Maybe you are considering a career change? Are you looking for something more fulfilling or do you still not know what you want to be when you grow up?  Even if this is not you, maybe you’re at least curious what it’s really like to be a Pest Management Professional (PMP)? If so, read on.
What skills do PMP’s need?
Understanding the importance of customer service is the most important skill set that Modern Pest Services looks for in candidates.  No experience is necessary to be a successful pest management professional.  At Modern Pest Services, we seek candidates who value the customer first and demonstrate they believe in Modern’s operating philosophies.  As a result, these are the individuals that Modern will invest in and provide the necessary training to become a Pest Management Professional.
Individuals that also enjoy working independently, who think critically and genuinely like to help people are other traits, which lead to long and flourishing careers as Pest Management Professionals.
What kind of training is involved?
For most new hires, the first several weeks on the job, focus on preparation for the State Applicator’s licensing exam. Each state has a slightly different exam format, so Modern’s in-house training teams tailor our classroom style training to each state’s exam. Â
In addition to the classroom instruction provided, there will be in the field observation days, which will reinforce the book-based learning and provide some real world experience. Â Â These training techniques prepare new hires very successfully for the state exams. Â In fact, Modern team members consistently outperformed state average passing rates.
Next, we pair each new hire with experienced Modern team members to provide extensive on-the-job training. Â Typically, this hands-on training allows the new hire to observe an experienced Service Professional in action for a period. Then, with the skills and knowledge acquired, the roles reverse allowing the experienced Service Professional to oversee the new team members in the field. Â
Modern takes team member safety seriously.  From the first days on the job, team members learn Modern’s safety procedures and performance expectations. We’ll train team members on safe driving techniques, safe material usage and handling, and the proper use of personal protective equipment.
What is a typical day like?
We release our new hires independently only after they are comfortable with the job and only after our training team and service center management teams determine the new hire is capable of safely and successfully performing the job at hand.
For most of our new hires, their initial position will be as a Universal Service Professional. In this role, you are exposed to both the commercial and residential side of the business.  In all likelihood, you’ll be the first service professional our new client sees, so we’ll be depending on you to deliver best-in-class service. Â
Service professionals tend to find the lack of a “typical day” as a draw for these positions. Â One stop may have you maintaining a commercial kitchen while the next stop may be a small convenience store. There are times when the work can get dirty, as you crawl around basements and crawl spaces in search of the pest source, and there are days where your uniform at the end of the day will be as clean as when you left your house in the morning. The daily variety of environments and the unique challenges each situation presents is what our team member typically find most engaging. Â While, being in the role of “hero,” Â by resolving our clients’ most vexing pest issues, provides an enormous sense of pride, accomplishment and is very gratifying.
Check out this sneak peek into a day on the road as pest management professional.
Is there the opportunity to grow?
In short – yes!  Modern believes strongly in rewarding our dedicated and accomplished service professionals with other opportunities within the company. As service professionals learn the business and gain experience, they may choose a career path that allows them to focus on a particular sector of the business. Future promotional opportunities include Management positions within one of our service centers or perhaps a future in a Commercial Sales.  That said, we have had PMP’s who have been happily servicing clients for more than 15 years.  And truthfully compensation as a service professional can be very fruitful.
Is the work rewarding?
Absolutely! Â Our team members have great pride in solving our client’s pest management issues and providing outstanding customer service in the process. Meeting new people and working in differing environments consistently is often considered one of the biggest reason our employees love their jobs.
We take pride in safely removing the wasp nest from the neighborhood playground. We take pride in ensuring the local grocery store’s food supply is stored in an environment free from pest pollution. We take pride in knowing our local hotels and nursing homes are protected from bed bugs. We take pride in knowing out neighbor no longer needs to deal with the annoyance of a summer flea invasion. As Pest Management Professionals, we take our jobs very seriously, and we’re proud to be making a difference in people’s lives every day.