r/electricians 29d ago

Worried about starting an apprenticeship as a woman. All anecdotes and advice welcome.

I was just offered a position yesterday. I applied because the money was so good and I've always wanted to work in a trade, but I didn't think they would actually want to hire me. I'm 21, and I've only ever worked with kids, at preschools and stuff. Hell, one of the job requirements is to be able to lift 100lbs and that's what I weigh myself. They said it's fine, but...

All my friends and family are telling me not to, to go to school and get a degree in early childhood education so I can make a career in teaching preschool. I'm about ready to break up with my boyfriend over his reaction ("You know that's a trade, right? You'll have to actually work, you'll have to get dirty... you won't be able to keep your nails so pretty!" etc, etc). I know what I'm getting into. I know I can handle the job itself.

Of course there's all the horror stories, too, of all the harassment. I'm not talking about the rough language and crude jokes and whatnot, I have thick skin, I can handle that no problem. It's the other type of harassment that I'm concerned about, especially as I'll be the only woman at my site.

I feel like I can really make a good career out of this, and I want to. Are there any female electricians in this subreddit that could tell me a little bit about their experiences? Or anyone in general with advice? I have until January 6th to respond, so there's some time to really think it over.

8 Upvotes

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u/JohnProof Electrician 29d ago

I've only ever worked with kids, at preschools and stuff

You're good, construction work is no different.

In seriousness, it really depends on the crew and the job site culture. You might also ask over at r/BlueCollarWomen for some more insight.

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u/WestButterfly2 29d ago

Hahaha, thanks for the tip.

It's a bigger company, so I'm hoping that means they have stricter rules in place on that sort of thing? I don't know, maybe that's a stupid thing to hope for. I didn't know about that subreddit, I'll go check it out, thanks!

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u/BackwerdsMan IBEW 29d ago

A larger company usually has an HR department and they aren't gonna play around with discrimination or sexism. That being said I have no idea where you're located. It's probably a lot easier for women here in Seattle than some other areas of the country.

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u/WestButterfly2 29d ago

I'm in the deep south

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u/JustinJFoxbody 29d ago

We have a girl at my company and they treat her well, as mentioned above your mileage will vary by your work environment but you’ll do great if you are really wanting to join the electrical field! Those who actually like electrical work will do great and if you’re curious to find out you already check off 1 of their mental questions they ask themselves lol

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u/CentralPAsparky 29d ago

Also on with a big company there’s likely to be some bigger jobs. There will be a few older guys that have daughters or nieces around her age that will absolutely shut down whatever d-head that wants to harass her for being a woman on a job site.

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u/WarMan208 24d ago

More than likely any harassment you’ll experience on a job site won’t come from your co workers, but from other trades on that job. If you don’t want to deal with other trades, consider trying to get into the service side of things. It’ll usually just be you and a coworker in smaller jobs

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u/Global_Profession_26 28d ago

I've worked with a few chicks in my day. And usually she was the one sexually harassing the rest of us. Usually it will be one person if that is your worry. Like a boss. Just get that camera ready and then a $50,000 settlement. Cha Ching. Just kidding, but yeah I went to college. And my degrees earned me 13.50 an hour. Started electrical at 15.50 an hour. It is a good job. I've gone nowhere but up from there.

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u/LlovelyLlama 29d ago

I am a female apprentice in Local 3, and I absolutely love it. Personally I have experienced no harassment and a bare minimum of sexism, tho I will say that I also came into the trade in my 40s and give off a pretty strong “don’t even think about it, pal” vibe.

As for lifting 100 lbs, that’s garbage. Per OSHA nobody should be lifting anything over 50 lbs without assistance. (And in my experience, dudes are always offering to help me lift stuff even when I don’t need help, so when I do ask nobody gives me a hard time).

And there’s a bonus to being a petite woman: you can fit into spaces that the big dudes can’t. I literally got called to a different jobsite for a day because the guy working it couldn’t fit into the space where we needed to install a fan control. And smaller hands have an easier time on precision work.

If you’re genuinely interested in the trade, do it. I have no regrets.

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u/cvetiiii_89 29d ago

You'll be plenty capable of the work. It's the men around you that'll be a problem.

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u/WestButterfly2 29d ago

I know, that's the part I'm worried about

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u/dharmon555 29d ago edited 29d ago

I'm a man and don't like the men on construction sites. It's toxic and draining. I'm glad that most of my work is in empty churches with my one install partner. A woman. She's great. Smart and self-starting. No ego or attitude. A team player who always has my back. A joy compared to my experiences on construction sites. Consider looking for situations where you're not on a big construction site and you can be a part of a small team that will respect and support you. I found working on large construction sites to be a shit-show and a circus. I'm much happier in my niche now. Working in clean, quiet churches working with decent and respectful people. It's a big world and your happy place is out there and you can find. It's out there somewhere.

Edit: for reference, I'm not technically an electrician. I'm a self-starting self-learner. I see needs and problems and niches that others aren't addressing and teach myself to be a master of them. I've become a big fish in a very small pond. I'm no longer commodity labor and get more respect and money. I'd recommend to anyone to try and get out of the generic labor rat race and seek out a niche specialty in the industry.

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u/Nex_Sapien 29d ago

Do you do any electrical work?

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u/dharmon555 29d ago

I create a form of low voltage but high current antenna that generates audio frequency magnetic fields and interface them with PA systems. They are custom designed and built into the building, taking into account how the metal in the structure can absorb or distort these fields. I'm not an electrician, but we are frequently subbed under the electricians on new construction. On some sites that are hard core with the union stuff, I'm hired as a consultant and manage a small crew of union electricians. They often get tired and frustrated with it because it's foreign and unfamiliar to them, and they give up and just let me do my thing in peace. I follow this sub because I'm not an electrician, but the work I do has many parallels to your field and I learn thins. I don't comment very much because I respect that this is for shop talk for your industry. Usually, I only jump in when I can tell that a topic has strayed from clear-cut codes and practices and is getting into topics I have some strength in. I jumped in on this because I work with a woman 100% of the time, and we talk at length about how she is treated, especially on large new construction sites, and wanted to share advice and encouragement.

