What are the best maintenance technician qualifications and training to get ahead?

What is the best training for becoming a maintenance technician? What types of ongoing training or certifications are necessary to be an effective maintenance technician?

What do non-traditional career paths look like?

I am looking for information that could help with upcoming interview for Multi-Family residential Maintenance Technician posistion.

I have found a local Junior College that offers several different Technician training curricula (aviation maintenance, building construction, Electronic engineering, manufacturing engineering, facilities, etc.). These courses are available online to some extent. I personally took individual classes on an "as needed" basis, an adult education welding course through a local high school, a basic home wiring course through the same high school, a PLC's and ladder logic course through the college, a hydraulic and pneumatics course through the same college. The best training I received along the way was by asking so many questions that the old timers got sick of me and spilled their guts to get rid of me!!

I spent 4 months of nights and weekends at Quality school of Air-Conditioning in Las Vegas while I worked days doing start-ups and easy warranty-service calls at a large AC installer in new construction. Best payoff on an investment of time I ever had. I work in apartment maintenance now, and with that technical diploma and the skills that came with it, I know I have a job even with 10% unemployment because not everybody has these specialized skills.

Host said: What is the best training for becoming a maintenance technician? What types of ongoing training or certifications are necessary to be an effective maintenance technician?

What do non-traditional career paths look like?

The best training that you can have to be a maintenance tech with no expierence is to first home in your electrical skills. You need to be able to change any electrical component. From a light switch to timer...Also need to have welding and fabrications skills. For there will be times that you will need to modify exiting equipment. And last but not least, plumbing! Many times in my career as a maintenance tech i have been subject to deal with everything from pvc to hard piping. You truly never stop learning as a maintenance tech and your often being throwed into something you have never seen. Hydraulics and Pnuematics are a plus to.

Host said: What is the best training for becoming a maintenance technician? What types of ongoing training or certifications are necessary to be an effective maintenance technician?

What do non-traditional career paths look like?

These are the things that you would need to look into when thinking about getting into this field; welding (mig ,tig, stick and cutting), machine shop ( lathe, mill and other machine shop tools), electrical, hydraulics, pneumatics, mill wright rigging and PLC'S. I hope this informationwas of use to you. If you have any other questions please feel free to shoot me an email.

I have acquired many maintenance skills over the years such as HVAC/R, component level electrical, plumbing, pumps, heaters, low pressure boilers, preventive maintenance, and good problem solving skills, I have been out of work since May 2011 if anyone needs a good building, facilities, or hospital maintenance equipment mechanic please contact me asap,
Thank you

Michael

militaryfu@gmail.com

I was wondering what would be the troubleshooting process for a VFD? Has been the question in a couple interviews. I have taken an atc course for industrial automation and cant land a maintenance job to save my life please help..