Before booking your locksmith training course with us, you might be curious to know what skills you need to be a locksmith…
As both practising locksmiths and locksmith training providers, we’ve put together a list of the top skills that we believe make up the perfect candidate for a successful career in the locksmithing industry!
Patience
Patience is a skill that’s transferable across many professions, and it’s a great quality to have, but it’s particularly useful for locksmiths. Firstly, you’ll need to be patient while learning your craft. It can take time to hone your skills, perfect your methods, and build your confidence!
Secondly, once you’re out and about on the job, you may come across new challenges or especially tricky locks that take multiple attempts to pick or repair. And, in these situations, you may have a distressed customer peering over your shoulder – just to add to the pressure! To ensure you get the job done, it’s vital to keep a level head and remain patient.
Honesty
When people hire you for your locksmithing services, they’re placing their trust in you and your abilities. Being transparent and honest with your customers will help to set them at ease – especially when you’re gaining entry to their private property!
Plus, being honest will help you grow a glowing reputation across your local area, leading to a more successful business.
Communication
Strong communication skills are required in running any sort of successful business. But, as a locksmith, you’ll likely start out working on your own and for yourself – speaking to customers over the phone, scheduling your own appointments, managing your finances, etc. To do this well, it’s vital that you can communicate clearly and efficiently with many different types of people.
Empathy
Unfortunately, working as a locksmith means you’ll often have to deal with customers who are in a state of distress, think lost keys, lock-outs, burglaries, domestic violence, etc. In these types of situations, it’s important that you’re able to empathise with the customer and support them as much as you can while you’re with them.
Making vulnerable customers feel safe is often a big part of the job, so it’s important that you are capable of dealing with these scenarios. Don’t worry if this is something you’re not experienced with though, as long as you’re friendly, polite and understanding, you’ll go far!
Adaptability
Flexibility and adaptability are qualities that will see you succeed as a locksmith – especially if you’re interested in setting up your own business. Most locksmiths offer 24-hour services, meaning you could be called at all times of the day or night. If this is something you want to offer, then you’ll need to be willing to work unsociable hours and adapt to your client’s needs.
As well as this, it’s important to remember that no two jobs are the same. You may face difficult clients, new environments, adverse weather conditions, etc. so it’s important that you can adapt to these challenges and get the job done no matter what.
Problem-Solving Skills
Using your locksmith skills to solve people’s problems is the basis of the job role, so you need to have some good problem-solving skills in order to succeed! As mentioned previously, no two jobs are the same. You’ll be replacing locks, gaining entry in non-destructive ways, repairing damaged locks and more, so you’ll need to correctly identify the issue and use your training and experience to find the best solution. Sometimes thinking outside the box, or coming up with new ideas to get around particularly tricky situations!
Driving License
A full driver’s license is one of the most vital things you need in order to carry out your locksmithing services. Without this, you won’t have the ability to travel to your customer’s properties – an essential part of being a locksmith!
Organisation
Most of the aspiring locksmiths we train end up setting up their own businesses. Having great organisational skills will set you up for success when running any business yourself! You’ll be in charge of booking your own jobs, making sure you know the issue in advance as well as the location and any extra special requirements required. Plus you’ll need to keep your equipment in good working order, as well as maintain a good level of stock in your van to ensure you’re turning up prepared for jobs with the necessary parts.
Book Your Locksmith Training Course Today
Have you got these skills under your belt? If so, you could be a brilliant locksmith in the making!
Here at MPL Locksmith Training, we provide accredited locksmith training courses to candidates of all experience and skill levels. Hundreds of successful locksmiths across the country began their careers with us – so why not get started? If you’re an absolute beginner, we’d recommend our 5-Day C&G Locksmith Training Course that covers everything you need to know to begin your locksmith career.
Any questions? Feel free to get in touch with our team today – either call on 01924 693 293 or email us at [email protected].
