Why do you want to be a Lineman?

[thunderize]

Hi everyone, I am new to the forums. I was just curious as to how others would answer this question. I have been asked this alot.

Why do you want to be a Lineman?

[thunderize]

I think it is a facinating trade that is also very challenging and rewarding. As a lineman you are able to work as a team to accomplish somethings that very few can or are willing to do. The opportunity to help those in need is also a plus.

[thunderize]

It really suprises me that nobody can answer this question!

[Budda]

To me why I'm a lineman, Its all heart, I did not become a JL because of the paycheck, its all about the brotherhood, comradeship. The best experince I ever had was when I was tramping from job to job, you learn so many different ways how to apply the skills of the trade. People call it an Art, some may call it a Craft, call it what you like bottom line, you are a professional skilled tradesman, which you learn something new everyday. however; when you stop learning it is time to hang up the hooks.

[mscheuerer]

It really suprises me that nobody can answer this question!

OK, ask yourself.....how would you like to become somebody that works with something that involves a skill, knowledge, creativity, tact and a mental earness that give us the right to preach and say whatever the hell we want because of the fact that we handle and control something that not only is so precious to survival, business and production and is utilized accross the entire planet??? Not to mention the fact that it could KILL or MAIM us in a split second if we aren't careful in every aspect of dealing and working with it??? Maybe you should chalk us up in your SPEECH answers to whoever is asking you these questions by placing us in the same catagory as our precious Law Enforcement and FireFighter personnel to whom WE work with on a regular basis and/or are members of such as well. To be a linehand to me is being someone who is very "Well Rounded" and in such deserves the respect from others due to the facts based on above. We are met and deal with obstacles on a day to day basis that can involve anything from First Aid to the handling of Electro-Mechanical maintenance. Sorry if we're not as glorified as the others but always remember; We're always thought of once the light's go out.

[thunderize]

The reason I put the question out there "Why do you want to be a Lineman" is because I have been in the process of applying for a apprenticeship for the last 8 weeks with a local utility company. This is a question that gets asked over and over. Most people answer because of the money and benefits. Thats not the answer that they are looking for. They want an answer that comes from the heart.
I have successfully answered this question with the interviewers.
I was just curious what the answer would be coming from someone who has already been in the field for some time.

Thanks for your comments.

[Bigheadnc]

The tough question thunderize is: what would you do if you couldn't be a lineman anymore?
3rd generation
retired
down but not out

[Trampbag]

I guess I’m jaded after all these years. The reason for my wanting to be a lineman (or not wanting to be) changed from when I was 20 then 30 then 40 & 50 etc.

I have no idea what the “interviewers” would be looking for. If they’re not linemen, real working linemen not those who just have the ticket, then who knows. Besides, how in the world should a person who has never worked in the trade, such as someone looking to get an apprenticeship, possibly know what it really takes to be a lineman???

Me? I’m now and always have been motivated by money. Sorry all, but that’s the bottom line. I still do get a thrill out of having an entire valley light up after putting in a hard 14 hours getting all back together again, though. I do get a bigger thrill when I get handed a $4,500+ check for 1 week of work.

[NMSA122-G]

Cause it's cool...

[edski104]

for my personal answer,at first it was for the money,bottom line.cash in hand. screw everything else. but after awhile you get to see the type of MEN that you work around and train you,like the ones who trained me,hard but fair, and you see that is a lot more than a paycheck on friday afternoon. it's a brotherhood. an honest to goodness brotherhood. screw the little pissants who yell about who's in the union and who's not. when ANY lineman needs my help,i'm there,thats it. thats how i live,thats how we all live. we take pride in our work, we work for weeks on end to get peoples lights back on,yes we make money,maybe get a thank you once in a while,the phrase"hero to zero in the flick of a switch" is a perfect saying. but it's our job and we do it with pride. let someone else take the credit and the glory. i don't go out every day and play with the funny wires for glory. i do it because it's my job and i'm damned good at it,as are we all. rain, snow ,heat cold ,whatever,we get 'er done. and thats why i'm proud to be a lineman,because i know when my brother tells me he has my back,my back is gotten. stay safe everyone, and young mr. apprentice, just remember this, this trade has no room for bullshitters. we'll catch you. with ease. if your sincere,we'll train you all the way,just don't waste everyones time. this is NOT A JOB ,it's a CAREER. good luck with all your tests.take care. HI TILER.:cool:

[TXsplitbolt]

Well as someone said before at first it was all about the cash in hand and dont get me wrong it still is today but after 19 years of putting up with line hands i would not trade it for any other trade I love what I do and young man if you have the drive and pride in 19 years from now you can say the same thing I pray that you do great GOD knows we need alot more young ones in this trade. make sure you take care of #1 dont take short cuts and use your rubbers :cool:

[playtime]

Being a lineman....Hmm. To me it is rewarding knowing that it is a job that not everybody can do. You have to be mentally aware of everything that is going on around you plus watching your brothers back. You are a family and there is a great amount of trust between linemen. The greatest feeling for me comes from storm jobs. There's just something about being appreciated for your efforts when you see the the faces of that little old lady or the small child get as bright as as the lights you just turned on. Yes, the pay is good but the rewards are better. Keep up the good work!!!

[PA BEN]

I fell into my apprenticeship. I needed a job and bam, I'm an apprentice. Scarded to death because I didn't know a thing about linework. But it was sooooo cooool to see a lineman in his hooks on a pole. You don't know if you will like it unless you try it. When I was in my twenties I loved to climb poles, I'd rather climb then use a bucket. Now that I'm in my fourty's I use a bucket more and more. But I still like to get into the hooks once in awile. I show these young bucks That if it's to hard for them it's just right for me. I was at a dead end job and the joy was gone, all gone. Feb. of 2005 I left. My new employer has more line work to do and more money. The joy is back, I love linework again, My blood pressure is down, life is good. No one can do what a lineman does.
P.S. Why doesn't OCC make a Lineman Bike?

[22900013A]

Im hoping to shortly start in "the trade" so If I may add some points?
Much of what I would like to say has already been covered (brotherhood, satisfaction of getting the job done - seieng the lights come back on etc) but for me personally its part of a descison - do I want to work sat on my arse in an office bored to death, looking at the same four walls all day and having the same boring conversations over and over again? Or how about getting out there, into the villages, towns and the middle of nowhere to do something that really makes a difference to peoples lives? Some of my friends think I am mad - why would you want to be out in the snow and the rain, in the dark at 6am etc...well, like I say I would rather do that than be in an office...plkus it gets me out of the heavy urban areas which I don't like.

[h0tgl0v3r]

Why [B]WOULDN'T[B] you want to be a lineman?

Yeah I know its getting more beurocratic and political every day, but its still the best way to earn an (honest) living.

The people you meet, work with; the community / commeraderie; the pride of achieving the impossible (usually in awful weather - I am British!!!!!). If you love being outside, doing different things every day, in different places every day what could be better?

I know I'm only a pup - 17 years in the trade - but I think on my early days as the best there were, same as older guys think on their first years as the best - same as the guys training now will look back in 10 - 40 years time and think how great it was in the 2000's!!!!!

Name another trade that has such a universal mentallity.....You go to Poland; you meet Polish people, they're different to Americans, who're different to Brits etc etc. BUT; go to Poland and meet a Polish Lineman, same as you, me and all the other brothers out there. It takes a certain kind of person to be a lineman, and those people are recognisable whatever thier background.

Work hard, Play hard, Stick Together, Enjoy every moment.

[riverhog14]

I think its in my blood. I alyways get excited when I see flashing yellow lights at night and get closser to see a pole getting replaced, or when im driving and see that boom wayyy up in the air. Ive been facinated with electricity since I ws born, i SWEAR. Little experiments and systems I made, and Ive been facinated with this TRADE for years. I want to experience that feeling when closing in a line and seeing those lights turn back on, the faces on the people. I dont want a ordinary job, I want a extrodinary career. I want to be outside, not crammed in a room stuck inside all dam day long. I want to learn diffrent and smarter ways of doing things, I dont want the same routine every single day. Thats why I want to be a lineman.

