HVAC Technician - The 9 Skills This Career Is Built On
HVAC Technician As A New Career
Jumping into a new career is exciting. Once you have found an industry that interests you and work you enjoy, you want to get started as soon as possible. But it is important to be prepared for your chosen career in order to get the most out of it and to be the best professional you can be.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning field is growing at a great rate, adding more than 8,400 HVAC Technician jobs around the country every year.* To get started in this in-demand field, there are a few things you should master. As you move forward with your career path, it is helpful to have a solid understanding of what will be expected of you.
You will want to know these 9 traits and skills that make a great technician:
Mechanical Skills - While these skills can be learned in training, it is important that technicians are comfortable working with mechanical systems. When HVAC systems need to be assembled, disassembled, repaired and programmed, HVAC technicians are the professionals to get it done
Customer-service skills - Because many technicians work directly with the property owners that call in an issue, it is extremely important to have exceptional people skills. Interacting with home owners, property managers and building superintendents takes a certain level of finesse that a great technician will have.
Time-management skills - Another important "soft skill" is being able to effectively manage a schedule while remaining organized. Many technicians deal with multiple calls a day and they have to be able to efficiently finish each task in order to move on to the next call without delay.
Education - Many technicians choose to acquire a formal credential (certificate, diploma or degree). These programs can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Schools like Lincoln Tech offer hands-on training that will support you out in the field. Lincoln Tech's HVACR program is offered at 10 campuses across the U.S. and has some of the best teachers in the specialization.
Licenses - Once you are able to work in the field, you will be required to have certain licenses in order to practice, depending on the state where you are working. Regardless of the law, you will be required to pass an exam before working.
Certification - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that all technicians who work with refrigerants be certified in proper refrigerant handling. This requires a special exam, which Lincoln prepares its students for during their training. All Lincoln schools which offer HVACR training also administer the EPA exam.
Physical strength - Physical strength is a helpful bonus, because technicians who work on their own will have to be comfortable lifting parts, equipment and objects. Even technicians working in teams are often called upon to carry out similar lifting.
A Detail-Oriented Nature – As mentioned earlier, staying organized is a large part of being successful as a technician. You must be able to maintain accurate records of each visit, the work that was performed, and any equipment that was used.
Trouble-shooting skills - Most of the time, technicians will receive a call about a system before they have a chance to diagnose the problem. A good technician will be comfortable troubleshooting and deducing what the issue could be. This requires asking questions of the property owner and working with the system to see what may have failed.
* Source: careeronestop.org, for the years 2014-2024.