Do you enjoy fixing things and working with your hands? A job as a maintenance technician could be right for you. Here’s what you need to know before tackling this role.
What Does a Maintenance Technician Do?
As the name suggests, maintenance technicians maintain physical spaces. They may work in manufacturing plants, warehouses, office buildings, apartment complexes, or other facilities such as hospitals, airports, or retail spaces. Maintenance technicians must keep their areas safe, tidy, and in good working order. Duties vary depending on the working environment. For example, in factories, maintenance technicians may spend much of their day testing and fixing machinery. On the other hand, apartment complexes, may primarily assist residents with home repairs.
What Skills Do You Need for This Role?
Maintenance technicians should have a combination of technical and soft skills plus a willingness to learn. Helpful qualities include:
- Technical Aptitude
Maintenance technicians may be required to repair anything from a broken conveyor belt to a plugged toilet. Therefore, they should have a good understanding of mechanical and electrical systems, plumbing, carpentry, and more. Although general knowledge is helpful, many maintenance technicians specialize in a certain area. - Physical Stamina
Maintaining a building or space usually involves lots of physical activity. Most maintenance technicians are on their feet throughout the day. They may need to move heavy objects, crawl into small spaces, climb ladders, use tools, sweep, shovel and clean. - Problem Solving
Top maintenance technicians are persistent, creative and resourceful. They can quickly identify problems and work toward solutions. In some cases, they may even predict issues in advance and thus prevent unnecessary breakdowns. - Communication
Strong communication skills are essential also. Maintenance technicians must listen and ask questions so they understand exactly what is going wrong. Additionally, they need to relay information back to facility managers, other employees, customers and vendors. This requires a combination of both written and verbal aptitude. - Flexibility
A day in the life of a maintenance technician seldom is predictable. Sometimes, everything will seem to go wrong at once. As a result, successful professionals must prioritize their duties. They may find themselves shifting from a less to a more important project several times throughout a single day.
How Do You Become a Maintenance Technician?
Some maintenance technicians hold a high school diploma or GED, while others have an associate degree. However, on-the-job training is vital. The more technical skills and experience you have, the more valuable you will be. Certifications can be useful too as these prove you have a given standard of expertise. The Certified Maintenance & Reliability Technician (CMRT) and the International Maintenance Institute’s Certification (IMI) both have testing fees in the $300 range.
Are You Interested in Getting a Job as a Maintenance Technician?
Halpin Staffing Services is searching for talented maintenance technicians to fill jobs throughout Southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois. We place top candidates in industrial, commercial and residential settings. Browse all our available openings and discover your right-fit opportunity today!
