HVAC Career Options for Chicago Sports Fans

The city of Chicago is definitely a sports town with two major league baseball teams, a legendary basketball team, multiple college teams, and a beloved professional football team. If your chances of becoming a professional athlete are over, you can still stay close to the Chicago sports world with the career you choose.

An HVAC school not only provides the training and certification to become a technician, but you can seek job opportunities that keep you close to the world of Chicago sports. Learn about your career options as an HVAC technician and how you can set up those career goals through your classes.

Stadium and Arena Jobs

The city of Chicago and the surrounding area is home to many sports arenas and stadiums. Some of the more famous venues include Wrigley Field, the United Center, and Soldier Field. Those locations are home to multiple professional sports teams. The huge locations also rely on a complex HVAC system to provide heat, air conditioning, and other services.

Through your courses, you have the opportunity to learn refrigeration along with heating. At the stadiums, refrigeration is essential for running the many concession stands and restaurants. As a hired HVAC technician, you will ensure the walk-in fridges and freezers operate properly.

Along with repairs, a big part of the job will be to ensure you inspect and properly maintain the heating duct systems in the stadium. Due to the large-scale operation, your career as a stadium HVAC technician will involve a team of other workers. Through HVAC courses, you will learn how to work with others and communicate while on the job.

A stadium job will ensure the location is properly prepared to handle big event days. Even during the off-season of sports, you will have consistent work, as many of the venues play host to other events like concerts. If you work during an event, you may get a chance to see glimpses of games. In other cases, you may get special ticket prices to attend games on your days off.

College Campus Jobs

Along with professional sports, the city of Chicago and surrounding areas is home to many college teams. Enjoy a full gambit of college sports when you work at one of the Universities as an HVAC technician. Many colleges will have their own stadiums and arenas to play sports in. You could seek an HVAC position on the stadium staff or on the college campus.

As a college campus technician, you would perform maintenance and repairs for many sections of the school. The areas would include classrooms, dorm buildings, and public areas. For example, you may need to perform heating and refrigeration work in a common area that provides food to residents. 

A college job could grant you access to faculty tickets to various games. In some cases, the tickets may be complimentary and in other cases, you may get discounts on the ticket prices. A job at a college could last for several years and allow you to expand on your experience and knowledge as you learn about the whole campus.

Hotel HVAC Technicians

When sports teams travel to the state, many of them will book hotel rooms in nearby areas. An HVAC job at a hotel gives you the opportunity to catch glimpses of star athletes who come in town to play. A hotel job will include maintenance and repairs for many of the rooms in the building. Each room will typically have its own heating and AC unit.

The job function will keep you busy and up on your skills. Some hotels will hire you directly and others will hire a company you may work for and use them as needed. As you go through your courses, you can do research to find the best hotel job options. You may receive apprentice opportunities and have a chance to work at a hotel to try it out.

New Construction Jobs

In the world of sports, new stadiums are often built to update technology and provide more seats for fans. A new construction job at a Chicago stadium gives you a chance to be a part of history and help install new HVAC systems across a whole stadium or arena. Initial stages include pipe installations, furnace installations, and may also include refrigeration.

A new construction project may be temporary, but it could lead to a regular job as the HVAC maintenance tech for the company. The job also gives you a chance to check out the stadium for the first time before the general public. Once the stadium opens, you will be a part of the legacy of teams and athletes that play there for years to come.

For more information on HVAC courses and education, reach out to us at HVAC Technical Institute. Choose the courses that fit your interests and then use our job placement resources to keep you around the world of sports.