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High voltage worker stories: JIMMY KING

High voltage worker stories:
JIMMY KING

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journey lineman at Michels Pacific Energy — San Diego

Prior roles: Journeyman Lineman — SDG&E, Fault Finder / Underground Troubleman — SDG&E, Apprentice / Hot Apprentice, Lineman — Matrix NAC, New Jersey
Location: Lake SIDE, California

years in the trade: 13.5 years

@thejimmykingproject

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There was something about

seeing the damage, putting all the

pieces back together, and restoring people’s power that made me realize this was exactly

what I wanted to do.

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There was something about seeing the damage, putting all the pieces back together, and restoring people’s power that made me realize this was exactly what I wanted to do.

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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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How did you first get into the trade?

I started out in construction and owned a turf construction business. During the 2009 market crash, work became really hard to come by for a few years. My girlfriend at the time asked me, “What do you want to do with your life?”

I told her all I really knew was that I wanted to work outside and didn’t want a boring job. As simple as that, we started going down a list on Google, looking at different careers, and one of them was becoming a lineman.

I eventually enrolled at North American Lineman Training Center in McEwen, Tennessee. I spent four months there, and that paved the way for me to start applying for apprenticeships and begin my career in the trade.

looking back, what was the moment you knew this was the career you wanted?

I knew this career was everything I wanted when I started climbing poles in line school. Then, early in my apprenticeship, I started going on storm work.

There was something about seeing the damage, putting all the pieces back together, and restoring people’s power that made me realize this was exactly what I wanted to do.

What’s something people outside the trade completely misunderstand about what you do?

I don’t think people outside the trade fully understand the demands of this job, or the willingness it takes to go out there every day and do what we do knowing how dangerous it can be.

There are long hours, storms, outages, pressure, and a lot of responsibility behind keeping the power on that most people never see.

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This trade gives you a certain confidence because linemen

tend to become jacks of all trades. You learn to adapt,

problem solve, and get things done.

I’m alive and thankful. It just goes to show how important communication and situational awareness are.

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This trade is hard on the body so having some money working for you is a good thing to set up for your future.

this trade gives you a certain confidence because linemen tend to become jacks of all trades. You learn to adapt, problem solve, and get things done.

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What's one day from your job that you'll probably never forget?

One of the funniest moments was when I was a hot apprentice working around Gary, Indiana, where I did all my hot time.

We were working a bad snowstorm and had already been out all day. It was getting late when we got another ticket for wire down. My lineman and I started trekking through the brush and woods in about three feet of snow until we came out into this huge clearing.

We walked pretty far out into the middle of it when I started getting this weird feeling. We both stopped and looked around for a second, and I asked him, “Dude… are we standing in the middle of a lake?”

We started kicking the snow around, looked at each other, and just started laughing. We were like, “Dude, let’s get the hell out of here.”

What’s been the most high-pressure situation you’ve ever had to handle?

I think the years I spent at the utility as a Fault Finder, or Underground Troubleman, probably brought the most pressure.

You’re responsible for going out and finding the problem, whether it’s big or small, but more importantly, you have to have the knowledge and confidence to trust your gut as a linehand and handle whatever that outage throws at you.

Day in and day out, you never really know what you’re going to get.

What’s one mistake you made early in your career that made you a better tradesman?

Probably realizing that there’s nothing more precious in life than life itself.

We work hard. We work long days, long hours, and spend a lot of time away from home. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized there’s nothing more important to me than my relationship with God and making sure I make it home to my wife and kids.

The job matters, but it’s not worth forgetting what you’re working for in the first place.

Who had the biggest impact on your career, and what did they teach you?

A lineman named Paul Emery probably had the biggest impact on my career. He was my foreman and later my GF when I was a lower-step apprentice in Kansas.

He taught me grit. He taught me to have thicker skin in this trade, and honestly, he helped teach me how to become a man. I came into the trade as a younger kid, and a lot of what I learned working for him stuck with me throughout my career.

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I think someone who’s a self starter and can focus on the task at hand is gonna do very well in this trade.

You could be the greatest hand in the world, but if your attitude sucks, nobody is going to want to work with you or even be around you.

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What’s one lesson from this trade that’s made you a better person, not just a better worker?

Becoming a lineman taught me that I can put my hand to the plow with just about anything in life and figure it out.

This trade gives you a certain confidence because linemen tend to become jacks of all trades. You learn to adapt, problem-solve, and get things done.

I had a lineman tell me once, “I’m a Journeyman Lineman. I’ll fly the damn plane if I have to.”

I’ve always loved that because it pretty much sums up the mentality.

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People totally misunderstand the brains and dedication this trade takes.

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You could be the greatest hand in the world,

but if your attitude sucks, nobody is going to want to work

with you or even be around you.

I’m alive and thankful. It just goes to show how important communication and situational awareness are.

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What’s the hardest part of this career that people never really see?

The demands of this trade can take a toll on just about everything in your life outside of linework.

For me, it has taken a strong wife and a lot of unity in our marriage to find that balance. I’ve missed probably half of my anniversaries, along with plenty of Thanksgivings, Christmases, and other important moments because of outages, storms, and being on call.

Without having that rock at home, this career could easily become a disaster. Having someone who understands what the trade demands while also reminding you what really matters has been huge for me.

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The demands of this trade can take a toll on just about everything in your life outside of linework.

I’m alive and thankful. It just goes to show how important communication and situational awareness are.

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My advice to anyone thinking about getting in the trade is do it, you won’t regret it! There are so many avenues that you can take. Best job I’ve ever had.

The demands of this trade can take a toll on just about everything in your life outside of linework.

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Have some heart for the trade, and care about your work,

not just the income.

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What separates a great hand from an average one?

Hands down, attitude.

You could be the greatest hand in the world, but if your attitude sucks, nobody is going to want to work with you or even be around you.

Crew continuity is everything in this trade. You work together every day in situations where you have to trust the people around you. Being a great hand isn’t just about what you can do—it’s about being somebody the rest of the crew wants beside them.

If someone walked up to you tomorrow and said they’re thinking about joining the trade, what would you tell them?

I’d tell them this trade is one of the best careers you could ever get into.

Being a lineman has opened doors for me that I never thought would be possible—not only financially, but in the confidence it has given me. This trade showed me what kind of work ethic I’m capable of and made me believe that if I’m willing to work for something, I can accomplish just about anything.

Where do you see your career going from here?

For now, I still see myself progressing through the ranks in the trade, but over the last year, I’ve really started dreaming again.

I started a junk hauling business with another lineman on my crew, and for probably the last 10 years I’ve had this idea of creating a coffee company built around tradesmen and blue-collar culture.

I’m finally working toward making that a reality, and I’m hoping to release it by the end of the year.

So stay tuned!

What’s one thing you’d change about this industry if you could?

In some ways, I’d change the culture.

We’re linemen, and we get to do some pretty epic stuff, but this trade can’t be the only thing that defines us,

A lot of us are husbands and fathers. I think there needs to be more emphasis on remembering that when we’re on, we’re on—we work hard and get the job done. But when we’re off, we need to be able to turn it off and remember the people at home are the reason we grind so hard in the first place.

When you look back at your career, what do you think this trade gave you that you never expected?

This trade gave me a life I never knew was possible.

It gave me a work ethic. It gave me purpose. It gave me confidence. And it gave me the ability to build a life for my family and chase dreams that I never thought were possible when I was younger.

I came into this trade looking for a job. I never expected it to change my entire life.

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Being a lineman has opened doors for me that I never thought would be possible—not only financially, but in the confidence it has given me.

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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.