Professional Mechanics

Bolt on 5.0 · Aug 11, 2006

I was just wondering how many of you that are professional mechanics like your job. I recently retired from the field, haha I'm only 24 but Im done for now.

Don Fiveolio · Aug 11, 2006

This is a field that I have been considering for a while now. Why did you retire? Were working at a speed shop or general car maintanence?

Umby · Aug 11, 2006

I just jumped into it and I love it. I'm 27 and after 8 years in the broadcasting industry and I guess I appreciate good pay and good work... maybe I haven't done it long enough, but as much as I like cars and as long as I've been working on them I really don't see myself burning out anytime soon.

As everyone has told me, you're young. Do some searching and see what fits. For me turning wrenches fits well.

Bolt on 5.0 · Aug 12, 2006

Ive been working on cars since I was 17 that makes 7 years for me. Though it has been off and on I pretty much hate it as a career. If making $50k a year is good enough for you then maybe you will enjoy it. For me there is never enough money to be made and as a tech my goals cannot be achieved. Also Ive been working for dealers for the past 4 years.

Umby · Aug 12, 2006

Bolt on 5.0 said:
Ive been working on cars since I was 17 that makes 7 years for me. Though it has been off and on I pretty much hate it as a career. If making $50k a year is good enough for you then maybe you will enjoy it. For me there is never enough money to be made and as a tech my goals cannot be achieved. Also Ive been working for dealers for the past 4 years.

Choice of career is a very personal decision. It works for me. I picked up a wrench for the first time at age 5 and its never gotten old. As far as compensation goes, again, its a personal thing. I've learned never to use money as a barometer for success... I judge success by the feeling I have at the end of the day... and again, my personal goals may be different than yours. Plus I don't know how the dealerships do things, but I'm right up against the $50k mark and the lead technician in my shop is pulling close to six figures... so it depends on a number of things.

Good luck in finding what fits you best.

vristang · Aug 13, 2006

Umby-
I agree completely with what you're saying.

I spent 2yrs working on a degree in Automotive Design (more of an engineer rather than a tech program).

As I approached the end of the program, I took a trip to Detroit with a race team and realized how these guys live.

I completely lost all interest.

When I got back to Washington I stumbled into Materials Testing for Boeing.
I absolutely love all aspects of this job.

If I had gone into Automotive as a career, I would have quickly burned out.
Also, I would have little patience for personal automotive projects at home.

Just my point of view on finding a career.

jason

90mustangGT · Aug 13, 2006

I loved my job for a long time. Gas prices have gone up, and simply put, people arn't getting thier cars fixed. How that is, I do not know, but it is so slow right now. Employers arn't hiring for jack right now, or at least they don't want to pay. I never had a problem finding a job, now I am an assistant again for a GM dealership, making $11/hr. I'm doing work for all these guys, and they are getting paid for it. More and more, quicklubes and such are doing transmission flushes, and other maintence related repairs, which they don't pay them much, so guess who's making all the profit. I am seriously thinking of getting out of the buisness. All the investment I have, and then the low pay all of a sudden. Last year I was making good money, but now the buisness just stopped.

It seems to be a cycle in the buisness. When buisness gets slow, the employers rip thier techs off, and many leave the buisness. Then it gets swamped again and they burn their techs out and by the time they get a decent amount of people working again, it dies.

jrichker · Aug 13, 2006

90mustangGT said:
I loved my job for a long time. Gas prices have gone up, and simply put, people arn't getting thier cars fixed. How that is, I do not know, but it is so slow right now. Employers arn't hiring for jack right now, or at least they don't want to pay. I never had a problem finding a job, now I am an assistant again for a GM dealership, making $11/hr. I'm doing work for all these guys, and they are getting paid for it. More and more, quicklubes and such are doing transmission flushes, and other maintence related repairs, which they don't pay them much, so guess who's making all the profit. I am seriously thinking of getting out of the buisness. All the investment I have, and then the low pay all of a sudden. Last year I was making good money, but now the buisness just stopped.

It seems to be a cycle in the buisness. When buisness gets slow, the employers rip thier techs off, and many leave the buisness. Then it gets swamped again and they burn their techs out and by the time they get a decent amount of people working again, it dies.

