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If you are the kind of person who likes to feel useful, has a technical mindset, and enjoys working with your hands, a career as a field service technician could be the path for you. In this profession, you will be responsible for things like showing customers how to use equipment, troubleshooting issues with said equipment, and creating reports of customer service calls.

what do field service technician jobs entail?

As a field service technician, you will be responsible for troubleshooting, testing, repairing, and of course, servicing equipment. You will need to have a technical mindset and a skill for problem-solving, as a good part of your job will involve diagnosing technical problems and determining the best solution. This can sometimes mean finding "stopgap" solutions (if possible), such as in situations where customers can't afford to have their equipment out of commission, but there will be a wait for necessary parts to arrive.

what is a typical work schedule for field service technicians

You can expect to work an average of 40 hours per week as a field service technician, and, for the most part, those 40 hours will be within regular business hours. Your job will involve travel—this being the primary difference between a service technician and a field service technician—though that travel should mostly take place within those regular business hours. That being said, overtime is common in this profession, so always make sure you are clear what kind of schedule you are agreeing to when you accept a new job. You will likely be responsible for answering technical support calls occasionally, so you will not be travelling all of the time.

what are the pros of field service technician jobs?

• Pay potential: While the average salary of a field service technician is not particularly high, the potential (indeed, often the requirement) for overtime means that this profession can lead to quite high pay. You will have to be willing to work those extra hours, of course, but for someone who is prepared to do so, the earning potential is significant.
• Changes of scenery: Being a field service technician involves a lot of travel. You will find yourself constantly in new places, which for the right kind of person can be a real positive. If you're not the kind of person who enjoys sitting at a desk all day, every day, this profession gives you the opportunity to be out and about for a lot of the time.
• Meet new people: Another byproduct of all the travelling you will have to do is that you will constantly be meeting new people. There will be regular customers, of course, but you will also be helping new faces with their equipment. If you like to meet new people, being a field service technician will give you the chance to do so.

what are the cons of field service technician jobs?

• A lot of travel: While there are advantages to the remote aspects of this job, as mentioned above, there is no escaping the fact that travelling to those locations can be a negative point for even the most eager travellers. You will find yourself on the road a lot, so this is not a profession for someone who does not like travelling.
• Overtime is common: The nature of the profession means you will likely see a lot of overtime. This is good if you are looking to increase your earning potential, but if you are looking for a reliable and consistent schedule, this may not be the kind of thing you want from your job.
• Pressure: For the most part, you will be working alone when you head out to answer service calls. This means that you will have to find ways to solve the problems you encounter without any help, and you will often have customers waiting for you to do so, which can put a lot of pressure on you to perform in the moment.

what are common field service technician interview questions?

When interviewing for a field service technician position, there are a number of questions you will likely be asked, such as whether you have a driving licence. These questions are straightforward, but there are other more open questions that can catch you off-guard if you are not prepared for them. Here are some common interview questions you should be prepared to answer;

• How are you with people? As we've mentioned already, your job will involve dealing with new people on a regular basis, making your ability to make good first impressions and get on well with strangers an important one. You may be asked to explain how you would deal with a particular situation as part of this question.
• What are your biggest weaknesses? With this question, resist the urge to make yourself out to be faultless, as your interviewer almost certainly won't believe that. We all have our weaknesses. Instead, be honest but show that you are actively working on your weaknesses, and explain what you do to prevent your weaknesses from affecting your work.
• Can you tell us a little about yourself? Don't just talk aimlessly about hobbies and interests here. Keep your answer centred around things that are relevant to your role, such as things that show your initiative and examples of how good you are with people.

field service technician resume and cover letter requirements

Your resume should contain all the basic information your potential employer will need to know, such as qualifications and experience. Your cover letter gives you an opportunity to expand on that basic information. Remember, this will be what gives your prospective employer their first impression of you. Make sure your resume includes the following;

• Name and contact information
• Brief summary of experience/skills
• Employment history
• Education/qualifications
• Awards/certifications
• Examples of accomplishments
• Current driving licence status
• Work-related skills

In your cover letter, expand on key elements of your resume, such as qualifications you have and previous experience you've gained. Also, try to touch on reasons why you feel you would be a good fit for the company, showing you've done your research on them in the process.

what is the job outlook for field service technicians?

The overall job outlook for this profession is good, with the demand for field service technicians expected to increase in the coming decade. That being said:

• Individual jobs are more dependent on the industry they are in, as field service technicians are needed across a wide range of industries, and some of those industries are in decline.
• As far as advancement goes, experience as a field service technician provides a solid starting point to advance into a career as a mechanical or electrical engineer.
• Another possibility is to move into management, leading a team of service technicians, or you could move into technical sales, putting your experience with the equipment you've been servicing to use in a marketing environment.

what are the different types of field service technician jobs?

