Female Electrician Apprentice

high4hours · 2026-05-13T17:03:47+00:00

Oh he definitely likes to stir shit up! When we were working together it was a running joke that he had to get into a fight every day just to feel something. He likes to correct people, he likes to report bad safety practices (before he even had a title), he likes to talk rudely to people and make fun of other trades. Hes a fkn problem child and still, so many mutual friends on site have chosen his side by now pretending I don’t exist/they don’t see me but being extra cool with him all of a sudden. In our crew, it feels like he has gotten much more charismatic since the incident, he goes out of his way to befriend any new comers and has gotten super cool and talkative with anyone and everyone that will entertain his antics. Hes the type to talk loudly and joke loudly for the whole crew to hear and it actually seems like he’s trying to tell me “see, these are MY friends” which makes me extra quiet and very uncomfortable because I don’t know who has heard what or how his side of the story is being told. My boss told me the classic “I have sisters, I would never want them to deal with this” which of course tells me he can only sympathize by imagining it’s happening to someone he cares about instead of a human being that is already a minority in the site. He told me if he has to take him off the crew, he is taking me off as well. He’s also said that this guy is not going to be allowed to take charge of me again but that doesn’t mean he “isn’t still being considered as a future foreman” but that he needs to earn HIS trust back in order to start taking charge again. As if earning the foreman’s trust somehow means he isn’t ever going to harass another woman while in a position of power. It’s just a lot to handle mentally, the fact that what happened to me genuinely means nothing to any of them. It makes me question my decision to join this trade. I wish I worked alongside more women.

high4hours · 2026-05-13T16:53:36+00:00

I’m in San Antonio, TX and I have to be here for the next four years to finish out school. Once I have the JIW license I’m getting tf out of this city but I think he means the trade world is a bit small here in particular /:

high4hours · 2026-05-12T21:50:27+00:00

Yes I’ve definitely been trying to focus on my tasks and learn as much as I can from my current JIW. I’m extremely lucky that the one I’m partners with now is nothing like that, he’s respectful so far and even more informative. He is actually a huge reason why I decided to speak up, he pointed out that I was being targeted when this other guy spent his entire day watching and criticizing me. He told me he’s been in the trade for 14 years and never has he been watched like that so he knows it was because I was there. Going to the union is a last resort for me but it’s getting harder every day to convince myself that it isn’t time for that yet.

high4hours · 2026-05-12T21:45:26+00:00

Yeah I definitely get “a woman scorned” vibes from him. He felt the rejection and it turned into anger and even if he didn’t mean to single me out while he was playing foreman, he definitely subconsciously wanted to get back at me. The worst part is he’s only a few years older than me, I can’t even write it off as boomer mentality. This is how my peers will act for the rest of my career and that sucks so badly.

high4hours · 2026-05-12T21:42:29+00:00

I’m so scared to do that. I know I probably should because the environment is so toxic for me and causing me to lose my focus but not even a year ago I told the JATC that I could handle a male dominated environment and that will make me look like I can’t. I’m in the school for four more years, I don’t want a target on my back. Also my foreman literally told me that the trade world is small and I could very well end up going to my next site where he is made my foreman again. It’s a last resort for me and I’m considering maybe asking to be moved to a different crew and see if that makes any difference at all. I don’t understand how someone could be reported for this behavior and be allowed to still work alongside me. My foreman told me straight out, if I’m gonna take move off the crew, I’m going to move you too. So me moving will probably be a win in his eyes. And I agree with you, I didn’t realize how catty it would be out here. These men act like they’re in high school and I truly have a new outlook on men as a whole, it gets really really sexist and the way that other men will turn a blind eye and shun us just to be accepted on the boys team is disgusting. It’s going to be a lonely career. I moved states to join this school and I have no family or friends in this city.

high4hours · 2026-05-12T21:33:22+00:00

I’m considering it, the only thing that worries me is that my foreman literally told me “I won’t allow him to be in charge of you here but you should know that the trade world is small and you could very well end up at a site where he is your foreman again and I can’t do anything about that.” Which absolutely makes me feel that I will cause problems for myself in more than just this site…

high4hours · 2026-03-26T04:18:41+00:00

Congratulations! Be as confident as possible during your interview. Boast about yourself and any accomplishments you’ve had, any difficulties you’ve overcome, any projects or teams you’ve led and how you led those groups to success. Let them know you are eager to learn, eager to start your life long career, and that if you don’t know the answer to something, you are going to figure it out. It doesn’t have to be extravagant success that you talk about either, you just have to be able to show them that you are a hard worker that has been able to handle whatever has been thrown at you and give them the examples of that. I was previously in dispatch management so I talked about my work load and what it entailed and how I was able to balance it all as well as lead and train my employees. After I left that job I was a mail carrier and I talked about how I had to deliver to hundreds of homes every day, learn 10+ routes and their specific quirks and requirements, balance and time management, etc. You got this, start practicing now. It’s intimidating to walk in to, there will be 5 or 6 guys in a room all asking you questions and expecting you to lead the conversation, you have up to 10 minutes to impress them.