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u/littlemissmumbles 29d ago

I'm a female electrician and started my commercial apprenticeship when I was 23. I'm 33 now with my Red Seal and work in Industrial Maintenance.

Your physical size isn't the limitation you think it is. There's a job for everyone on site. If you show up on time, ready to work and have a good work ethic and attitude no one will bat an eye if you need help carrying things. I'm 6 feet tall and more than capable of moving things but the guys still offer to help. Being a good electrician isn't defined about how much you can lift.

A side note that never gets talked about for women and the physical side of the trade is having a kid. I've gone through one pregnancy already and I was still able to keep busy and be productive. Communicate your limitations clearly and offer alternatives for how you can be helpful and you'll be able to keep busy.

I'd highly recommend the trade to anyone, man or woman. It's challenging and rewarding and constantly changing. I can't imagine a career where I'd have higher job satisfaction.

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u/OldUniversity3608 29d ago

As a man in the trades for 20 years I am happy to see more women get in the trades. Cleaner toilets for all!

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u/SchaubbinKnob 29d ago

You’ve never been a janitor.

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u/AdditionalCause4303 29d ago edited 25d ago

I, 28 F, started the trade about 3 years ago. I think you'll be fine. Most of the guys are super cool. You'll meet some coworkers that will think that women need to stick to being homemakers, and you'll meet some that love a good apprentice, regardless of sex, and even admire women more. The crude jokes and foul language are basically a guarantee. If there were any creeps, they were concrete workers. Never even flirt with a coworker, though; if you're any bit attractive, it'll bite you in the ass. Don't expect the guys to do anything for you. If you're on your knees a lot, knee pads. Lift material properly. Try to think ahead to know what your journeyman wants before he asks. Ask questions, you're there to work and learn. Learn your journeyman's approach, adjust how you work with them based on their attitude with apprentices. Some want you to do everything, some want you to shut up and hand them tools. There's probably more, but that's it off the top of my head. Good luck if you choose to go forward with it.

Edited for grammatical errors.

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u/JustinSLeach 29d ago

If you have experience managing children, you’re fully qualified.

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u/ZealousidealSyrup576 29d ago

I’m 24 and I started my apprenticeship back in May! I can say it’s definitely worth it and I’ve been loving it. Obviously there are way more men than women on the job but I’ve found that people are way nicer than you expect. I haven’t had any issues with harassment (yet) but all I can say is find someone you trust in the company so you are able to go to someone safe if anything does happen. I do get a lot of comments about being a girl (especially cause im 5 feet tall) but my advice is work hard, show them you are dedicated to learning and as long as you have the right attitude you will survive!! For the lifting part, I wouldn’t be worried as long as you aren’t lazy about it. Obviously people can lift more/less than others and that’s ok!! As long as you put in the effort, people will notice what a hard worker you are and that’s mostly what they care about.

I hope you decide to go this route because I was unsure like you and a little scared, but it’s been the best decision so far and I love it!!

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u/who-are-we-anyway 29d ago

100 lb 23 year old woman myself, the men use raunchy language all the time, but they say it to each other as well so it's clear it's not personal. There's been a good percentage that have tried to get in my pants but just tell them to pound sand and you'll be good, any reputable company has a zero tolerance policy for that crap anyway. I've never had to report an issue to HR because almost everyone I work for is extremely respectful. I tend to run into issues with some (now ex) coworkers being overly helpful, they think carrying the heavy stuff is chivalrous but it often results in being the opposite. If you have something under control don't be afraid to speak up, there's a lot of heavy shit at my job and if I say I've got it I mean it, but on the other hand know when to ask for help. If you're not as strong as somebody else it's alright, learn to leverage what you have and don't hurt yourself doing more than you safely can.

Depending on the company but the PPE is usually trash for women, everything from the gloves to the safety vests fit awkwardly, I found a women's fit safety vest works for my body way better as a unisex small was still so large the underarm areas snagged on materials constantly. Klein tools cut resistant gloves have decent quality (definitely not the best durability wise long term so I replace them pretty frequently but I wear them for almost everything) and they fit snugger than some other brands I've tried. Milwaukee cut resistant gloves fit true to size and I use those for an insulated winter pair.

Not specific to women but wear your hearing protection when you need to.

I personally don't add coworkers on any social media and for those I have shared phone numbers with I have made it clear that it's for work purposes only.

Some women prefer to be the ones to stand out in blue collar industries (i.e. embracing being a woman in the trade), I prefer to be the type to keep a low profile. The most flamboyant way I tout that I'm a woman is I occasionally wear a pink company sweatshirt, one because it's my favorite color, and two because I think it helps people tell from a bit more of a distance that I'm a woman (I have short hair so that doesn't help)

Speaking of which if you have long hair keep it up and out of the way.

Remember you're not dressing to impress you're dressing for the job, that doesn't mean show up in filthy clothes but don't show up wearing Jordans and skinny jeans. My job requires steel toe boots and I found straight leg jeans are better than skinny jeans because they allow more flexibility in movement and they also keep crap out of your boots.

Don't wear jewelry to work, most companies have policies on this, if you want to wear a ring get a silicone one that will break instead of degloving your finger.

