You have to be a bit of a daredevil to be a Wind Turbine Installer or Technician ~ and it doesn't hurt to have a bit of gypsy and pirate blood in you either.Don't get me wrong ~ you'll have the training you need in installation and safety procedures, computer programs that help you maintain and troubleshoot the wind turbines, as well as keeping records and making reports, and understanding complex diagrams and instructions. You'll be able to do that easily once your training is complete.

The gypsy blood will come in handy because you'll be getting to travel all over the country, and perhaps the world, as a wind turbine installer ~ helping to build wind farms that will provide enough energy to power thousands of home. And when one project is done, it will be on to the next new place, with new people to meet, new things to see, and new challenges to meet.

And it certainly won't hurt to have a bit of the pirate in you, especially when you're climbing those wind towers to install or change out parts or perform other maintenance. Even though you're tethered to the tower in a safety harness at all times, it's still like climbing a mast, and when you're at the top of the tower, it's like being in the crows nest on a sailing ship ~ you can see for miles and miles. Sometimes the view is across growing fields and small towns dotting the countryside, and sometimes there's water stretching from here to the horizon, but always, no matter what the weather, there's a sense of serenity and beauty there at the top ~ and you know you're lucky because you're seeing something that not one person in a thousand will ever get to see.

You've got to be strong and in good condition and have lots of energy of your own to do a Wind Installer or Technician's job, and you'll have to have what it takes to work in almost any kinds of weather ~ also more use for that pirate blood ~ because, as more than one technician has quipped (perhaps predictably): It's not always a breeze maneuvering at the top of one of those wind turbine towers.

But one of the best parts of the job is working with your team ~ you become close, like sailors on a long voyage, because you know you can count on each other, you know someone's got your back, and you've got theirs. That being able to work as part of a team and not go off on your own is one of the most valuable commodities of a Wind Energy Installer or Technician ~ and it's also one of the more satisfying.

There's a lot of opportunity for Wind Energy Installers and Technicians these days, and that doesn't look like it will change for a long time to come. So, if the above describes you, come on board for the adventure. We're about to run up the sail, and you never know where the wind will take us.