How to Become an Appliance Technician? A Quick Guide
Do you love tinkering with electronic gadgets or appliances? Are you interested to start a career as an appliance technician? Here’s a quick guide to help you as you explore this potentially lucrative career.
Driven by our dependence on home appliances, the household appliance segment is among the fastest-growing sectors. The industry is projected to reach $133,618 million in 2021 with user penetration forecasted to hit 26.2% by 2025. Alongside this steady growth is the increase in demand for appliance technicians.
The increasing prices of home appliances drive many homeowners to appliance repair and maintenance instead of purchasing new units. Services of certified technicians are most sought after in urban areas.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are around 121,700 job openings for home appliance installers and repairers. Although the job outlook is expected to decline by 1% in 2029, there are still many opportunities available to certified technicians. This makes it a perfect time to learn this skill and be certified.
Appliance technicians work on a range of electronic devices from TVs to refrigerators to washers to microwaves. You’re expected to be knowledgeable in the diagnosis, troubleshooting, repair, and maintenance of major appliances and their components. Likewise, you have to keep abreast with the manufacturer service updates and bulletins. Appliance repairers work on the mechanical, electronics, and electrical aspects of appliances.
Appliance technicians at Lake Mary appliance repair company emphasized that aside from technical know-how, you’ll also deal with people, particularly your customers. This makes it crucial to understand basic customer service.
Getting certified equips you with all the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to perform the job properly and safely. This also opens up more opportunities, whether you’ll work under an appliance repair company or work as a freelance appliance technician.
How to Become a Certified Appliance Technician
To become a certified appliance technician, there are several requirements that you need to meet.
1. Research Requirements
Although there’s no national standard when it comes to certified appliance technicians, different states and local jurisdictions set unique requirements. Likewise, individual employers and appliance manufacturers have unique qualifications for technicians.
2. Meet Educational Requirements
Usually, appliance repair technicians are required to have a high school diploma, supplemented by an applied technician training. However, some companies would require a technical or vocational course, particularly in electronics.
Courses that cover microcontrollers, electronic devices, and AC and DC electronics provide the best theoretical foundations. Ideally, you should choose a school that offers hands-on training to supplement the theories and gain practical experience. Typically, you can find practical training from community colleges, vocational schools, and adult education centers.
3. Get Certified
Once you have technical education, you can choose to specialize in certain types of appliances or get certified by manufacturers. However, these would require more in-depth, often manufacturer-specific training. But the benefits of getting certified make it a worthwhile investment. Being certified opens up more opportunities, including warranty work.
Aside from manufacturer certifications, some organizations offer certification programs in various electronics specialties. The International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET) and the Electronics Technicians Association International (ETA International) are two organizations that offer competency-based certifications. To get certified, you need to meet the minimum educational and experience requirements, as well as, pass an exam.
Certain appliances would require further training. For example, if you specialize in refrigerators, you might have to consider getting certified by the Environmental Protection Agency. This additional certification enables you to use EPA-regulated refrigerants and coolants.
To stay up-to-date with the latest technologies, you will also need to complete seminars and additional training. If you have a background in computer systems, plumbing, woodworking, electrical, and other technical skills, these would boost your services. Appliance repairers have unlimited opportunities to enhance their skill sets and competencies. Invest in improving your portfolio to further push your career.
4. Gain Experience
As with other crafts, education and training are not always sufficient to equip you with competencies. Newbie appliance technicians develop their skills through on-the-job training and apprenticeships, especially if you are unable to land a full-time job. The more appliances you diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair; the more proficient and confident you become.
It’s not enough that you have trained or are certified, you have to work on further honing your skills through constant work. This would help you become a competent and in-demand technician.