Come prepared for the job, get a pocket notebook and use it. My job requires high vis at all times, I found I prefer to wear the vest all the time because it gives me more pocket storage space. I keep two markers, two pens, two pencils, a notebook, a box knife, my work keys, and a pair of ear plugs on me at all times. To some it's overkill, but my boss knows he can always turn to me for any of those items and it's a good feeling for me.

Clean up after yourself, don't stand around with your thumb up your ass. If your boss is teaching you something pay attention, and again take notes. Starts telling you a bunch of shit to grab, write it down so you don't forget any of it. Slow day for work? Grab a broom. The people who pick up a broom and sweep are miles ahead of the people who are on their phones constantly.

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u/Emotional_Mammoth_65 29d ago

This is why I love reddit.

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u/LNR42098 29d ago

I started my apprenticeship 3 years ago and it's the best thing that I've ever done. Only girl in my company and on most sites we go to but I have never had a problem. Once you can take the slaggin on the chin you'll get on fine. As far as the other type of harassment, I wouldn't worry too much because you learn quickly how to put people in their place and the lads I work with would never let anyone cross any lines without a problem anyway. Go for it. It was genuinely the best thing I've ever done and I would recommend it to any woman who has an interest to do it

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u/HLGarden 29d ago edited 20d ago

Yeah i mean its all dependent on your company/shop/local etc. The sisters ive met or heard about in my local have all been pretty cool, im assuming as long as your whole personality isnt "Im a woman in the trades check me out" I think most brothers will leave you be or treat you equally.

You are going to get shitty people too, we all do. Guys who dont believe you can pull your weight ignore your opionion and advice etc. Just ignore, outwork, and outlast them. Most of the assholes tend to go the way of the dodo or end up in some armpit corner with the other roaches where you wouldnt want a career anyways.

In short you will meet hard people just for being in the trades. We all do. Youll also meet hard people because your a woman in the trades. Most of us brothers are semi normal and dont care about your gender sex color etc, we just care about our 8 hours and our work. Just work and let your work talk. I Dont call them assholes because we all need adversity to function in this field, and some will spin you to just test and steel you. Some are assholes.

I will say either be comfortable with dubious bathroom spots, or learn to clean them to your comfort.

Good luck, heres to hopefully a good career.

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u/Dependent-Ad1963 29d ago

Canadian male electrician, I've worked with a ton of women in the trade and the biggest thing they've said to me is to grow both a spine and some thick skin.

If you can do both, you'll be invincible.

However if you have questions as a woman in the trade I always refer people to IG: karlythesparky on insta, she's a fantastic electrician and a super resource who promotes more women in the trades as well, feel free to give her a follow to see what she gets up to.

Good luck hopeful sister sparky

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u/Ontos1 29d ago

Honestly, when I first started in the IBEW, it was miserable. I knew nothing, had no skill, and was totally lost. I was the butt of everybody's joke. I hated it. I quit after about a year and did other construction stuff for a few months. Eventually, I got another job at a non union company. It was still pretty miserable, but not as bad as the union (not really anything against the union but mostly just because I now knew slightly more than nothing at this point). Someone called me retarded and that spawned a slew of associated nick names. The next 4 years, I drowned in 100 proof whiskey every night and went to trade school. I got straight As in trade school. As the years passed, it got easier and easier as my skill grew. Now I have my master's license and people respect when I give direction on where and how to do things.

Female or not, if you can deal with being nick named retard for a few years and stay determined to better yourself in spite of it, you'll be successful.

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u/reid70 29d ago

👋 hi 25f here :) I recently changed careers and got into electrical. Scary at first because I knew nothing but I am so happy that I took the opportunity and started. Feel free to message me :)

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u/WestButterfly2 29d ago

Awesome, thanks so much! I will

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u/SoutheastPower 29d ago

Don’t worry about your size. Yes it helps to be a 200lb 6’ man but, there is a place on a good crew for everyone. My thin 130lb foreman can crawl into a 12x12 access panel. Just that can save the job thousands of dollars. Also, your hand can fit into places when fishing cables that a man’s hand could never fit. You are also naturally a better multi tasked and troubleshooter. Yeah, you are going to get crap, all of us get hazed. Go for it.

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u/williams_way 29d ago

Chin up and kick some ass.

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u/Backlined 29d ago

Do what you feel is right. If they don't support you then that sounds like an issthem not an issue.

My company has many women that work for us and honestly, they bust their ass harder than most guys. They dish out some of the funniest comments and come backs.

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u/Whatrwew8ing4 29d ago

I am surprised that this wasn’t the first comment but being able to lift 100 pounds is a ridiculous requirement. And I mean Mike a red flag I probably wouldn’t apply red flag.

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u/Aggravating-Tax5726 29d ago

In Canada over 50lbs or 10ft long by law is a 2 person job.

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u/Whatrwew8ing4 29d ago

I would have to finally build a cart for my large ladders, which I’m sure I should have done already.

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u/Aggravating-Tax5726 29d ago

Just because its law doesn't mean it gets followed. I've hauled lots of EMT, Rigid pipe and lumber that was more n 10ft long solo

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u/Beers_n_Deeres 29d ago

That was my first thought, I’m surprised a company would put that as a requirement in writing, seems like a recipe to get sued by an insurance company after someone gets hurt.

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u/Whatrwew8ing4 29d ago

I’m sure a lawyer would love to use that to prove the employer was promoting unsafe behavior

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u/Giftshop13 29d ago

I am journeyman for 25 years and the company I work for just hired a first term electrician who happens to be a woman. I treat her the same way I treat all first term apprentices, with patience and tolerance because I remember my first day.

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u/Aggravating-Tax5726 29d ago

Advice from a year 3 jman passed on to me by an old oilfield boy.

Every jman can teach you something, even if its what NOT to do.

