a person who calls a locksmith to replace the ignition when the vehicle doesn't start


you seem like a good candidate for a tech school, however what do you want to study? Tech Schools are expensive and a PITA. I graduated from WYO TECH and i can go back every 2 years for free refresher courses.

I'd grown up around mechanics and auto body techs so going to the school just gave me a piece of paper that says I can work on cars. (plus I learned a bit about enviromental consideration and federal laws) and yes I started with a bit more paycheck than the non-schooled guys but not much.

 

i dunno... im just trying to find something that I can enjoy and make money out of it...

 

pep boys, o'riellys, CSK, stuff like that you just go in and apply and learn as you go...

Taco bell, pizza hut, BK, Mickie D's some people enjoy those places and make money at it.


How old are you? what kind of job oportunities are where you live / want to live?

What kind of job do you work in now? I suggest if are looking for a new job or are only working part time. Try to get hired in a mechanic/body shop as a helper - don't expect much over minimum wage but start buying tools and take any chance to help out or do your work on engines. then if you enjoy that then re-consider a tech school.

 

im 18, currently unemployed (long story).. just graduated high school... currently in tulsa area.. big city

start buying tools? mechanics have to use their own tools? when you go to like firestone or some crap.. I figured they shared tools or something



also, what do the helpers do? hand the real mechanic tools? lol..

 

YES mechanics own thier own tools, of course the more experienced guys own more and are sometimes willing to let the youngsters use them...

helper is just that, you'd sweep floors, detail cars do small jobs until you prove yourself (also have enough tools to work on your own) and there is an opening.

if you are unemployed and out of school and the automotive field is something you want to try then go look for a good shop and see if they'll hire you as a helper for a couple months. Then if you like the work / atmosphere hours etc they might hold a spot for you if you decide to go to a tech school

 

really think about what u want to do for a career. i like working on cars but... i woudnt want to do it for a living.

 

A warm body and a toolbox is about all you need to get into this gig nowadays.

I've been working on cars professionally for about 11 years now. Got my start in a high school co-op program, working part time at a Chevrolet/Oldsmobile/Cadillac dealer after school and on weekends. I was paid a little more than minimum wage, working in the lube racks...all I did was oil changes, tire rotations, basic maintenance-type stuff.

I screwed up in school and got kicked out of the co-op program, afterwards I worked for a little independent shop for about a week before I got fired 'cause I got hurt on the job. Left there and went to work for a Firestone for a summer while I was out of high school. Made pretty decent money there for a high school kid working straight commission, came away with about $3-400 a week after Uncle Sam got his share.

I was only 17 or 18 at the time, still pretty young, dumb, and full of it, got in petty arguments with my bosses, got in a rush one day and damaged a couple of cars and got the boot. This business will teach one thing above anything else, if you ain't mature enough to deal with people on a daily basis, you're gonna be in a world of hurt.

Shortly after, I graduated high school. Landed a job at a Sears Auto Center, and while I was working there, I was going to tech school in the evenings. It was an alright job, got paid a base hourly dollar amount (circa 2000, I think I was making about $6.50/hr) plus commission on the labor the customer paid. Lemme tell you that working in tire stores is grueling work. Especially tire stores attached to department stores, like a Sears, since whenever the department store has a sale, the tire store usually has one too, and you will be working your *** off, ***** to the wall. There were many days I clocked out, pitch black from my hands to my elbows with brake dust and tire shine from busting tires all day.

New management moved in to the auto center, and fortunately by this time I was a little older and a little wiser. I didn't like how the auto center was being run by the new guys, my commission rates were being cut back, so I put my notice in and amicably left (first time I've ever done that). I remember sitting in a McDonald's across the street from Sears, looking in the classifieds and found a "tech wanted" ad from the local Toyota dealership. By this time I had about a year's worth of tech school and a couple ASE certifications under my belt, so I figured what the hell, I'll give it a shot.

I was a shoe-in for the job at Toyota, but the car-guy side of me (which has since died a long time ago) didn't really want to work on Toyotas, I was a Ford guy. A new Ford dealer in town had opened but quickly filled with guys from the old dealer, so the only other option was Lincoln-Mercury. I applied on Monday, February 12, 2001, and started on Wednesday, Feburary 14, just eight days after my 19th birthday.

