The term journeyman is loosely used, which makes it difficult to truly define a journeyman electrician. This word most commonly refers to one who has experienced a long struggle or arduous journey to get to his or her ultimate destination. Sometimes, this refers to the professional aspect of a craft or trade, such as becoming an electrician. In order to become a journeyman electrician, you need to couple a formal education with experience and the passing of many licensing exams.
The first step to become a journeyman electrician is education. With no background in the field, it's impossible to start. There are some jobs where you might be able to get away this; being an electrician is not one of them. If you make a mistake while creating an ice cream cone, you can just start over, but if you wire a house incorrectly, you could put a building and lives at risk.
In order to find educational programs, do some research, and speak with professionals in the field. They can help guide you to a program that is affordable for your financial situation and relevant to what you are looking for. Once you have identified some programs that are a good fit, it's time to buckle down and finish your schooling.
A successful education should put you in place to take the necessary exams needed to eventually become a journeyman electrician or any type of electrician, for that matter. The harder you work in school, the less you will have to stress or prepare for such exams, so take your education seriously and do a lot of studying. Once you have passed all exams, which vary depending on where you are working, you can begin to enter the field.
As an electrician, you will be exposed to independent and group work in the field. Getting experience is very important if you seriously aspire to become a journeyman electrician. Most journeyman electricians have years and years of experience and are often en route to more comprehensive roles as master electricians. A master electrician is a former journeyman electrician who has successfully completed a project at a high level, demonstrating his or her skills. If you put forth the effort toward a great education, stellar test scores, and a dedication to years of work in the field, then your goal to become a journeyman electrician may be accomplished.