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Apprentice Electrician - Des Moines, Ia

interstates

Des Moines, IA
AI Traffic Manager Public Relations

Job Score

100 pts
On-site model (+70) AI (+10) Traffic Manager (+10) Public Relations (+10)

Take Charge of Your Career at Interstates

At Interstates, we don’t just show up to work, we show up for each other. From our headquarters in Iowa to job sites across the country, we’re doing award-winning electrical, controls, automation, and OT work that powers industrial facilities for clients here in the U.S. and around the world. Whether you’re bending conduit, wiring panels, writing code, supporting projects, or helping things run behind the scenes, you’ll be part of a crew that works hard, shares laughs, and takes pride in doing quality work. We believe in building strong teams, doing the right thing, and making a difference in the communities where we live. If you want to grow and do meaningful work, you’ll feel at home here. 


Meet the team that brings our projects to life.

From logistics to electrical work, everyone in the field plays a critical role in building, powering, and delivering success on a jobsite. Our logistics professionals keep construction moving by ensuring a steady flow of inventory. They bring attention to detail and strong organizational skills as they procure tools and materials for our electricians. Apprentice electricians are the powerhouses behind our most dynamic projects, while summer interns and new graduates kick off their careers as industrial electrical professionals. These team members work closely with our journeyman electricians—seasoned experts who lead and mentor crews while completing complex projects.
 
Our journeyman electricians partner with field foremen and site superintendents, who coordinate work, manage risks, and keep projects on track through planning, motivation, and communication. Our I&E, service, and maintenance teams ensure project performance by installing, testing, troubleshooting, and calibrating equipment. Across roles, we all champion safety—empowering employees to lead as safety shareholders, uphold zero-injury expectations, and care for our crews, company, and families.

Apprentice Electrician Responsibilities

  • Measure, cut, and bend conduit using a tape measure and appropriate power/hand tools
  • Operate power tools such as drills, saws, pullers, tuggers, etc.
  • Install conductors in race way and cable tray using manual and power equipment
  • Assist in lifting, positioning, and fastening objects, such as wiring, conduit, and motors
  • Perform minor repairs, such as replacing fuses, light sockets, bulbs, and switches
  • Disassemble defective electrical equipment, such as motors, using appropriate power/hand tools
  • Load, transport, unload, and furnish Journeyman and Foreman Electricians with materials, equipment, tools, and supplies
  • Use ladders, scaffolding, scissor and boom lifts
  • Perform housekeeping duties, as required
  • Other duties as assigned by field leaders

Qualifications

Education & Experience: We are looking for candidates interested in becoming licensed through our DOL approved Electrical Apprenticeship Program.
Candidates with a certificate or AS degree in electrical technology, electrical construction, instrumentation or similar or equivalent experience preferred.

Location/Travel: This position will require travel in/around Des Moines, IA - up to/within a 200-mile radius. Applicants must be permanently located in/around the office location or be willing to permanently relocate. Applicants must have reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license. Per diem and mileage stipends applicable per company policy.

Work Schedule: Start times, break times and work hours vary per site and stage of our projects. Our employees work more than 40 hours per week but no more than 60, as part of our commitment to safety.  Due to the type of construction, weekend work maybe required on occasion.

Work Environment: While performing the duties of this job, this role is often exposed to high/precarious places, risk of electrical shock, and all outside weather conditions. This role is expected to climb and work at heights and in confined spaces. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Due to the nature of our work and our client base, this role may involve tasks in an environment exposed to dust. Candidates should be comfortable working in these conditions and complying with safety standards to protect their well-being.