Depending on your way of looking at it, the profession of field service technician either has no types or hundreds of types. The job itself is broadly the same regardless of the industry you are working in, but the specifics of that job will vary depending on what sector you work in, what equipment you specialise in, and what kinds of customers you have. As an example, a mechanical field service technician in the industrial sector will have a very different experience to an electrical field service technician in the commercial sector. Other specialties include communications, audiovisual, and computer field service technicians.

• Field service technician 
• Service technician
• Forklift service technician
• Hardware service technician
• 310S/310T technician

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what is the average salary for a field service technician?

The average salary for a field service technician in Canada is around $47,000 per year. This is based on an average of 40 hours per week at a typical hourly rate of $24. This is around $20,000 per year lower than the national average, but there will typically be plenty of opportunities to increase that amount with overtime. The highest earners in this profession in Canada—through experience and additional hours—earn around $70,000 per year, while entry-level positions are a little under $38,000.

average field service technician salaries in canada

• annual: $47,000
• monthly: $3,840
• weekly: $960
• hourly: $24

Top paying areas for field service technicians in Canada include: Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Alberta.

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what are the duties and responsibilities of field service technicians?

Field service technicians have a number of core responsibilities and will often be left to ensure those responsibilities are met, making it important to have a good work ethic and self-motivation. Some of the responsibilities you will have in this role include;

• Provide customer support when on field visits: When called out for technical problems, you may need to provide customer support while you are there. This is especially the case when the problems being encountered are a direct result of things like not knowing how to properly operate the equipment.
• Troubleshoot, test, repair, and service technical equipment: The most common reason you will be called out to a customer will be to resolve technical issues. This will involve testing and troubleshooting the equipment in order to find the problem, as well as determining the best solution to that problem. Servicing is also a big part of the job, as this can prevent future problems from occurring.
• Diagnose technical problems and other errors: A crucial part of fixing a problem is knowing what the problem is. You will need to be able to diagnose the cause of the issue before you can attempt to repair it or offer advice to the customer.
• Come up with solutions for technical problems and errors: Once you are done troubleshooting and have come up with the necessary plan of attack, it will be your responsibility to execute that plan, or present available options to the customer.
• Drive safely and responsibly: Your work as a field service engineer will involve a lot of travel, which means you will spend a lot of time behind the wheel of a car. As with all instances of operating a vehicle, you will be expected to drive safely and responsibly.
• Work with technical teams: You are likely to find yourself having to work with in-house technical staff in the course of your career, especially if your customers are often large companies. In these situations, you will need to be able to work well with them.
• Maintain positive relationships with customers: When out on a service call, you are essentially representing your employer and will need to be able to maintain a positive relationship with the customer.

where do field service technicians typically work?

You will spend most of your time as a field service technician working at customer's locations, meaning that the type of environment you will be working in is not only likely to change from day to day, but will largely be determined by the type of field service technician you are. If you are a mechanical technician working with industrial equipment, you will mostly be working in factories and workshops. If you are an electrical technician in the commercial sector, you should find most of your work is in climate-controlled buildings. You will also be driving a lot, which is why it is not uncommon for this kind of role to come with a company vehicle.

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what skills and competencies do field service technicians need?

There are many core competencies you will need in this profession, most of which can be developed over time. Probably the most important ones are listed here;

• Problem solving: You will be called out to attempt to put right problems that customers are having, and it will not always be a straightforward problem or solution. Being good at problem-solving will make this part of your job much easier.
• Communication skills: Dealing with different people and teams of people on a regular basis makes communication skills essential if you want to be effective in your role.
• Temperament: Working with a range of different systems and people will inevitably turn up situations that are frustrating from time to time. It is important that you are able to keep your cool in these moments.
• Good under pressure: You may find yourself under pressure from your manager or customers to get work done in a particular timeframe, making working well under pressure a good skill to have.
• Ability to drive: Your job will involve a lot of travelling, and it will not be practical to do this travelling without being able to operate a vehicle.

what training and certifications do field service technicians need?

It is possible to get into a career as a field service technician with nothing more than a high school diploma, though it will be largely dependent on the particular industry and field you will be working in. As a general rule, if you want to work with complex equipment, such as computer systems or heavy industrial machinery, you should expect to need at least an associate's degree in a relevant subject for this profession.

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