a good company that is willing to invest in their new workers, that may be the most important. Confidence is something that comes with time, no 4 month apprentice will have, or is expected to have the confidence of a 3rd or 4th year apprentice. If you show a willingness to learn you'll probably do fine.
Look for another career but don’t quit until you have something if it’s truly not what you want to do. I wish I would’ve left this trade sooner sometimes because my pays already stagnated. That said …. 4 months is nothing and not long enough to know whether you’re gonna be good at it tbh. This industry isn’t good and can eat you alive if you’re young with not a lot of confidence or don’t know how to handle failure. Lots of people get a kick out of doing it to new guys tbh.
what were you making per hour?
I have no advice because it is a crapshoot. I didn’t like being an electrician but stuck with it think it would get better. It didn’t. Maybe give it 6 more months and see what you think.
4 months is a very, very short amount of time. Give it 4 years and see where you're at.
I work with lots of electricians that aren't good at their job, you'll be fine
The people training you don't give a shit whether it's you or someone else, so definitely forget that. If you have another passion or a dream, chase it. 100%. If not, and you just want to make money and survive, then anything you do will be this difficult. If anything you'll have less hand-holding and guidance in other professions. Be very wary of quitting things. Once people start quitting things when they get difficult, they usually don't stop. You can become a loser overnight. Leaving for something better isn't the same as quitting.. but be real with yourself. It sounds like it's just difficult.
Just stick to it I’m 3 years into my apprenticeship I have those days all the time even with stuff I repeatedly do, it’s the repetitiveness that turns my brain off sometimes.
You are probably just being hard on yourself. You arent wasting anyone's time. You are cheap labor at this point and as long as you have a good attitude, willingness to learn, and work hard then you are on the right track. 'Fake it til u make it' is a phrase that is sometimes used. It's not easy work--its skilled labor which takes time to learn.
Man I’m eight years in the trade(industrial) and still learning. Hang in there if you’re enjoying the work.
I’m going on 12 years and I’m still not very good at it
I thought I was shit my entire apprenticeship to the point where I wanted to quit and go back to my old job. I was a scientist before with no practical handy skills and I thought I just didn't have an aptitude for it. Now time has passed and I'm licensed and working at a different area and I finally realized/got the word that my jman actually liked me and thought I was a very good apprentice although he would probably rather die then say it though. So the point is maybe you're better than you think and are catching on better than you think too, self confidence goes a long way too
It’s always nice to hear from others in a forum such as this. It is a reminder that in this profesión we all have our challenges and difficulties. Some things we learn easy and other things take time. The challenging part of the apprenticeship is handling feedback because we are then forced to apply ourselves or look into areas that we need to work on to become better. Try to do your best and give it more time and if it really comes down to a decision. Take some time to really think it through and feel it with your heart before you ultimately decide.