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The original was posted on /r/electricians by /u/KrivTheBard on 2024-01-18 22:36:13+00:00.
Howdy!
Little background; I (24m) moved from San Diego county, California to Lincolnton North Carolina a few years back, and worked two years at a non-union shop all through 2019-2020. I had to move back to California in early 2021 to be with my mother while she passed from stage 4 cancer, and have been here since while currently working as a Special Ed aide at my old high school.
I'm planning on moving away soon, and want some advice on what my next steps should be to prepare myself to get back into the trade again. I mostly did new-work commercial buildings, with a bit of industrial and residential. I was given my own small jobs to run as well, both solo and with a couple guys working with me. I've worked all phases of the job, from underground rough ins to finishing touches. I still know how to do it all, have all my tools, and have done small jobs and stuff around the house in the meantime.
Not sure if any of this matters though. I know "experience is king" and all that shit, but I've only got two years and that was four years ago, and will probably be another year before I can seriously look for a new job again.
Is there anything I could be doing to prepare myself, or give myself a better shot at landing a good job at a good shop? Whether it's Union or not I'm not too picky, since it seems to vary by what kind of shops are in the area. I live pretty rural as well (45 miles of mountain road to the nearest real grocery store), so my internet's bad and there's not much around.
TL;DR, I'm looking to get into the trade again with 2 years experience under my belt, but 4 years spent since then. What should I do to prepare and give myself a better shot at landing a job?
Thank you to everybody in advance! Looking forward to kicking holes in sheetrock again to find my boxes.
EDIT: If it matters, I'm likely going to be moving in with a buddy up in Oregon.