[Alan Mac]

According to my late Grandmother, my first word was "wire". I guess it went downhill from there.

Mac

[cricket]

Having the most pridefull job on the face of the planet. I love the way we use the ideas of the old and also never shoot down the extreme. Its the feeling that you get when your climbing a pole and look up to see the HIGH VOLTAGE sign and think "yep i love this shit!". What other job in the world can you be as wild and crazy as a teenager and be as trusted as a doctor. From the day that i heard the stories of line work i was in, and never looked back. I can remember when i was a kid looking up at a lineman at my house, watching them work way up in the sky, the memory is stuck in my head forever.

[Outlaw Lineman]

When I was born I strapped on some hooks and climbed down my momma's leg so I figured I'd be a lineman.

[Outlaw Lineman]

I was raised by a lineman so it was the natural thing to do...follow in dad's foot steps. Not much of a story either heh Swamp?

[Alberta Apprentice]

I was raised by a lineman so it was the natural thing to do...follow in dad's foot steps. Not much of a story either heh Swamp?

I'm in the same boat. I wanted to become a lineman after all the nights my old man took me out to see what he was up to when he left in the middle of the night. i use to sit and watch him work out the window of the truck and when the teacher asked us all what out parents did for a living and all of the rest of the kids said my dads a banker or a plumber, I could say my dad climbs power poles in lightning storms. this is the best job on the planet (besides having a fishing show on cable T.V.) and I wouldn't want to do anything else. I left a job making more money then this when I got my chance and I don't regret it one bit.

["little beaver"]

I was raised by a lineman so it was the natural thing to do...follow in dad's foot steps. Not much of a story either heh Swamp?

My Dad was a lineman and I was the only boy. I did everything with my Dad, hunt, fish, work on the farm. Went on lots of trouble calls with him. I've got a photo, I was about 3-4yrs old, with bib overalls, lunch kit, Klien pliers in one pocket and a screwdriver in the other.

My Dad was Inf Sgt in WW II. He was my hero. I sure miss him.

[racinsprintz10]

Another second generation one here. Went out to work as a tree trimmer as a summer job and quickly realized that linework (not college) was for me.

[LostArt]

Well, it's about the same thing with the Boss. We were young, just married and lived in a small town. There weren't many jobs available and the Boss took up with linework. I think this is his 27th year and he has never wanted to change.

I think "back in the day" that's pretty much the way it was. But, once it's in you, it seems you can't leave it. It seems to be a trade that you never leave. Unusual in this day and time. I think the last statistics on changing careers was you changed at least 3 times in your life. I'm betting not many old linemen have changed careers. Maybe positions, but not leaving the trade.

[BigClive]

I just wanted to blow shit up and see peoples faces fall as I turned all their power off. I think the most satisfying part of this job is when you close in on some c*nt backfeeding the lines off their generator and blow the roof off their garage.

I remember sticking bits of wire in sockets as a kid and getting blown off my feet, so I got some knitting needles and did it again to see if I'd fly further. I burnt down my first house at the age of three when I discovered that I could make my bedroom power circuit more reliable by bypassing the fuses.

Nowadays I look forward to each and every electric shock with adrenaline filled anticipation. I love the way that getting drunk before working live makes it a big fizzy experience.

Apparently my first words were "ferro resonance" and my parents immediately put me up for adoption.

Of course, I might be telling little porky pies. :rolleyes:

[nlcbigman]

I Wanted To Be A Lineman Because.... No One Else Can Do The Job. Most People Can Do Other People's Jobs But Not Everyone Can Do Ours. We Might Not Be As Recognized As Doctors Or Lawyers But They Can Work Without Us.

[mscheuerer]

I just wanted to blow shit up and see peoples faces fall as I turned all their power off. I think the most satisfying part of this job is when you close in on some c*nt backfeeding the lines off their generator and blow the roof off their garage.

