Christian asked:
I was thinking of going to school to become an automotive service technician and I wanted to ask people who have experience in this field. Would you describe it as hard, frustrating work or not? Also, what kind of hours do mechanis work?
Earl
I was thinking of going to school to become an automotive service technician and I wanted to ask people who have experience in this field. Would you describe it as hard, frustrating work or not? Also, what kind of hours do mechanis work?
Earl
Tags: Job, Mechanic, Service Technician
first off yes it is a difficult job with the ever changing auto industry most of us put in 50-60 hours a week depending on the shop you work in and the pay scale FLAT-RATE most of us get if your sure you want to do dive in get your hands dirty spend a couple grand on tools and a box to put them in if your not willing get out before the gettins good
well it can be hard at times just as any job I have been at it awhile and I have learned alot of tricks that help me. I remember when I just started it was hard and very frustratiing. It is not only hard on your body but it is hard on your mind it requires alot of physical stress and alot of mental stress as well. You are trying to fix something that a engineer went to school for years to design and you have to figure out what he failed at and repair it. If your patient and have a love for doing things with your hands I would recommend you talk to a local shop about working there for a couple of months before you go to school it is alot of money ad time to figure out you **** it. I work about 65 hours a week but you could work less if you wanted what ever you do try to stay away from flat rate until you get good.
Determine where you want to work & then ask them what they would want before they would hire you. The shop might have an apprenticeship program that would save money or they may say which, if any, schools they like. Don’t listen too long to the school’s counselor/salespeople! If they say certain shops hire their Grads, go there; find out if true & as what. I’ve seen Tech school Grads hired in as janitors, really. As for hours most shops rotate teams, so they have to work 1 weekend a month. Pay is usually “flat-rate” meaning each task has a pre-set time, which they’ll lie to you and call it “commission.” But if the task pays 1hr and it takes you 3, expect to eat 2hrs of it. Don’t forget, just the cost of your toolbox could put you through College. Then you don’t have to work where salesmen are treated like gods and mechanics like scum. I still have my toolbox, at home. I went back to College, now make more than 2X, with more vacation time etc. as a High-tech Tech, with the company buying the tools.
Former ASE Tech.
it helps if your mechanically inclined.and like to take things apart and know how to put it back together.but ya, its time consuming.i do,and learned how to fix cars on my own.1 time i worked on my car from 8 a.m. till 12 at night putting in a new motor. (includes looking for parts,doing all the work by myself,and trying to figure out why it wont start)but time went by fast cuz its what i like doing. do it because you like it not because its good money. there will be frustrating times and good times but its all worth it.(and ya it did start)