Karl Byrne thought he'd never get out of school. "I was mad into money," he says. "I wanted to get out and earn some decent money. I knew I didn't want to go to college - that was for sure."

He completed his Leaving Cert and signed up for an apprenticeship as an electrician. The Dublin-based electrician, who arrives in a van dressed in heavy black protective trousers and jacket, and steel tipped boots, now runs Elec-Tech, with his business partner, Ken Murphy. They employ a total of 10 people. The day begins at 8 a.m. and Byrne's working day finishes at 5 p.m., but he then goes home to work for another two hours on the books. "If you run your own business you have to look after the accountancy side of things." It's a matter of learning as you go. "Every other electrician will look after you, and RECI (the Register of Electrical Contractors of Ireland) is great as well.

"When I went through school, teachers told me I'd never make anything of myself," he says, smiling at the memory. Yes, he admits with a mischievous grin, he was no angel at school. "I think I gave them plenty of ammo."

But "it doesn't matter how good you are at school," he says. "You could be the last in the class, but the best electrician once you are practical and can deal with people." Byrne's father is an electrician and he'd often worked with him when he was at school. "I'd help him out every now and then at the weekend." He was taken on as an apprentice electrician straight after his Leaving Cert in 1994 by KTM Electrical, studying one day a week at DIT Kevin Street. He worked the last two years of his apprenticeship with his father's company and he graduated as an electrician in 1998 with a National Craft Certificate. He also passed a number of City & Guilds exams in electrical installation. Being an apprentice can be tough, but being eager and interested is what it's all about, he says. Today an important part of his job is being friendly. "You have to be user-friendly," he says. "You are out to sell a product. You are trying to sell your business." Being able to talk to people who are trying to pick a suitable electrician to do a job is essential. It's important that people feel they can talk to you and that you understand them. "I like dealing with people. For getting called back, it's better dealing with people on a friendly basis. Anyone can do the job, but it's how the job is done." Paying attention to details and treating people's houses like your own can also make a difference, he says. Another important aspect to his job is the variety. "Each day is different. You're never in the same place for more than two or three days - we're there a couple of days and then we're on to a new place.

"I have to treat them as my best friend while the job is being done. Every day is different. You meet all types of different characters going through life." At the moment, "the market is wide open for anybody.

"It's the buzz that you get at finishing a job and looking at it and knowing that it's done well and that it looks really good and we all did this together. I enjoy doing it," he says. "Once you do something once, you sort of know it - you're sorted." The most challenging part is "just keeping up with all the changing products, especially with the regulations that are changing.

"I'm quite happy. Family life is only starting for me now." he says, as he heads off for a fitting for his wedding - which took place last Friday. "It couldn't be better."