Schools
- Thread starter Joono
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UTI is good. There is also Wyotech. I don't know any other big schools other than those though.
I am actually really considering the UTI in Sacremento, CA after I graduate this year. I'm not exactly positive I want to move all the way down to Sacremento from the Seattle area for a little over a year with the way the economy is going across America and especially in California.
I am actually really considering the UTI in Sacremento, CA after I graduate this year. I'm not exactly positive I want to move all the way down to Sacremento from the Seattle area for a little over a year with the way the economy is going across America and especially in California.
The only real negative to this is that it's a sketchy industry to get involved in. You also have to consider the health effects you will eventually suffer from doing this for a long time. It is very hard on your back, the chemicals are not healthy to use on a very regular basis, etc. If you can promote off the shop floor after a few years you will have a possible long term career. Otherwise, I would consider something else that does not depend on your ability to do hard physical labor and instead relies on your intelligence. That's why I don't do it for a living. Cars are fine as a hobby, but you quickly tire of them if repairing them is your career. I will also say that coming from a big name technical school is not a guarantee of employment. They may have placement assistance, but it will not always be in an area you want to live. This hobby is slowly dying off too as the number if new cars that can be hopped up by the common man slowly dries up. If you want to do this as a career because it will let you work on older cars, just remember that it likely will not always be that way. I see this hobby dying off within 10-20 years so don't plan your life around it.
They changed the name from Mechanic to Technician for a reason. The new "Mechanics" don't get covered in grease anymore. You learn how to do those old things, but most of the work deals with computers telling you what you need to fix and it tends to be a clean job that doesn't involve any bad chemicals or having to dig deep inside an engine. If there are any bad chemicals anymore, you will be wearing protection against it.
If you get a job at a dealership you will be making a lot of money. You also have to consider how well this job will do if/when the economy goes down the sh*tter even more. People will always need their cars worked on, especially with the decline in new car sales, which means people need their old cars worked on a lot more.
I really don't see another job out there that is as safe as this.
If you get a job at a dealership you will be making a lot of money. You also have to consider how well this job will do if/when the economy goes down the sh*tter even more. People will always need their cars worked on, especially with the decline in new car sales, which means people need their old cars worked on a lot more.
I really don't see another job out there that is as safe as this.
phaZe said:
Where is this place? I wanna work there... :lol:
One of the few industries that is booming right now is auto repair shops. More people are starting to realize that for one or two months worth of new car payments, they can do a lot of work to their existing cars to keep them on the road.
A few of the guys I know that went to WyoTech couldn't tell the difference between their *ss and a hole in the ground. In my opinion those programs move too fast for you to really be able to take everything in. Now I'm sure there's plenty of exceptions, but going to a certain school doesn't make you smart.
I went to a two year auto body program at my local technical college, and feel that I got a fantastic education in the field, at less than 1/5th the cost of WyoTech or UTI.
It's true, the work is hard and physically taxing. I did mechanical work for 5 years before I started doing restoration work, and when I had the energy, it was fantastic being able to roll the 442 into the shop when all the customer cars were done and be able to work on it. On the otherhand, I can't count how many times that I couldn't even stand the thought of working on my own stuff cause I'd be so sick of it, and would just go home. Believe it or not, but doing something everyday can kind of take the fun out of it.
My extreme case of ADD would never allow me to end up in a desk job, so it looks like I'll be on the shop floor for a while...
Trust me, work on ANYTHING mechanical and you WILL get greasy and/or dirty, and contort yourself into odd positions! My favorite is the headstand with my head under the dash and my feet on the headrest...lol I may not do it for a living, but I fix plenty of late model cars for people I know who are too poor to pay a mechanic. ( I do my fair share of charity work when I am bored and lonely.) Many of the models I work on were in production through the mid 2000's, so they aren't much changed from what is sold new today. I will also say that I am not your average shade tree guy, but someone with more knowledge than all but a very experienced tech. Brakes, gaskets, alternators, starters, and even computer sensors are ALL greasy, messy work. Plus, it's not like the scanner is all you need to diagnose a computer issue. Sometimes you need to test the sensor with a DVOM, and when it checks OK, you need to be able to trace the wiring harness. Codes only point you to a possible problem area, there is still a whole flow chart to exhaust once you know the general area the problem lies in (read the FSM of a late model car some time.) That is the reality of working on newer cars. It is not clean or sanitary because cars are not clean or sanitary once they get more than a handful of miles on them. My cars are kept very clean and detailed under the hood, yet I never walk away clean and my back usually is killing me when I am done. I am not that old at 35 either. Believe me, 35 rolls around far faster than you would ever imagine.
i would check around for a comunity college that may have a program like that. i have oakton commiunty college and its not too expensive, but i still cant afford it. right now im trying to get a job at the local garage as an apprentice mecanic. because i hate sitting behind this desk dealing with people and there stupid bullshit i could care less about. and yes, adhd sux when all you do is sit around prittymuch the whole day/night. but it does give me a reason to get on these forums. good luck on yer search!
I know of someone who went to UTI for auto body and collision. He graduated top of his class with letters of recommendation from his instructors, but no one would hire him for more than $8.50 an hour. It took him over a year to find work, and this was before the great recession hit. He lived in a major metropolitan area too. I am not saying not to do this, but what I am saying is to do your research first. Don't believe the advertising for these big name schools as it is there to sell you on a $25,000 technical school degree and not to represent the down side. I am also "mentoring" a high school student in the local vo-tec program in auto body and mechanics right now who plans on doing this as a career. From what I have seen, he has learned nothing in the class and has probably learned more from assisting me on various projects over the past few months than the 4 years he has taken these classes. We are painting my Cutlass as our project together and also swapping an engine in my AMC Spirit. I have advised him to go to college and get a real degree instead. It will take him further in life, and I would advise you to do the same. Even if you do this too, at least get a 2 year business degree at the local community college too, so you can advance beyond the shop floor if you so choose. Too much education will not hurt you, but the lack thereof will bite you in the *ss for the rest of your life. Ask me how I know.
Yeah, everyone definitely has their points. But here's the thing: I've been a truck driver for the last 3 years, and if you wanna know about something that gets monotonous, let me tell you. I think I'll probably check out Ivy Tech, and see what they offer. Thanks, everyone.
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