This article is based on a conversation with Lexis Chomack-Abreu, a 27-year-old electrician in New York State. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I got interested in medicine because my mother is a physician’s assistant. I studied medicine in school, and my goal was to become a surgeon. But now I work as an electrician.
It’s very rewarding. At the end of the mission, you can turn on the electricity and see the entire system working right in front of you.
I grew up around electricians. Many of my male family members, including my father, are electricians. I apprenticed with an electrical company in 2015 and continued to work as an electrician on the side when I needed money to support my family.
I was working 20 to 25 hours a week as an electrician. That was normal for me.
I wanted to be a surgeon but changed my mind.
In school, I chose to major in phlebotomy so I could get into the field. But I had to work in the hospital all day drawing blood from patients. I hated it.
I thought, “I’m not a social person. I wasn’t supposed to be here.”
While in college, I earned several personal training certifications and worked as a coach at the same time. But again, it didn’t work out for me. I’m good at talking to people, but I’m a bit antisocial. I like to work out on my own.
I also continued working in the electrical field alongside my job. I finished my undergraduate studies in the field of medicine in 2019, but I decided not to continue studying medicine.
I became a full-time electrician instead of continuing to study medicine.
I could no longer work as a personal trainer under the COVID-19 restrictions. Electricians were considered essential workers. I couldn’t afford to be out of work, so I started working as an electrician full-time.
I was doing work on my own, including running my own business, or with someone else, and once the pandemic was over, I realized I wanted to keep doing that.
No two days are the same.
I work 40 hours a week. Shifts are from 9am to 5pm, but hours sometimes change. But we are notified in advance.
Unlike an office job where you have to go to the same building every day, I work in a different place every day. I experience different things and see different people every day.
When I finish a task, I feel accomplished and finished. I finish it and move on to the next task. I don’t feel like I’m doing one long task forever.
There are challenges and risks.
I’ve had a few small electric shocks, but that comes with the job. I’ve had an electric shock from an electrical outlet before. That definitely woke me up.
Early in my career, I was shocked when I accidentally put my hand on a painting. Someone else had to pull me off. I was a little shocked, but it made me more cautious.
I have never had a serious injury. When working with more dangerous equipment, you need to wear more protective equipment.
It requires physical effort.
The more experience you have, the more capable you are of working with voltage — you have to be an expert to work with deadly voltage. I now work mostly in commercial jobs, such as lighting poles or power generators for cities or businesses, although I still occasionally work in people’s homes.
I prefer commercial work, but it can be difficult to troubleshoot when I have never learned it. Moving heavy copper wire and large pipes can be a lot of work.
I have to work out in the gym to keep up with the guys in this industry. Handling heavy equipment that weighs twice my body weight can be more stressful on my body than theirs. There are days when I come home exhausted, but it’s better than a repetitive office job.
I have been sexually discriminated against.
I mostly work alone.
Sometimes, when I’m in charge of some jobs, I feel like people don’t take me seriously. I haven’t gotten a lot of negative feedback, but I can sometimes tell from people’s body language that they’re feeling uncomfortable.
The worst thing that ever happened to me was when an older lady asked me if a coworker could replace me. This used to bother me, but I don’t take it seriously anymore. I know some people aren’t used to someone like me doing this job.
Once they see my work, they won’t have a problem. Most people in the upstate New York area where I work know me by now anyway.
I’m glad I became an electrician.
I’m glad I gave myself the opportunity to try other career paths and learned that they weren’t right for me.
I am happy where I am and excited to move on to higher effort work.
