How Do I Become a Maintenance Scheduler?

A maintenance scheduler is a highly organized person who works within a company to schedule and dispatch personnel for maintenance purposes or even emergency services purposes. In order to become a maintenance scheduler, you will first need to complete a high school education. Pay close attention to language courses, and make sure you develop basic math skills as well. You will need to learn how to communicate effectively and stay organized, even during stressful situations. After high school, you will probably need to earn a post-secondary certificate or even a college degree to become a maintenance scheduler.

If you plan on entering the emergency services field, you will need to research the specific requirements that will allow you to become a maintenance scheduler, as they may go above and beyond other typical qualifications. You may need to be trained, for example, in first aid techniques, CPR, and police or emergency services codes. You may also need to take classes on handling emergency situations and interacting with panicked callers; crisis management is an important skill to develop if you want to become a maintenance scheduler or dispatcher within the emergency services industry.

Other jobs not within the emergency services realm will require you to have skills in clerical work and communication. You may or may not need a professional certificate or college education, depending on the company for which you want to work. A maintenance planner will need to be able to do basic math and communicate with drivers and service workers via the phone or other communication devices, and computer skills will almost always be necessary if you want to become a maintenance scheduler so you can keep track of invoices, work orders, and other relevant information. Taking a course at a local community college to learn how to use word processing and spreadsheet programs is a good idea if you are unfamiliar with computer programs.

A familiarity with the types of equipment used by the service workers, as well as the weight capacities of the trucks that will haul the equipment is preferred. You will need to determine what equipment is necessary for a particular job and which trucks must be used in order to transport that equipment. You may also be responsible for assigning service workers to specific jobs, so you will need to know how each operation is done and with what equipment. If more equipment is necessary to complete a job once it is underway, you will be responsible for finding that equipment and dispatching it to a work site.