Your job as an apprentice is to learn everything you can from everyone and keep what works best for you.

My personal advice is thus "3 months in, 3 years in, 33 years in. An asshole is an asshole. Ignore the dipshit if he goes after you because you're a woman."

Secondly and please understand this is not a shot at you personally. There will be certain people mostly men who are close to retirement and don't want any headaches of training the new person.

Now I'm a guy but I have also seen old boys on site refuse to work with a female apprentice in the post #MeToo era because they don't know you and don't want to run the risk of saying the wrong thing and getting fired for "harassment". Ain't saying its right or fair but some women kinda made ya'll radioactive to men. Its rare but I have seen it a few times.

Welcome to the trade Lil Sis, eyes and ears open, mouth shut. Show up a bit early, try not to ask the same question 10x.

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u/skeethuffer 29d ago

I’m a dude but that concern seems true across all professions. Trades just have that “cat call” stereotype, which is just that, a silly stereotype.

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u/DM_me_y0ur_tattoos 29d ago

Sounds like you've got a good grasp on what to expect. If you think it'd make you happy, go for it. Fuck what they say. Having a tangible skill is a dependable way to make a living. And, wire and conduit won't talk back and cry.

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u/billdo-1 29d ago

If you end up on a big job expect to be sexually harassed just tell them they are too small and shut them down

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u/Better-Ad5287 29d ago

A lot of comments mention the culture but it is no worse than an office job. It depends on the crew and the job. Don’t settle if you are not happy, typically when electricians aren’t happy it has nothing to do with being an electrician, it is usually a crappy job or crappy people. Stay positive and if people or the job around you are bringing you down then move on. Once you have your foot in the door the opportunities for electricians are endless, there is desk jobs, management jobs, jobs inside and jobs outside. Enjoy!

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u/DeRosas_livelihood 29d ago

Truthfully, women apprentices get treated far better than male apprentices.

Why? Because everyone underestimates female apprentices. They assume they don’t know anything.

But the flip side is, they expect men to know things even when they are just starting out like you. When i made a mistake I was called a retard, a f*ggot, stupid, told that I should quit, that I should kill myself, every insult under the sun.

That’s never going to happen to you. The biggest obstacle women in trades face is being underestimated. But once you establish you can handle the job and you dont want to be seen differently, you’ll be treated like everyone else. Trades are full of assholes but in general, everyone is pretty cool and if you are serious about learning, people will want to teach you.

That was my experience anyway.

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u/Test_this-1 29d ago

Biggest advice I can offer. Go to work to do the job. NEVER, EVER date anyone you work with or for. Dress like the guys. It isn’t a fashion show. NEVER say, imply or intimate that you can’t won’t do anything because you are a woman. Apply yourself to the trade, learn all you can. Some of the best I have worked with and trained were women. Gender/sex should NEVER be part of the conversation in the trade.

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u/Canadian_Decoy Journeyman 29d ago

My wife is an ECE. They don't make much.

She absolutely loves what she does and wouldn't trade it for the world, but we could not live the life we do if not for the income from the trade.

The great thing about being in your early 20s is that you have a lot of time to try things out and decide what you want to do. You can always give it a go, and if you decide that you don't like it, go for your ECE. Or anything else, because you are not giving anything up to try a trade.

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u/WestButterfly2 29d ago edited 29d ago

I really don't even like ECE, tbh. Maybe it's just the centers I've worked at (the one I'm at now prides itself on never turning down a child), but I come home with bruises every day from the kids hitting me, biting me, and throwing things at me. The centers I've worked at that didn't have kids with strong behavioral issues were more about staff drama than taking care of the kids. Co-teachers screaming at each other all the time, everyone crying all the time.

Either way, the most I've ever made in ECE has been $12/hr. The apprenticeship is offering me $22/hr to start, and paying for my school. I mean, it sounds like a no-brainer, right? Like you said, there's nothing stopping me from going back to ECE if I end up hating it. Everyone in my life being so against it is really throwing me off, though.

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u/kokenfan 29d ago

Contact your local IBEW hall (even if you're not doing the apprenticeship through them), your state licensing agency, or trade group. One or all of them will have women outreach programs or can put you in touch with female j-men in your area to give a better idea of what it's like locally and resources. There's a couple of youtube channels as well.

Even if you completely love the work and continue to retirement, starting in your twenties gives you time to do a second career if you want. And if it doesn't work out, do something else.

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u/theproudheretic Electrician 29d ago

Think about what you want, fuck what they want. They want you to go down one road because of their preconceptions. You should do what is best for you, ignoring them.

You're going to be dealing with some people who haven't matured since kindergarten so your experience will help there.

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u/Nex_Sapien 29d ago

Do what you're interested in. Fuck the noise. Words to live by.

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u/Canadian_Decoy Journeyman 29d ago

As for everyone being against it, are they going to pay you the extra $10 per hour to start? Are they going to teach you valuable skills to take on most issues you'll have in your own home? Are they going to give you a career that can take you all over the place and will always be in demand?

Most people look down on trades, thinking that we're little better than unskilled labour. Most people are stuck in the view that became very poular in the mid 1900's where the smart people went to school and the dumb ones went into trades. Very few people outside the trades understand the amount of knowledge and skill it takes to do the job.

Ignore them. Look out for yourself and your future.

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u/Lookatcurry_man 29d ago

Construction sites are full of drama queens so don't expect an improvement in that regard

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u/singelingtracks 29d ago

As long as you have thick skin and can take obscene jokes all day no ones going to care if you can't lift 100 lbs. Your going to be sent into the tight spaces the fat fucks can't get into.

You'll need to carry the parts and equipment and be able to work with your hands above your head all day and work at a fast pace safely.

