neat1968 apprentice without previous experience or lineman school?

I have a friend who is on his way to Journeyman Lineman within the Northeastern Joint Apprenticeship and Training union. He had no previous electrical experience and did not go to lineman school.

I found this quite curious, so I called a more popular lineman school and asked what exactly they are offering, if he was able to just take the aptitude test and make it in. The school stated that it is often difficult to get into these apprenticeships without lineman school and that he is an outlier.....but to the contrary of that my friend is saying he is learning everything he needs to know on the job now that he is an apprentice. Hes saying I don't necessarily need to bother with line school, just study my butt off for the aptitude test.

I am posting this because I want to be a lineman. I want to get an apprenticeship, work hard and learn. But I'm wondering if he is just super lucky? Do I need to go to line school to have a real chance at landing an apprenticeship? Are there other positions I should look at to gain applicable experience? I also have two degrees unrelated to electrical work and have experience leading a team. Is there any point in the process where this would be looked kindly upon by a union/hiring manager; or does only electrical work experience apply? Any insight for a newbie is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

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Originally Posted by zoolzoo

I have a friend who is on his way to Journeyman Lineman within the Northeastern Joint Apprenticeship and Training union. He had no previous electrical experience and did not go to lineman school.

I found this quite curious, so I called a more popular lineman school and asked what exactly they are offering, if he was able to just take the aptitude test and make it in. The school stated that it is often difficult to get into these apprenticeships without lineman school and that he is an outlier.....but to the contrary of that my friend is saying he is learning everything he needs to know on the job now that he is an apprentice. Hes saying I don't necessarily need to bother with line school, just study my butt off for the aptitude test.

I am posting this because I want to be a lineman. I want to get an apprenticeship, work hard and learn. But I'm wondering if he is just super lucky? Do I need to go to line school to have a real chance at landing an apprenticeship? Are there other positions I should look at to gain applicable experience? I also have two degrees unrelated to electrical work and have experience leading a team. Is there any point in the process where this would be looked kindly upon by a union/hiring manager; or does only electrical work experience apply? Any insight for a newbie is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

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The guy you talked to at that lineman's school is full of shit as far as getting into an apprenticeship program! He says that because that's how they make money! They will promise you a job when you graduate, give you a half ass diploma (that you can use for toilet paper), blah, blah, blah! It's a waste of time and money!

Learn what a lineman does, learn knots, learn simple transformer hook ups. You can get all of that online. And when you go in to have your interview, be honest and tell the men in the room that you are looking for a carrer not just a job making big money!!! And yes, study for that aptitude test because if you don't pass it you won't get interviewed! You might have experience leading a team but that will not count in the interview room and might not count for 5 years. Be willing to learn, don't go in there bragging that I can do this and that! And if you get a job, keep your mouth shut and your ears open!! There is nothing worse than a big mouth apprentice. I ran a lot of them off!!!

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Originally Posted by Moe

The guy you talked to at that lineman's school is full of shit as far as getting into an apprenticeship program! He says that because that's how they make money! They will promise you a job when you graduate, give you a half ass diploma (that you can use for toilet paper), blah, blah, blah! It's a waste of time and money!

Learn what a lineman does, learn knots, learn simple transformer hook ups. You can get all of that online. And when you go in to have your interview, be honest and tell the men in the room that you are looking for a carrer not just a job making big money!!! And yes, study for that aptitude test because if you don't pass it you won't get interviewed! You might have experience leading a team but that will not count in the interview room and might not count for 5 years. Be willing to learn, don't go in there bragging that I can do this and that! And if you get a job, keep your mouth shut and your ears open!! There is nothing worse than a big mouth apprentice. I ran a lot of them off!!!

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this post is right on the money!

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Originally Posted by Moe

The guy you talked to at that lineman's school is full of shit as far as getting into an apprenticeship program! He says that because that's how they make money! They will promise you a job when you graduate, give you a half ass diploma (that you can use for toilet paper), blah, blah, blah! It's a waste of time and money!

Learn what a lineman does, learn knots, learn simple transformer hook ups. You can get all of that online. And when you go in to have your interview, be honest and tell the men in the room that you are looking for a carrer not just a job making big money!!! And yes, study for that aptitude test because if you don't pass it you won't get interviewed! You might have experience leading a team but that will not count in the interview room and might not count for 5 years. Be willing to learn, don't go in there bragging that I can do this and that! And if you get a job, keep your mouth shut and your ears open!! There is nothing worse than a big mouth apprentice. I ran a lot of them off!!!