Benefits of Working at Interstates:

  • 401(k) Retirement Plan + Company Match
  • Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance Benefits (Short & Long-Term Disability, Group Life Insurance, and more)
  • Company Discount Perk Program (Access to discounts with renown brands across the country)
  • Paid Time Off & Holiday Pay, Flexible Schedule (Support work/life balance)
  • Bonus Incentives (End of Fiscal Year Incentives and Merit Increases)
  • Per Diem/Travel Pay or FAVR Program Benefits (as applicable)
  • Family & safety culture – a team that cares about you as a whole person, not just what you do at work
  • Company Sponsored Holiday Events, Team Celebrations, and Community Outreach Volunteer Time
  • Advancement Opportunities unique to our employee's long-term goals
  • Company Issued Cordless Milwaukee Tool Kit
  • Continuing Education & Journeyman Licensing Renewal Assistance
  • Double Pay for Sunday Work, Triple Pay if working an occasional holiday

 

Interstates. Let's Build Logo

What You Should Know Before You Apply

Interstates may collect personal information as part of your job application, such as your contact details, work history, education, and any information you provide. This information is used only for recruitment, to evaluate your candidacy, and to meet legal requirements. For details about our privacy practices and your rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), please see our Privacy Policy. By applying, you acknowledge that you have reviewed this notice.

Interstates is an EEO provider and offers a drug-free workplace.  Employment at Interstates is at-will and may be terminated at any time with or without notice or cause, except as otherwise provided by law.

About Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is currently the fastest-growing field in the technology market. The revolution in generative models (GPT, Claude, Gemini) has created massive demand for AI-specialized professionals.

Key areas of practice include Machine Learning Engineering, MLOps, Prompt Engineering, AI Research, and Applied AI. Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and LLM knowledge are essential skills.

AI salaries are the highest in the technology sector, with many remote work opportunities at international companies.

About Traffic Manager

The Traffic Manager is the professional responsible for planning, executing, and optimizing paid media campaigns across various digital platforms. With the competitiveness of the digital market, paid traffic professionals are essential for generating qualified leads and maximizing return on advertising investment.

Key skills include campaign management on Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and TikTok Ads, media planning, metrics analysis (ROAS, CPA, CPC, CTR), A/B testing, remarketing, and landing page creation. Tools like Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Hotjar, and automation platforms are essential.

Traffic managers in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master performance marketing, conversion funnel optimization, and scaling strategies. The field offers opportunities from media analyst to head of performance, with a focus on growth, budget efficiency, and return on investment.

About Public Relations

The Public Relations (PR) area focuses on managing the reputation, image, and communication of an organization with its various stakeholders (such as clients, investors, employees, media, and the community). PR professionals develop corporate communication strategies, manage media relations (press relations), organize institutional events, and work in image crisis prevention and management.

Discover Other Areas

Understand the scope of work, key skills, and tools used in different career areas.

About Customer Service

The Customer Service / Client Relations area is essential for ensuring customer satisfaction, retention, and a good relationship. Professionals in this field are the primary interface for communication, handling inquiries, requests, feedback, and ensuring a high-quality day-to-day experience. Skills in communication, problem-solving, empathy, and patience are indispensable.

About Finance

The Finance area in technology companies combines traditional financial knowledge with advanced digital tools. FP&A, controlling, and corporate finance professionals are essential for the organization's financial health.

Key skills include financial modeling, metrics analysis (MRR, ARR, LTV, CAC), ERP (SAP, Oracle), and BI tools. Certifications like CFA and CPA-20 are differentiators.

The financial sector offers stable opportunities with competitive salaries, especially in fintechs and large technology companies.

About People Analyst

The People Analyst is the professional responsible for transforming people data into strategic insights for HR decision-making. They combine data analysis knowledge with people management vision to help organizations understand workforce metrics, turnover, engagement, and diversity.

Key skills include people analytics, workforce analytics, turnover and retention analysis, HR metrics (time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, e-NPS), data visualization (Power BI, Tableau, Visier), workforce planning, and compensation analysis. Knowledge of statistics, SQL, and people analytics tools is a differentiator.

People Analysts in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who can translate complex people data into actionable insights for retention, diversity, and growth strategies. The field offers opportunities from HR analyst to head of people analytics, with a focus on data-driven people management.

About Cloud Solutions

The Cloud Solutions area is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing cloud infrastructure and services (AWS, Azure, GCP) for companies. Cloud professionals architect scalable, secure, and cost-optimized solutions, from data center migrations to serverless and multi-cloud architectures.

