What it takes to be a field service technician

We’ve already written about hot industries within field service management and some of the skills that hiring managers look for in field service workers, and now we’re going to take a somewhat similar angle for those interested in working in field service management.

Specifically: what does it take?

The core non-technical skills for field service technicians

We’ll address the technical skills in a second, but first let’s tackle the non-technical ones:

• Customer service abilities
• Ability to follow processes
• Ability to work with others

These are key because your job as a field service technician typically involves:

• Service calls and meeting with customers
• Following processes as relates to inventory, invoicing, and the like
• Working with the home office, dispatch, and others to maximize the experience for the ultimate customer

In short: if you have good people skills, know how to navigate potential customer complaints, and can work well with a wide variety of people, you’re a baseline good fit as a field service technician.

The core technical skills for field service technicians

These will vary by different industries within field service management -- say, refrigeration vs. computer repair -- but in general, here’s a snapshot of the key elements of the job via the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

The ‘experience’ aspect in that chart is important; many field service technicians begin at a very entry level, but it’s a job with a huge amount of long-term, on-the-job training. (Virtually every service call you do is another training element.) Typically, a specific degree is not required -- some enter the field with a high school education -- but employers typically do want some kind of industry-specific context or background (previously worked with that type of device, for example).

How can you position yourself to be a field service technician?

• Network: This is the most important aspect of any job search in the modern era. Go to local field service management organizations. Look them up on LinkedIn. Talk to people in the field. Offer to come along for free on a job just to learn (and help if need be). Show you’re interested to those with the ability to hire field service techs. This is not an industry where ‘the cold resume’ or ‘the cold call’ works; having connections and some experience and a desire to learn more will go a long way.
• Learn and take classes: If you’re interested in computer repair and a local university or community college has a few classes in it, take them. Or go to a computer repair center in town and see if there are opportunities to intern or gain knowledge without pay at first. (Employers are usually receptive to this.) Start to learn as much as you can and build to a place of compensation.
• Understand the trends: Concepts like the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile technology, and inventory software suites will continue to be major aspects of how exactly field service techs do their jobs. Learn about what these are and why and how they are best used. Ask questions. Experiment with them if you have the opportunity. If you’re learning about new trends while older field service techs are entrenched in the ways they learned the industry, you will soon be an asset. 

Written by Jim Hare