Aspiring signal mechanics should obtain experience by participating in apprenticeships or by working as helpers to experienced signal mechanics.
Signal mechanics need to be able to climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, and reach, and they should also be agile, with a good sense of balance. They work outdoors in any kind of weather and may have to be active throughout the day, perhaps climbing poles or hand digging with shovels and picks. Good vision, normal hearing, and depth perception are important. Anyone who works with electrical wiring should have good color vision to distinguish color-coded wires. Alertness and quick reflexes are needed for working in potentially dangerous circumstances on ladders, near high-voltage lines, and on moving equipment. Some companies require drug testing of their employees.