The HVAC industry is male-dominated, making it hard for women to enter. Women working in this industry are considered unqualified and inexperienced. In fact, the HVAC industry only has 9% of women.
Due to prejudices and discrimination, women interested in entering this industry in different positions, such as sales, management, or technicians, have experienced a lot of discrimination. But despite this, women brave enough to enter the industry have reaped big, with a starting basic pay of $19 per hour.
But how can women enter and succeed in this industry? This guide has it all.
Should Women Enter the HVAC Industry?
If you’re asking if the HVAC industry is for women, the answer is yes. Women can enter and succeed in HVAC positions, including technicians, managers, or salespeople. However, entering the HVAC industry is not as easy for women as it is for men, even with the high labor shortage.
The discrimination that women face in this industry is not only from their potential employers but customers. Some women in HVAC report that customers slam the door on their faces the moment they see that they’re women. Many don’t believe that a female HVAC technician is qualified enough.
How Women Can Become HVAC Professionals
Even though there’s a lot of discrimination against women in the HVAC industry, it’s still a lucrative career. Here are some of the ways women entering HVAC can succeed.
1. Education and Training
Every career under the sun requires good educational background and training to succeed. There are many training institutions for HVAC professionals. If you want to get familiar with the industry without spending much, local trades and technical schools are great starting points.
Trade schools will teach you soft skills such as communication, customer care, and professionalism. A good trade school will give you the perfect training and skills needed to start you off as a professional in this industry.
Find schools that help you study real work experiences and conditions. They’ll expose you to realistic scenarios so you’re ready to tackle all the challenges you’ll face as a woman in HVAC.
2. Networking and Community
You need to network and engage with the community at large if you want to join the HVAC industry. Start by engaging and interacting with professionals in this field to familiarize yourself with how things work. You should get to know people to earn some mentorship opportunities and get work connections.
A good place to start networking is by attending trade shows, industry events, industry programs, and volunteering opportunities. Find organizations in your area, such as Women in HVACR. Such organizations offer support to women by connecting them to support groups and companies that are interested in hiring women.
Women in HVACR also holds annual conferences designed to foster relationships, connect women in the industry, and help them grow their careers. As a female HVAC technician, you need such support to succeed in this industry.
3. Scholarships and Certifications
By getting scholarships and certifications, you improve your employability. You’ll be surprised at how a highly gender-biased industry like this one will be more interested in working with you. With a scholarship, you’re not only getting an education to subside but also an opportunity for higher pay and career advancement.
Getting certified as a skilled HVAC professional will also take you higher toward achieving your career goals. Certification gives you a high level of respectability and trust in the eyes of your employer, colleague, and customers.
Certification is something even men in the industry are still fighting to have. An HVAC certification will surely strengthen your status and earning power.
4. Show Your Skills
You have to beat the stereotype that women can’t be HVAC professionals by showing great skills at what you do. It’s not about competing with men but showing everyone that women can be as good as men in this industry. Show your competencies in both hard and soft skills, and get hired for that job.
If you’re in the HVAC sales department, you will need soft skills such as good communication, attention to detail, and problem-solving. Understand your capabilities, not as a woman, but as a professional in the industry.
Show your clients that you’re capable of handling their HVAC problems. If you’re a woman entering HVAC, highlight your skills and show potential employers your capability. They should not just hire you because they feel obligated to hire women but because they believe you’re a qualified technician.
5. Get Through the Challenges of a Male-Dominated Industry
Even if you’re highly qualified in your work, the fact remains that HVAC is male-dominated, and therefore you’ll face many challenges. Discrimination will be your daily experience from male colleagues, employers, or clients. You’ll feel like you have to prove yourself over and over.
Other great challenges you will experience are pay disparity and exclusionary practices. You’ll have to grow a thick skin to get through these challenges. Networking with other women in HVAC and joining organizations such as Women in HVACR are some things you will see you get through.
Women in this industry must work extra hard to build their skills, grow their careers, and be confident. You must ask your employers for a good price and the flexibility that works for you. Make sure you dare to ask for what you want and walk away if the deal is not so good.
Bottom Line
Women in HVAC surely face many challenges, but that should not bar anyone from daring to enter the industry. Women are as capable as men of succeeding in this industry as technicians, salespeople, and managers. You just have to acquire the skills and qualifications needed in this industry.
The good news is that even though the discrimination is still there, the HVAC industry is now more receptive to women than before. More companies are willing to employ women, and clients are more willing to have women check their systems. The growing awareness of gender inequality in the workplace has helped a lot in changing the face of the HVAC industry.
Surely, there’s nothing stopping women from entering HVAC except the right skills and qualifications. So, go out there, get the qualifications, certifications, and licensing and pursue your dream career.