Key skills include IaC (Terraform, CloudFormation), containers (Docker, Kubernetes), serverless (Lambda, Cloud Functions), managed databases (RDS, DynamoDB, BigQuery), cloud networking (VPC, CDN, load balancer), and security (IAM, WAF, KMS). Knowledge of FinOps, cloud governance, and AWS/Azure/GCP certifications is a differentiator.

Cloud Solutions professionals in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master multi-cloud architectures, FinOps, and can optimize costs while maintaining performance and security. The field offers opportunities from cloud engineer to cloud solutions architect, head of cloud, and chief cloud architect.

About Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing is a constantly expanding field, driven by e-commerce growth and the need for a strong digital presence. Marketing professionals master tools like Google Ads, Meta Ads, HubSpot, Google Analytics, and automation platforms.

Most sought-after specializations include Growth Marketing, Performance, SEO, Content Marketing, and Growth Hacking. The combination of creativity with data analysis is the most valued differentiator in the market.

The market offers opportunities in both agencies and technology companies, with competitive salaries and remote work possibilities.

Career Guides

Technology Career Guide

Planning, skills, interviews, and professional growth in IT, Data Science, DevOps, and Product.

Read full guide →

Design Career Guide

UX/UI, Graphic Design, Product Design. Portfolio, tools, interviews, and growth in the Design field.

Read full guide →

Marketing Career Guide

SEO, Paid Media, Growth, Content Marketing. Certifications, tools, and strategies to grow in Digital Marketing.

Read full guide →

Finance Career Guide

Financial market, investments, corporate finance, certifications, and strategies to grow in the financial field.

Read full guide →

Communication Career Guide

Journalism, PR, Corporate Communication, Content Marketing, and Multimedia Production.

Read full guide →

Administration Career Guide

Business Management, HR, Logistics, Consulting, Project Management, and Entrepreneurship.

Read full guide →

Data Career Guide

Data Science, Data Engineering, BI, Machine Learning, and AI. From training to the job market.

Read full guide →

Product Career Guide

Product Management, Product Ownership, Agile, Scrum, and OKRs. From strategy to execution.

Read full guide →

Tech & Remote Glossary

Stop getting lost in interviews and job descriptions

The job market, especially within tech and global companies, has developed its own dialect. Not understanding these acronyms can make you lose valuable opportunities or poorly negotiate your contract. To end this problem, we created the Definitive Glossary for the Remote Professional.

🏢 Work Models & Routine

Async (Asynchronous Work)
A communication model where responses don't need to be immediate. Instead of back-to-back meetings, the team relies on well-structured documents, threads, and messages. It's the gold standard for global companies spanning multiple time zones.
Sync (Synchronous Work)
The opposite of Async. It requires the team to be online and available at the same time for meetings, live chats, and real-time collaboration.
Daily / Stand-up
A quick daily meeting (usually 15 minutes) common in Agile (Scrum) methodologies. The team answers three questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any blockers?
All-Hands / Town Hall
A company-wide meeting involving all employees. Usually led by the founders (C-Levels) to present results, new goals, and answer team questions.
1:1 (One-on-One)
A recurring individual meeting between a professional and their direct manager. It is used for career alignment, feedback, and problem-solving, not just for project status updates.

💰 Contracts, Benefits & Compensation

PTO (Paid Time Off)
Instead of strict, categorized leave policies, modern US companies usually offer a flexible pool of days (e.g., 20 days of PTO, or even "Unlimited PTO") that you can use for vacations, sick days, or personal matters, while receiving your regular compensation.
Equity / Stock Options
Company ownership. The startup offers you the right to buy shares at a heavily discounted strike price in the future. If the company grows, goes public, or is acquired, these shares can be highly lucrative.
Vesting (Vesting Schedule)
The rule that controls your Equity. It usually lasts 4 years. You don't get all the shares on day one; you "earn" them gradually as you stay with the company. A "1-year Cliff" means you must stay for at least one year to receive your first batch of shares.
RSUs (Restricted Stock Units)
Unlike Stock Options (where you have the right to buy the stock), RSUs are actual shares the company grants you as a bonus or part of your compensation package, following a strict Vesting schedule.
Independent Contractor (1099 / B2B)
The most common international hiring model for global talent working for US companies. You act as a service provider (business-to-business), receiving the gross salary (often six-figure compensation) without standard local payroll tax deductions at the source.

