Automotive service professionals help me out with career advice for my son.

braxx said:
Well, I kinda have to agree. That degree won't get you the job. Experience will.
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I know pretty qucikly when I have interviewed people inthe past as a manager that the guys you want you intuatively know when you meet them. They are checking out the shop, seeing whats going on, looking at the parts in the back room. They ooze mechanical ability. They also know their shit and its easy to pick out. I have been responsiable for hiring several times in my career and honestly. I have hired or fired 70 or so mechanics and honestly I can't think of one the had a degree that was kept on.

the best rookies I found were CoOp sponsored guys who worked with Gm,dodge,Ford etc etc etc. They usually could walk in and with a bit of hand holding knew how to get things done. typically as far as green horns went they were the most desireable.
 
RobM said:
Having been through tech school in the past I can say a few things. It gives you a foundation for on the job training. You will not be ready to be a on your own tech no matter what school you go to, and most likely not be hired as one. I worked in shops went to tech school and continued working as I was in school. Tech school also only offers what you make of it and your instructor is willing to teach. My best advice is to get a job in a shop part time, and your going to push brooms, clean toilets, take out trash. Show good work ethic and a willingness to learn while at that job. While doing so take business classes at a community college ect. maybe even a few tech courses.

You will never learn it all in school in this business, and having the education on the business end allows you more opportunity to move into the operation/management side of things with greater ease later on. Washtenaw Community College as mentioned above is a great place to look into. They offer a good technical program, and offer the general college courses that transfer all in the same place *much more affordable also*. But as I said this is what I can offer from my experience. Having gone through this road and a current tech (and still learning) its all about the drive of the individual to make it happen.
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Rob hit it right on the head.

I went to WyoTech. It was pretty much a waste of money. I didnt know shit about working on cars when I went. I really was eager to learn. I didnt learn crap there. All the info was great and it was all taught to me, but since I never worked on cars, I didnt understand most of the stuff they were talking about. You can explain a million times to someone how a rear end works, but until that person physically rips it apart and fixes it hands on, their not gonna know jack. Pictures on a projector dont compare to in the field work. I didnt get a grasp of anything. If I was to go back to WyoTech now, I bet I'd absorb a whole shitload of good info now that I know what I'm doing.

As far as job placement, Wyotech didnt get me any jobs. My friends did. I'll admit that my employers saw Wyotech on the resume and thought it was impressive, but that alone never landed me any jobs. It was all about connections. Another thing is, when I was a tech at BMW, right before they hired me, my boss told me to forget everything I've been taught in the past because they were going to train me the way they wanted me to work.

If I could do it all over again...I would have never became a Tech. The automotive field did teach me a lot of awesome stuff that I'm glad I learned, but I think if I would have spent more energy in doing something else I love, I could have made more money and just paid someone to fix my car! :lol:
 
braxx said:
Linenoise,
How old is your son?
Does he show natural ability towards mechanical things?
Was he taking apart things to see how they work? Has he taken on repair tasks bigger than his ability? ( I see that as a good thing. Shows drive and ambition.)
I feel like you have to be a certain type of person for the automotive job.
I have seen people struggle because it didn't come naturally. They just never got it and they moved on. ONE of them had an associate degree in automotive technology. When it came to real world, he wasn't sharp enough.
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Yes he's always taking stuff apart and most of the time gets it back together correctly (he rebuilt the trans in my riding mower after seeing the diagram for it). He's a damn hard worker getting great grades and doing a shitload of extra activities at school, track, marching band, jazz band, Symphonic band etc. He has a great head on his shoulders.
 
Line Noise said:
Yes he's always taking stuff apart and most of the time gets it back together correctly (he rebuilt the trans in my riding mower after seeing the diagram for it). He's a damn hard worker getting great grades and doing a shitload of extra activities at school, track, marching band, jazz band, Symphonic band etc. He has a great head on his shoulders.
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Well then he might be the right type of person.
I started out when I was 16 at a Metro25 tire store. I pushed a broom a lot and stocked tires. When I showed interest in learning more, the tech's would teach me. I would help them do oil changes and tire swaps. After a year I was doing the oil changes, tire swaps etc... on my own. The store closed up after a couple of years. So at 18 I went to Montgomery Wards AutoExpress at Wonderland Mall. They hired me to be a dispatcher ( I assigned work to the Tech's). Did that for a year or so and then went to work as a light duty mechanic at an independent shop. I learned more there in 2 years than anywhere eles (Independent shops in general have to have a wider knowledge base). Left them for the money and benifits that a Chrysler dealership could offer. Hated the dealer. Kinda got fired/quit ( I was tired of the politics and had a few standing offers for my talent). Went to operate machines for Drawtite (Most fun at a job I've ever had.) They sold out and moved operations so I went to Roush. Hated the atmosphere at Roush and quit after 3 weeks. Had connections with people at the company I work for now. Got my interview and hired in over 10yrs ago.
Since I've been here I've approved labor times for new vehicles and now I write the repair manual for new vehicles.
No schooling, just a real passion for the automotive field.
Good luck.
 
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that about sums it up. start off as a rat. work your dick off. keep your mouth shut, ass in gear. maximize your opportunities when they become available. be willing to take on most any task, no matter how unpleasant, and hopefully someone important will give you your shot someday. when your break comes, work harder, longer, and smarter than the other guy. be thankful, humble, and never forget how close you still are to being the rat. get along with your co-workers, regardless if they're assholes or not. no need to hang a bullseye on your back. avoid shop drama at all costs. never be the last in, nor first out the door. most important. love your chosen profession. money won't motivate you more thana year or two. to get 20-30-40 years in, you've gotta love what you do.

there's a free lesson they'll never teach you in school. remember, those that can't, teach. there's a reason the instructor's not making 70-80k as a line tech somewhere.

of course, this is just my $.02.
 
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