A construction electrician is required to possess essential skills in order to successfully complete numerous tasks related to his trade. It is important therefore for any construction electrician o learn how essential skills are applied on the job, find out various types of skills essential to the job and find a way to possess these skills.
Building construction requires a lot of interpretation of written details. A construction electrician should possess exemplary reading skills which will assist him in interpreting instruction regarding equipment installation, material safety data and completed forms such as purchase order agreements. In addition the electrician should be able to read installation plans and specifications to understand the sequence of installation process, location of light fixtures and other electrical devices. In addition safety and installation instructions must be followed when wiring electrical appliances and control devices. Some standards and codes contain highly technical and legal language and reading skills are essential in order to understand them.
A construction electrician must possess good document interpretation skills in order to be able to read and understand digital displays, dials and gauges on most measuring devices. He should be able to interpret hazardous material Information System labels for safe handling of material and work procedures. In addition he should read and understand information on electrical equipment in order to assemble, install and troubleshoot. A good construction electrician should be able to translate two dimension blue prints to three dimensions especially when interpreting schematics of various electrical components. Numeracy is another essential skill which assists a construction electrician in determining the correct placement of switch boxes, junction boxes and light fixtures in a building. Math skills are very important in project time series estimation, material quantity estimation, costing and calculation of power consumption in order to ensure that electrical installations meet required operation and safety standards. Numeracy is also important in calculations such as billing for time, material, taxes and labor. An electrician should be able to solve calculations in trigonometry, algebra and vectors in order to design or modify electrical installations.
The construction electrician must also possess good writing and drafting skills. He should be able to make notes indicating wiring, location of devices as well as the amount of material needed for the project. He should possess good recording skills to capture daily information such work hours, job locations and schedules for different jobs. The electrician should have excellent communication skills in order to communicate effectively with suppliers of materials and equipment. This will also help him in relaying messages, instructions and coordination of tasks. Oral communication skills will also be an asset during negotiations with clients and interaction and discussions with site engineers, inspectors and co-workers.
The electrician should have good interpersonal relationship skills as this will be very crucial during team work, discussions, demonstration and training. He should also possess good decision making problem and solving abilities to enable him arrive at correct decisions efficiently. The construction electrician should have passion for continuous learning in order to stay up-to-date with the ever changing technology and electric code requirements.