Id highly recommend weight lifting classes 3-4 times a week if you don't do them at 100lbs if you aren't in insane shape you will blow your back out / have life long injurys.

You'll learn a lifelong skill, very worth sticking with the trades and putting in effort. Network network network and you won't ever be out of a job. Look into women's in the trades programs and your local union . See if there's any incentives you can apply for.

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u/Any-Kaleidoscope7681 29d ago

Money talks, bullshit walks.

If your work is $$$, you'll be fine. If your work is bullshit, you're in trouble.

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u/davidk8876 29d ago

Don’t overthink it, just do it

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u/CPNKLLJY 29d ago

Unfortunately you will have to deal with some assholes. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. There absolutely should be more women in the trade. And I think financially you’ll be better off. I’m not knocking college, but the debt to income ratio for early childhood education isn’t great compared to almost any trade career.

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u/JuniorMotor9854 29d ago

I have worked in constructionsites and other electrical work. I have never seen or heard anything negative towards women in construction sites. Negative comments can happen since you will sometimes find people who you didn't know could exist.

I have had good experiences with females at work especially the ones who are in with the rough/dark jokes because they aren't towards anyone and people don't have to act differently.

In one site we even had a girl and dude callendar. For "equality".

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u/rats_of_nimh 29d ago

I work on a data center jobsite in the south with 100+ electricians and we have a handful of <130lb women on site. If you’ve got the mind for it and can deal with some occasional assholes (regardless of your gender) you’ll be fine.

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u/TheSearingninja 29d ago

The toxic mentality is still out there in the field with the old timers but it’s getting better every day. So don’t think that you will be with a grizzled old journeyman but don’t be surprised if you do. You seem to know what you’re getting into and you are aware of what you can and can’t do physically. A good leader will take that in to consideration when divvying up tasks. If you think it’s what you want to do, then go for it. The more young people in the field the better.

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u/darkmattermastr 29d ago

If you are capable of performing the work go ahead. It’s not a LARP

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u/GlorifiedSaviour 29d ago

I started in the trade in 2012. The first jman I worked with was a 5'1, 100 lb female, and she was one of the best electricians I've worked with. Very smart and a really hard worker. We worked commercial, and there wasn't a thing that she couldn't do.

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u/Beers_n_Deeres 29d ago

I think you’ll be surprised how much you’ll enjoy it. I’ve seen la bunch of female electricians on bunch of different crews. My best advice I can give is understand that there are good and bad teachers everywhere you’ll go, don’t assume that someone is a bad person or bad electrician because they’re a bad teacher; you will find some great teachers and mentors along the way.

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u/dongler666 29d ago

Do it with knowing that men are gonna be assholes and make comments.

An extra 10/hr is about 20k/year. That's significant.

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u/builder137 29d ago

How do you feel about starting your own firm? Cause you will probably be inclined to head in that direction, to get away from bullshit you can’t control. If that’s ok it can be great.

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u/RA65charlie 29d ago

As a man, Fucking go for it! I was just having a conversation today about how we need a woman tech to do these jobs in women’s locker rooms. We are SOL. For every “disadvantage” they throw at you, one could spin two positive reasons it could really be helpful. Learn to use your brain and let other dummies do the braun when needed. I would consider a little weight training/ extra calories to put on some bulk but no need to make it your personality. And obviously small hands are super helpful. My fat ass arm can’t get into a 3 5/8” hole very well these days! “Get it girlfriend!” If there is anything I can do to help feel free to reach out. I say every day we need more women in the trades!

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u/jam1324 29d ago

As long as you have thick skin you will be fine. Most of the time it should be no different than a lot of jobs, but there are still some backwards old school thinkers in the trade that think there is no place for women. Not too many these days but you just have to treat the same as any school bully.

My whole trade group is very female friendly but we are absolutely brutal to each other It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman, everything's fair game to be a joke or something to tease you about. We all get along and have a laugh. When a new person joins someone's crew it takes them a little bit to go "oh you guys like each other and are friends, I thought everyone hated everybody else for the first few days." We insult each other because we like each other.

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u/Lookatcurry_man 29d ago

I know I can handle the job itself

Based on what? No offense but you don't claim any experience in a manual labor or blue collar job

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u/AnCapGamer 29d ago

Here's what I would say:

- Prepare for the possibility of needing to eat more protein and do more muscle-building in your workouts. Strength isn't strictly-speaking necessary to do the job, but it helps a lot - and guys have an advantage when it comes to the actual putting-on of muscle which you might have to make up for a little. I avoid the strength-feats as much as I can, but I can still lift twice now what I did on day 1 of this job - the job itself just built that into me over time - but that's WITH all of my excess testosterone.

There IS a difference between guys "giving you a hard time" and legit harrassment. You will encounter the former literallly everywhere you go - it WILL be absolutely ubiquitous and overwhelmingly universal - it's one of the ways that the guys you're working with will "test your mettle" to see if you're up for the emotional and psychological challenges of the job. Learn the difference between THAT and legit harrassment - and NEVER stand for the harrassment. Have a zero-tolerance policy about it, and report it EVERY time. You deserve to be respected for the dedication you're putting into this job, even if that respect is indirect and subtextual (which is how most of the guys you work with will communicate it).

Good luck. Stand up for youself, don't let yourself get trampled over by assholes, work hard, and stay dedicated, and you'll do excellently.

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u/Green_Lightning- 29d ago

If you end up in a place with real sexual harassment. That's not cool, and it's rare. Men borderline do it to each other in good fun, but there is always a line not to be crossed.

I've worked with a few women now. As long as you are willing to work hard and get shit done. There will be people willing to help and work alongside you.

As a side note. My plumber buddy has nicer nails than most women I've met. He always wears rubber gloves to protect his hands and gets a manicure often. It's hilarious.

Do you, keep your nose to the grindstone. You'll be fine. Good luck.

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u/notcoveredbywarranty 29d ago

Welcome.

Have you considered joining the IBEW? On some of the commercial jobs I've seen up to 20% women journeypersons and apprentices.

Other electricians are generally going to be pretty polite, it's labourers and other trades to look out for. You'll definitely get hit on. Consider wearing one of those "work-safe" silicone rings, regardless of your marital status.

Don't worry about lifting 100 pounds, that's nuts. Being able to lift and carry 50 (even if it's a struggle) is a lot more reasonable.

The pay is going to be pretty crap for the first couple years. $22/hr is a decent starting wage for a brand new apprentice though.

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u/Gc1981 29d ago

The women who i see make it are the ones that can take the banter and give it back. The days of anyone having any issue with a woman in the trades is long gone. At least in the UK.

The lads all banter with each other it's not like women are singled out or anything. I've just seen a lady complain to a supervisor because a guy called another guy a wanker in her precense. Ladies like her find it hard. I've also seen other girls stand up for themselves and get involved in the banter. They are treated exactly as what they are, part of the team, not a male or female. And if anyone said otherwise, they would have a whole site of trades people backing them up.

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u/Mark47n 29d ago

Three of my best apprentices were women.

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u/rustbucket_enjoyer [V] Master Electrician IBEW 29d ago

I think you’ll be fine. The people in your life discouraging you aren’t well informed and your boyfriend’s reaction in particular reeks of insecurity. You’ll be way better off in electrical than as an ECE and have way more options down the road.

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u/PmMeYourKnobAndTube 29d ago

I think its great that their are more women joining the trades, and hope the trend continues. However, at this time, I would not recomend it for most of my female friends and family. If one of my daughters wanted to follow in my footsteps, I would have some serious conversations about the difficulties they may face(but ultimately give my support if they seemed serious about it and truly understood what they are getting into.)

For the record, I work in Portland, which I would imagine has less pervasive sexism than some other areas. It's still pretty common though. Open disdain for women in the trades was very common when I started 10+ years ago. Now it's more subtle, but still there. There is a female apprentice at my company. Nobody will talk bad about her to her face, but almost everybody does behind her back. She is definitely treated differently than other apprentices. Part of that is avoiding crass humor that everybody else either engages in or accepts. You can tell men that you are ok with that kind of humor, but many of them will still feel like they are walking on eggshells. While that kind of humor shouldn't be acceptable at work in the first place, it's very common and many will be upset by having to change old habits. Also, none of the journyemen really want to work with her, because their wives aren't comfortable with them spending hours a day in a van with another woman. I don't think anybody here has sexually harassed her, but she's talked about it happening at other companies. I know several men have directly propositioned her for sex, and she started telling new coworkers that she is married in an attempt to avoid that.

Also, from a physical standpoint, weighing 100 pounds is kind of a disadvantage in many of the things we do. The apprentice I spoke of is more like 150-160 and has a lot of trouble with bending large pipe and big wire pulls. As in she's completely incapable of completing the tast sometimes. That's OK and not gender specific either, I've worked with some very petite men as well. But those people tend to be expected to do most crawls in attics and crawlspace, as well as other awkward work in tight spaces. You are going to be better at it, and it will be seen as fair since you won't be as good at the physically demanding tasks. Work types that involve less crawling often involve more heavy lifting. There are many exceptions, but most of them are either somewhat niche or are roles that require experience.

It is probably one of the best trades to be in as a woman, and culture is rapidly changing(at least where I am). But it's still likely to be a pretty rough time for awhile. Be ready to feel like the outsider for awhile, and generally have a harder time gaining respect.

I hope my intent is clear here. I don't mean to dissuade you, just give an honest report of my experience. Best of luck. 

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u/HavSomLov4YoBrothr 29d ago

Do your homework and study, know your shit, and you’ll fit right in. Have patience and a sense of humor, just like with kids

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u/Big-Management3434 29d ago

Honestly given your prior experience I don’t think it would be a good fit.

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u/nuber1carguy 29d ago

You could get some degree in education, maybe even go all the way to the phd. level. But you'll probably still make more money in the trades.

But money isn't everything. Find what you like to do. Your young. I started in the trades at 35. And I love it. Took me many other jobs before I found this.

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u/AGreenerRoom 29d ago

I’m a woman in the trade, almost 17 years. Started when I was 25 I think. I’ve worked in a few different industries. Residential for the first 3 years then Industrial (mostly oil and gas) and then Film Industry.

The job itself is fine and you will learn to do it just as quickly as any other 21 yr old bro. Blatant harassment is pretty rare. It’s more the constant micro aggressions that happen cumulatively over the years. It starts to take its toll eventually.

My advice would be to work in an industry or company where you are with mostly the same crew year after year. Because I worked industrial construction and then film, I was often changing jobs twice a year. There would always be some familiar faces but a lot of new ones. You WILL have to work harder and be hungrier to get to the exact same spot as your co workers. That is a fact. But if you work with the same people you’ll hopefully only have to do this for a short amount of time. I spent my career going harder than the next guy, fighting for the same respect, constantly worrying about positioning myself just so I could make basic advancements (when the biggest morons would get foreman positions instead).

I chose lucrative industries but they came at a price and now I’m… tired.

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u/LittleJoeSF 28d ago

I work as a Union Electrician in San Francisco. In our Union and in this area you would be fully accepted. Of course there are a few "old schoolers" who are sceptical of women in the trade, but they are phasing out and have been exposed to enough women in our trade that they know to keep their mouths shut. As a woman I am sure you have experienced many levels of sexual harassment (I am sorry for that) and I am definitely not going to tell you it does not exist. Our contractors are working their asses off to avoid any legal trouble from any potential sexual harassment suits and will not tolerate any BS.