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Thank you so much!!

I went to a line school/tech school in 1985-86 It was the only way to get a gob for an outsider. I ended up moving from MN to NH. In NH it was all on the job training and taking a few tests from mostly non smart people. The bad part of this type of training is that's a crapshoot that someone could would have the training a school does. I spent 24yrs in NH. Then went to PA for 8 years. The company in PA had a seminar every year and would choose people that they needed and would hire a person and sent and pay them to their 2 year coarse/school. 100% placement after completion.
A person can go to work for (pike) and run a crew after 5 years. Ive seen it.
If a person is willing to move and find one of the companys to get into, is a great way to get your foot in the door and after getting a first class rateing one can go almost anywhere.
I made good money on the east coast and LOTS of overtime. I retired 2 years ago at age 53.

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Originally Posted by lineman1234

I went to a line school/tech school in 1985-86 It was the only way to get a gob for an outsider. I ended up moving from MN to NH. In NH it was all on the job training and taking a few tests from mostly non smart people. The bad part of this type of training is that's a crapshoot that someone could would have the training a school does. I spent 24yrs in NH. Then went to PA for 8 years. The company in PA had a seminar every year and would choose people that they needed and would hire a person and sent and pay them to their 2 year coarse/school. 100% placement after completion.
A person can go to work for (pike) and run a crew after 5 years. Ive seen it.
If a person is willing to move and find one of the companys to get into, is a great way to get your foot in the door and after getting a first class rateing one can go almost anywhere.
I made good money on the east coast and LOTS of overtime. I retired 2 years ago at age 53.

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Sorry my point is was that by going to a line school I was taught by a great man that could climb a pole and pretty much hit his hook marks on the way down. He taught all the hard things one doesent get on the job right away, digging holes by hand. and hand setting poles, and working off hooks. and did a great job teaching electrical theory and conections as well as overhead and urd basics. If a person gets a great teacher/teachers. One can go far and pass that on to others. I always gave what I had to people I was working with, as it made work easier and safer.
The problem with NH is 2 guys on a truck. 1 a working forman/manegmert and the other union
They promoted on not using sick days and keeping mouth shut in meetings. That's bad because The people working for them wont learn anything and or it well be backwards.
One guy I never saw on hooks, even during pole top rescue. He would jump in the bucket and just bring the dummy up and down.
I would love to teach but don't want full time anymore.
good luck with your decision

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Originally Posted by lineman1234

Sorry my point is was that by going to a line school I was taught by a great man that could climb a pole and pretty much hit his hook marks on the way down. He taught all the hard things one doesent get on the job right away, digging holes by hand. and hand setting poles, and working off hooks. and did a great job teaching electrical theory and conections as well as overhead and urd basics. If a person gets a great teacher/teachers. One can go far and pass that on to others. I always gave what I had to people I was working with, as it made work easier and safer.
The problem with NH is 2 guys on a truck. 1 a working forman/manegmert and the other union
They promoted on not using sick days and keeping mouth shut in meetings. That's bad because The people working for them wont learn anything and or it well be backwards.
One guy I never saw on hooks, even during pole top rescue. He would jump in the bucket and just bring the dummy up and down.
I would love to teach but don't want full time anymore.
good luck with your decision

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still not exactly sure what your over arching point is.... you are saying it's still beneficial to attend lineman school for the extra knowledge?

Yes from my 32 years
Or get into a good company that will train a person.

Overtime is learning time.
The more one works the more one should learn.

32 years of 600-1600 paid overtime hours is a lot of experience, and money. MY first 3 years were 2,000 or more overtime paid hours per year We would all jokey for the work all night and get paid to sleep all day shift, on storms. Some guys chase storms and make ALOT of money and put in lots of overtime. ( put money away and retire early) Now companys are more tward work 16 and 8 off. It is a lot safer but not as good for the wallet.
A good company is the way to go. A friend of mine I met in Vermont was learning nothing and only got 100 hours of overtime or less a year. He moved to Florida and worked for a large company till he got his Training and went back to Vermont to raise and have kids near his family.
Best advice I could give is, keep mouth shut, volunteer for the hard stuff ( hard stuff is knowledge), stay low on sick days as companies hate to pay people that aren't there, live and spend but save and retire soon as the calculator sais you can.
Do a lot of OT when one is young and coast when gets older.
All our paths are different, but all linemen are brothers like the person or not.
( their is nothing wrong with also starting with a contractor) Get foot in door and get training.