I'm an Electrician

November 2023

Michael Roberts • as told to Ellen Song

Michael Roberts

Michael Roberts is an electrician at the Empire State Building in New York City. He and his team are responsible for keeping all the lights on in the building’s 103 floors. Michael has also worked in houses and factories. In fact, electricians can work just about anywhere. Any place or thing that uses electricity needs electricians to keep it working. Some electricians specialize in certain types of vehicles, like cars, submarines, or aircraft. Are you interested in learning more about this important job?

Read on!

As a kid, I liked making repairs around the house. Once, my mom’s TV was broken and I tried to fix it. But I didn’t know what I was doing. I ended up blowing it up! (Note: You should never try to fix something electrical without a qualified adult helping you.)

I had a friend who was an electrician. When I was 18, I decided to take the same career path as him. After finishing high school, I joined a four-year apprenticeship program.

My day starts at the computer. Each morning, I check to see if I received any requests for repairs overnight. Then my team and I do whatever needs to be done to fix the problem.

In the old days, electricians installed the light displays by hand. These days, they’re operated remotely. Keeping up with technology is part of the job.

The job is physically demanding and can be dangerous. But there’s great pay and job security. People respect you because everyone needs an electrician.