Getting Your Foot In The Door In The Auto Industry

[Peter]

x4, haha. I am currently enrolled in an Early College Highschool program, which means I'll have an Associates Degree straight put of high school. I know it isn't much at all, but there is an opening at a Jiffy Lube for a Lube Tech, I'm gonna try there and see what happens. I know it's just a Jiffy Lube, but it mean I will be doing something I enjoy for the most part, temporarily.

Associates degree in what? I went through the samething when I was in high school but if your looking to get into something like designing or engineering you will probly need more unless you know someone. When I graduate next year I will have an associate degree in Automotive Technology, High Performance Technology, and Alternate Fuels technology and I will probly still have some trouble finding a good job but I will have a far better chance than someone without those degrees and I will only have been in college for 3 years. A tech school is definatley the way to go

My advice is don't go to tech school with plans on being an auto tech. It's a waste of money and everybody that I know and work with that has done it has regretted backing themselves into this corner of working in this industry. All that happens in this industry is you get thousands invested into your tools and the dealerships make a huge profit margin over what they are paying you and you get "stuck" working on cars. Im working for Chevrolet now and thats why im in college for nothing related to cars because its not the best business to be in.

Now if you are studying to go into automotive design or engineering, that is probably a much better career track

 

[L92 OLDS]

I was in a similar situation when I was 18. I wanted something technical but didn't know what so I enrolled at my local community college for a broad course of study in engineering. In my first year of college, I got a 2nd shift job working for an automotive supplier which exposed me to plastics and tooling. 28 years later I still have a high paying job that I enjoy and have never been laid off. I have rotated in and out of engineering managmenet jobs throughout the years and have lots of opportunity for travel as I work for a global supplier. My business is 100% automotive but I rarely get hands on opportunities with actual cars. Sometimes I get to test drive prototypes before they are introduced to the public (like the Dodge Viper and latest Camaro)

Some thoughts for you

1) Skip the technical schools unless they are accredited. They entice with high placement % statistics but the pay in the jobs you qualify for isn't great
2) Go to college! You can save some bucks by going to your local community college, then transfer over to a University
3) Re-read what breeaad posted...He's spot on.
4) Mechanical engineering is a good choice - its a broad course of study that would allow you to go in many directions
5) If you want to be a designer, take some CAD classes as early as you can to see if it is for you. Catia is widely used in industry and would be a good starting point.
6) There is a severe shortage of qualified plastics engineering and tooling guys. Many got out, retired or changed careers in the last 10 years. Most of the guys in my office are in their 40's and will be retiring all at the same time....

 

[khan0165]

6) There is a severe shortage of qualified plastics engineering and tooling guys. Many got out, retired or changed careers in the last 10 years. Most of the guys in my office are in their 40's and will be retiring all at the same time....

got an application I can fill out?
I'm not an engineer, but am a Mechanical Technologist. I've been in mechanical design jobs since out of school and hold patents in my name. And I've specialized mostly in plastics.
I don't have a lot years behind me, but I have a good start

too bad there aren't any jobs around here

 

[Dr. Rudy]

I just finished my associates and bachelors degrees in automotive technology management. Jobs do not exactly come raining out from the sky, but they are out there. Any job where engineering is going on they are probably gonna wanna see some solid credentials like a degree or two.

 

[kingsobieski]

I've been in the auto industry for 5 years and I worked at both small and big shops.

A big shop (dealership) is the easiest to get into - they will take oil change techs that have 0 experience. The problem with a dealership is that it's difficult to do anything besides oil changes. After working a large dealership for a while and once you figure out how to fix cars - then you quit and find a job at a small shop where you won't be an oil change only tech.

I went from $16/hr at a Saturn dealership to a part-time oil change $12/hr at a Honda dealership because I'm going back to college to get the hell out of this industry. It's dirty/frustrating. You have to be 100% all the time even if the shop is slamming with work. I make decent money for a part-time job but once you do this sh*t for a few years you'll be burnt out and ready to move on.


****Don't waste money on a automotive tech school or some BS like that - You don't learn anything. One month in a dealership is equal to at least 2 yrs at an auto tech school.

 

[bill]

I was in a similar situation when I was 18. I wanted something technical but didn't know what so I enrolled at my local community college for a broad course of study in engineering. In my first year of college, I got a 2nd shift job working for an automotive supplier which exposed me to plastics and tooling. 28 years later I still have a high paying job that I enjoy and have never been laid off. I have rotated in and out of engineering managmenet jobs throughout the years and have lots of opportunity for travel as I work for a global supplier. My business is 100% automotive but I rarely get hands on opportunities with actual cars. Sometimes I get to test drive prototypes before they are introduced to the public (like the Dodge Viper and latest Camaro)

Some thoughts for you

1) Skip the technical schools unless they are accredited. They entice with high placement % statistics but the pay in the jobs you qualify for isn't great
2) Go to college! You can save some bucks by going to your local community college, then transfer over to a University
3) Re-read what breeaad posted...He's spot on.
4) Mechanical engineering is a good choice - its a broad course of study that would allow you to go in many directions
5) If you want to be a designer, take some CAD classes as early as you can to see if it is for you. Catia is widely used in industry and would be a good starting point.
6) There is a severe shortage of qualified plastics engineering and tooling guys. Many got out, retired or changed careers in the last 10 years. Most of the guys in my office are in their 40's and will be retiring all at the same time....

This is the best advice written on here..... wish I had read it 30 yrs ago!

 

[thedoctorisin]

I don't have any formal experience but I have always worked on cars. And not just the oil changes but motor swaps and wiring and diagnosis. All self taught.

With that its hard to get a job but I know plenty of people with lots of class time and degrees but no real experience. If you are interested in cars and know your sh*t even just a little bit I would suggest getting a entry level job at a dealership.

With a lot of dealers they offer paid job training, lots have unions, benafits, and do a lot of hiring from within. Get a entry level job as a lube tech aka oil changer and if you impress them they will move you up the ranks. Not glamorous but its full time work when most are unemployed. And the time you put in there will be worth more than the time spent at a auto tech school. Unless you wish to pursue a more refined field like just auto body, or just engine performance. Even if you can't get in working on cars you can be a greeter or porter or wash cars. 10X better than washing old food off plates and having some prick boss micro manage every aspect of it.

I have had a lot of jobs, both super fun and super lame. I'm 25 now and its not where I expected to be at this point in my life but the sooner you get yourself moving a positive direction the sooner you will be able to move up the laddrer.