College was never the only path to success. There are many other nontraditional avenues to success, and I had the privilege of blindly venturing down one myself.
My path included a short stint in college, then trade school, an apprenticeship, a role building a training program, a managerial role running a branch, and ultimately a leadership role running a large region of companies. I started my career as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician, and I didn’t think I’d ever be able to lead a group of amazing companies covering five states.
13 years of HVAC experience
I have been in the HVAC industry for 13 years, currently serving as the vice president of the Northern Region at Leap Partners. My journey has been a long one, requiring perseverance, hard work, and a willingness to take whatever opportunities were thrown at me.
I would be lying if I said it was easy, but it sure has been worth it. Although it has been rewarding, I did feel as though I was blindly finding my way. Early on, I didn’t know what my career options were.
training programs and courses
While this may demand several years of dedication, the ultimate rewards make it worthwhile
There were so many assumptions I had that were ultimately wrong. A college degree is not mandatory for entering the HVAC field, but it does necessitate a commitment to various training programs and courses.
While this may demand several years of dedication, the ultimate rewards make it worthwhile. I firmly believe that the technician’s role comes with numerous personal and financial advantages that the public may not be aware of:
1. Financial Benefits
Who is interested in saving tens of thousands of dollars? Attending a trade school or becoming an apprentice is an option that is only a fraction of the cost of attending a traditional university. I was able to avoid a huge financial burden and start my career debt-free.
In my opinion, going to a traditional college can cause some young people to rack up debt and find themselves trying to climb out of an unnecessary hole when starting. This makes it so people are just focused on the daily grind of trying to pay bills and miss awesome career opportunities.
Driven, reliable, and enthusiastic tradesperson
Additionally, because these roles are in high demand, they pay much more than most other jobs
Additionally, HVAC careers and other careers in the trades are very lucrative because they are in high demand. You can throw a rock and hit dozens of companies that will bend backward to hire a driven, reliable, and enthusiastic tradesperson, even if you have no experience.
Additionally, because these roles are in high demand, they pay much more than most other jobs that don’t require a college degree and more than some jobs that do require a college degree.
2. Career Flexibility
I can assure you that jobs in the trades can be highly flexible compared to other traditional 9-5 jobs in an office.
The off-seasons that come with the HVAC industry allow my colleagues and me to work hard during the peak season and then take extended breaks and develop a healthy work-life balance if we want. Or, you can keep your nose to the grindstone the whole year, whatever works for you and your family.
Develop specialization
Something else that attracted me to this career was the flexibility to do something different every day
Something else that attracted me to this career was the flexibility to do something different every day. Or if you like mastering a skill, you can develop deep specialization in certain areas.
This flexibility doesn’t exist in all careers, and most don’t think of it when they think of the trades.
3. Growth Opportunities
It might not seem obvious, but there are a lot of growth opportunities in the trades. Most people think only of the traditional, linear career paths of apprentice, tradesperson then master tradesperson.
This is a great path, but I want people to know that there are many more options to try a lot of different jobs than it may seem.
Experience and exposure
You can work in different business units from customer maintenance to service to installation
I have worked in my current job at Leap Partners to help build a flexible career path so a technician can get experience and exposure to all aspects of the business. You can work in different business units from customer maintenance to service to installation.
There are rewarding managerial roles running departments, sales roles, leadership roles running branches or regions, and entrepreneurial opportunities to own businesses.
Equipment, technology, and techniques
Also, even if you have the same job, things are always changing. Equipment, technology, and techniques are constantly evolving, so there is always a need to improve your skills and learn new things. I love this aspect of the job, and it has kept me on my toes.
I always recommend participating in new training programs and working to get new certifications. I am a firm believer that, if you work hard, opportunities will come your way. However, to grow you have to be open-minded and prepared to tackle opportunities when they show up.
An excellent choice
Overall, a career in HVAC or any of the other trades is an excellent choice if you are looking for a flexible path to success in an ever-growing industry. I am grateful that Leap Partners makes an effort to be one of the top places to work for tradespeople while also building out a robust, flexible career path. This allows me to continue to gain personal and professional skills as I enter new chapters of my career.
I would encourage anyone interested in a profession in HVAC, plumbing, or electrical to give it a try. You may surprise yourself and find a passion you didn’t know existed. I did!