It’s getting toward the end of another school year, and maybe you’re about to graduate from high school or community college without a clear idea of where you want to go from there. Or maybe you’ve just finished a tour with the military and are seeking a new career once you return to civilian life. If either of those descriptions fits you, you might want to consider a career as an appliance repair technician.
Do you think you’d be a good candidate for a career in appliance repair? Leaving aside for a moment the technical and educational requirements, here are a few personal qualities appliance repair employers look for when hiring technicians, whether in a small repair shop or for a larger multi-tech operation:
Aptitude: If you were the kind of kid who loved taking things apart and putting them back together again, chances are you’d enjoy figuring out what ails a cranky fridge or oven — and restoring it to tiptop condition.
Mazes and Puzzles: Wiring diagrams are mazes that lead to a single correct solution. If you loved navigating the maize maze at pumpkin harvest time, and if you’re a champ at spotting where a puzzle piece fits, a career in appliance service might be right up your alley.
Manual and Physical Dexterity: Appliance repair often involves manipulating small tools and parts and fitting your body into small spaces, like behind a refrigerator, and working in a cramped position. Unfazed? Step right up!
Problem-solving: Appliance repair can be like a mystery story. If a customer reports a strange noise or leak in their refrigerator, can you ask the right questions to narrow down the problem and diagnose the cause? Solving these types of issues is all in a day’s work for a repair tech.
Organizational skills: An organized mind and an organized toolbox go hand in hand. The better your organization, the more likely you are to succeed as an appliance repair technician.
Persistence: You keep working at a challenge until you find a solution, and when one approach fails, you try another and another until you succeed.
Pride: You take pride in a job well done, knowing it reflects positively on your employer as well as on yourself.
Honesty: Your ethics are above reproach. You own up to your mistakes and correct errors without complaint.
Personality: You are courteous, respectful, and cheerful to every customer, dealing tactfully with their concerns and complaints. Superior customer service is in your DNA.
These are just a few of the intangible qualifications potential employers will be seeking in their technicians. They’re not taught in classrooms or in online appliance repair programs, but they are big pluses to your future employer and may well tip the scale in your favor in a hiring decision.
Do you resonate with the description above? If so, check out what you can learn in our Core Appliance Repair Training course!