Benefits of Apartment Maintenance Jobs
Apartment maintenance jobs can turn into amazing careers. They’re a perfect starting point if you want to become a supervisor, HVAC technician, electrician, or plumber. It’s an exciting job, with unique problems popping up every day that need equally unique solutions.
Being an apartment technician gives you the satisfaction of a finished project and a grateful customer. You become an indispensable part of creating an enjoyable experience and defining the brand you work for.
As an apartment Maintenance Technician, you have the opportunity for daily fulfillment. And the benefits don’t stop there. The job can have a positive impact on your personal, professional, and social life in several ways.
Great Pay and Benefits
An apartment maintenance position offers job security and excellent starting pay in most cases. When you become part of the Lewis family, you start at a competitive hourly rate, with bonus potential and annual salary reviews. We also provide all the tools you need to do your job and a variety of medical and retirement benefits, as well as best-in-class training to help you drive your career forward.
Practical Skills Development
When you work in apartment building maintenance, you get educated on a range of household systems. You learn electrical wiring, plumbing repair, carpentry and painting, HVAC units, and an endless array of techniques to maximize the comfort and function of a home.
Developing skills can help you transition into another property management role down the line, but it will have an immediate impact.
The knowledge you gain on the job goes home with you, and our technicians benefit from being able to apply their skills in ways that help themselves and their neighbors. When you have the skills to tackle problems at home without needing to call in professionals, you can save a ton of time and money over the long term.
Ongoing Education
It’s rare that any two days are the same as an apartment Maintenance Technician. Not only do you get to see new faces, but you also get to learn something with each project. Every day gives you a fresh perspective, a neat repair trick, or an intriguing idea, helping you stay engaged and break through the monotony of the normal 9 to 5.
How to Get Hired as an Apartment Maintenance Technician
Apartment maintenance jobs demand a deep bag of knowledge and a customer focus. Some days might give you five or more repair orders, making it critical for you to be competent, efficient, and safe across a variety of duties.
Essential skills and responsibilities you can expect to gain as an apartment maintenance technician include:
- Plumbing repair
- Appliance service and installation
- Wiring electrical fixtures
- HVAC maintenance
- Door and lock installation
- Drywall hanging and repair
- Groundskeeping
- Cleaning and sanitizing
- Snow removal
- Performing inspections
- Maintaining routine repair schedules and checklists
As a primary point of contact for emergency repairs, you may need to be on call for unexpected service calls.
Basic Requirements and Core Skills
You don’t need a college degree to get started in apartment building maintenance, but you will need a high school diploma or GED. Potential employers will look at any high school training that is relevant to the job duties, such as woodworking or computer courses.
Skills or experience in the following areas are all beneficial for landing an apartment maintenance job:
- Plumbing or electrical
- Carpentry
- Painting
- Landscaping
- Appliance repair
- Math and mechanical drafting
- Spreadsheet software
Technical knowledge is crucial, but the soft skills of the job are just as important. Technicians need a proactive attitude and a customer service mindset. They must be responsive to Lewis resident requests and maintain a positive attitude, even in tough situations.
Communication skills are as important for working with vendors and co-workers as they are for working with residents. Technicians need to maintain quality relationships with business partners. Doing so makes negotiations with contractors and suppliers as easy as possible.
Apartment management companies provide on-the-job training to help technicians apply their knowledge. New employees are commonly paired up with senior technicians and supervisors to learn the basics until they’re ready to work on their own.
Certification for Apartment Maintenance Technicians
Employers want to see prior experience in different trades that relate to the job. But you can make yourself stand out even more with industry certifications.
Although it is not required, one of certifications to pursue may be the Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technicians (CAMT). To get certified, you must have at least one year of rental housing maintenance experience. Then, you need to go through the CAMT training and coursework before taking the final certification exam.
Training covers residential systems and skills involved in apartment maintenance. You’ll also learn helpful communication and business skills to help you manage operations.
As you look for the right CAMT program, choose one with American National Standards Insitute (ANSI) accreditation. ANSI is a non-profit organization that helps set standards for several industries. If a program has ANSI recognition, you can be confident that employers will take its certifications seriously.
Is an Apartment Maintenance Career Right for You?
If you have a strong technical mind, an eye for detail, and excellent people skills, apartment maintenance jobs may be perfect for you. It’s an exciting role that is in constant demand, and you can carve out a fantastic living in this fulfilling line of work.
Are you ready to make the leap into apartment maintenance? Let our team at Lewis help, and learn about available job openings in your area.
David Draper is the Director of Talent Acquisition for Lewis. David is proud to be a part of a successful, stable, and winning team dedicated to its projects, its people and its community. Follow David on Twitter @LewisRecruits.