A problem I now face is that I’m not sure how my progress is. I’m the newest at the shop and the others have been there a minimum of ten years. I’ve looked up on forums about where I should be in my skill-set, but it hasn’t been overly helpful. See, the skill-set is different for other places many times because some people work residential, some oil and gas, and some do new-builds. So I’m using this post to detail where I am and what I’ve learned.
It hasn’t been a year yet, but I can do many conduit bends fairly accurately. Mainly, 90 degree, 4-bend saddles and offsets. I’ve played with kicks a little. I’ve learned a little background info like the maximum number of bends in a run. Why junction points are needed even if you’re just pulling straight through it. Some information on how often to strap the conduit and supports for different kinds of conduit. Also how to look up max fill and conductor requirements in the NEC.
I’m starting to grasp some of the theory on the controls side, but still need a little time there. Motors and transformers are pretty foreign yet. Also kind of learning why the different voltages (120, 208, 480) are used in specific situations. As far as working on my own, I still have many troubles. I think part of that is nit-picking from the journeyman. The pickiness, to me, just means I am developing stunning workmanship. The journeyman I’m paired with does the kind of work that would make the most OCD person feel at peace.
If I had to judge for myself, I’d say I’m probably a little further than average. When working with other crews, I can usually hold my own pretty well. At the end of the day, any of my coworkers have quite a bit of information to give and my skills are still progressing in the right direction.
Sincerely,
-Vessa
P.S. Do you like the 480V colors chosen for the blog?
Feel free to comment about your experiences!
Merit Shop Apprentice 
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