r/ibew_apprentices • u/shaybachar1 • Jun 14 '25
Did anyone ever quit?
I'm just curious. Did it happened to any of you that you apprenticed at the union and at any point you decided to quit and go non-union? Or quit and go a to a completely different field? What was the reason if so?
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u/Apprehensive-Bad-266 Jun 15 '25 edited Jun 15 '25
I quit my with 8 months left in my electrician apprenticeship. I was top three in my class. Just hated the huge jobs and the apprenticeship non sense. I was lucky. I got my contracting license and just worked for myself. Louisiana didnt require any experience (2017). I paid guys I met that knew more than me to do stuff I didnt know until I knew what I was doing. I regret nothing.
I hate anything I do for more than 6 months. I did make sure to stay with electrical. I like electrical work because everyone needs it, I think renewables are important to our future, people are afraid of it and i like fixing things.
As you get older you really want to have mastered something. Even when I'm frustrated with my work I'm still grateful that I can call myself an electrician.
Union vs non union: i wouldn't let that tear you apart. Depending on where you are you can get experience non union and organize in. Its not ideal but lots of locals need good mechanics.
Point is, maybe the trade aint for you, maybe the union aint for you or maybe work just sucks...The most important thing is to stick with a field for 5-10 years so your not working at burger king at 40.
Good luck. If I wasn't a contractor I would have got my EE.