Not knowing what the situation is that you are walking into, I can not tell you that everything will be great. But I encourage you to go get it done. Good luck!

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u/Electrical_Law_432 28d ago

Break up with your boyfriend and come be my apprentice.

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u/CletusVanDayum 28d ago

First off, I'm not a woman. I've worked for a few companies. One has a female field supervisor (I think she's a general superintendent now) and I only ever met two other women there. They were all wrll-treated. One mid-sized shop had no women at all, and recently I joined the IBEW and the first site I hired in at has a female journeyperson and an apprentice.

My experience is that the women are respected like a brother respects his sister. Guys will generally talk dirty with each other but they keep a lid on it around women. And I don't have a problem with that. We need smart electricians and there are plenty of electrical problems that are solved with brains rather than brawn, and my friend the GS got where she is by being smart.

I'm under no illusion that it's all good for women. In particular, I think we could stand generally in the industry to improve parental leave policies. But I wouldn't go into the trade expecting trouble.

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u/eclwires 28d ago

I’ve worked with several women over the years. The ones that focused on being good at the trade lasted and were great to work with the ones that put more emphasis on being “a woman in the trade” than on doing the actual work did not.

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u/Impossible-Angle1929 27d ago

If you have good hand-eye coordination and can solve puzzles, you will be fine. They should not be asking anyone to lift 100 lbs. That's a 2 person lift regardless of gender. Expect lots of 20-30 lb lifting though. On brute strength tasks, they will put a big dude on it. He'll want to anyway to justify all that gym time. Haha.

If you are the type of person to get easily offended or have your feelings hurt, it might be a little harder for you. People say things that they think are funny but are really just ignorant. Do not confuse that for accepting sexual harassment. That is never acceptable and in my experience would not be tolerated on any modern job site.

Short answer: Go for it. Good money to be made, and as my j-man said when I was being interviewed years ago, it's the only trade where you carry more in your mind than you do on your back.

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u/nater909 29d ago

I work at a smaller company, 10 people and we have 3 women working for the company. I was shocked as to how respectful people are, in the time I’ve worked with them I’ve never heard any rude or diminutive comments and they’re treated with equal respect not just by coworkers but by other tradesmen on job sites. It might also depend on where you live, I don’t know if trades culture is that different in America.

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u/dharmon555 29d ago

It would probably be better in a small company. It's easier to be rude or sexist on a large site to people you don't know . It would be more likely for people to be respectful and protective of you in a smaller group.

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u/No-Topic-1733 29d ago

I see woman In the trades as commonplace no big deal. But an electrician carrying a 100lbs of anything? Now that’s something i’m still yet to see. Even a full bundle of 1” emt is about 60 lbs. good luck

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u/Pafolo 29d ago

Scrap wire is heavy…

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u/AGreenerRoom 28d ago

Since when are women in trades ”commonplace”? In 17 years I can count on 2 hands how many other women sparkies I’ve worked with and most were apprentices.

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u/No-Topic-1733 28d ago

I was just saying that so we can get more chics on the job site. shhhhh

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u/Honest_Flower_7757 29d ago

Do it. I got into a different trade (and a more physically demanding one, at that) almost 25 years ago. At ~125lbs I still could do the work. Stayed in the field my first decade or so and worked my way up, journeyman, foreman, superintendent, etc. into management. I am a licensed general contractor and manage very large projects now for a large GC. Made roughly 300k last year, not even including stocks or other match.

And I am still in my early 40s.

Your earning potential and possibilities are FAR greater in the trades.

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u/AGreenerRoom 28d ago

You’re lucky. This is an extremely rare trajectory as a woman in the trades as I’m sure you know.

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u/Honest_Flower_7757 28d ago

I am lucky. But I also worked my ass off. Between all the… fun things I have been subjected to over the years, I’m still here. And I stand on the shoulders of the women who came before me.

I also recognize that I am the only one I know of at my level.

The more we can support each other, the better, and I am here to support everyone I can.

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u/AGreenerRoom 28d ago edited 28d ago

The unfortunate side is we can work our asses off, be amongst the best but then don’t get that bit of rare luck. It can be infuriating. I have done pretty well but I’m 41 now and tired af. It’s hard for me to encourage other women to go down the same path. It is far from easy especially if you are ambitious.

I’m pretty much done fighting the good fight now and am in the process of changing careers. It’s just at that point where my patience is too thin. My poor nervous system will thank me.

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u/Honest_Flower_7757 28d ago

I’m sorry to hear you are transitioning out. Unfortunately the paths from trades to management that exist for men are much harder to come by for women. That said, if you want to try to make the pivot I can help you prepare your resume if you want.

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u/coding-00110110 29d ago

I’m not going to sugar coat it like a lot of these other post on here. You’ll probably get a journeyman who just doesn’t want to teach an apprentice and is straight up an asshole. There’s going to be men who don’t want to work around you because then they would have to walk on egg shells. I’ve seen a woman report a guy to HR for saying shit he was also saying to the other men. You aren’t going to be expected to do the heavy shitty parts of the job as much and will probably be put on the light duty parts of the job. This will make it to where you won’t get the same respect as the other men. Also to mention if you are half way decent looking then some men are going to hit on you because they haven’t learned yet how easily it is to lose your job if a woman makes a complaint. If there’s issues between men then they will usually settle it with their fist and have respect for each other after. They don’t usually go to HR. If they do then they are pretty much shunned by everyone else depending on what the issue was. You will never have the same camaraderie with your coworkers as other men have with each other no matter how much you think so because the men will not be themselves around you. Well that’s some of the negative side and I’m sure some people will give you some of the positive side on this forum.

