Electrician or electronics technician - The electrician profession itself

Electrician or electronics technician, which is correct and what is the difference? What does the profession of an electrician look like and how is it integrated into industry sectors and the skilled trades? These are the questions that we want to take a closer look at in this article.

Electronics technicians - The new electricians

Electricity grids are important for our entire society, from industry and commerce to the lives of each and every one of us. Accordingly, they are needed constantly and everywhere. At the same time, power grids are incredibly dangerous. While the 12 V for the smartphone charger looks harmless, the 230 V and 380 V networks are life-threatening. This means that work with them should only be carried out by trained specialists. Accordingly, there are also different training programs, each with their own career paths and areas of responsibility.

With rapid development, constantly new requirements and ever newer technology, activities and professional fields are also changing. Therefore, the electrician profession is constantly evolving – with new specialisations emerging and ever-stricter safety regulations that must be followed on the job.

In the beginning there were electrical systems, but this has developed into consumer electronics and now IT technology. So the electrical professions today are electronics professions or professions of electrical engineering and some of them even professions of electrical information technology.

This was accompanied by a change in terminology. Today there are mechatronics engineers, electrical engineers and telecommunications electronics engineers. This turned the good old electricians into the electricians of today - electronics technicians.

The job title electrician

So why is there still the the term "electrician"? Because old designations simply die out with difficulty. For example, there are still job advertisements with the word "electrician" or "qualified electrician". There is nothing wrong with that. However, it must be understood that these electricians, like all electronics technicians today, carry out all electrical installations, maintain and repair the systems and update them if necessary. This applies to simple cable installations as well as modern information and automation technology and infrastructure systems.

With so many specialisations and the change from electrician to electronics technician, there are now much longer job titles. These titles combine the main profession with a specific specialisation. So today, you might become an electronics technician for, say, industrial engineering.

The reason for such a long job title is the simplicity associated with it. Every electrician or electronics technician must have the same basic knowledge. Then there are the specialisations that they have chosen for themselves. This results in a longer job title, which may sound complicated, but is easy to understand due to its composition. It shows at first glance which area the respective electrician is qualified for.

Which specialisation is the right one?

For prospective electricians, this multitude of possible specialisations raises the question of which one is right for them. Life is a little unfair here. Before even the slightest amount of experience has been gained, the prospective trainee has to decide in favour of a future that is difficult to judge. That's why we provide a little help here.

Three criteria should be considered when choosing a specialisation. These are the salary, the company and the job itself.

• The Remuneration: Although this is basically in the same range, there are some specialisations that are more in demand and are therefore paid more. It is worth taking a look at the vacancies and the forecasts to see which electricians will be most in demand in the near future.
• Another question is the company -in which you are being trained or in which you might be aiming for a job later on. What specialisations are offered or needed there? When choosing a company, you should also look at what the working environment is like and how high the pay is.
• The occupational activity: Here it is important that it corresponds to what suits you. So take a look at the tasks and responsibilities associated with the specialisations and think about whether this might be something that appeals to you.

With all these questions, you should also bear in mind that although the question of specialisation is indeed important, there is always the possibility of wanting change. So if you imagine that something is just right for you, but later it turns out to be the opposite, then invest a little time and learn a new specialisation. This will also be a little easier for you after successfully completing the apprenticeship.

Electrician - trade or industry sectors?

In addition to specialisation, there is also the question of whether you would prefer to work as an electrician in industry or in the skilled trades. There are also important differences here. Many people make the mistake of deciding on the basis of the apprenticeship remuneration, in terms of the salary during training for electricians. However, this is wrong because the apprenticeship is relatively short compared to your working life. It is much more important to decide where you can ultimately earn more at your current location or in the company of your choice.

In addition to the salary as an electrician, after training, there are also other criteria that should be considered:

• It starts with the fact that it is easier to complete an apprenticeship in the skilled trades and then switch to industry than the other way round. This means that if you decide in favour of an apprenticeship in industry sectors, you are ultimately more stuck with this than with an apprenticeship in the skilled trades.
• In addition, the skilled trades offer you more opportunities to earn more than the monthly salary. There are simply more opportunities for overtime and, in addition, self-employed master craftsmen are in high demand and are therefore well paid. In general, it can be said that good tradespeople are always needed, so the chances of getting a job and from there a career look a little better in the trades sectors.
• The skilled trades sector also exposes small companies to seasonal fluctuations. There is a peak season in which a lot of work is done. Then there's overtime, work on weekends and lots of tasks that have to be completed independently. This also helps you to become a master craftsman and become completely independent. In the off-season, there is then more time to spend the money you have made or simply enjoy a little peace and quiet.

In the industry sectors in contrast, there are mainly regular working hours. There is less personal responsibility. On the other hand, shift work is often expected, especially in larger companies. You also often work with significantly more technology here.

So if you are more interested in having more money over a certain period of the year and more free time during the rest of the year, then the skilled trades are the way for you. This also applies if you want to be self-employed and work more independently.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for a steady, predictable and consistent job, then industry is the way to go. This also applies if you want to learn a lot about new technology and are aiming for a career in planning or management, for example.

Electricians in the industry sector

The industry sector offers a range of occupations for electricians that are similar to each other. Originally, the job title in this field was industrial electrician. In addition, there are job profiles that now also have more to do with electronics. These include the mechatronics technicians, electrical system fitters, microtechnologists and information system electronics technicians. You will find these electrical professions in the industry: