If you'd like to become an electrician, it's important to identify your skills and whether you'd be a good fit for the job role. To help you figure this out, we've put together this handy blog of the skills it would be helpful to have as an electrician.
Whilst it's vital that electricians have the right qualifications, it's also important to have a range of skills related to your personality. The role of an electrician is equally about social interaction and common sense as much as it is about technical, subject-specific skills.
Top 3 Hard Skills to Have as an Electrician
First of all, let's talk about the definition of a hard skill. When you're an electrician, a hard skill counts as a type of subject-specific expertise. These skills are usually technical, and can be gained through training or industry experience.
1. Fine Motor Skills
As an electrician, most of your day-to-day tasks will involve using and utilising your hands. The ability to use your hands effectively and quickly is essential, which is why fine motor skills are of the utmost importance when you're an electrician.
When you train to become an electrician, your dexterity will gradually improve over time. The practical training offered on our electrician courses will allow you to handle a variety of tools and pieces of equipment with ease.
2. Mathematics
Whilst the role of an electrician is primarily practical and physical, you will need a solid knowledge in maths and science. There's a lot more behind electrical installations than you may initially think!
For instance, when you work with electrical currents, it's integral for your safety to calculate the voltages and the ohms of resistance within the wires.
3. Problem-Solving
Sometimes you will be met with a problem that you need to find a solution for. One of the main responsibilities of an electrician is to diagnose and solve electrical problems. If you're working alone on the job, you'll need to have the right problem-solving skills to identify the issue at hand.
Problem-solving skills can be enhanced when you're learning on-the-job, which is why our electric courses offer many practical opportunities for students to overcome electrical issues in realistic situations (under the supervision of an experienced tutor, of course!).
Top 3 Soft Skills to Have as an Electrician
On the other hand, soft skills are related to a candidate's character and personality. These traits are attributes that revolve around emotional intelligence and interaction. As an electrician, these soft skills are extremely important to have as it is a very sociable trade to work in.
1. Patience
It's incredibly important to have patience as an electrician, as things won't always go to plan. Electricity is unpredictable - from blown fuses to broken wires, you may come across a few technical hurdles before you can get the job done. If you have the ability to take a breath and look at a problem with a fresh set of eyes for a new solution, then you'll definitely be an amazing electrician.
2. Empathy
With electricians being part of a band of tradesmen that keep society running, empathy is incredibly important - especially when dealing with irritated or upset customers.
From annoyed business owners to busy single parents, your customers will come from all walks of life. There's no denying just how important electricity is to the running of our homes and businesses, so it's important that you're able to put yourself in your customer's shoes.
You're there to help them get back up and running, after all.
3. Time Management
Whether you're a self-employed electrician or you work for a business, time management is the best way to show your employer and customer that you're trustworthy, reliable, and dependable.
Respecting the time of others is a commendable skill, and it also shows that you respect the time of your peers and customers. To show that you have good time management skills, ensure that you're always on time and prioritise your daily tasks sensibly.
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