What Does a Power Generation Technician Do?

Power generation technicians are professionals who put generators — machines that convert mechanical energy into electricity to provide power — into place and try to identify and solve technical machine problems upon request. These individuals have to be analytical, possess strong customer service skills, and work well under pressure. A person who is interested in becoming a power generation technician should complete a two-year associate degree program in the industry.

A power generation technician chiefly is responsible for putting generators in place. Individuals in this industry have to install and start these machines correctly. For this reason, they need to have solid manual dexterity and be able to follow technical manuals efficiently. This type of technician additionally has to repair generators when necessary and thus might be required to be on call during non-traditional work hours, such as during the weekends or on weekday evenings.

Solid written communication skills are a must to be successful in this industry. A power generation technician not only has to set up new generators and fix up existing ones, but he or she also should be prepared to produce documents that include the location and time period in which a particular mechanic duty is completed as well as the details of the task performed. He or she needs to be accurate and detail-oriented to maintain these records for future reference.

Employees in this field need to adhere to regulations and industry standards that govern their work. A power generation technician should complete training on safety and health in the workplace and abide by company and government regulations to avoid job-related hazards. He or she has to be comfortable with wearing personal protective equipment such as goggles or gloves, for example. This type of professional also must be willing to complete continuing education courses available through vocational schools or community colleges to keep his or her skills current.

Constantly striving to help his or her company to succeed financially in the field is an important task in this career area as well. Power generation technicians always should report instances when components of their companies’ generators consistently do not work properly so that their businesses can analyze the reasons behind the breakdowns. This then enables the organizations to enhance their processes and to create superior products. In addition, a power generation technician must help his or her company’s sales team to emphasize the value of the organization’s products when interacting with current and potential customers.