Introduction
When it comes to starting a career in industrial maintenance, the first question to ask yourself is: What specific area of industrial maintenance are you most interested in? Remember, your interest is crucial in choosing a career path, and your decision is valid and essential.
- Electrical
- Fabrication/Welding
- Mechanic
The list can continue as you get more niche, depending on what industry you are doing maintenance in, but these are the basics of what you will find in your search.
Regardless of your current or future role, here’s a suggested pathway to enter the field without formal education or favoritism. Start by securing a job that allows you to engage with the maintenance team. Assist with tool management or provide additional support. Over time, spanning months or even years, you’ll gradually grasp the intricacies of various tasks. This gradual learning process is critical to your effective contribution and career progression. Eventually, you’ll be proficient enough to handle these tasks independently.
Once you’ve gained some knowledge and experience in the field and perhaps even made some connections, consider applying for a role in industrial maintenance. With your growing expertise and network, you’ll have a decent chance of securing a position.
Schooling
Another option for getting into the field is to go to trade school. While this part requires more upfront costs, it may get you into the job faster. I can not speak on this section, but it may be your option.
It’s important to note that certain positions in industrial maintenance, such as electricians, may require formal schooling in some places. This is a very good thing, as wiring up 480v systems backward could cause thousands in damages or even hurt people. Another benefit to schooling for certain things is having more career options. Almost every city you go to will have some electricians, and that is just a fact of modern society.
With the trades, schooling is different from going to college. In most cases, you will have a certain threshold of hours you have to complete class time and another threshold of hours on the job until you are considered a journeyman or a master in that trade, and with that comes different licensing.
Most of what I have talked about is the general skills you gain from going to a trade school, but there may also be tests you have to take that going to school may save you a lot of time on. For example, welding: You don’t need any schooling to learn to weld, and that may be how you like it, but it might take you years to get proficient enough to pass a boiler work or structural certification test.
Conclusion
Whatever path you choose to get into industrial maintenance is up to you. Just know that some jobs may require a hybrid approach. There are pros and cons to every way of getting into the field, but the end goal is to get into the field. Choose what best suits you, and if you go with one or the other or even a hybrid approach, best of luck to you in your journey. Stay safe out there, and watch out for your coworkers.