Service technician
One way to escape the monotony of an office job is to find work that requires you to use your senses. Every day, Brenda Hart, 44, uses her eyes and ears to fix appliances as a service technician for Mr. Appliance in Northern Colorado. She says, ‘I’m constantly using my hearing to listen to motors, drains, and machine functions to try to determine what’s going on.’
This kind of sensory problem solving is satisfying in a way an office job isn’t. (You can sharpen you sense of smell and taste with these tips.) Before working as a technician, Hart was an administrative assistant making around $50,000 a year. Of her last job, Hart says, ‘The job never ended. There was always another staff meeting, always more inventory to do, and never any satisfaction.’ She enjoys leaving a customer’s home knowing that their appliance is fixed. Getting the job done puts both her and the customers at ease. Plus, the active work is for the body. ‘I move a lot. I’m a lot happier. I’m physically healthier. I use my brain a lot more.’Salary: According to Glassdoor.com, the national average for service technicians is $35,900.
In the appliance field, service technicians can earn up to $60,908. Suggested skills: problem solving, tenacity, customer service, organization, time management, diagnosing technical issues
