Instrument Technician

Equipment that is maintained properly, tested frequently, and inspected regularly can be incredibly valuable. But some workers don’t have the time or the knowledge to take care of their equipment in this loving manner. That’s when they visit an Instrument Technician.

As an Instrument Technician, you’re primarily concerned with calibration. This means you have a thorough knowledge of the sorts of readings that instruments should take. You know how to test their accuracy, and how to adjust them.

You may work in the medical field, assisting Surgeons. As an Instrument Technician you lay out all the tools the Surgeon needs for a procedure. When the surgery is over, you run tests to make sure the equipment is running properly and taking accurate readings. Then you sterilize it so it’s ready to be used in the next surgery.

You may also work in a workshop, testing and adjusting a particular type of instrument. Clients may bring you their instruments, with precise instructions of the work they want done. Others may simply tell you that the instruments aren’t working, and you need to ask detailed questions to determine what exactly is wrong. Then you adjust the equipment and clean it well so grime won’t cause another problem down the line.

While you primarily work with instruments, it’s important to keep your people skills intact. People own these expensive instruments, after all, and you must be trustworthy so they’ll feel confident leaving the equipment with you. Resist the impulse to talk directly to the instruments though.