And you're right. This job takes more ingenuity than most outside of the field could appreciate, not counting most of those here. I'm being somewhat cynical when I speak this, while still being thankful that my son chose another path. I'm proud that he's always been a non-conformist and has never been one to walk the line or kiss ass for a lousy job. He does what is needed and when needed to make a buck, but has also never thought twice about making a change when he felt it was time. At 31 he's doing fine and I couldn't be happier that he took what he could learn from me but didn't stop there. If there's one thing in my life that I somehow managed to do right, it's the fact that both he and his sister who's 29 are very much their own people and don't take any shit from the world. Both are free thinkers and do things their own way, the world be damned.
auto tech for 30+ yrs.all said here true,my theory is auto techs bring the grease monkey , crook,status on themselfs, Do you ever hear a doctor calling another one an idiot,no they take an oath to act as professionals,and they kill people being incompetent ,if you knock another shop or,auto tech in your line of work, all eventually are classified as idots including you! While out on a ride today ,looking at auto repair shops in town ,I said to myself its 100+temp.---most of these shops are making close to $100 per hour--this is one of the only places you see anymore without a/c or heat ,and such a specialized class of person performing a task that could bring this country to its knees ( including doctors,) if they stopped working today! Why are autotechs sweating and doctors consider themselfs godly?
its sociology at work. the doctors are payed higher and held in higher esteem in this country due to lobbying and the way they created the profession here. The AMA lobbies on the side of medicine to ensure that things work accordingly and allows the profession to maintain its stature. other countries dont have such extensive schooling to become doctors. thats due to the medical industry making it harder to achieve the final goal of the license and thus adding competition to the market. The fact that the US is less "OK" with the thought of dying and old age empowers the medical profession even more. The post industrial society however, is lending itself to the HMOs and is forcing the doctors to take a more traditional "employee" role. Anyway, i could probably write forever about this and im not even justifying some of this as much as id like, but the bottom line is that the upper 20 percent of the population slides into the role as doctor due to being in that class, us regular mechanics, have been socialized to be a certain way, act a certain way, and expect a certain pay. that is all.
if you do go for fuck snap-on and the bigger your toolbox dosent make you a better mechanic but who aM I to talk my toolbox dosent fit in the back of my truck i have to get it flatbeded and oh yeah fuck snap-on
when I worked at the junkyard 25+ years ago, my toolbox was about 20" long, 6" wide, 4" tall, and I took it with me everywhere. Still have it. That and a big ball pein (and sometimes the torch, but not often) would get just about any part off a car.
my school offers an option to standard mechanics www.racecarmechanic.com not plugin' no comission for me but before this gig (10 years now ... shit ) i was a 16 years parts guy I have seen a LOT of burnt road car mechs. It uses up your body man, parts guys are upright and clean - oh and lazy too
Don't let people with more money than sense make you jump through hoops for them. Keep cars a hobby and you'll enjoy them more. Working in a body shop with tight deadlines taught me to hate working on cars...and the general public.
Here's a thought....Say in 50 yrs,what trade will always be in demand? So it's called job security.Yes,A LOT of BULLSHIT down the long windy road,but just like life,it's what you make of it. If thats what you want to do-DO IT! Being in the biz,and building my own cars is tough sometimes,but,If you want it bad enough.... At the very least-when the hot chick's car takes a shit at the worst time=hero
As for degrees, here is my take... To earn a degree is to join a club. Your degree will hint to what your specialty is, but you have moved into a new tier in the social hierarchy. To earn a BA, you have shown that you not only have the smarts, but perseverance, will power, and that you are probably somewhat well rounded and carry knowledge from at least a few disciplines. This may or may not be true, but you see the point. A person who has a graduate degree moves further up the social hierarchy, because he/she has achieved a level of academic success that a smaller portion of the population has achieved. The hierarchy is further broken down by work experience, GPA, other awards, how rich you are....Earn a doctorate, multiple degrees, MBA...move up higher. Our society places value on people who can work with their heads, therefore they have the cushy jobs with the high salaries. Is this the way it should be? No, not even close. But this is how it is. Sometimes you need to eat shit to get ahead. I've taken internships for no pay, worked for people at a monetary loss, been spoken down to and took it, put in all-nighters, why? Because it's a means to an end. I'm not gonna change the game, so I might as well play it as well as I can. So far it seems like it's been working out OK, we'll see for sure in 10 years. I'll tell you what though, don't think that those guys in the suits making the big money always have it easy. The mental toll that high pressure/high stakes jobs put on some of these people is more than most of us could handle. I know where I used to work, the difference between winning and losing a case means millions of dollars are on the line, not to mention your job and subsequent 6-figure salary. Plenty of those dudes kick it all the time in their mid-50s from heart attacks and other stress related health issues. It is hard to feel bad when they're making that kind of bread though
Here's something to think about: About 20 years ago, I got out of the Dealer rat-race,and went to work for the County as a mechanic/fabricator. I took a pay cut--but it has decent benefits:good sick/vacation time,retirement(including 401K )AND I don't work my ass off like I used to.We still have to get the work out,but no real dead-lines. Like I told my son: If you pick up a wrench,and make money doing it--I'll break your arms!My daughter just graguated from college,now my son will go---STAY IN SCHOOL! If I were to do it again,I'd just play with cars,not do it as a living. I'm gonna retire in about 7-8 years,and get the job I've always wanted----a mattress tester!