Wait a short time and the technology will shift because of the cost of oil. Hybrid cars and electric cars will be more popular. It could easily end up with gas prices so high that it is cheaper to sink a bunch of money in a new car than pay for gas at the pump. Only the dealerships and the places willing to invest in training & test equipment will be able to service the hybrids & electrics. Quick Lube type places will be left with the rest of the old junky stuff you wouldn't want to work on anyway.

ryan218 · Aug 13, 2006

ive learned one thing.MONEY ANT EVERYTHING. cuz at the end of the day you you will still hate your job. id rather get paid 50K a year doing something i really like to do rather then getting paid 60K a year for doing something i hate.

its all about what you want out of life. someone may one the get rich quick. and other may just want to spend there time on earth doing what they love. raising a family working on there cars.

so whatever floats your boat i guess

68torinogt · Aug 13, 2006

ryan218 said:
ive learned one thing.MONEY ANT EVERYTHING. cuz at the end of the day you you will still hate your job. id rather get paid 50K a year doing something i really like to do rather then getting paid 60K a year for doing something i hate.

its all about what you want out of life. someone may one the get rich quick. and other may just want to spend there time on earth doing what they love. raising a family working on there cars.

so whatever floats your boat i guess

what about 100k doing something you hate?

ryan218 · Aug 13, 2006

68torinogt said:
what about 100k doing something you hate?

thats antoher story. i mean if your making GOOD money doing somehting that you dont hate but you dont like then stick with it but. you know what i mean

68torinogt · Aug 13, 2006

i might would for a while but i would rather have nothing and be happy than have everything and be miserable

ryan218 · Aug 13, 2006

68torinogt said:
i might would for a while but i would rather have nothing and be happy than have everything and be miserable

i might would for a while

yeah word

jrichker · Aug 13, 2006

68torinogt said:
what about 100k doing something you hate?

You probably won't do it well enough to make 100 K for very long.

68torinogt · Aug 13, 2006

im not talking about a mechanic it was just a general comment

68torinogt · Aug 13, 2006

my dad owns a shop and i thought growing up and especially while i was working for him part time while in school sucked but now that i have changed careers for about 4 years i want too go back and work side by side with my dad in the shop i grew up in but i know he cant pay me what i would need to stay. currently i am a network admin for a school dist. and it has its good days but most of them are bad and i hate it im the youngest guy there and i get all the chit plus i see it going nowhere so i am currently looking into parts sales at dealerships or for a individual company but i really want to work at or own a performance shop and with my experience it is possible but i just havent persued it yet. maybe soon i can and will. thanks for venting

jrichker · Aug 13, 2006

68torinogt said:
what about 100k doing something you hate?

Jrichker: You probably won't do it well enough to make 100 K for very long.

68torinogt said:
im not talking about a mechanic it was just a general comment

That statement is true of any kind of job.

68torinogt · Aug 13, 2006

sometimes its just not worth the money.

JRPony · Aug 13, 2006

I think it all depends on where you work at. I work for a BMW dealer and there is a lot more potential (in general) to make money there then there is at an independant shop or at other dealers (ie. Ford, Honda). I know there are guys at those shops that make six figures but they have also been in the business for 10+ years. I worked for Saturn for a couple years and there is absolutely no future or money in that company. I have worked for BMW about 9 months now and I make more more money then I ever did working for Saturn. In my first year I will make around 50k. The first year at a dealer is always the hardest and you will make the least amount of money. The guy I work next to made 96k his second year. Its all about where you work, your training and what you put into it. But this career is not for everybody.

Bolt on 5.0 · Aug 14, 2006

Funny how I am the only one who polled that I hate the job. From the beginning I love the jobs couldnt wait to go to work and learn something new. But after working for years and trying to beat the clock and getting stupid jobs they just dont pay I have learned to hate the job. Now if I could go to work, do my job and not worry bout beating the clock and getting the job done right maybe the job would not suck so much. I have had my share of 10 plus hour days, and then some horrible days with 4 hours. Sucks the field is set up like this.

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