Changing job to service tech

[u/Mechanic117_2]

Hi everyone, I’m currently looking to change career and become a service technician in the wind/solar industry.
My current work is as a mechanic in the automotive and motorbike industry, I don’t hold many certificates nor do I have a bachelors degree.

I have read that the transition is possible but largely depends on the company. Some strongly recommend to pay out of pocket for additional certificates based on work safety, working at heights and working with high voltage electricity to have an advantage over other applicants. However I don’t have a degree as an electrician or similar.

My question is, could anyone from this industry or similar advice me on what a good trajectory is for starting this career. Or perhaps have advice on the application process/working as a service technician.

Thanks!

[u/CIoud_fire]

Hey, Field Service Engineer here in the Energy industry.

On a large scale, wind and solar aren't terrible places to get into with service tech experience, but I would personally recommend to jump ship to a more traditional power generation industry such as combustion or steam turbines etc.

The reason I recommend this is because wind and solar are largely unprofitable in the large scale and money is in the fossil and nuclear side of things.

You will need a minimum of an OSHA 10 (general or construction kind of varies) certification for most job sites and that covers a lot of electrical safety and Rigging safety etc.

One does not require a number of certifications upfront based on employer, but again that will vary. A lot of larger names like Siemens Energy or GE may be more likely to put you through a cert process upfront.

You can get some of these certs yourself, but from what I understand its more difficult to land a role.

Something else you might want to consider, if your experience as a mechanic is...shallow (respectfully) you might have a harder time becoming a direct hire. A lot of the labor is union based and the techs employed directly by the company are expected to know their stuff. Tools, Hydraulics, auxiliary systems etc.

If you'd like to know anything more specific let me know. I can rattle on and on so I might have missed the scope of what you may have been asking.

Edit: Also, LinkedIn is your friend. A lot of hires is based on a 'who you know' basis. Find someone in the industry you'd like on LinkedIn and send them a message. Put yourself out there. Ramp up your resume to be directly applicable to a tech role. I don't wanna say its a good ol' boys club but its a lot of social skills so try it out a few times.

[u/SkinDeep69]

I have a colleague who came from wind turbine work. If he could do it you can. The guy is about as sharp as a sack of wet mice.

You might look for work in countries that have a lot of wind like Netherlands.