While a higher education is not always required to work as a custodian, many employers will insist on at least a high school diploma. Improving your trade skills, such as working on automobiles, household appliances, and other types of machinery, is also a good idea. Following your education, you’ll need to look for jobs that will allow you to work as a custodian.
Look for jobs in custodial positions at hospitals, schools, office buildings, and other large structures. Although showing up in person and expressing your desire to become a custodian to the custodial staff at a particular building may help you seem like the right candidate for the job, the classified section of the newspaper or online job boards are also good places to look for jobs. Prepare to sell your skills: tell the hiring manager or person about your experience, if any, and your willingness to learn new skills. Make sure to tell the employer if you have any experience repairing machines like heaters, air conditioners, or even automobiles.
Keep in mind that you must be in good physical condition to work as a custodian. The majority of a custodian’s workday will be spent standing, walking, lifting, and performing other physical activities. This is a physically demanding job that can result in minor to moderate injury. A custodian will also frequently work late at night after the regular business day has ended, so you must be willing to work nights if you want to work as a custodian.
Once you’ve landed a custodial job, you should consider learning new skills and trades as soon as possible; being able to work on plumbing or electrical applications may make you a more valuable candidate for a promotion — perhaps to custodial management or a higher-paying custodial job at another institution. Some people see custodial work as a temporary job, while others see it as a long-term commitment; whichever path you take, you’ll want to position yourself as a more valuable custodian for future job consideration, whether it’s in the custodial field or not.