with the population growing and more jobs being outsourced, just staying in school isn't enough. to me the only edge your going to have is if you care about what you do. if you go into a career looking for money (and money only) your going to be jumping around and burn out. do what makes you happy is my advice, you only live once.
well im going to school for my degree in auto tech. your not going to be a millionaire by any means. if you do become one your lucky. but i like doing it thats why im going to. if its what you want then go for it. i wouldnt specialize though, be able to do everything and understand electronics. anybody can change their oil if they put their mind to it. but how many people can flash a Pcm. if you find a niche and a place where your comfortable youll be just fine.
After 20 years in thism racket I'll tell ya what I see. Yes you can make good $$$$. You have to work REAL hard or long. If you don't care about return business and people calling you names, a "shifty" mechanic can make a bunch of $$$,,, if you can live with yourself (I take great pride in being VERY honest) If you don't mind fixin' everybodies elses crap all day and letting your own stuff suffer (daily drivers and fun stuff) Working 8-12 hours a day make even doing the little things on your cars NO FUN. Spend a BUNCH of $$$$$$$ (20,000 bucks or more)on tools and a tool box (Have you been on a Snap-on tool truck lately???) Work next to the bosses kid or buddy and see how long it takes you to make decent $$$. My last mechanic job I had an apprentice helping me for half a day 5 days a week, we were working roughly 65 hours a week and getting paid around 40-45. While the service managers nephew might actually work 35 hours and get paid 60-70. Politics runs deep in dealerships. If you do work at a dealership don't expect warranty work to pay much of 'nuttin. Try diagnosing and replacing 8 fuel injectors in a new Ram hemi for .6 hours (36 minutes) ( if your making $15 an hour, you just made $9.00). Maybe I did something wrong but it took me a little better than an hour. Don't forget you don't get paid to stand at the parts counter or to go out and bring the vehicle inside and test drive it when your done. Oh yeah, factory warranty doesn't pay for diagnosis of the problem only repair. And after a couple of years you hurt!!! When you go to bed at night with your feet hurting and you wake up.... they STILL hurt, and you gotta put in another day. Pretty soon your hands, back and the rest will follow. I guess I could have just said DON"T DO IT!!!!! keep it a hobby
The GRAVY is gone. Sell vacuum cleaners or become a meth dealer. This will get you more respect than us old techs get. I too have over 30 years experience in this business. Someday hope to get a check that wasnt 100% flat rate with no guarentees. I cant imagine being able to drink coffee and being paid for it!
I always wondered the same, and have applied for positions grossly outside my field of expertise and degree. Two seperate companies told me the exact same thing "The degree tells us you know how to learn" It sounds strange on the surface, but it's also true. School doesn't pack your head with relevant knowledge. It teaches you how to extract the maximum lesson from the minimum situation. Every company operates differently, and the ability to capture the essence of what they do, and capture it rapidly, is where your value lies as an employee.
somebody mentioned wyotech... i went there and would never recommend it to anyone, ever. they're no longer about hot rods, its all imports and scraping trucks. out of 50 guys, one might know what real hot rods are about. wyotech is not the place to go anymore if you want to learn about traditional rods. they tell you they're going to teach you everything, but in reality you sit in a classroom 90% of the time watching outdated slideshows on how to replace a fender on a kia. definitely not worth the $36K i now owe multiple lending institutions. there street rod program is still okay, but it's definitely not what it's advertised as.
At 26 I have worked in a lot of aspects of the automotive field... From an independent lube shop in HS, to running a detail shop, to an apprentice tech at a Chevy dealer, to a bodyshop mechanic at a Ford dealer... A few things smart I did was: 1. Not spend a ton of money on trade school... I went to a vo-tech school for auto body repair which only cost a few grand. I wanted to go to Wyotech or VT Technical but couldn't make the commitment. I bought a lot of tools but whatever that could be purchased for less $ I bought it elsewhere instead of the tool guys. 2. I went to night school for regular degrees the same time in another field, just in case. I went for Human Resources, Business Communications, etc. I actually enjoyed working as a tech but the others I worked with made it depressing...They hated their jobs and their lives. Mechanics and technicians are unappreciated...and that is an understatement. I will say that hands on is the best way to learn.. I knew nothing about the mechanicals of a car when I was 16... Ten years later I am very capable and had no real real training besides helping everyone else and watching others work. I think right out of high school and not being interested in a traditional education, being a mechanic is a great idea... But I would reccomend having a plan of escape later on in life... The average career span for a tech lately seems to be 10 to 15 years... after that it's physically difficult. It's a great way to learn about cars though, and a lot of people can respect someone who spent their first decade or so of their life actually working instead of sitting in some classroom with a hangover. One thing that will happen in the future is that the lack of techs is going to make some serious money for some people who get in the field.... Most mechanics have more grit than anyone I have ever met.
The Jalopy Journal
