Mission: Possible!

Local electric utilities are in the business of making and selling electricity. They have the implied trust of the populations they serve: to provide electrical service to homes, businesses, hospitals, prisons, amusement parks, and countless other places on a consistent basis.

Barring storms, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, electricity is available for delivery to consumers at the flip of a switch every minute of every day, or about 525,600 minutes a year! Without making it sound too simple, it’s the mission of your electric utility to provide you with the best electrical service possible. How do they do that? With the help of hundreds of dedicated, hard-working men and women who each have a special skill to contribute to the process.

Looking at a sampling of the different jobs in the electric utility industry is the focus of this section. First, think of all the hundreds of jobs being divided into just two categories: Administration and Operations. Administrative jobs manage the money, set company policies, interact with consumers and governments, and plan for the future. People who work in operations actually produce and deliver electricity. Other people in operations support the actual production; these jobs include mechanics, chemists, and lab technicians.

To learn more about these and other occupations, check with your school counselor or your local library for a recent copy of the OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK HANDBOOK. This book is updated regularly and contains information that might help when you plan your work future.