5 Steps to a New Career: How to get a job in HVAC

Career change or job upgrade, working in the HVAC industry is something you might want to consider. Keep reading to see if a new career in HVAC is right for you. Here are five steps to show you how to get a job in HVAC.

How to get a job in HVAC

The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How to Get a Job in HVAC

Before taking the leap, you have to make sure you understand the industry. Be sure you can explain what an HVAC system is to others. Educate yourself as best as you can. There is so much to learn about HVAC systems, processes, and how everything works! If you lose interest as you go, perhaps this is not the right career choice for you. Here are some details on how to get get a job in HVAC.

Who You Will Be as an HVAC Professional

Do you have the right skills and personality for the job? For starters, you could play around with some online career tests. Working in HVAC consists of understanding many technical terms, mechanics, and science. Much of the work of a technician involves house calls, which means customer service skills are a must. Whether you’re servicing for a business or residence, you will be dealing with customers. Your professionalism is key to their satisfaction and future referrals.

What You Will Do in HVAC Service

Being an HVAC technician is all about giving and maintaining a service of comfort. Comfort, in this case, isn’t a luxury but a necessity to keep balance in a space. This balance is also connected to safety and health. Installing and maintaining the proper HVAC systems in a space contributes to the overall well being of those living in that space. Technicians should take that responsibility with great pride. HVAC service also involves helping people to learn about greener living and how to lower their energy consumption and utility bills. Job opportunities go beyond installation and repair technicians. Other HVAC job opportunities include design engineers, project managers, administrative assistants, truck drivers, estimators, sales, purchasing, marketing, technical support, and customer support.

When The HVAC Industry Developed

The history of air conditioning is an interesting one full of development through the 20th century and it continues to evolve. The history of residential heating dates back much further and has seen more changes than air conditioning. Single air conditioning units hit the market in the late 1940s, but it wasn’t until the late 1960s that central heating and cooling units were introduced to homes and businesses. Thus, careers in the HVAC industry began and demand started to rise more and more throughout the 70s and 80s. Today, about 87% of American households have air conditioning, according to the Energy Information Administration. Heating and cooling households is no longer a luxury, and therefore, there will always be a need for technicians in the field. What’s more is that once trained in this field, you can continue to make developments in your career as the technology changes.

Where HVAC Technicians Find Work

It’s true that the work in this field depends on the climate. There is likely not a huge demand for HVAC technicians in year round mild weather environments like southern California. However, high demand for HVAC jobs tend to be in places with all four seasons like most of the east coast, extreme heat like Arizona and the deep south, and blustery winters like in New England and out here in Missoula. Good news again, working in HVAC allows you to find work in much of the country whether you’re looking to stay put or relocate for a new career. You can prepare to have work year round in Missoula MT as an HVAC technician.

Why You Should Pursue a Career in HVAC

Adding to the points mentioned before, working in HVAC has various rewards and benefits. Being an HVAC technician means you are skilled and educated in a range of heating and cooling systems. It means you service your community. It means you can work in both residential and commercial markets. It means you can have flexible hours and often make your own schedules. Salaries are competitive and based on experience. Working in HVAC has a range of opportunities and a future.

How to Get a Job in HVAC

Many start out in the field as HVAC technicians. A qualified technician is capable of efficiently installing, maintaining, and repairing HVAC systems. Their job also requires educating customers on proper care and upgrades. After about a decade of technician experience, one can start seeking management positions. Once comfortable with several years of management and technician training experience, one can seek out opportunities to run their own business. Opportunity for growth and development is certainly possible in this field, which is something that makes the field all the more attractive.

5 Steps: How to get a job in HVAC and Begin a Successful Career

1) Prepare

If you’re just starting your journey into HVAC, begin by educating yourself on heating and cooling systems, ductwork, and laws of thermodynamics. Browse current HVAC job posts to get a feel for what qualifications local companies are looking for. Whether you have a college degree already or not, having a certificate from an HVAC Technical or trade school is necessary. Many companies will give further training to the right candidate, but they’ve got to know you have the background knowledge of how the systems work. Read up on some of the best HVAC schools in the U.S. to decide which kind of program suits you best.

2) Train

A lot of training will come from on the job training. While going through technical school, you should be able to use your network to land an apprenticeship for true, hands-on HVAC job experience. Ideally, an apprenticeship will last 6 months to one year and you’ll want to have at least two of those experiences before applying for a job. That way you can apply with a solid two years post-certification experience, which is the minimum requirement of many entry level HVAC jobs. While in training, make sure to get equal exposure to all fields and aspects of installing, repairing, running ductwork, and working with thermostats.

3) Apply

Once you have a solid amount of knowledge and experience under your belt, it’s time to start the job search. Update your resume to highlight your new HVAC skills and background. While you’ll want to use a custom cover letter for each job you apply for, you can use a template cover letter as a starting point. If possible, have an experienced person in the field look over your cover letter and resume before sending it out to apply for jobs. Use online job sources like Indeed and LinkedIn to create a profile and search for jobs in the field. Also, check out online career networks specific for the HVAC industry like HVAC Agent.

4) Accept

Don’t limit yourself to one location or one company when applying for HVAC jobs. If you have multiple offers, you have more leverage for negotiating your terms and conditions. Just like an employer has requirements of an employee, you should also have requirements of an employer and your post. Before accepting, make sure you’ve discussed job responsibilities, salary, schedule, paid time off, benefits, insurance coverage like Workers Comp, professional development, company vehicle, tools, and work permits. Be sure to have a list of requirements and questions ready before jumping to accept or deny an offer.

5) Relocate

At this point, we should be congratulating you on your new job. Perhaps this involves relocating or further settling down. Regardless, if all goes well, you’re likely to stay at this job for a decade or more. Make sure you and your family are happy and comfortable in your space before going out to make others comfortable in their space. Well- done! Gear up for an exciting new career in the HVAC industry.

How to get a job in HVAC with Garden City Plumbing and Heating

After 30+ years in the industry, Garden City continues to grow and thrive. With that, our company is expanding and right now we are looking to hire qualified HVAC professionals to come work with us. At Garden City Plumbing & Heating, we value our community and take great pride in serving customers in Missoula Montana. Whether you have roots in Missoula or not, a passion to serve our community is important to us.


Garden City Plumbing & Heating provides services from heating and air conditioning to plumbing and new construction projects, so we offer a range of employment opportunities in Missoula. Currently, we have three jobs for HVAC professionals to apply for; a Commercial HVAC Installer, a Comfort Consultant, and a Service Plumber.

Feel free to contact us for more details or to discuss Garden City Heating and Plumbing employment opportunities further.