Alpha Heating Innovation’s ‘Back in Time’ series invites installers to share their advice with those starting off in the industry. The latest instalment sees Jonathan Kidner, Product Engineer at Alpha, look at why keeping an open mind can really benefit your career.
I have recently joined Alpha as part of the R&D team’s expansion. Our work is all about developing technologies and bringing new products to the market. In order to understand our customers, it’s also important that we provide after sales support and gather feedback to drive our research.
One of the best decisions I’ve made for my career is to remain open to new experiences and I would encourage anyone who is starting off in the industry to do the same. For example, I think if you are a domestic installer and get the chance to work in commercial or vice versa, then taking that opportunity can really help you expand your knowledge.
I used to work as an installer, so I’ve had that face-to-face interaction with the customer and now understand the challenges and frustrations that all installers face. I took the lessons I learned from that role and applied it throughout my career, such as the time I spent in service coordination and customer service.
All of this means that, in my current role, I can use the lessons I have learned throughout my career to help develop products that take into account the pain points of the customer, the installer and the manufacturer.
In the last 50 years, Alpha has gone from a fledgling local heating installation business to a prestigious national heating appliance manufacturer with the support of its Italian parent company, Immergas, one of Europe’s largest heating appliance manufacturers.
To celebrate Alpha Heating Innovation’s 50th birthday, we’ve been asking you for your experiences and encouraging you to share top tips and pieces of advice to those starting out in the industry. What would you say to your younger self? Submit entries to [email protected]
