High voltage worker stories: Sergio Cortez

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owner and lead trainer, surge electrical training llc

Location: livermore, California 
years in the trade: over 30 years

@surgeelectricaltraining
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The kind of person that thrives in this work is the kind of person who has mechanical mind and a huge sense of curiosity. The kind of person that doesn't thrive in this work is soft.

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Stories in the trade

This series hands the mic to the folks who keep the lights on—how they got in, what they’ve seen, and where the trade’s headed

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prior roles:

Contractor, General Foreman, Workforce Development Director, Apprenticeship Training

How did you first hear about the trade and how did you get into your first role?

I first heard about the trades through the military when I joined the US Coast Guard at 17. When I left the military, I started construction in the residential market. I then jumped in Lineman work running a crew doing all underground power/ gas for new subdivisions. From there it was construction, service, high rise work, facilities, and controls. In between I started teaching and that became my passion.

What's one thing about this work that outsiders totally misunderstand?

What I think outsiders misunderstand is number one how dangerous our work is as electricians and the high level of training we must acquire to do some of the work that we do and of course the pay. This trade makes us money!

What's the hardest part of the job and how do you handle it?

The hardest part is the mental part of running a job and being responsible for the crew and for the budget. The physical part comes easier but the responsibility of all the components to make a job successful is the real test.

What kind of person thrives in this work? What kind of person doesn't?

The kind of person that thrives in this work is the kind of person who has mechanical mind and a huge sense of curiosity. An independent thinker who loves to solve problems and one who loves to solve it with their hands. You need to have a tough skin and a warped sense of humor. The kind of person that doesn't thrive in this work is soft. Soft in a sense where they desire to be inside and out of the elements. One who is ok with coming back to the same place day after day doing the same old thing.
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What I think outsiders misunderstand is number one how dangerous our work is as electricians and the high level of training we must acquire to do some of the work that we do and of course the pay. 

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What advice would you give to someone who's just thinking about joining the trades?

Be aggressive. Strategize your career on Day 1 and become the most important helper on site. Arrive early and keep everything clean.

we’re opening the floor to the folks who do the work

⚡ Features of real workers in the trade 
⚡ Craft features 

⚡ Tips for the trade

Just real experiences, real lessons learned, and real advice from people who do this work every day.

we want to hear from you

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We're High Voltage Industries

High Voltage Industries started because the most dangerous and essential work in America is also the most invisible. You put your lives on the line every single day and people don't even know what you do. 

 

We're here to share your stories and honor the sacrifices you make so people can flip a switch every day. And we make gear for those who literally risk their lives to keep the world running.

This is your story

Working in conditions others won't face, taking risks others can’t even imagine, solving problems others can't understand, carrying responsibility others can't handle. The grid doesn't maintain itself.

 

We're telling that story.