🤖 Recruitment & Hiring Process

ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
The "robot" that reads your resume. Software like Greenhouse, Ashby, and Workday are used to filter candidates by keywords before a human even looks at the document. (Pro tip: this is why your resume must be clean, semantic, and have the right keywords).
JD (Job Description)
The document that lists the responsibilities, technical requirements, and benefits of the open position.
Cultural Fit
The interview stage that evaluates if your core values, communication style, and worldview align with the company's culture. This is the ultimate test of your Soft Skills.
Onboarding
The integration process. It's the period of your first few weeks at the company, where you get your access credentials, learn about the culture, study the internal documentation, and understand how the product works.

🚀 How to use this to your advantage?

The secret isn't just knowing what these acronyms mean, but using them actively. If during an interview for a premium tech role you ask, "How does your PTO policy and Vesting schedule work?", the recruiter will immediately perceive you as a high-level professional, familiar with the global market standards.

The remote job market requires preparation. And having the right vocabulary is the first big step to securing six-figure proposals and standing out among thousands of applicants.

Expert Tip

Agile and Project Management in Today's Market

1. Move Beyond "Doing Agile": Deliver Real Value

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make in interviews for Agile roles is focusing too much on ceremonies (Dailies, Plannings, Retrospectives) and forgetting their actual purpose. Recruiters from global tech companies want to know how you eliminated bottlenecks and boosted team efficiency.

"True Agile success isn't measured by how many practices you implement, but by how much value you deliver to the customer and how quickly you do it."

Instead of writing "facilitated Scrum ceremonies" on your resume, use a results-driven approach: "Reduced team Cycle Time by 20% by identifying and removing bottlenecks in the value stream."

2. Certifications That Actually Bypass the ATS

While practical experience is the ultimate deciding factor, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by top US companies (like Greenhouse, Ashby, and Workday) filter resumes strictly through keywords. Holding the right certifications ensures you pass this first robotic barrier and get your profile in front of a human recruiter.

  • Professional Scrum Master (PSM I, II) by Scrum.org: Highly respected because it doesn't require renewal and features a rigorous, Scrum Guide-based exam.
  • Project Management Professional (PMP) by PMI: The gold standard for traditional, predictive, and hybrid Project Management.
  • PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP): Excellent for demonstrating broad knowledge across multiple Agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, Lean).
  • SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework): Absolutely essential if you are targeting Enterprise-level corporations that have scaled Agile across thousands of employees.

3. Mastering Flow Metrics and Tools (Hard Skills)

The modern Agile professional must be data-driven. Companies offering six-figure compensation expect you to extract actionable insights from tools like Jira, Confluence, or Azure DevOps.

During technical interviews, be prepared to discuss how you utilize flow metrics, such as:

  • Lead Time and Cycle Time: To measure efficiency and the actual time it takes to deliver requests.
  • Throughput: The number of work items completed in a given timeframe.
  • Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD): To visually identify bottlenecks in the workflow.
  • OKRs (Objectives and Key Results): To align the development team's daily work with the company's high-level strategic goals.

4. Soft Skills and Conflict Resolution in Async Teams

In global, remote-first, and asynchronous environments, communication is the biggest challenge. A top-tier Project Manager or Scrum Master acts as a shield for the tech team and a bridge for stakeholders.

Demonstrate emotional intelligence, empathy, and negotiation skills. You will often face situational questions like: "How would you handle a Product Owner who constantly changes the Sprint scope mid-cycle?" Your answer should highlight peaceful, data-driven negotiation focused on business impact and team predictability.

Conclusion: Your Competitive Edge

To land premium Project Management and Agile roles, you must position yourself as a strategic business partner, not just a process enforcer. Understand the product, master the metrics, and know how to guide people towards continuous improvement.

References & Useful Links