In addition to the technical mastery required to be successful as an electrician, you should also possess a variety of “soft” skills to succeed in the workplace. Sure, you have to all about voltage, and your electrical diagnostic skills must be spot on, but these may not be the things that you will find most valuable when navigating the workplace. Here are a few skills that you may not have considered that you will find infinitely useful in your role as an electrician.
1. Cooperation. Working as an electrician requires cooperation with a broad range of other people. From demanding clients and stressed-out contractors to other construction workers and inspectors, you will encounter many different types and personalities in the course of your day to day work as an electrician. To succeed in your work, it will be necessary to accurately gauge the personalities on any work site and figure out a way to successfully cooperate with them all. Remember, the people you work with will value you as much for how you behave as they do for what you can do.
2. An Attentive Ear. Are you a good listener? If the answer is no, then you’d better work on this ASAP. As an electrician, you will need to accurately diagnose a number of complex electrical problems. Before you can do this, however, you will need to listen to others as they describe these problems to you. Active listen is the act of listening to understand. This is different from ordinary listening, which is only half listening while you formulate your own response or rebuttal. Before you can fix a client’s electrical issues, you must first listen to whatever it is they think you should know about those issues.
3. A patient demeanor. As an electrician you will encounter a variety of complex issues in your work each day. Many of these issues will require more than a quick fix. When dealing with complex electrical issues and valuable equipment, you will need to be patient. You can’t do a halfway job when faced with a complicated electrical problem, and you certainly can’t rush your way through it. The thoroughness and exacting precision required in your day to day work as an electrician will require patience.
