HVAC Training and Programs | An HVAC Career as Your Second Career

An HVAC Career as Your Second Career

I was perusing my favorite HVAC information hotbeds today and I stumbled across a really interesting conversation. How old, asked someone in the midst of their HVAC training, is too old to start an HVAC career? He was concerned that at 38 he was past his HVAC prime.

The forum was full brief anecdotes of HVAC technicians’ first forays into the field; many got their feet wet in the family business as youths (and sometimes even as children) and stuck with it for decades to come. Others started HVAC training out of high school or in their early-20s. As the HVAC publication The News reported last year, the average age of HVAC techs is around 41. Does that leave room for older men and women already past the average looking to start a second career in the HVAC industry?

Those in the business acknowledge that breaking into the industry after the age of 35 or 40 is unusual, but not frowned upon. You may be surrounded by a bunch of young bucks in your HVAC training classes, but if that doesn’t bother you, have at it! As one forum member explained, “I don’t see anything wrong with being your age and getting into HVAC as long as you’re determined.”

The Major Pros of HVAC as Your Second Career

  • You have years of job experience and marketable skills that younger HVAC applicants lack.
  • You consciously picked HVAC as a career, rather than stumbling into it because it is available. You will have more direction than some of your younger colleagues.

Some Cons to Think About

  • You may not be able to fulfill some of the physical requirements of an HVAC technician the older you get. Think lots of heavy lifting and crawling into tight spaces. Ouch!
  • There is a chance that you will be a subordinate of someone younger than you… potentially much younger than you.
  • Consider any pay cuts you will be taking by starting a second career at the entry level. Can you afford it?

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