CTE Career Journeys – Journeyman Electrician
Antonette Adams
Sr. Product Marketing Manager • Career and Technical Education • National Geographic Learning | Cengage
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career Journeys series is aimed to shed light on current career trends as they align to student career clusters. In this series installation, we have interviewed Jhon Cataño, Journeyman Electrician in the architecture & construction career cluster. Jhon shares with us the career journey that lead him to his current role with Nappa Electrical Contractors. Jhon dives into what motivated him to pursue this career, milestones that lead to where he’s at today, how he stands out in her field and advice for others looking to pursue this career. This series also offers career outlook data collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Interview information
Name: Jhon Cataño
Title: Journeyman Electrician
Career Cluster: Architecture & Construction
Company: Nappa Electrical Contractors
Additional Career Highlight Information
Career Outlook: Projected 6% increase from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations
Median Salary: $60,240 per year
Education Needed: High school diploma or equivalent
*All career outlook data is collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Question and Answer with Jhon Cataño
Q: What motivated or inspired you to pursue your particular role or career path?
A: I grew up in Colombia on a farm and at an early age I was always working with my hands. I wanted to be a mechanical engineer because I had an uncle who worked for Nissan assembling cars and I always looked up to him because he had a good life.
When I was older I was working as a bartender but wanted a job with a more consistent schedule. I didn’t want to go to a four year university because it was too expensive and I wanted to start working in a new career quickly. I’ve always been curious about how things work and was interested to learn about how to troubleshoot complicated problems.
I enrolled in a tech school one year program, 4 days a week, 5.5 hours a day to graduate with a certificate in Practical Electricity. I did my schooling while continuing my bartending job. 4 months into my schooling I attended a job fair and was offered an apprentice position with a local electrical contracting company.
Q: What were the key milestones or turning points in your career or life that led you to where you are today?
A: When I was 14 my father passed away and I was the oldest son and I knew I needed to provide for my family. I was very focused on what would give us a good life and how I could get there quickly.
When I got to the United States and my family was ok back home, I started to focus on how I could make a better life for myself. I realized that in this country motivation and determination takes you very far.
Q: What strategies did you employ to stand out in your field and differentiate yourself from others?
A: Reliability is very important in my profession. I am always on time, I take pride in my work and I ask for opportunities to grow in different areas within my field.
Q: Looking back, is there anything you would do differently in your career journey or advice you’d offer individuals in or considering your field?
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