For many people, an interesting and varied choice often means a career within the electrical industry. Although often assigned to as 'Electro-Mechanical Engineering", we will simply refer to this as the Electrical Industry. As there are a wide variety of global standards, we will focus on those from the UK and in particular those relating to the domestic and commercial markets. Because of the vast number of options available for a career within the electrical industry, we'll start by concentrating on the main topics, and come back to the 'add-ons' later.

Really there are two main ways to enter the electrical market. To being with we have the older apprentice course and then secondly we have the option for those who wish to make a career change to join the industry. We have to reference individuals so we will plainly do so by 'Junior' and 'Mature' entrants.

Principally, Mature Entrants join the electrical workplace later on, and focus on becoming self employed. This means working on their own and not having to pay salaries to anyone else. Whereas the 'Junior Entrants' train alongside regular electrical employment to pick up practical work place skills as they gain their qualifications. After they leave school a young apprentice will have many skills to learn during their first few years of working life.

Clearly these two options have both differing training styles and methods of entry. The Junior Entrants syllabus involves NVQ/SVQ's as well as proving working skills. The training itself is similar to non NVQ training, but completion of the full programme means getting the actual qualifications. This means that work programs or apprenticeships have to be sought in order to arrange the necessary course work and testing phases of work.

Mature Entrants do not appear to seek the NVQ element but instead they go after the most commercially suitable qualifications. i.e. Those certifications that will get them up and running with the best financial return from their training investment. This system does meet the purposes set out and therefore often provides a faster and more direct route into a trading position.

Salaries are often simply broken down to those that relate to self -employed people and those in general employment. The question remains as to how much work per week a self-employed person puts in - for the sake of this review we assume that it is full time. It is recognised that competence and qualifications add to income levels as well as experience and information gained.

Basic salary for Junior Entrants can start at around 12 thousand per annum, often going above 35 thousand after several years in industry. Mature Entrants are more difficult to assess, and incomes up to and above 70k are regularly reported within the UK Press. Regardless of all that is the need to cover off additional costs such as tools, clothes and even a vehicle and all that goes along with that. Earmarked within this is the need to cover additional expenses such as accountancy or insurance. In the UK there is a lot of work for electrical professions due to a short fall of current skilled people. Working 7 days a week is totally achievable for most people if they want it. It should be noted that figures of 70-100k p.a. advertised are not necessarily easy to come by and would require some long working hours to obtain them.

Firstly, it is worth pointing out that the working week between the Junior and Mature electricians can vary enormously. Most of the work for Junior Entrant electricians will be on a simple 9-5, Monday to Friday basis. But due to the needs of the domestic market the Mature Entrant is often more reliant upon when their client base gets back from work. Although by testing and installing various business systems, many self-employed electricians manage to work during a normal working week.

Any specialist knowledge the Junior Entrant gains whilst in someone's employ is usually down to the sectors of industry that company works in. Then again, the mature entrant can even go outside of the electrical field to gas work or plumbing work for example. Certainly if they are employed within the domestic sector this makes it easier to take on work without having to rely upon other people.

One new, fast growing area - one that invokes a wide array of skills sets and is new to the industry overall - is that of the 'Green Engineer'. The opportunity to provide both employment and potential service contracts, especially in the UK and the EEC sectors, mean that this area is of interest to both Junior and Mature electricians.