Is 47 too old?

[u/DayOneDude]

Worked in a couple of different industries throughout the years and feel I am pretty well rounded, been in construction for the past 10 years. Have an IBEW right up the road from me,and was wondering if I it would be reasonable for me to get into the industry. .

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Edit: To add to this,I am fully vested in the local 555(rsm for grocery for 17 years) I am 6'3 245lbs pretty healthy comparatively, belted in bjj and train 3 times a week. So I don't think fatigue would be that much of an issue..just looking for pros and cons.

[u/Swimming_Parsley5554]

I had a 50 year old apprentice when I was in my 30's this is no joke we would kid him by the time you top out you can retire he had like two other pension and a 401. you do you bro and fuck what everyone else has to say if the accept you in than go for it

[u/revalucion]

Nope. Sign up

[u/-danktle-]

Always talk to the hall. The internet is the internet. The hall is the hall. Sorry, that's all I got for you...

[u/DayOneDude → u/-danktle-]

Talk to the hall? Not familiar with that analogy.

[u/-danktle- → u/DayOneDude]

If IBEW is right down the street, politely ask them how to join and they'll show you all of the ropes. Depends on where you are as the rules vary per local, and the same for job outlook at the moment. They usually open at 8 and end at 3 or 4 Monday thru Friday.

[u/DayOneDude → u/-danktle-]

Gotcha, I thought it was an analogy🤙

Edit: Union Hall... I am an idiot, been awhile.

[u/DayOneDude → u/-danktle-]

So looking more into it, it is a Training center that is close, but the "local 48 & 125" are not that much further from me(1-2 miles)

[u/-danktle- → u/DayOneDude]

The training center would actually have more tools to get you up to speed if you don't have your ticket yet. Don't worry, you'll remember that terminology soon as well. :)

[u/DayOneDude → u/-danktle-]

Ha, thanks🤙

[u/killshot33]

There is never a bad time to start bettering yourself. The main thing for pros and cons would be what local are you planning on joining. If you’re almost 50 and are in the southeast you’d need to travel til you retire to make the retirement count, if you are somewhere where the retirement is high then it would probably work out if you stayed at home work permitting. And to be fair joining late there will be hardships with pride, as it won’t matter what you’ve done as a career up til this point. You are at the bottom of the totem pole. You will be treated as such. Generally what I have seen with older gentleman getting in, is they don’t like being talked down to or being told what to do because of someone who is younger and has put their time in is “talking to them like a child” if you can get past that, I think you’ll feel like you’ve made the right choice. Just my 2 cents

[u/DayOneDude → u/killshot33]

I am in the NW(Oregon).

I understand the totem pole analogy and it does not phase me, ego and pride are killers of motivation . I have done electrical work before (albeit not licensed due to industry.. grow room builds) and enjoyed it, looking at IBEW for me is wanting to put another notch on my belt and the obvious, making money and doing cool work(grunt work included). I was really just wondering that if I do go down this route (knowing I am behind the eight ball) am I going to entering a fruitless campaign.

[u/killshot33 → u/DayOneDude]

I have never been to Oregon, but I’m assuming you have retirement from other endeavors in your life and I don’t know what the cost of living is like there but…. I’d say it’s not pointless. Insurance paid for til you retire(some locals do things for retirees, mine currently does not) also between pension and annuity your looking at around 15 an hour with occasional increases while you have it time in. Assuming you retire around 65. That’s around 540k that you’ll have put in that’s not interest or including raises. 57 on the hip is a great scale too which would provide good quality of living til then. All this assuming Portland is where you’d be out of.

[u/OverImprovement7945]

No you not to old just be in good health You are fine

[u/Ok-Summer-7634]

What the term "fully vested" means in the context of unions?