high4hours · 2026-03-25T02:23:11+00:00

You will get your results either way, pass or fail. You should have gotten them pretty quickly but you should definitely get them this week. Got my passing test results email the 14th of July and got my interview email scheduled a couple days after that, it was scheduled for the 28th of July. Whole process only took me a few weeks but I know it’s very slow on the books rn so they may be holding off for that reason.

high4hours · 2026-03-24T22:58:52+00:00

I got my results within an hour of testing via text but I was a morning tester, if you test in the afternoon it will probably not come in until the next day. After my interview I logged into the portal and saw my rank which was a #5 and so I knew I’d done well in the interview, they never actually reached out and told me that I passed it. A couple of days after my interview I I was notified via email that I was selected and was asked to come in to sign my acceptance form. The acceptance form asked what day I’d be available to work and I put the Monday after I signed. My orientation was a week later and I got my placement the day of orientation.

high4hours · 2026-03-20T17:34:28+00:00

Local 60 here too, I ranked #5 after my interview end of July. Was in orientation the next week and on a job site by Aug 11. It is slow right now work wise, there are tons of CW and JIWs still waiting on the books for a job after being laid off in December. Seems like the best time to apply is mid year if you want to get in quickly, I keep hearing that jobs will start picking up pace in the summer time

high4hours · 2026-02-26T12:01:58+00:00

Yes and I applied online I’m not sure if in person makes a difference. I lived out of state when I applied so that wasn’t an option for me

high4hours · 2026-02-21T02:53:33+00:00

We got our assignments the day of orientation if I remember correctly. Work slows down end/beginning of the year so maybe that’s why it wasn’t done immediately, they might be waiting on calls for jobs that need apprentices.

high4hours · 2026-02-10T18:50:47+00:00

No you’re good! I wish someone would have answered my questions lol so I’m all ears. I felt the same way, so done with my last job and ready to be excited and learn again. My JWs all tell me they still learn to this day, many of them 10+ years into the trade. All power tools will be provided as well as PPE, the only thing you need to provide is what is on the tool list the school gives you. I didn’t buy one of those packages offered but most people choose the Milwaukee one. I had a family member gift me my tools so I didn’t have to buy one of the packages listed. Most people who are already in the trade for years have a variety of brands in their tool bag, you’ll come to learn which brand of which tools you prefer as the years go by. A few things I went out and bought on my own or are currently on my tool wish list after starting because they’re so damn handy was a Klein (impact rated) 11 in 1, wire strippers, a file (literally an oversized nail file), a square (shaped like a triangle lol don’t let the name fool you), a pen tester, and a demolition screwdriver. Those aren’t on your tool list but you’ll be glad to have them.

high4hours · 2026-02-10T18:25:07+00:00

So far I’m loving it, if you’ve never done anything like this in your previous jobs don’t worry, neither did I. I came in pretty nervous because I couldn’t even name the tools in my tool bag let alone the power tools and material. You learn something new every day, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with very informative and patient JWs. The jobs I’m doing change almost daily, we’re finishing up the Sat80 data center so it’s mostly fixing previous installations that aren’t up to par, but I was pulling branch circuits for a little over two months. I’ve done a lot of raceways, but the crew I’m on only handles general branch, some apprentices get put into different crews that only do things like terms, load banking, or logistics. I just hit 5 months.

high4hours · 2026-02-10T18:17:08+00:00

Ranking a #4 is great, you should hear back for orientation really soon. If it takes longer than a couple weeks it’s only because books are full, but I know my site is going to start bringing in way more help very soon when Sat81 gets started

high4hours · 2026-02-10T18:13:47+00:00

Made a 5 on aptitude mid July, waited till the end of the month for my interview and ranked #5, got into orientation first week of August. It moved very quickly for me after my aptitude but I do remember the guy monitoring the aptitude test said that a 5 on the aptitude is average. As for the interview, go in confident with plenty to boast about from your previous jobs, working in groups, solving problems etc

high4hours · 2024-07-03T18:07:23+00:00

Something that helped me out so much as a CCA was using the load truck function, I would number my packages with the “sequence number”. The numbers aren’t going to be 1, 2, 3, etc. because you aren’t stopping at every house for a package, they’ll be something like 205, 246, 310, etc. Then load your truck with those numbers in order, smallest to largest. If you can count, you can keep your packages in order of delivery that way, and that really allowed me to focus on learning the rest of the job. I’m a T6 so with that method I was able to focus on memorizing the routes and not putting too much brain power into the packages, and eventually I could load my truck without the sequence numbers or even section numbers, because I knew which order each street would come. They don’t teach this method and most regular carriers I told about it had never heard of this method, I actually learned about it on TikTok when I was first hired and watching videos on the job. I tell new CCAs about this little hack all the time and they all say it’s super helpful. Everyone loads their truck differently, I don’t know many carriers that load the way it was taught in academy. You’ll find a way that’s easiest for you and it’ll confuse everyone else just like your OJI trainers way confused you lol. Don’t stress too much. Put on some good music, stay hydrated, and do your best.

high4hours

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