You must have a high level of patience

Abed Shavuka is a young air-conditioning and refrigeration technician and has been in the business for almost two years now. He does various jobs around the city on a daily basis. Abed considers the job as satisfactory and not too demanding, like some in other industries. He says patience is the key to being a good technician in this field. He spoke to Namibian Sun recently.

What does an air-conditioning and refrigeration technician do?

We are mainly responsible for repairing broken or non-functional air-conditioners and refrigerators. We also fit these appliances with the necessary elements and parts to make it functional again. These are all electrical appliances and we sometimes also fix the wiring and related matters.

Briefly describe your normal day at work

We report for work at around 7:30 and after that we wait for the boss to give us instructions on the jobs for the day. We sometimes have not completed the previous day’s work and we first make sure that is out of the way before we take on new jobs on the day.
We mostly drive to the respective sites to do the various jobs and we take a break at lunch-time. After that we proceed to the next destination. If there are no immediate jobs, we go back to the office for follow-ups.

What personality skills do you need to become what you do?

The first thing you must have is a high level of patience as you are dealing with objects. Objects do not speak and if you don’t understand the problem, you will get frustrated.
So, patience is vital in this job. The other thing is that you must be physically strong because sometimes you have to carry heavy objects. By nature you must also be a friendly person because you work with people daily. You must have some knowledge of the basics of electricity. That is important.

What are the major challenges in your job?

The weather plays a role in our jobs because at times you are exposed to heat, sometimes windy conditions and even rain, when working outside. That is a challenge because it can delay our work and sometimes the clients are not happy. The other challenge is that some jobs are a bit complex but we always try our best.

What tools or equipment do you use on a daily basis?

There are a number of tools, but the basic ones are screwdrivers, shifting spanners, grinders, drilling machines, insulation tapes, side cutters and low nose cutters.

Is your job rewarding?

This job is rewarding in many ways because we make people happy. Imagine fixing an air-conditioner or a fridge that has been out of service for some time. People feel very happy because of such jobs and it is really rewarding in that sense. Financially it is also rewarding because we get paid handsomely.

Did you have any training for this type of job?

Yes, I attended an in-house practical course where they taught me how to fixing air-conditioners and refrigerators for at least a year. Generally formal training is offered at vocational training centres and people who have just finished school can pursue careers in that field there.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

So far the job has been good to me. The company has also been good to me but one cannot say that if you get another opportunity you would stay. As the years are passing, one also grows mentally and you mature in many things, so I cannot say right now where I would be, but I will surely want to have a rewarding job.

Would you recommend this job to anyone?

Yes, it will be good for the young people to pursue this trade because it does not really require a lot. All you need is the ability to work with your hands and you must be eager to learn. Everyday there is a new challenge out there and it is important to always pay attention to what your mentors are telling you. Some people are naturally born with the skills to fix items such as air-conditioners, so the young people can also do that, especially the ones that do not perform well academically.

click to enlarge ABED SHAVUKA © Corry Ihuhua

click to enlarge