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32 AFTERMARKET DECEMBER/JANUARY 2020 TOP TECHNICIAN www.toptechnicianonline.co.uk ABILITY, KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS: THE SUCCESS FORMULA Here we look at the essential skills and knowledge needed to achieve in Top Technician. It’s all about the process Sponsored by: E very year, when the competition begins, we are asked what is required to succeed in Top Technician, particularly in terms of the practical side. In short, it is all about skills and knowledge, and a solid method for applying this. A technician will need to apply what they know, using a well-thought- out process, repeating it time and time again. If the technician does follow through on their process, they will usually do well in the competition. “Surely there’s more to succeeding than process” is the usual response. In all honesty, there really isn’t. To win, you need a logical process that enables you to apply your knowledge. Initial stages To succeed in the initial stages of top technician, you need to have a good all-round understanding of the technology used on cars. The questions will typically get more in- depth as the competition progresses. When taking the tests, you must read each question carefully, so you are able to answer the questions correctly. It’s that simple. The reason participants struggle in many cases is because they don’t read the questions correctly in the first place. Practical tasks Once you are through the early online rounds (i.e. round 1, 2 and 3), you face a completely different challenge in the form of the live rounds and the resulting practical tasks. In Top Technician, the beauty of the semi final is in its simplicity; Five technical challenges with a 20-minute time limit on each. The key to succeeding here is the breadth of your knowledge, the technical creativity you can conjure, framed by good time-keeping, and all kept on track by a well-rehearsed diagnostic process. Bring all that on the day and you’ll do really well. That said, it is the time constraint where most add their own unique pressure. A lot of the tasks are straightforward but add in the time factor and you ma creates your own stress. The diagnostic process you apply needs to be branded into your mind before competition day. It cannot be learnt overnight. The judges have often remarked that although a technician initially might use a process, they can end up reverting to a scattergun approach, which is itself often preceded by the remark; “I know what fault is.” Thing is guys, you don’t – that’s why you need the process. When you are in the semi final and final of the competition, you don’t have time to think. Instead, take on board the instructions, and then grind through that process no matter whether it’s a mechanical or electrical task. Observations If you make it through to the semi- final and the final you’ll then need to apply yourself to build and engrain the diagnostic process so it becomes natural, don’t deviate from it, even if you think you know the cause of the problem. The judges from the 2019 competition made a few observations