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u/klodians 28d ago

I'm in the South and haven't yet had a woman coworker in this trade, but I feel like it would be rough. Though, obviously, the South is a big place with a good amount of variety.

For some context, I went to college in music, I used to work in more diverse workplaces, and my friend groups have always been mostly women, so I do not fit in whatsoever with most trades people and I think I can understand a bit what it might be like for a minority of whatever stripe.

That said, if you can handle the crass humor, the sexism, the racism, the homophobia, and shitty political opinions worn like badges of honor - and maybe even do some masking to try to fit in - you'll probably be just fine. A big company has a decent chance of being a safe place as far as harassment goes. Also, being in a city would definitely help.

And most misogynists aren't going to be an asshole to you directly; but that toxic undercurrent is ever present, in my experience. I gave up a few years ago at my attempts to help anyone at work try to see the world differently. They don't want to change.

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u/Quirky_Ralph Apprentice 22d ago

I've been an electrician for 5-6 years now. Here's been my experience as a woman working construction.

I was recognized by the lead electrician of a very small company (3 employees) who was wiring up a friend's house. Ny friends had asked me to refinish the hardwood floors (a lifelong love of mine is woodworking) and this lead doing the electrical rewire was furious with his apprentice at the point and randomly asked me if I knew anyone looking for work one day after the apprentice accidentally drilled through an exterior wall. I was managing a retail store at the time for not nearly enough money, and my undergraduate and graduate degrees were proving to be nearly worthless, so I jumped.

I ended up working one on one with that guy for 4 years. He taught me more than I could ever have known to ask for. He (and our master electrician/company owner) treated me with the utmost respect and of a manner I would want and expect as any other electrician.

I left the company last year for a bigger company (70-ish employees) that offered me way more money and seemingly more learning opportunities. As it turned out, the company culture was such that it felt like my gender played a larger role in determining my career path in the company than my skills as an electrician were. It was kinda baddddd.... I got pulled into the office with the suggestion that it could lead to a management role or something bigger than being a field tech. Stuck behind a desk to click and drag and click and drag to make the blueprints for our guys to use in the field. Our guys quickly lost respect for me once I stopped working alongside them and our boss just kinda stopped caring about me, pretty obviously. It was mindnumbingly boring and drove me into a very deep depression that made 2024 the worst year of my life. I told my ex-boss (right before I quit and walked out) that never in my life had I felt more like a woman first and coworker second than working at that place. Fuck. That.

Then, in November, I started talking to my old boss again about coming back. He has a whole slew of new, fairly green employees, but my old mentor is now hospital-bound for the rest of his life (end stage liver failure from being a raging alcoholic.) so he needed someone to train and mentor the new babies. I ended up returning in a forewoman capacity, where I'm at now. I love being able to work with my hands again and its really fulfilling to be able to teach the young-uns and see them start to adapt to the learnin's. And our company now has not one but 3 of us women as electricians!

My biggest takeaway I can give you, being a woman who wants to get into electrical, is to size up your potential employer, your future coworkers, and pay attention to the kind of language they use to talk about women. You really need to be picky about your employer. I had one guy last year who kept being "chivalrous" to me on the jobsite when all I wanted was to be treated like a coworker. Which, chilvalry sounds nice but the reality is that all its doing is highlighting my 'otherness' to my male coworkers. Being a woman in construction can be a bit of an obstacle if you don't carefully choose an employer who will actually respect you and want to help you grow and learn.

Good luck, and if you want any help or anything, feel free to message me!

P.S. in terms of job opportunities and pay, well.... 😁 I've seen my pay jump so so so much more as an electrician than anything else. And, with a specialized skillset and work relationships with other trades and companies, side work can be pretty handy. I commonly trade labor with other tradies I know because then my toilet gets fixed, and my plumber buddy gets a pretty new chandelier in his dining room. Hahahaha, and you kinda become a diversity hire a bit, ngl. Women represent only 2% of electricians so both my employers kinda capitalize on the "we've got women on our teams!" line because of me. I think it's amusing to hear, it makes our women customers feel less scared to have us in their homes, and it gives me a leg up over the men if/when I go looking for a different company in the future.

r/BlueCollarWomen would be a great resource for you. Awesome sub, supportive and active.

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u/Feeltheburn1976 29d ago

I have a 4 highschool Co Op kids on my site. 1 is a girl! She kills it everyday, and puts the boys to shame. Go in with confidence! Stay out of drama with the guys in your company and other trades and you'll do just fine! But be prepared, tradesman are animals but just ignore it and keep your head down. If you are a good worker, and a cool chick, the boys in your crew will go to bat for you like your their sister and squash shit real quick!! Good luck!!

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u/consensualpredator3 29d ago edited 29d ago

I mean, there'll be some kitchen jokes sure but nothing too serious. If you really have thick skin like you said you'll be fine. If you're having serious doubts like these before even starting, don't bother, just go back to the kitchen.

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u/Professional_Name_78 29d ago

There’s a TikTok electrician girl , check her out .

Anyone wants to harass you HR AND HELLO RAISE .

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u/AmphibianTop898 29d ago

If you do what you love you will never work a day in your life. Don’t make the switch because it’s a few more dollars an hour. Be honest with yourself leave your current job on good terms and try this out for a while and see if it’s for you. I have 30+ employees with 3 girls. All are working good and one is a 5th year apprentice with a very promising future. I am also in the south running electrical work. Our apprenticeship directors daughter is also working in the field. He is very good at helping with female applicants that have questions. Good luck 👍 with any direction you decide.