I would like to become an inspector
Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 11:16 am
Hey everyone, I want to become an inspector. I want to get a feel for how aggressively I should pursue this in the near future, or if it's something I should wait a few more years. I want some general advice, so I'll preface with a bit of background. Sorry, this post will be sorta long.
I have nearly 10 years in the industry - first few years doing substation work, the rest doing commercial and residential with a little industrial. Pretty well rounded, motors is the only key area I have limited experience in. I have been registered nearly five years, self employed for 2.5. In my first 3 years being qualified I really honed my craft and figured out what standards of quality I would stick to. Quit two jobs with small electrical firms when I was first registered because I was unhappy with the shortcuts and quality compromises they wanted me to make (very much a hangover from my Transpower days where quality was paramount). I nearly went broke because I wouldn't compromise on safety or quality. Point being, I really care about what I do and how I do it. I spent like 2 hours every day in my first year of self employment poring through the old electrical forum researching the finer points of our trade (thanks AlecK). I sleep soundly knowing that I have upheld the regulations and my own personal standards of quality, without fail.
So, the next step is to become an inspector. Problem is, I'm 26. Am I too young to apply? I heard that age is a considerable factor (for obvious reasons). Also, as a self employed person, how do I get relevant references (or one sponsor as my '7 year registered' inspector tells me). I thought it was six industry references? I have had maybe 10 or 12 inspections in the last 2 years and the two inspectors I use always comment on the quality of my boards. I have heaps of pictures of my boards including play-by-play photo sequences on my facebook business page showing my methodology (to help train apprentices, and to show off my work). The bulk of the electrical people (employers, management, supervisors) I could use for references aren't from recent times and arent really relevant therefore I don't know if I can use them or not. Like any of us, I have a dozens of electricians who will testify to my integrity and quality when it comes to my work, but does it count if it's not coming from a supervisor or manager? I can get at least two or three good ones from a one year stint as a subby on a big commercial government job, but the rest are just electricians. Is that enough? Is there some kind of interview process where I state my case?
I found out that I have to do a 2 week inspector course at ARA and then do the exam, which is all fine. I'll get onto those at my next available opportunity. In the mean time, what should I be doing to make me a more eligible inspector candidate to the board?
I have nearly 10 years in the industry - first few years doing substation work, the rest doing commercial and residential with a little industrial. Pretty well rounded, motors is the only key area I have limited experience in. I have been registered nearly five years, self employed for 2.5. In my first 3 years being qualified I really honed my craft and figured out what standards of quality I would stick to. Quit two jobs with small electrical firms when I was first registered because I was unhappy with the shortcuts and quality compromises they wanted me to make (very much a hangover from my Transpower days where quality was paramount). I nearly went broke because I wouldn't compromise on safety or quality. Point being, I really care about what I do and how I do it. I spent like 2 hours every day in my first year of self employment poring through the old electrical forum researching the finer points of our trade (thanks AlecK). I sleep soundly knowing that I have upheld the regulations and my own personal standards of quality, without fail.
So, the next step is to become an inspector. Problem is, I'm 26. Am I too young to apply? I heard that age is a considerable factor (for obvious reasons). Also, as a self employed person, how do I get relevant references (or one sponsor as my '7 year registered' inspector tells me). I thought it was six industry references? I have had maybe 10 or 12 inspections in the last 2 years and the two inspectors I use always comment on the quality of my boards. I have heaps of pictures of my boards including play-by-play photo sequences on my facebook business page showing my methodology (to help train apprentices, and to show off my work). The bulk of the electrical people (employers, management, supervisors) I could use for references aren't from recent times and arent really relevant therefore I don't know if I can use them or not. Like any of us, I have a dozens of electricians who will testify to my integrity and quality when it comes to my work, but does it count if it's not coming from a supervisor or manager? I can get at least two or three good ones from a one year stint as a subby on a big commercial government job, but the rest are just electricians. Is that enough? Is there some kind of interview process where I state my case?
I found out that I have to do a 2 week inspector course at ARA and then do the exam, which is all fine. I'll get onto those at my next available opportunity. In the mean time, what should I be doing to make me a more eligible inspector candidate to the board?