Skills
Lighting Technician Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in lighting technicians, and how to build and show them.
Lighting Technicians need technical skills such as lighting fixtures, dmx and control systems, and console programming, plus people skills like teamwork and creativity. They also use tools such as Lighting consoles such as ETC Eos or grandMA and Moving and LED fixtures.
Technical (hard) skills
- Lighting fixtures
- DMX and control systems
- Console programming
- Electrical safety
- Rigging basics
- Color and design
People (soft) skills
- Teamwork
- Creativity
- Calm under pressure
- Attention to detail
Tools, equipment and technology
- Lighting consoles such as ETC Eos or grandMA
- Moving and LED fixtures
- Dimmers and power distribution
- DMX cables
- Truss and rigging
- Lifts and ladders
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how lighting technicians put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Lighting fixtures” and “DMX and control systems.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “teamwork,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as ETCP Entertainment Electrician near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our lighting technician glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Lighting Technician training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.