NICHOLAS GIORDANO
Job Title: Electrician and Instructor
Company: Wayne J. Griffin Electric Inc.
Location: Billerica, Mass.
Age: 26
Years on the Job: 8
Interests: Skiing, golfing, and riding and working on his motorcycle
Nicholas Giordano’s family is filled with tradespeople split almost 50/50 between electricians and plumbers. He learned about the electrical trade in high school and began his apprenticeship through the electrical shop.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, he obtained additional in-house training at Wayne J. Griffin Electric, continued his own self study by reading textbooks, is pursuing an associate’s degree at Wentworth Institute of Technology, and is prepping for the Project Management Institute’s Construction Professional certification.
As an electrician and an instructor, his day begins at 6 a.m., when he reviews the goals for the day and the weekly safety topic. The work varies widely from job to job but often includes new multi-residential, commercial, and industrial. The day ends when everyone meets up safely to clock out and go home.
“My responsibilities from when I started have exponentially increased,” he says. “It used to just be grabbing stock out of a truck to operating small crews, doing as-builds, and coordinating with other trades.”
One of the best parts of his job is being able to teach the apprentices and show them extra resources to study and improve their craft. It’s also one of the most challenging parts due to the current labor shortage. “It can be difficult at times finding the balance to get the job done well and on time, but also to train everyone enough to become an asset to the industry,” he says.
His company takes on dozens of jobs at a time, and he and the other electricians are moved around based on the needs of the jobs or their skills. For example, recently he has been working on lighting control and fire alarm systems.
He says the use of technology in the trade is becoming increasingly important to reduce workload and run lean with smaller crews on jobs.