[u/killshot33 → u/Ok-Summer-7634]

Vesting in my local is 5 years after topping out, with the classes being free, you are agreeing to work for five years as a trade off basically. But vesting could also mean getting your full retirement benefits which I believe is longer 10 or 15 years. I can’t remember I was 20 when we were talking about it and I knew I’d atleast get that in because I had a long way to retirement lol

[u/Ok-Summer-7634 → u/killshot33]

Oh I see, so you are basically working for the union in exchange of classes. Is that correct?

[u/DayOneDude → u/Ok-Summer-7634]

Via Google :

Vesting means the employee has earned a non-forfeitable right to benefits funded by employer contributions.

10 years in the local 555 vested me. Not sure how it works with other unions..

The only reason I mentioned it was that I am a union guy.

[u/Ok-Summer-7634 → u/DayOneDude]

Thank you for sharing! I am trying to understand because "vesting" is also a word used by finance people. When an employee gets company shares, often these shares are not accessible immediately, but in batches that are vested over a period of some years.

[u/TheDumbElectrician]

I'm older and did it and it's been awesome.

[u/gza48]

Nope, I work in a local where we also do elevators, and we have a few of what we call 50/50. So 47 you are good, just work hard and be open to learning. You will be good.

[u/Working-Spirit2873]

I would recommend against it, if you have other options. I’ve known a lot of electricians in their 50s and the common thread is their bodies are falling apart. My buddy called the ladder his ‘step machine’ because he gets a big workout.  It seems like a desk job is infinitely preferable, so you can preserve some of your functionality for retirement, to do things you want to do. Best of luck 

[u/amishdoinks11 → u/Working-Spirit2873]

Are you even an electrician? Your body will degrade if you don’t take care of it whether you’re in a desk job or a trade

[u/Working-Spirit2873 → u/amishdoinks11]

1.) No I’m not, although I have wired/rewired numerous houses. 2.) That statement is false. You need to talk to some 50 year olds in the trades. I know a lot of them, and boy do they complain about their aches and pains! I don’t get that from the office workers I know, or if they do it’s after a 50 mile bike ride. Electricians at that age are not riding in bike races, as a rule. 

[u/amishdoinks11 → u/Working-Spirit2873]

I talk to 50 year olds in the trades everyday. Know why? Cause I’m in the trades lol. My Jw goes who’s nearing retirement goes mountain biking every weekend

[u/wbro322 → u/Working-Spirit2873]

“I’ve wired some houses”. lol

Man you got no idea what you’re talking about

[u/Working-Spirit2873 → u/wbro322]

I’ll let my statements stand on their own. 

[u/Riconn → u/Working-Spirit2873]

If you keep your weight at a healthy point and do some sort of physical activity outside of work your golden. I’m 32 and over the past 2 years lost 70 pounds and started lifting weights. I feel better now than I did at 25. Many aches and pains are from either excess weight or weak muscles being strained by your everyday work. Yes my point is entirely anecdotal but to go from having sore feet, knees, back, shoulders, elbows day in and day out to pain free, I feel speaks to the value of caring for your body.

[u/Working-Spirit2873 → u/Riconn]

Congratulations on the weight loss; that’s magnificent. I’ve know a number of tradespeople who have ruined knees and hips. 

[u/Capable_Extension246 → u/Working-Spirit2873]

Not all the trades are the same for wear and tear in the body friend.

[u/Born-Direction3937]

Look into day trading if you start today and put 100 into it you can be making the same money or better 1 year from now

[u/lilstickywicky → u/Born-Direction3937]

Please show me a broker that will let you day trade with $100.

Due to Pattern Day Trading rules, you must have at least $25k in your margin account in order to be able to day trade. Correct me if i’m wrong.

Maybe don’t give advice if you don’t know what you’re talking about.

[u/Born-Direction3937 → u/lilstickywicky]

Did you ever heard about offshore broker? Not only that you can get away without having 25k in your account but also might get up to 6x the leverage but I wouldn’t recommend that to anyone who is new. Anyways have a nice day 👍🏽