I remember sticking bits of wire in sockets as a kid and getting blown off my feet, so I got some knitting needles and did it again to see if I'd fly further. I burnt down my first house at the age of three when I discovered that I could make my bedroom power circuit more reliable by bypassing the fuses.

Nowadays I look forward to each and every electric shock with adrenaline filled anticipation. I love the way that getting drunk before working live makes it a big fizzy experience.

Apparently my first words were "ferro resonance" and my parents immediately put me up for adoption.

Of course, I might be telling little porky pies. :rolleyes:


So tell me BC, when your working the line hot, i bet banks to bucks you just wanna reach out and grab that f**ker don't you???? C'mon tell the truth....You know you look at it.... in it's undisturbed state of momentum.... being totally energized and just wanting to FEEL the power dont you ?!?!?!?!?

now wheres those knitting needles.....(sick minds...) :)

-Mike

[harley]

It came down to linework or jail........ I would of been out of jail 2 years ago

[BigClive]

So tell me BC, when your working the line hot, i bet banks to bucks you just wanna reach out and grab that f**ker don't you???? C'mon tell the truth....You know you look at it.... in it's undisturbed state of momentum.... being totally energized and just wanting to FEEL the power dont you ?!?!?!?!?
-Mike

I think oldlineman can answer that better than me with his pioneering transmission live work. There must have been a slight moment of aprehension for the first person who actually went up there and touched the lines.

Besides, the urge to touch an energised line is somewhat tempered by the knowledge of the inevitable results. :eek:

[CenterPointEX]

I am an adrenaline junkie as I think are most lineman. As a preteen I jumped bicycles over ramps, the higher the better. I climbed to the tip top of every tree in the neighborhood. Somehow ya seem more alive when you are teetering on the edge. I did the hang gliding thing. Bought a parachute took some panels out and made my own parasail to pull behind a boat... That didn't turn out well,,,I Water Ski on Trick Skis, I like going really fast on snow skis... In high school I took up Rodeo, Bulls and Bareback... Being a Lineman seemed a natural progression. Fifty to two hundred feet in the air hanging by your balls playing with mega voltage... no net... When you become aware of that dry sweat over taught muscles along with the cotton mouth... you know you are in the zone... Main lineing adrenaline... It puts cocaine to shame...

[polehiker]

Got out of the Air Force in 62 and had to get a job. B S'ed the local foreman and manager that I always wanted to be a Lineman. It worked and for 38 yrs I had a job that I thought was the best in the world. I climbed until I retired in 1999. I know I am an old fart, But you young guys remember you are in a brotherhood not just a job. Look out for your buddies back and always work safe." Wintering in the Sunshine State"

[Koga]

been a heavey equiptment operator in my younger days and a roughneck for a drilling co. But I would never go back to those jobs or want to do anything else but linework. Nothing else comes close to the self satisfaction of a good day with my brothers and what we share on and off the job. We have a trust in each other and real closeness you cant find anywhere else.


Koga

[Yager]

I feel like the trade was just in my blood waiting to be found,when i was younger i jumped from job to job,then 1 day while at the local bar a friend said he got into running catv and could get me in,,I jumped at the opportunity,1 month on the ground and I was on hooks,but I always wanted to be on top of the pole,I spent yrs with this dream always still loving what I did,finally my chance came through and have loved my job even more,the applause you get sometimes after the storm driving outa town knowing you just made alot of people alot more happier,the brotherhood and bonds you create with fellow coworkers,the learning something new almost daily never stops amazing me,the talks with the old timers with so much to teach and complain about,then there was the day my wife tossed me a beer or lighter and said "headache!" now then i knew this is my nitch!After many yrs of chasing this dream I wouldnt trade a moment for nothing,and now Im onto my next task.... just took a job with a helo crew,,,cant wait to see where this takes me !!!!!!!

[scammy]

its not the job ,,,,it the kind of dude you are .never had an easy job ,,,,4yrs in the army specialforces,,,10 yrs commercial fishing,,,,,,couple yrs as deputy,,linework is gratifing,,,,,, challanging and butloads of fun ,,,,,,scammy