22 Things a Professional Electrician Wished an Apprentice Would Know pt 3

We've covered a lot of grounds in the first and second post, and we're going to conclude this great post with some final tips on what you need to know when you're getting trained by a true blue professional! 15. Take Responsibility. There are zero excuses when it comes to your job. This translates to your personal life as well. The second you enter someones business or house, you leave the trouble of your personal life behind. This is just plain, simple, cold math-- input in equals output. So when you're working your job is to deliver precisely what someone wanted and needs. 16. Don't Try to Reinvent Your Trade. There is no finished product in the marketplace for sure, but by the same token there is a clearly a "right way" of doing your job, and a "wrong way". When it comes to asking for referrals, reviews, pricing structure, yes there is wiggle room. But when it comes time to step up and deliver a product or service you're putting your good name behind, the story is a bit different. Do your best and forget the rest. 17. Train and Upskill Whenever you have a chance to improve, you definitely should do that. Most of the innovation you'll receive in your marketplace will be figuring out how to scale your business for the possibility of much more growth. According to Brad Lea, entrepreneur CEO of Lightspeed VT, the businesses that train the most also earn the most money. It goes back to that philosophy, input in is output out... you need to fertilize your mind with fresh ideas, shake a lot of hands, and be ready to shake things up at a moments notice. 18. If You Live Long Enough You'll See Everything Twice. Get reference experiences. You must be prepared to tackle the toughest most difficult jobs, in the most unusual situations. The fatal mistake most electricians make is they rest on their laurels, and assume every job is the same job. The reality is, every business owner, innovator, and dreamer typically underestimate the required amount of energy that is necessary to get the job done right. If you're training to lift 3lbs, and then you're thrown into the situation where you're supposed to life the 3lbs, who has a better chance at lifting the weight? The person who trained for 3lbs or the person who trained for 300lbs? Mother nature and human error always seem to alter the lab results, and the benefit of being willing to train for difficult jobs is you'll be twice as efficient the next time around because of the references you gathered on your path to mastery. 19. NEC is a Reference and Not a How To Simply put the NEC is not teaching you how to fix anything. It's just teaching you the code... 20. Create Space in Your Marketplace

This is where creativity really comes in.... How do you get above your competition? Do you give out coupons, do you give perks and lucrative bonuses for referrals? Are you promoting yourself in unique was such as branding yourself as the go-to person in your city... you can do this by having someone build a brand for you on facebook. Raise the bar, everything isn't like how it was before businesses keep getting more sophisticated at an accelerating rate and I hate to say it's sink or swim in the age of digital marketing, but get the leg up on your competition while you can! 21. Work a Little Extra if You Have To. If there was a check list for things a professional is looking for in an apprentice, it's someone who needs to finish. Don't waste people's time, get the job done and finish. It's that simple. 22. Focus on Your Mechanical Skills It's easy to get distratcted by everything that goes into running a business, but before you open up shop, make sure you know how to do all of the work first.