Advice needed - gaining experience

[CannonD]

Hi All,
apologies for the long post, but bare with me... I'm new to this forum, I'm joining because i'd really like to get some advice on what steps to take to gain more experience and possibly start up on my own. I'm becoming a little bit disheartened at how hard it is to break this industry, a lot of blood sweat and tears have gone into my goal to becoming an electrician but getting the experience I need to progress further is proving really difficult, i've run out of ideas of where to go from here.
I have been self employed as a handyman for some time so have experience running a one man band company. I've spent alot of time and money over the last 3 years taking the C&G qualifications to become a basic electrician (Level 2, 3 and 17th Edition). I've worked for a couple of difference commercial contractors in London, but commercial is not where i want to be. My ultimate goal is to extend my handyman business and mainly provide domestic electrical services. I could just get part P and start winging it, but morally I feel like I should first get some experience working in peoples homes before I start doing re wires and working on consumer boards etc.
i've applied for every job going, I've asked every one I know for contacts in the field, I've even trawled through the internet sending my CV to local companies and offered to work for free to get the experience.
i'm now at a loss of where to go from here.
I have done a fair bit of electrical work ie lighing, sockets. I've rewired my own home and done all the electrics in friends and families home. technically i don't think there is any thing stopping me from just setting up on my own for the lack of any progress working with other companies first i can't see i have any other option.

legally is there any thing stopping me from just registering with NICEIC to become part P and going for it? I realise not being able to test and inspect my own work will be a hurdle but my understanding is that I can get someone else to do that? although please tell me if that is wrong

any way i'm not really sure what i'm asking but does any one have any words of wisdom for me?

Thanks
Dan

 

[mickfred]

You have done rewires worked in your own business and are qualified , then if you can pass the assessment why not . Your talking about working for nothing , then why not work for yourself and be okay knowing your going to be slower than someone else who has done it for years (keep hearing about rewire done in a day ,two days , three days ,but never seen them). Am not suggesting playing round with someone s home and safety but if you take the extra times and care you might not earn great money in the short term but will probably do a better job than most I've came across

 

[mickfred]

P.s. if you come across jobs you feel are too much lose face and walk away until time come where you feel comfortable .

 

[mickfred]

Sorry missed the part where you cant test yourself . May be a problem

 

[CannonD]

thanks for your responses, your post has really given me some food for thought and I think you're probably right, I could do my own work and make little to no money but be making a start.
In terms of testing then, im not adverse to taking on the course and exam to get that under my belt if that's the best thing to do, in the meantime could I pay another electrician to test it?

 

[Richard Burns]

Welcome to the forum.
If you have completed levels 2 and 3 and 17th edition examination, assuming the levels 2 and 3 are appropriate courses, then you should have the capability to inspect and test your own work. If you have the competence to inspect and test your own work then you can inspect and test your own work. In order to be able to join a competent persons scheme this would be a major part of demonstrating your competence to them.
To employ another electrician to inspect and test your work is possible (third party certification) but they would need to be involved in the whole installation and it would be fairly pointless.
It would not be a bad idea to take the 2394 C&G exam to help you with testing information but purchasing the guidance note three and applying your already gained knowledge to this should be suitable in the initial instance.
Offering socket moves and light changes as part of your general handyman work may be a way of starting off, but do be careful that you do not exceed your reach when offering electrical work.

 

[telectrix]

as richard pointed out, testing id an integral part of any installation work.i suggest you buy chris kitcher's book "practical guide to inspection , testing & certification of electrical installations" and watch his videos on youtube. you'll need to buy a MFT. i suggest a 2nd hand megger 1552 or 1553. plenty of them about, but make sure it comes with calibration.

 

[CannonD]

Hi, thank you for the information this is really helpful. Just to clarify, are you saying to test my own work I need the competence and equipment but I don't necessarily need to have passed the C&G 2394? Would this be suffice to join a part P scheme?

 

[CannonD]

as richard pointed out, testing id an integral part of any installation work.i suggest you buy chris kitcher's book "practical guide to inspection , testing & certification of electrical installations" and watch his videos on youtube. you'll need to buy a MFT. i suggest a 2nd hand megger 1552 or 1553. plenty of them about, but make sure it comes with calibration.

Thank you Telectrix I'm going to look about now for this

 

[Richard Burns]

Yes, you do not need a qualification to inspect and test but you do need to be a "skilled person (electrically)" to be able to inspect and test.
i.e. so long as you know what you are doing, why you are doing it and will be safe for you and others whilst undertaking this work then you are able to inspect and test.
The competent person scheme will need you to demonstrate that you can inspect and test and know why and how and interpret the results, they will not need a specific qualification (however do check if you are wanting to join napit as I think they might want some piece of paper).

 

[rolyberkin]

If you have a 2365 L3 inspect and test is one of the units you will have passed, look at the Stroma website and consider joining them they are considerably cheaper at £288 and do the same thing.