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I like this thread. Looking forward to what people have to say on this topic.
Negotiate hourly or a guarantee so you can start your real education without having to worry on beating the clock.
Don’t let ANYONE discourage you from learning. In today’s flat rate shops it can be hard to do any learning. That coupled with shop owners/foreman who won’t let new hires do any diagnostic work. I agree with what SpawnedX said about going hourly to start. This is CRITICAL. Going flat rate straight away will most likely just discourage you right out of the trade. I recommend finding a smaller independent shop to start out in. If you choose a dealership, find out about factory training and see what that dealerships policy is about sending newer hires out for factory training. If they invest in you, they will be more reluctant to let you go in the future.
When it comes to buying tools, you don’t need to start out with Snap-On, or Mac or Matco. Spend your money wisely, only buying tools that will save you time. A Husky screwdriver from Home Depot will do EXACTLY the same thing as a Snap-On screwdriver. If you’re in the US, try Harbor Freight. If you’re in Canada, try Princess Auto. There are many national parts store chains that will have plenty of good tools as well. Don’t forget to pop into a pawn shop or two from time to time. Plenty of good used tools in those places.
The best advice to you would be learn from the people you work with. Keep an open mind, and never think that you know everything. Those grumpy old guys you work with are the way they are to test if you are committed to learning. They don’t want to waste their time on someone who doesn’t care to learn.
If you find that you really aren’t learning after you’ve been in a work environment and when you bring it to the attention of management and you find they aren’t doing anything to help, well, there’s a reason our toolboxes have wheels.
Take Care!
[quote=”-=Col.Mantras=-” post=32718]Don’t let ANYONE discourage you from learning. In today’s flat rate shops it can be hard to do any learning. That coupled with shop owners/foreman who won’t let new hires do any diagnostic work. I agree with what SpawnedX said about going hourly to start. This is CRITICAL. Going flat rate straight away will most likely just discourage you right out of the trade. I recommend finding a smaller independent shop to start out in. If you choose a dealership, find out about factory training and see what that dealerships policy is about sending newer hires out for factory training. If they invest in you, they will be more reluctant to let you go in the future.
When it comes to buying tools, you don’t need to start out with Snap-On, or Mac or Matco. Spend your money wisely, only buying tools that will save you time. A Husky screwdriver from Home Depot will do EXACTLY the same thing as a Snap-On screwdriver. If you’re in the US, try Harbor Freight. If you’re in Canada, try Princess Auto. There are many national parts store chains that will have plenty of good tools as well. Don’t forget to pop into a pawn shop or two from time to time. Plenty of good used tools in those places.
The best advice to you would be learn from the people you work with. Keep an open mind, and never think that you know everything. Those grumpy old guys you work with are the way they are to test if you are committed to learning. They don’t want to waste their time on someone who doesn’t care to learn.
If you find that you really aren’t learning after you’ve been in a work environment and when you bring it to the attention of management and you find they aren’t doing anything to help, well, there’s a reason our toolboxes have wheels.
Take Care![/quote]
Big +1 to this post.
Some days it will be a baptism of fire and there will be some very frustrating and discouraging days. Keep at it and you will do fine.
Learn from your mistakes too, we have all made them.
I just thought of another one. Don’t get in over your head with the tool guy when you first start out. Buy the basic hand tools and buy the best you can afford to start with as these are your base. As for the other tools outside of your air tools wait till you get that first job to find out what tools you’ll need based on what you’re working on. My main point is until you find out what you need just start with the basics and don’t go crazy buying a bunch of brightly colored stuff that you think you’ll need but don’t end up using. You’ll be spending the next several years buying tools anyway, might as well stick to the ones you need.
i spent days thinkin’ about if i should run up a huge bill with the snap on guy… on the 4th day, I went straight to sears and bough a ton of tools for a low price. 🙂
Ok, I started 2 years ago by my self, even I tought that I was ready to split directly in the face to the oneself shop I ‘ve never imagene how hard is work by your own. Told this I suggest this:
a) Don’t think that you are the best in the market
b) Even you’re the owner of your time,you have to work harder and effort beyond you used to worked before, ’cause somebody near to you weak up earler than you, or close the shop later than you. All depending how much want to spend.c) After have the idea where you want to go, you have to promote your shop (I think in USA is easer than here in México) spear handbills in the area that you calculate to give tha service, internet,friends and parners
d) I think to start with a medium scanner,300 pzs kit autocle, mechs gloves,voltimeter,diod light tester,internet,5 gall compressor 120v, and neumatic wrench and a good place to work with low rent is enough….
Some more advice best way to get a new techs foot in the door? go start out in a dealership or mom and pops shop any info?B)
[quote=”jeep72″ post=35089]Some more advice best way to get a new techs foot in the door? go start out in a dealership or mom and pops shop any info?B)[/quote]
It really depends on your area. I would look into the local vocational schools or community collages for programs in your area. The days of just walking in and getting a job as a technician are over in my opinion, there’s just too much to know, even some oil changes and brake jobs sometimes require the use of a scan tool. The thing that will kill you the most in this industry is your lack of knowledge so do your best to fill your head with as much as you can.
I have the tech school training. just want to get in a good shop. i went through the Ford training. but the Ford Dealerships in my area is not hiring right now.
They will take you if you are willing to work for peanuts. That’s how all the new guys get in at my place….taking 10 flat rate hourly.
1. When you are starting out, DO NOT go and finance your life away to the Snap-On man, or Mac, Matco, etc. Start out with Craftsman or Kobalt, something like that. When you get to using your tools hard, and see what their capabilities/failing are, then start to upgrade. That “starter” set of Craftman or whatever will be great in your garage later on for changing your own oil or doing your brothers brakes in the driveway.
2. Learn as much as you can about electrical and electronic/computer diag and systems while you are in school! There is a ton of money to be made there, everything is computer controlled now.
3. Don’t think that you need to go out and buy a Modis or a Verus or whatever the newest scan tool is to do driveability and electronic work. You can do way more than you think doing diag with a wiring diagram, a volt meter, and some critical thinking. Later on when/if you invest in a scan tool you will be way ahead of the curve. Kind of like learning how to navigate using a map and compass, then getting a GPS. A GPS can and will steer you wrong, and so will a scan tool if you follow it blindly.
4. When you get to the point of needing a scan tool, get a good one, make sure it has at least a 2 channel scope, those are really fun and useful, as is a pressure transducer for said scope.
5. Do good quality work, don’t half-ass stuff. Your service writer/foreman/whoever can explain slow to the customer, he can’t explain wrong.
6. Read, read, read. Suscribe to Motor Magazine, Under Car Digest, etc. Read them when its slow and you are sitting around waiting for a car to come in. When that car does come in, read the TSBs and repair procedure in ALLData/Mitchell before you do whatever repair if you haven’t done it before. It only takes a couple minutes, and it can save you hours later trying to figure out why something won’t work, there may be a specific procedure for whatever vehicle. This is especially true of computer related repairs. Nothing will frustrate you, your boss, and the customer more than replacing a component, only to have the same problem or a different one as soon as you start the car to pull it out, because you forgot, or didn’t know, that you need to cycle the key 3 times, press the brake pedal, and turn around twice while rubbing your stomach to make some component talk to the computer and relearn before you start it.
Sorry for the long post
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