Want to know if a lineman or another career within the electrical or construction field is right for you?
1.) Gifts, Passions, and Values (G+P+V)
Gifts. What Are Your Skills? What talents do you have?
Passions. What Excites and Energizes You? Are there issues in the world that are important to you?
Values. What is important in your personal and family life? Are there aspects of your life that you would not be willing to change?
Answering these questions will give you a good starting place when looking for a new career.
2.) Take an aptitude test. (self-evaluation)
Beyond what you know about these fields you could take a career aptitude test (or two). Here is a link to a career aptitude test sponsored by the Department of Labor. For confirmation, an additional test from Rasmussen college can be found here.
Career aptitude tests are a great way to get a little more direction or confirm what you already know. A general test shouldn’t be the only deciding factor in choosing a new career.
3.) Talk to someone in the field.
If you know someone in the field that you are trying to get into try reaching out to them. Even if you don’t know someone you might know someone who knows someone so now is the time to explore your social networks. If all of that fails there is a good chance that there is a program in your area with an instructor retired from the field. Look at our state by state education training information for a facility to contact.
If you are able to talk to someone you should go prepared with some questions. Questions can be broken into five basic categories: work, industry, compensation/promotion, skills/experience, and miscellaneous. Examples:
- What is the Work Like
What happens on a typical workday?
What is the most challenging part of the job?
What is the most enjoyable part of the job?
What seasons are the toughest and how many hours a week do you work during them? - What is the Industry Like
Is the field growing?
Is there a shortage of employees?
What developments might affect the future?
How long and frequent are you without work? - Compensation and Promotion
What is a typical career path and what are the salaries along that path?
How did you get your job?
What is the typical background for managers and supervisors? - Skills and Experience
What education/certification should I work towards?
What is looked for in a new hire?
How does my work experience stack up?
Can you recommend courses and/or companies to look at? - Miscellaneous
What is the work culture like?
How much travel is there?
What professional organizations or publications exist in the field?
Is there anyone that I can contact for more information?
4.) Make a Career Plan
Where should you be in on year? How about 5 years? How about 15 years?
This is an exercise in looking at where you will start your career and where you want to end up in your career then fill in the steps/positions needed to make the two positions meet.
5.) Apply
Start looking for openings and applying for jobs in your desired field.
6.) Prep for the Test
In most technical jobs there is some form of a test you will need to take before being hired. You should find out what test you will need to take then prepare for it.
7.) Prep for Interview
Prior to Your Interview
Explore the company website to become familiar with the company culture and services.
Familiarize yourself with the job description for the position.
Prepare your own questions about the company and the position before the interview.
Review your experience and make a list of accomplishments.
Think about why you are seeking out this opportunity and your career goals.
Look over some sample questions and think about how you will answer similar questions.