Purposeful Work Through a Cooperative Career

Dana Davis

When you think about the cooperative employees in your community, your first thought might be about lineworkers. While lineworkers are often the face of our industry and ambassadors in the community — working diligently to restore power during outages in the worst of storms and inclement weather — they are not alone.

When you flip a switch at home, know that there is a team of capable, talented energy professionals from your own community working behind the scenes in offices, at warehouses, and in the field to make sure the lights come on.

Electric cooperatives were built on a legacy of people coming together for the good of rural communities, and that purposeful work still exists today for co-op employees across the state. Cooperatives are complex organizations employing those with backgrounds from accounting, communications and customer service, to engineering, market research and cyber security. As co-ops look ahead to the future, the addition of positions on the leading edge of technology in disciplines like renewable energy and data science will continue to support our innovation and reliability. The wide range of disciplines and experience required for our collective success ensures that North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have an equally wide range of opportunities for fulfilling careers.

Energy is our “super power”—it not only powers rural communities, it empowers them to achieve great things…

There are 26 energy cooperatives located across the state of North Carolina. Each works independently with its community to meet the energy services needs of homes and business, and together to leverage their collective strength to benefit rural North Carolina. Did you know many cooperatives invest in their local workforce by providing lineworkers training through local community colleges? A bright high school graduate could start a career with the cooperative right out of school, receive classroom and on-the-job training, and give back to the community with the work they do to keep families safe and warm during winter storms, and comfortable during summer heat waves.

When I first began working for the cooperatives 15 years ago, I would explain to friends and family that I work for an energy cooperative that provides safe, reliable power to rural North Carolina. That is still true today, but now I share that I work for a cooperative that advocates for rural North Carolina. Energy is our “super power” — it not only powers rural communities, it empowers them to achieve great things, including supporting education, innovation and economic development. Co-ops aren’t beholden to shareholders, we are accountable to our community, and every day we come together for the good of our state. It is that collective purpose that creates the teamwork and mission-driven workforce that exists at each electric co-op today.

I encourage you to explore careers at your local cooperative — most positions are listed by state at careers.electric.coop. We also recruit at community colleges and universities, with internship opportunities posted at ncelectriccooperatives.com or on your local co-op’s website.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are working toward a Brighter Future for rural communities across North Carolina by providing sustainable, low-cost energy; reliability and innovation; and local community support. Join the dynamic network of engaged, creative and talented cooperative employees who work together to make it all happen.