A maintenance specialist is a skilled laborer who has mastered at least one aspect of his trade and applies his knowledge to an employer’s benefit. This individual is usually employed by a company in a supervisory capacity to ensure that a specific need is met. Maintenance specialists can be found in professions such as welding, plumbing, electrical diagnostics, and carpentry, and they ensure that everything runs smoothly in their respective environments. While a maintenance specialist may only be classified as an expert in one of those areas, he will be well-versed in any field that is relevant to his position.
A hospital is an excellent example of a maintenance specialist’s daily routine, as there are thousands of different rooms and corridors that must be kept in perfect condition at all times. While a layman in the field could probably rewire a faulty electrical outlet without supervision if the need arose, the maintenance specialist would most likely be on-site to ensure that the work is done quickly and in accordance with state and hospital regulations. During this time, another skilled worker could be installing a new sink in another section of the hospital under the supervision of the same maintenance specialist, while a team of laborers tear out drywall in a section that is scheduled to be remodeled. The maintenance specialist will be well-versed enough to guide and instruct each of his apprentices, as well as possess the necessary skills to intervene if a problem arises.
Maintenance professionals can be found in a variety of industries, from fast food restaurants to nuclear power plants. Each of them would specialize in different areas depending on the job at hand, and only a few would be considered experts in every maintenance category. In the hospital scenario, for example, a team of maintenance specialists may be supervising several different workers at the same time, and while any of them could finish the job, they would defer to the team leader of that skill. Large corporations frequently employ regional maintenance specialists who can be dispatched to assist local area managers across their assigned territory.
A worker with at least ten years of direct experience in any relevant field, excellent communication skills, and certifications demonstrating his ability to handle virtually any situation is required to become a maintenance specialist. Leadership skills are also important in this field because many of the industries are dangerous, and the candidate must be completely committed to the job. A maintenance specialist is frequently the first employee to arrive and the last to leave each day, as well as being on call 24 hours a day in the event of an emergency.