For technicians

Requirements checklist: what companies ask for before your first job

By the Techwhere editorial team Last updated 8 min read

In short

Before a dispatch company will send you a ticket it usually needs the same short list: general liability insurance with a certificate naming them, a completed W-9, consent to a background check, a basic tool kit, a smartphone, and reliable transport. None of it is instant, so assemble it before you apply rather than after.

Why does the paperwork come first?

Because the dispatch company is standing behind you to its own end client. If you damage something, miss a service level, or turn out not to be who you said you were, the contract they hold is the one at risk. The document pack is how they transfer and evidence that risk.

The practical consequence is that an incomplete file does not get you rejected — it gets you ignored. Most systems simply will not surface an inactive technician to a coordinator. Technicians regularly assume they were passed over on merit when in fact a certificate expired three months ago.

General liability insurance and the certificate

General information, not professional advice. Talk to a licensed insurance broker about your own situation.

What it is: a policy covering third-party bodily injury and property damage arising from your work. Why they ask: their client's contract usually requires every person on site to be covered. How to get it: a small-business or trade insurer, often bindable online in a day or two.

Limits around $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate are a common ask , but the number is set by the end client's contract and varies. What you actually send a company is a certificate of insurance — a one-page summary issued by your broker naming that company as certificate holder. Some also ask to be named as an additional insured, which is a change to the policy itself, not just the certificate. Our guide on getting insured covers the difference.

W-9

What it is: the IRS form that gives a payer your legal name and taxpayer identification number. Why they ask: they cannot pay a contractor or issue a 1099 without it. How to get it: download the current form from the IRS website, complete it with your legal or entity name and TIN, sign and date it.

Keep a signed PDF ready to send. Re-download the form each year rather than reusing an old revision, and issue a fresh one whenever your name, entity or address changes.

Background check and drug screen

What they are: a criminal and identity check, and in some sectors a pre-engagement drug test. Why they ask: end clients in banking, healthcare, government, education and retail frequently require them before badging anyone on site. How to get them: you consent and the company runs the check; for a screen you attend an authorised collection site with an authorisation form.

Background checks are usually the slowest step in onboarding, so consent early. Agree who pays before you start — practice varies, and being asked to pay for your own is worth a question even though it is not automatically a red flag.

Tools

What they ask for: enough to complete the work type they dispatch without borrowing anything on site. Why: a cabling ticket attended without a ladder is a failed ticket and a wasted trip charge for both of you.

A reasonable baseline across most IT field work is hand tools and drivers, a cable tester, a toner and probe, a crimper, a labeller, a multimeter, and a ladder if you pull cable. Photograph your kit once — several companies ask for a tool list or a photo during onboarding. Our guide on tools to carry breaks this down by job type.

Smartphone and apps

What they ask for: a current smartphone you keep charged. Why: check-in and check-out, photo capture, signature capture and ticket updates almost all run through a phone app or mobile portal now. Your check-in record is how the coordinator proves the service level to the end client.

Expect to install a different app per company. Keep notifications on for the ones you are active with, and carry a power bank — a dead phone in a basement comms room means an unprovable visit.

Reliable vehicle

What they ask for: transport that gets you to a site inside the arrival window and carries what the job needs, including a ladder for cabling work. Why: arrival windows are contractual. How: whatever you already drive, as long as it is dependable and insured for business use — check your motor policy, because personal cover sometimes excludes it.

Business entity and EIN

General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a qualified professional before forming an entity.

What they are: a registered business such as an LLC, and an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Why they ask: some companies prefer or require contracting with an entity rather than an individual. How to get them: register the entity with your state, then apply for an EIN directly with the IRS, which is free.

Plenty of technicians work as sole proprietors using a W-9 with an SSN or EIN. An entity separates business and personal finances and removes one possible objection during onboarding, but it is a business and tax decision rather than a requirement everywhere.

Certifications

What they ask for: depends entirely on the work and the end client. Why: some certifications clear automated filters, and some sites will not badge you without a current OSHA card. How: see certifications that actually get you more work for which ones carry weight and which do not.

Checklist

  • General liability policy in force, with a COI template your broker can issue same-day
  • W-9 completed, signed and saved as a PDF
  • Background check consent ready, and the payer agreed
  • Nearest authorised screening site identified
  • Tool kit assembled and photographed
  • Smartphone with company apps installed and notifications on
  • Power bank in the vehicle
  • Vehicle insured for business use and able to carry a ladder
  • EIN letter saved as a PDF if you have an entity
  • Certifications current, with expiry dates diarised
  • Every document in one folder you can email from in minutes

Get the Work Directory

130+ companies that dispatch or hire contract IT techs, with how to apply, who to contact, what each one requires and how they pay. One payment, no commission, no subscription.

See the Work Directory Join free

Placeholder — real policy text still needed.

This is where the Techwhere privacy policy goes: what personal data is collected from technicians and buyers, how it is stored, how long it is kept, who it is sold or disclosed to, and how someone exercises their rights to access or delete it.

Placeholder — real terms text still needed.

This is where the terms of sale and acceptable use go: what a buyer may and may not do with a purchased list, resale and redistribution limits, accuracy disclaimers and limitation of liability.

Orders are placed by email. We send an invoice; you pay by bank transfer or a payment link we send you, and we email you the file once payment arrives.

All sales are final. If you have a problem with your download, email us.

Email us your email address, your phone number or both. They are taken out of every Techwhere list, including any file a company downloads from then on.

Email techwhere.sales@proton.me