When it comes to finding the right career in the electrical industry, you need to consider various options for specialization or job focus. Low voltage technicians enjoy a reliable and financially comfortable future if you approach your career with an eye toward long-term growth. These five tips for overall success can help you journey from a beginner to a specialized service provider with a bright future.
1 – Understand the Low Voltage Industry
From the very beginning, you need to understand the industry itself, career opportunities, and training needs in order to become a low-voltage technician in the first place. Take the time to learn about the skills you need to be successful. While you do not have to make all the decisions upfront, consider the possibilities of obtaining training from your future employers, taking advantage of a job placement program like ours to get your foot in the door, or begin in an adjacent industry like construction before specializing in low voltage.
2 – Look for a Staffing Company that Specializes Low Voltage
The decision to become a low voltage technician makes sense when you look at career growth statistics and rising salary levels. However, if you are not sure how to get started, there are staffing companies, such as Flex Tech, that will get you fully trained and on job sites very quickly. Utilizing a staffing firm can be a major benefit to landing a full-time position with a company quicker than usual.
3 – Consider Additional Training
One of the most attractive things about this career choice is the fact that you can start with little more than a high school diploma or GED. While training is necessary in order to learn all the necessary electrical and safety information, it does not take much to be a viable member of the workforce. This is an evolving field with lots of demand and future opportunity. Do not grow satisfied with minimal effort or education. Take some time to upgrade your existing skills and learn new ones even after you begin working.
Some low voltage technicians go on to become licensed electricians that can also work with high voltage systems. This is not necessary for your success but does open up additional career opportunities for the future.
4 – Plan to Work Hard but Protect Yourself
The safest type of electrical work still carries risk. It can be a physically demanding job that takes a lot out of you over the years. If you want to succeed in this career, you need to prepare yourself for a lot of physical exertion such as carrying equipment, bending and stretching, kneeling on hard floors, climbing ladders and driving from one project location to the next. Most trade jobs carry the risk of stress-related injuries over time. Protect yourself as much as possible by using the best gear and maintaining health in other ways.
If you want success in the low voltage field, you need to put in a lot of effort and time. Most salary expectations and job outlook predictions point to a high possibility of overtime work. This comes with expectations of long hours from many employers.
5 – Think About Starting Your Own Business (with Experience)
Working in a salaried or hourly pay position gives you many benefits. Security tops the list. However, if you have ever considered starting your own business, it is quite possible as a low voltage technician. Many people dream of becoming their own boss and having full control over the hours worked and the clients served.
In order to do this successfully, however, you need many other skills beyond technical work, reading blueprints and schematics, and diagnosing electrical problems. Business owners must handle things like financial matters related to contracts, sourcing materials and equipment from vendors, payroll and benefits, and marketing effectively to keep the money rolling in. Of course, employees frequently handle many of these tasks. You have to make sure you hire the right ones that can all work toward success together.
Success as a low voltage technician is within your grasp. Not only is it relatively simple to get started with the available training options, but the job also has a high outlook for employability and earnings. With a well-organized plan, job placement assistance, and your own hard-working attitude, you can succeed in this career choice.