Are you interested in becoming an electrician or HVAC/R technician? Employers are looking for crucial skills when hiring trade professionals. And Ohio Business College can help you hone your hard and soft skills to start you down the path to a rewarding career.

What is Soft vs Hard Skills?

The main difference between hard and soft skills is how you obtain and apply them in the workplace. Everyone must hone their soft and hard skills to perform their jobs better. Electricians, HVAC/R technicians, and trade professionals, in particular, need soft and hard skills to help them succeed in their craft.

Soft Skills – a set of personal attributes that allow trade professionals to interact with others in a professional environment. These skills can advance with time and experience.

Hard Skills – also known as technical skills, are learned through education and hands-on experience. For electricians and HVAC/R technicians, these include electrical wiring, installation of electrical wiring, cables, and HVAC systems.

Why are Skills Important?

Skills are essential for both self-improvement and career advancement.

Self-Improvement

Almost anyone can improve their skill set with practice and training. Developing your skills can allow you to enhance your attributes and qualities essential to workplace performance. You can begin your path to personal development by maximizing your potential while achieving your goals.

Receive Positive Feedback from Employers

If you develop your skills, employers will notice. Whether you are looking for a new job as an electrician or HVAC/R technician or want to advance in your career, employers consider skill advancement a primary criterion when hiring.

What Skills Are Employers Looking for in Trade Professionals?

Employers seek specific hard and soft skills in Electricians, HVAC/R technicians, and other trade professionals. Don’t have all of these skills already? Not to worry. You will hone your skills during a trade program at Ohio Business College.

How to Develop Hard Skills

Hard skills are acquired through hands-on training. For electricians and HVAC/R technicians, Ohio Business College offers trade programs with classroom lectures and hands-on training in real-life scenarios.

How to Develop Soft Skills

Developing soft skills is more complex but can be improved with feedback from instructors and employers. Once you know which soft skills to focus on, it is time to start honing them.

The soft skills employers are looking for include:

Communication

Trade professionals must share and receive information with supervisors, fellow tradespeople, and their customers. It starts with active listening. Before you begin speaking about a subject, listening and understanding the question or concern is essential. Electricians and HVAC/R technicians, for example, will work with customers, and they must understand what the customer wants before they start working on the project. They must listen for crucial information to help them complete the project on time, within budget, and to the customer’s specifications.

This includes both written and verbal communication. Many trade professionals will write reports and keep notes for future projects. It is also essential to convey proper body language. Look into the customer’s eyes and nod when they have something to add. This shows empathy and can help a customer trust you.

Attention To Detail

Practicing attention to detail means you consider everything that is part of the solution, regardless of how small the detail is. This can help trade professionals increase their productivity and reduce errors. Electricians and HVAC/R technicians work with electricity, and keeping everyone safe is a top priority. Paying great attention to detail will ensure electrical wiring is not compromised, and customers are safe in their homes.

Time Management

Good time management skills are essential for trade professionals who work in the field. Managing time properly allows them to complete work on time, prioritize projects, and communicate progress with supervisors. Staying organized can help a trade professional find what they need when needed, not wasting time searching for important information. They must also prioritize projects to manage emergencies promptly and not let customers be without critical resources.

Problem Solving

Electricians and HVAC/R technicians must improve their problem-solving skills to succeed in their trade. They must manage challenging situations and find solutions to complicated problems. If a light fixture is not working, the electrician must use a checklist to identify the problem and develop the proper solution methodically. It may be a burnt-out fuse, severed wire, or bulb issue. Identifying the problem is critical, and then developing the appropriate solution can keep everyone safe, considering trade professionals working with electricity in the residence.

Adaptability

Trade professionals must adjust to new situations and ideas quickly. Adaptable trade professionals can deal with all types of characters, collaborate with coworkers, and thrive regardless of their environment.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking allows the electrician or HVAC/R technician to properly assess the situation and develop creative solutions. With good essential thinking skills, trade professionals can interpret, evaluate, and analyze information to decide on the proper action to fix a problem.

Dependability

Customers don’t want to wait for electricians and HVAC/R technicians when they have a power outage or endure hot weather—being dependable means keeping promises and showing up on time. Trade professionals are also considered self-starters because employers depend on them to work autonomously and independently.

Patience

Electricians and HVAC/R technicians must be organized and patient when installing or repairing electrical equipment. Safety is the number one priority, and projects must be timely, so errors are not made.

Want to Learn More?

Electrician Program

At Ohio Business College, you can enroll in an electrical technician program that can prepare you for an entry-level position as an electrician, providing skills and services needed in various settings, including residential, commercial and industrial. Whether it’s wiring a new building, fixing an electrical problem, or getting old wiring up to code, Ohio Business College can get you the training you need to become employed as an electrical technician.

HVAC/R Program

If you have a passion for heating and cooling, working in the HVAC/R industry might just be for you. However, entering a career as potentially rewarding as HVAC/R all starts with a trade program. At Ohio Business College, we can help you gain the skills and knowledge that can serve as the foundation of a rewarding career as an HVAC/R technician.

If you are interested in a trade program, let Ohio Business College answer any questions you may have. Contact us today to learn more about our trade programs.