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HVAC Industry Offers Exciting New Challenge For People Seeking Mid-Career Transitions
For people considering mid-career changes, the HVAC industry offers an exciting change of scenery and set of new problems to solve.
HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. HVAC service technicians install, maintain, and repair heating and A/C systems on residential and commercial properties. Also known as HVAC mechanics, HVAC service technicians commonly address problems with refrigeration and ventilation systems.
If you think about it, life would be a lot more challenging without heating and air conditioning. Consider all of the events you couldn’t organize, the ability to operate public schools throughout the year, and power to fuel hospitals in big city centers – from keeping a single family warm in their home each night to powering five-star restaurants on the Las Vegas strip, HVAC technicians play a key role in keeping society running.
What Certifications Do I Need to Work In HVAC?
Compared to other careers, making a mid-career transition to HVAC requires a minimal amount of formal education, and therefore, a reduced monetary investment!
Usually, HVAC technicians should obtain a degree from a trade school or take a certain course sequence to obtain a certification. Research learning institutions like community colleges in your area, as well as online programs, that offer accelerated or standard certification programs in HVAC education.
Fortunately, JAC Services is committed to providing on-the-job training. When applying to our HVAC company during a mid-career transition, be sure to ask about our apprenticeship and education programs.
What Are The Best Parts Of Working In HVAC?
There are numerous benefits to making a mid-career switch to the HVAC industry. To start, HVAC technicians generally encounter a different problem every day. Often, they can use previous strategies to resolve similar problems. Other times, different variables make the challenge more difficult to resolve. HVAC careers may be appealing to someone coming from a role in consulting or design.
People who enjoy constantly moving and enjoy manual labor will thrive in an HVAC role. Sometimes, HVAC technicians can plan out the course of their day or week. In other scenarios, they may be responding to an emergency. Consider, for example, how important HVAC technicians can be in the moments after power is restored following a natural disaster.
Working in HVAC involves interacting with customers. Typically, there is a sense of immediate gratification one experiences when they resolve a problem, thereby making someone’s day a lot easier. HVAC careers are here to stay, and the job security (and benefits) they provide are an additional asset.
Finally, HVAC is an industry where owners and managers seek to grow leaders from within the company. There are many skill sets that people bring into an HVAC position after making a mid-career transition. Their specialized knowledge could make them qualified for leadership or additional responsibility.
What are The Best Tips For Making A Mid-Career Transition Into HVAC?
People making a mid-career transition into an HVAC position may have a slightly different outlook than those who entered the industry in the earlier stages of their careers. We’re sharing the following tips to empower those who are preparing for a mid-career transition to give HVAC at JAC Services further consideration.
Tip #1: Believe In Your Ability To Learn From Anyone
As a “newcomer” to the HVAC industry, it is important to view peers as potential teachers. Believing in your ability to learn from anyone means letting go of assumptions regarding someone’s age and perceived level of intellect. There will likely be instances when one of your colleagues may need to correct or redirect you. Instead of becoming defensive, welcome constructive criticism as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Tip #2: Be Open To Trying Things In New Ways
Maybe you held a leadership role in your previous career. Maybe you refined a particular system or streamlined processes for different organizations as a consultant or engineer. Making a mid-career transition to HVAC will require a certain element of humility, of understanding that one is, in essence, “starting over” again. Feel invigorated by new ways of doing things, instead of threatened. The fact that you could make such a smooth mid-career transition to HVAC shows that your skills are desired, so stay level-headed and lean into your creative faculties.
Tip #3: Prioritize Safety
Okay, well, maybe don’t lean too far over. When working with any type of mechanical or electrical equipment, safety is of the utmost importance. Part of your HVAC education will review critical safety protocols designed to keep you, your colleagues, and your clients safe from harm.
Tip #4: Ask For Help When Necessary
If you’re ever unsure about anything where a wrong decision could cause harm, don’t move forward. Ask for help. This is part of prioritizing safety. Sure, it can feel embarrassing to ask for help when, in your previous career, you may have been the point of contact people went to for help in a certain area. The wisest people know that they will always know less than there is to know. Asking for help can also save a lot of time, which is valuable currency in the HVAC world.
Tip #5: Prove Yourself To Be A Reliable Worker
Where your lived experience falls short, compensate with your hustle and willingness to learn. In many situations, a supervisor may reach out to a crew of HVAC technicians looking to schedule an emergency visit. It may be worthwhile to volunteer to go on last-minute appointments or bookings that fall outside conventional daytime hours.
Many HVAC technicians work as members of a team, particularly in larger buildings like skyscrapers, convention centers, and stadiums. Do your best to take the same motivation and effort you brought to your previous position (or, ideally, more) into your new HVAC position, and you will likely be rewarded for it with opportunities for leadership, salary increases, or benefits. Of course, gaining the respect of your more-experienced colleagues might be the most valuable benefit of all.
Making a successful mid-career transition to the HVAC industry involves a certain set of skills that many honed in their previous positions: thinking critically, solving complex problems, and responding quickly. If you’re interested in becoming a part of the JAC Services team, click here to apply for entry-level or experienced technician positions.
You can also watch this video to see what our current employees say about our awesome work dynamic! Make sure to follow JAC Services on Facebook and LinkedIn and read more about HVAC careers in our blog, which we update regularly.
