Courtesy of Jacob Palmer via Fortune
Growing up in Concord, North Carolina, Jacob Palmer fit the mold of a high-achieving student. “I was a good student,” he told Fortune.
He filled his high-school years with student leadership, public speaking, and extracurriculars, surrounded by friends and academic success.
Then the pandemic hit.
“School looked drastically different doing online classes and Zoom calls,” Palmer recalled. “It felt very intangible. I hated it.”
College suddenly seemed disconnected from reality, so he walked away.
A Detour Through FedEx, Factories, and a Chance Encounter
Palmer spent months testing out different paths. He worked nights at a FedEx warehouse, then moved to rural Virginia to live with his grandparents and take a job in a factory.
When he eventually returned home, unsure what to do next, his mother happened to mention that the electrician installing her new hot tub “was super passionate and loved his job.”
That single conversation became a turning point. Palmer reached out to local electricians, started learning the trade hands-on, and never looked back.
From Apprentice to Entrepreneur
After gaining field experience, Palmer launched Palmer Electrical — his own company based in the Charlotte area.
In his first full year, the business brought in around $90,000 in revenue, and he projected over $150,000 for 2025, according to CBS News.
He says the move from classroom to career site was the best decision he’s ever made.
Palmer now manages client calls, designs electrical layouts, and mentors other young tradespeople who want to take the same leap.
🎥 Hear Jacob’s Story in His Own Words
Jacob Palmer opens up about the process he went through to become a licensed electrician and what it really takes to start from scratch in the trades.
He explains how he enrolled in an apprenticeship program, logged job training hours, passed the state licensing exam, and eventually launch his own company.
What His Story Says About the Trades
Jacob Palmer’s journey highlights a major cultural shift already underway in America’s workforce:
Theme | Takeaway |
|---|---|
Non-linear career paths | College isn’t the only route to success. Hands-on trades work can lead to financial independence and job satisfaction. |
Entrepreneurship | Palmer built a six-figure path without a degree. Proving the business potential in skilled trades. |
AI-resistant careers | While automation threatens many white-collar jobs, trades like electrical work remain rooted in physical, problem-solving skills. |
Cultural rebranding | Gen Z tradespeople are redefining what success looks like and replacing student debt with skill mastery. |
The Bigger Picture
Jacob Palmer isn’t an outlier. He’s part of a broader movement.
Across the country, young people are rediscovering the trades as stable, profitable, and meaningful careers. As Fortune notes, this new generation of electricians, welders, and HVAC techs are choosing financial freedom over traditional degrees, fueling a skilled-labor renaissance that America desperately needs.
Powering America’s Skilled Workforce
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