How Do I Become a Field Technician?

Some college education, on-the-job training, and people skills are all required for you to become a field technician. This unique profession normally involves a lot of travel to customer offices or job sites to solve any product failures, from heavy construction machinery to security systems. The technician is typically an independent worker helping numerous clients during a work day. This position entails product troubleshooting, repair, and possible replacement to ensure customer satisfaction.

Most future technicians earn a two year degree that relates to the field work involved. Extremely technical positions, such as field computer system repairs, may require a degree in computer technology. Workers who want to become a field technician able to repair large construction machines may earn a degree in engine or heavy equipment repair. This education provides a solid background for successful field repairs and customer interaction.

Some specialized field industries, such as oil and gas, may prefer to train a potential technician on the job. Although the worker may have a degree, certain procedures in industry niches require internal training from an experienced colleague. Confidential engineering and repair techniques may be shared with the person training to become a field technician so that a specific product line is serviced correctly in the future.

Most field technicians work independently throughout the day; many of their daily interactions are with customers rather than colleagues. As a result, the technician must have solid people skills so that he or she can maintain a level of professionalism while staying productive. Impatient people may not be suited to become a field technician since daily composure is needed to keep customers happy and products working within specification.

A future field technician must stay fairly calm so that he or she is not frustrated by a malfunctioning machine. Successful field workers will begin with simple troubleshooting processes to eliminate basic problems. For example, an intermittently running security system may have a loose power wire; the technician should recognize this problem immediately so that the customer's system is running normally as quickly as possible.

Another key route to become a field technician is learning extensively about equipment used in the field. The technician should be able to take a product completely apart and reassemble it correctly. This product tear down process will allow the technician to see all the mechanical and electronic features that can possibly fail. Future field repairs can be streamlined with internal product knowledge.