As reports roll in of stalled and halted construction work soaring annually and dissolution of companies putting electricians out of work, more electrical professionals are looking towards fringe fields to find jobs. The statistics speak to a slow in the frequency of paid electrical work, and sadly, in some cases actual unemployment. While many traditional outlets for electrical jobs are dryer than usual, there are those areas that are growing and thriving. Sustainable building and renewable energy sources are both booming industries. The public and private funding for renewable energy projects continues to be prolific even as other pursuits fall away. There are electrical staffing agencies that work with companies specifically focused on projects in renewable energy. There are also staffing companies that work particularly to find workers for renewable energy projects. Both sorts of these staffing agencies are often seeking electrical workers and electricians. While there are multiple types of renewable energy construction projects, many of them do require electricians, even those with no notably education or training in renewable sources of energy.

Wind energy, which uses windmills and turbines to harvest wind power and turn it into electrical energy is often employed on coastlines and in large field lands where wind is plentiful. Because these mechanisms work to make electrical power, electricians are needed for the building and installation of wind power implements and for the upkeep and maintenance of the system. Clients looking to construct wind power operations often turn to electrical staffing companies for qualified electricians. The equipment for such work is a little different but the concepts and applications come from the same world as general electrical construction work. There are training courses to be taken for such employment, though on the job experience and apprenticeship can be an even more effective way to get placed in these jobs by an electrical staffing agency.

In simple terms, geothermal energy is the harvesting of the heat created in the earth’s crust by plate tectonic shifts. This collection of radioactive mineral decay is then processed into electrical energy for human use. This energy source is especially in need of electrical engineers and skilled technicians. This earth-heat energy must move through a geothermal plant where it is converted into electrical energy through binary cycle electricity generating technology, a process which requires a large amount of electrical wiring and design. This is a field that almost always requires special training of some kind, but the work is electrical and electrical staffing agencies are often unitized to find qualified workers.

Solar energy is captured using precisely designed panels that harvest the energy of the sun and turn it into useable electric energy. Solar energy is on of the biggest cross over fields for electricians and there are staffing agencies just for electrical/solar work. Solar plants are highly electrical in there design and in sunny locations electricians can even find work installing and maintaining solar energy hook up in private homes and businesses. Electrical staffing agencies serve to place electrical workers in jobs they might not expect. Broadening the horizons of electrical staffing into renewable energy electric work stands to benefit both workers and electrical staffing agencies.

In the electrical industry, moving form job to job and project to project is a fairly recognizable way to work. While some electricians and electrical engineers will start their own firms and stay occupied with employment in the same realm for much of their careers, many electricians today are taking a less traditional approach to career building. Hard work and focus are almost always the best ways to advance, however in a bad economy and tough job market other tactics may be necessary to find success in the electrical field. Leaping from opportunity to opportunity and project to project is a new stratage for climbing the job ladder.

This ‘job leaping’ or ‘job hopping’ has both its benefits and its pitfalls. Especially for independent contractors, electrical work comes and goes, and one must jump on the opportunities that arise in the hope of staying employed and maying a living. Depending on the situation you are in, moving on in the hope of a better or more long-lasting opening may be a smart move. Because of the shifting international economic temperature, young jobs are less sure than they were in the past. Because of this, employment can dissolve at any moment, regardless of the care and time it took to build it. Electrical staffing companies are a huge boon to young electrical professionals, and keeping up a resume and good relationship with an electrical staffing agent can lessen the blow of a sudden lay-off. Unfortunately this unsure footing of the job market has caused workers to treat the job market with the same level of transience: why become committed to this one job when it could evaporate without warning?

The real cost-benefit analysis of leaping into a new electrical job comes between the measure of good available jobs out there, and the length of time you work between leaps. If your electrical staffing company helps you land an electrical job, even one you are overqualified for or that does not meet your pay expectations, working that job with full focus and commitment for a reasonable amount of time will make it easier for you to land the next, better gig. It is more manageable for an electrical staffing company to market your resume to a better electrical or construction company of they can prove you are a good and committed worker where you are. It is only common sense that while it looks nice at a glance to have variety on a resume, it will become quickly apparent that you are a floater and questions will arise about why you can’t seem to stay in one place. With all that in mind, many electrical employers respect a worker who knows their own worth and is willing to reach for new opportunities when the time is right. As far as building a career goes, consistency is still the best path, and while an electrical staffing company can help in the unforeseen event of lay-offs and job shortages, a steady build to success is considered the most effective way to break out of a starter job and move into a growing career.

The term ‘electrical agent’ can mean many things according to the circumstance in which is is used. Sometimes it refers to any noun that is affiliated electrically, as in, a lamp is an electrical agent. The term can also be used to refer to those engineers and technicians who do electrical work, like electricians and electrical distribution specialists. In the realm of electrical staffing, ‘electrical agent’ is most often used to refer to those recruiters who work for electrical staffing agencies.

This type of electrical agent does work much like a sports agent, except for electricians and electrical engineers instead of major league baseball players. The relationship between an electrical worker and their corresponding electrical agent is a very important one, particularly because many electrical workers are employed on a freelance basis. This means that they are contracted to work job to job and project to project and when one job ends they must procure another to continue to obtain income. Especially the electrical professionals who have specialized abilities or skills, like wiring for solar energy, teaching electrical trade skills or large scale electrical building design benefit from having an electrical agent on their side. These agents can serve the clients who seek highly skilled electrical workers, and are often compensated by those seeking workers as opposed to those seeking work. However, a small population of electrical agents get a percentage cut of the income the electrician makes on the projects they are sent out on.

Electrical agents, much like employment agents in other fields must have excellent people skills. Staying connected to the electrical and construction industry can be the most integral part of the job. While some electrical agents work independently and are, for the most part, self-employed, many work for construction and electrical staffing agencies. Within agencies there are tiers and levels of recruiters and agents with a varying ability to focus in on one client or electrical worker. It can be a good gig, being an electrical agent. The work is satisfying and personal; helping someone find work can feel very good. Electrical staffing particularly can be a wonderful way to support growth and renewal within any community. The financial compensation is good, often upward of $60K and the hours are reasonable. It is an attractive job for many people with the right training and personality.

While many electrical agents have no relationship to the field they represent, others have made the shift from in-the-field electrical work into employment representation. As networking is such an important part of the job, the connections made doing electrical work can serve those who choose to go into electrical staffing. These crossover individuals also have the unique ability to recognize the quality of a good electrical professional and follow their instincts as to what sort of work matches what sort of person the best. Electrical agent work is needed all over the country, and for that matter all over the world. The profession grows as electrical work grows. It is certainly a job path to be considered.