I continued on with tech school in the evenings for another three years before becoming disenfranchised with it; tech schools are nice, but there's no real way they can realistically prepare you for this business. Only the School of Hard Knocks can do that. Kinda like Denzel Washington said in Training Day, this ain't checkers, this is chess. There's lots of politics and BS behind the scenes that you have to be aware of and prepared for.

Anyways, I'm still with the same dealer, seven-plus years later, now a driveability/electrical tech. Ford Master certified, ASE CMAT w/L1, Mitsubishi certified, Isuzu light truck/SUV certified. I have a little over $20,000 invested in tools and equipment, and I'm still buying more to stay ahead of the curve. I have the dubious distinction in town that when someone can't fix it, it gets towed to me. While I don't go to tech school anymore, I still train continuously throughout the year through manufacturer specific schools and web training. The learning never stops. The cars keep getting more and more complex every year.

 

I've made a lot of mistakes over the years learning and refining my trade, and if you decide this is the business for you, you will too. It's a very easy business to get in to, but a very hard business to stay in. You're going to have to make a significant investment in tools just to get started - probably $2-3K just in bare minimum basic hand tools alone, at that's Sears stuff which'll get you by for a while. Eventually, you're going to have to upgrade to the expensive stuff from Snap-on, Matco and/or Mac. You're going to have to give yourself at least 2-3 years for things to settle in before you hit your comfort zone, where you can get things done and try to make a buck.

You're going into a field heavily dependent on the economy - at $4+/gal fuel prices, people aren't driving as much, so their cars aren't needing work as much, and they aren't buying very many new cars which sucks for the indy guys, but it is a killer if you work for a dealership. The cars today are the best they've ever been, which is good for the consumer, but sucks for guys like us that have to work on them. 100,000 mile tune up intervals, filled for life transmissions and differentials, extended warranties/lifetime powertrain warranties.

Don't believe those clowns at UTI or Wyotech either. I've worked along side graduates from both, and while they're good, decent people, a lot of them couldn't fix a sandwich, much less a car. A few of them didn't even have tools.

You'll run into some of the best and worst people you'll ever meet working on cars for a living. Stand up, solid guys who know their stuff and take care of the customer, and lowlife bottom feeding garbage thieves that are out to rape the customer and get theirs no matter what.

People aren't exactly beating the doors down to come work on cars, so shops everywhere are taking whatever they can get. A lot of people on this forum will attest that they're idiots for the most part, guys that couldn't wrench their way out of a paper bag are working on the second most expensive investment most people will make.

Think long and hard before committing to the automotive field. I'm 26, and I'm at the point where I'm seriously thinking about a career change. I don't like where the field is today.

 

i went to a trade high school and took carpentry. i graduated and went right to work. things were great for about 2 years..then building slowed down and i got laid off. i ended up working nites at a dunkin donuts making donuts at the same one i use to get coffee every morning before work. i took some plumbing and electrical classes during the day and worked at nite. now i work for a big real estate developer doing building rehabs and taking care of all his properties. the more skills and education you have the better. you might enjoy your job but... if its a job that someone can learn in 3 days and replace you thats not good.

 

I'll be a senior next year and i plan on attending NC state to get a mechanical engineering degree and maybe i can start my career then..i've always wanted to get into racing so hopefully something might pop off with that.

 

quintin... I guess you really opened my eyes to something. I don't want to be in the automotive field.. I just want to learn how to do all the cool stuff to my truck. You see all these guys on here that rebuild their engines and turn them into beasts. Makes me wish I was as lucky as them to hold that knowledge. There are really only two things that I like as "hobbies"... Cars and philosophy... Too bad neither are good places to start for money. Sure you can make good money through them, but based on what you said the automotive field is not the place to be in right now. I guess I will keep searching then... -shrugs-

 

the retail side of the automotive industry sucks and always will suck. i would stay away especially now. business is hurting for everyone.

 

LOL Nice name.. warrentyvoider

 

I went on an unnecessary rant, and for that I apologize. I was painted pretty pictures of big money and easy work as a technician when I was in high school, so I try to make it my duty to inform folks the real deal behind this business.

If you're wanting to learn, then by all means, call around to some good local independent shops in your area, get your foot in the door as an oil changer or floor sweeper or something like that. A year working along side a good technician will teach you more than any trade or tech school can.

 

i agree with quintin. some of these old school mechanics will show you things the schools cant.