JOSHUA ORTIZ
Job Title: Apprentice Electrician
Company: Edgewood Electric
Location: Cincinnati
Age: 27
Years on the Job: 5
Interests: Spending time with his dogs, going on hikes, and working out
While working in the construction industry and specializing in concrete, Joshua Ortiz observed electricians at work on the job site. The electrical work seemed more interesting to him, which set him on a path to become an electrician.
Born in Puerto Rico, he was raised in the Dominican Republic until he moved to Illinois at the age of 10 years old. At the age of 18 years old, he moved to Cincinnati, where he attended college classes. He is currently enrolled to earn his journeyman’s license, and says in order to succeed in the trade, it takes determination. “I show up to work every day with the desire to learn and be better than the day before,” he says. “That’s key in growing your skillset.”
Like his fellow electricians, he works eight to 10 hours a day five to six days a week. He says a lot of the job is just showing up. Beyond that, he is relentless when it comes to improving himself.
“A lot of people spend time blaming other people for how things are going for them when they could be investing that time into flipping negatives into positives,” he says. “Perspective is very important.”
As a Level 3 apprentice, his daily responsibilities involve starting a new project or continuing one from the day before. He strives to arrive at work 20 minutes prior to start time. Once he is in the field, he focuses on roughing in offices and running conduit.
“I love how it challenges me every day, and it’s making me better at my job,” he says. “Experience is necessary to be great at something. I plan to keep working and getting better and being open to learning new things.”
