[cmartin]

This might be a good time to asses the career path. Not to knock the profession at all, but while he's young and hopefully has few ties, there is no better time to go to school or look at another line of work if he's having 2nd thoughts this early.

Good luck!

[slocumda]

Y'all are giving my son and myself some great insight and I can not thank you enough for your opinions. I have been reading this forum for quite some time and don't recall the auto repair industry discussed to any real degree. It is a mystery to a lot of folks and for Alex it was something that really caught his fancy at quite a late age. He has always loved cars but never really worked on any so this is all pretty much brand new to him. After going to VA Tech for three semesters he decided to change directions and went to Linciln Tech and then on to the Step program. I'm curious as to how others started out. I assumed formal training with these highly sophisticated cars would be a real plus and the wages would be quite good for the skills required in this day and age. After all in most trades there are just not enough people coming in and the training is iffy at best. From what Vice grip is saying that may not be the case. Thanks again guys I appreciate it. Doug

[pookie]

If RickV charged for his help on the weekends, I would have to take out a loan to pay up for all the help he has given me.

I kind of look at it like any other job, you gotta pay your dues on the bottom before you can move up. I feel like I paid mine, but I'm still waiting to move up, hmmm....maybe I need to rethink that one.

[Clarke]

I don't think that the pay has caught up to the skill required and the personal financial investment (tools & diag. equipment) that is required to do the job. I had decided while I was in high school that I wanted to be a technician. Going to a private high school in Fairfax, the guidance people tried to push me toward a college education. My parents were very supportive of my decision, and helped me purchase my first set of real tools. I personally received my initial training at NOVA. They have a highly rated automotive program there. I had the misfortune of training under a total thief:XX when I went into the field and left the trade after less than a year. After a year and a half doing other things I went back to turning wrenches full time (missed working on cars). Trade schools will give you the theory, but the real learning starts when you are in the field. Like Rick V said, I don't think that I would recommend any young person getting into this field. But on the other hand this business needs sharp people that want to learn the new technology. The enjoyment of working on cars during the day left many years ago for me. Don't get me wrong, I like what I do, but it is just a job. I haven't done side work in almost fifteen years, except for helping a friend out. One thing that keeps it fun for me is the E30 SCCA endurance racer that my shop owns. Building the car and working on the crew is a blast. Sorry if I've rambled on, just hope to give you and your son a little insight.

[Rick V]

There is one advantage to being a wrench with a good rep and some time under the belt.
I can go anywhere and have a job. It is harder to move the tools, than it is to change a job. And Like Clark said, now it is just a job, the thrill is gone. The thrill has left fro most everyone who has passed the 10 year mark. The happiest guys I know who wrench are the ones who work on big trucks, dunno why.

[slocumda]

Clarke,
I know the way cars are put together has changed gradually over time. Not to long ago there were no computer modules and things seemed to the outsider fairly simple. These days cars have umpteen modules all over the place and your average joe can barely change the oil. I guess it takes some pretty expensive equipment to diagnos problems and some pretty extensive manuals to explain the fault codes (although they must be on you laptops). My question is, is it all relative and as time has gone on your knowledge and skills change and improve just for the fact that you are working on the cars everyday? Or has it come to the point where you have to be re educated? Oh and by the way I certainly don't mind the rambling.

Rick V,
I always felt the same way when I was working as a carpenter and had great comfort knowing I could always get a job. However these days you might have to move to find a good job in construction when the economy tanks. It seems that cars need to be repaired no matter the state of the economy. Now maybe the expensive non vital repairs are put off but you need your brakes etc.! My guess is the guys working on big trucks like it because the owners/drivers are not your high minded, highly payed professionals that can be rather boring and unappreciative. I hear the guys working on the big earth movers with tires the size of your local water tower are in heaven!

Thanks again, Doug

[Clarke]

Originally Posted by slocumda

I hear the guys working on the big earth movers with tires the size of your local water tower are in heaven!

That is because they never had to grow up! Their sandbox just got bigger!

Any good tech will constantly be re-educating himself. The learning never stops. I think that Rick will back me up on this. I spend a fair amount of time researching things on my own time. When a class comes around that is at my level, I jump at it. These classes are usually on the weekends, on my time. There are far too many changes happening to just learn it in the field, education is key. Your experience will help you understand the new technology. People do put off the maintenance work in tough times. That type of work is what pays the bill for a tech that works flat rate.

[Rick V]

You can never keep up with all the tech. if you work on various cars. That is where the dealership comes in, they streamline so total knowledge is a can do thing.
Clark and I call each other all the time with questions. A shared knowledge base is an awsome thing.

[Vicegrip]

Originally Posted by Rick V

You can never keep up with all the tech. if you work on various cars. That is where the dealership comes in, they streamline so total knowledge is a can do thing.
Clark and I call each other all the time with questions. A shared knowledge base is an awsome thing.

BINGO. Another problem is you can't often tell a good wrench from an OK wrench by look or smell. Mechanics can tell each other apart but others might not.

A good sized dealership will have an old long term shop forman wandering around keeping things moving along and handing out knowledge. The larger consolidator owned dealerships can have pooled knowledge to grow their own mechanics such as in your son's case. This is an avenue into the trade but it also is a source of less expensive labor for the dealerships. This can put the old school line guy in competition with new guys. Much of the work can be done by OK wrenches as long as you have a few real good guys around to spread knowledge from time to time.
People always picture a mechanic working on the motor. torquing a rod bolt or some other oiled internal part. The truth is the mechanics spend far more time on non internal motor stuff like power seats, AC and brakes.
Another truth in my opinion is there are plenty of guys in the front of the dealerships in suits with half the brain activity making as much or more than the good mechanics. I have been a paid wrench of one kind or another since the middle 1070s and have learned that the trades do not get the financial respect that salesmen or management does.

[edevinney]

Originally Posted by Vicegrip

I have been a paid wrench of one kind or another since the middle 1070s and have learned that the trades do not get the financial respect that salesmen or management does.

Ain't that the truth.