Electronics Technician Job Outlook & Career Opportunities

The program primarily prepares the graduate for employment and/or further on-the-job training as a service technician in the field of consumer, commercial, and industrial electronics.

Typical job-related activities may involve:

• assembly
• installation
• maintenance
• testing
• troubleshooting
• repair
• upgrading of associated electronic equipment and systems.

The Age of Electronics

Electronic technicians provide technical support and service during the production, installation, operation and repair of electrical equipment and systems.

They are employed by electrical utilities, communications companies, manufacturers of electrical equipment, consulting firms, a wide range of manufacturing, processing and transportation industries, and the federal and provincial governments.

"By completing this program I will be able to move up from my current job, into motor repairs. I liked working on the simulated labs and found the Resource Center and staff helpful in getting me through difficult material." Stephan Pimentel

As a technician, you may choose to specialize in debugging or reworking products before they are manufactured, but it is more likely that you will be servicing products after they have come from the plant. In a smaller company you may find yourself doing both.

If you work in a production plant, you will help in the inspection, testing, adjusting and evaluation of electronic and electromechanical components. You may find yourself in the design team, building prototypes to specifications. You might also work with researchers in electrical engineering and physics.

If you work as a service technician, you install, operate and maintain equipment and systems for customers. You also calibrate electrical or electronic equipment and instruments according to technical manuals and written instructions. You may find yourself travelling extensively.

Regardless of whether you are a production or a service technician, you will collect data and assist in the preparation of estimates, schedules, budgets, specifications and reports. You may be paid a salary or hourly wages and you have a fair amount of job mobility.

Electronic Troubleshooter

Electronic equipment service technicians are employed by electronic service companies, retail and wholesale distributors and the service departments of electronic manufacturers.

They install, troubleshoot, maintain and repair a variety of household and business equipment such as televisions, radios, video cassette recorders, stereos, photocopiers and computers. Due to the increasing complexity of electronic technology, most technicians specialize in a particular type of equipment.

Even when times are tough, this is a good business to be in. People are using older equipment and so there are more calls for us than ever.

There will always be plenty of work for those who service and repair the electronic equipment used in homes and businesses. After all, everything is electronic in today's world.

You may find yourself working in a fully equipped shop to which items are brought for service or you may go out to the customers home or office. If you call on customers you have to rely heavily on your knowledge and skills to solve the problem since you can only bring a limited set of tools with you.

You are usually paid an hourly wage, though it is possible to be paid a salary. Some companies pay you a bonus based on the number of calls you complete.

Do you have what it takes?

You must deal with a wide variety of problems. Often, you have to rely on your previous experience to find innovative solutions to problems when you work with new technology.

For many of us, electronics isn't just work, it's also a hobby we explore in our spare time.

It is a constant challenge to keep up with the changing technology. You need to be self-motivated, inquisitive and willing to learn on your own. If you have a deep interest in electronics, you will find that the work is exciting.

The job, however, can also be stressful. For example, you might be called to repair a robotic arm in a manufacturing plant while the production line waits for you to locate and solve the problem.

When it comes to making service calls, your people skills are extremely important. You have a vital role to play in establishing a positive company image since you may be the only one who deals with the customers.

Electronic business equipment such as photocopiers can be very heavy, so if you service office equipment you need to be strong enough to move it. When working with some types of equipment, you need a good sense of hearing and the ability to recognize small differences in colour to be an effective trouble-shooter.