Have you been spending countless hours trying to decide what career path you should choose to travel? Did someone recently mention becoming an HVAC technician to you as a possibility for your future, but you don’t feel that you can adequately consider this profession until you know more about it? Are you ready to do some research of your own so that you can learn what you need to know about this potential career path? If you said yes to each of these career pertinent questions, then you will definitely want to continue reading to better plot your career and educational path.
First of all, it is important to understand that to become trained as an HVAC technician you will want to attend a vocational learning institute, as opposed to a traditional college or university. In addition, while the acronym HVAC is used to represent heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, it is often used synonymously with the acronym HVACR, which stands for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. No matter which of these specific technician titles you pursue, you will find yourself working with the previously mentioned components as a means of providing a climate controlled environment. It is also important to note that while some technicians choose to specialize in either maintenance or installation, it is not a requirement and you may choose to perform both types of services in order to stay busy. It is also common for individuals in this industry to choose an area of specialty, such as commercial refrigeration, solar panels, or hydroponics. Again, this is not a requirement for this profession, but specialized training may help you and your services stand out against other technicians.
Based on online research related to this profession, the number of available positions in this industry is expected to continue growing throughout the next several years. Keep in mind, your chances of employment will be greatly increased if you have completed formal HVAC training program relative to the work that you will be performing. As an HVAC or HVACR technician you can expect to be required to install new systems, to perform maintenance on existing systems, to diagnose difficulties that a customer is experiencing and to develop a plan for resolving the problem, or to take out and replace parts of the system that are not working properly. In this profession you will be required to have a solid knowledge of the mechanical components, the electrical components, and the electronic components that make up a system that you are working on or installing.
Although you can expect to work a somewhat typical work week in this profession, you will likely find it necessary to be on call for your customers should they have difficulty. It is also important to understand that this occupation can be somewhat seasonal. However, you may want to help maintain your business’s cash flow by performing maintenance on systems when they are not being used.