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just getting a job as a technician seems difficult laitly… in a way i feel like i am not a part of this forum beacuse i am not a fully seasoned tech who works fixing cars, i once was, but i felt like that job was a joke, and i was later laid off due to bad weather (i will enplane later)
i went too MCTI Michigan Career and Technical Institute for 1.5 years, it was NOT a easy coarse and for as short as it is there is a lot too it, spending as much as two or three hours a night studying my butt off, but it paid off, more towards the end of my terms i was one of the top dogs in my class, almost all A grades, in the class and academically i was a top grade student who was willing too jump into anything! whats that? subaru needs new head gasket? im all for it! but the instructor didn’t have time too teach us jobs like that….
i graduated with honors, i made it through all six terms, and me, and my friend David where the only kids to do this in a while, i passed the General Maintenance coarse a little shakey, then passed the brakes coarse and suspension and steering coarse ok, then i hit electrical Engine performance and then heating and air conditioning and i was off like a rocket, getting homework done with weeks too spare, passing tests with the greatest of ease, and i was always doing the bigger jobs, fuel system work replacing fuel injectors in 3400SFI engines, radiator replacements in jeeps, stuff our instructor would normally pass off students on, i graduated with honors and went straight too work after a summer work program.
i worked at a fleet shop for a business called Stap Brothers, it was a lawn and landscape business, that also did construction and plowing during the winter, it was a very simple, and bare essential shop, i didn’t have a bunch of fancy tools or experience like the shop manager, and i was the only other full time mechanic there… the guy hired me in hoping i could learn the ropes of the place in a few weeks time, which not only included fixing vehicles in ways that would make dealerships cry just too save time, and the vehicles where of coarse fleet light trucks, driven buy workers who could care less, and they treated the trucks like crap, the vehicles where often a mess full of garbage and smelled like a combonation between rubbish and cigarette smoke, cobbled together and fixed not so compleetly, not exactly a mechanics favorite job to perform.
i was the new mechanic, with little too no experience, i could do the job, just not how they wanted it done, and not as quickly as they wanted it done, but i stuck with it and kept the job until this winter, when the plowing part of the business took a heavy hit, not enough snow too keep revenue, i was the first one too be laid off… and getting another job as a mechanic has been tough since, i can show them all my certifications, all the certificates, and show them i know what i am talking about, but its always the guy who has been at it for a few years, that has all the tools… this feels me leaving hopeless, that all the studying and hard work that i have done too even attempt to get into a buisness as a Technician, it makes me feel as it has been for nothing… now i work in a factory getting paid miniom wage getting treated like just another usable asset, rather than doing what i love and getting better at it, fixing cars. 🙁
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Ya know, just by reading what you wrote above i can tell you what part of the problem is and i don’t even know you.
You have a terrible attitude and i’m sure i’m not the only one who detects it. You can’t apply for a job with your face dragging on the ground…The poor me syndrome.
Create a resume from your heart without bragging about your accomplishments and how smart you are. Tell em that you will work at half the pay rate until the first paycheque. And that if they are not happy with you then move on, no hard feelings. Smile honestly and shake as many hands as you possibly can. Most people will remember that.
Now I know i’m almost an “Old Fart” and the world is goin crazy these days so the things that got me workin almost don’t apply anymore, but honest enthusiasm at an interview will go a long way with the challenge you face. Show em you really want to work.
They’re going for the older more experienced guys because of what you don’t realize. Being able to pass tests and get pieces of paper doesn’t mean you have the knowledge that can only come from time spent with a wrench in your hand. You’re tying to market yourself as having all this knowledge because you don’t realize how much you really don’t know but think you do. I’m not picking on you, I was in your spot before and I can’t realize how much stuff I either thought I knew that was wrong or flat out had no clue about. Tech school gives you a start in this trade, it gives you a general understanding of how the systems work, but you need to get into this humbly if you think you’re going to get anywhere.
Avoid dealerships like the plague. You’ll just get flat-raped and nobody is going to teach you anything. Try finding larger independent shops or fleets. Offer to come in as the gofer, shop monkey, errand boy if thats all they need right away. It will pay better than what you make right now, and as they guys get to know you if they think you aren’t full of attitude and like you they will start teaching you things. Maybe they need you to hold a wrench, hold a light, crank it over for them. Bit by bit they will take you under their wing and give you some smaller jobs. You may be likely supervised while you do it, and they will offer tips to you that will make the job easier or keep you from screwing up something. Trust me, a lot of the reasons we know what little thing that gets overlooked will result in disaster is because WE WERE THAT IDIOT THAT SCREWED IT UP! Check out Eric’s vid called “mechanic fails” and you will see a bit about what I mean.
Be realistic when you are interviewing with the shop. Don’t overstate what you can do. If you just start as the shop janitor, be the best janitor you can be. Make the shop shine, keep the trash cans empty, you will get noticed as a good worker even if they aren’t directly saying it to your face. When I was at a Mack dealership years ago we had a young guy who was our part-time shop monkey. He started showing potential, ended up going to tech and worked for us on his breaks from class. He had a full-time job waiting for him at graduation and last I heard is doing pretty well for himself.
Best of luck to you in getting your start.
I whole heartedly can not say I feel like a technician. I did three years in high school auto shop my second year landed my first dealer job washing cars, changing oil so in other words b*&%$ duty. I went in thinking I am the hottest burger off the grill, if you get what I mean. Boy was I wrong. I messed up big time, a 3500 Silverado dully’s bedside and a gate became best friends…I got fired 🙁 . The summer of going to college for automotive I got a nice job at a shop changing oil with a nice sponsorship to pay for wherever I want. I didn’t screw up there I got laid off. the guy that I was supposed to replace didn’t quit so I got bumped out. I am currently getting my 2 year degree in automotive and I did a lot of job in my class was the “go to guy” but ill tell you what man I hate being that. All I do is change parts, I want to learn more diagnosing. I have some experience working on cars, I fix my fiancés families cars my families and friends cars’ by far don’t know it all.id agree with people when they say school doesn’t do it all, experience does, you can be book smart replace a few parts but you have to be street smart. I guess with all of my rambling all I am saying is that,dont be an idiot and don’t brag like I did, people don’t care about what you say you’ve done you need to show you can do it.if I were to redo working at the dealership I got my job at I wouldn’t be
such an idiot.dude, go through what i have been through, then not be upset, i dont go around with the attitude of feeling sorry for myself every day, i come too express my feelings alright, is that ok?
i have worked my ass off too get where i am, and there are plenty of people like you who wont even take a second too understand what i have been through, and that is why i work a fricking 7.40 an hour slave labor job! rather than working the career i have worked so hard just too attempt too get into, do you know how hard it is too get through six terms of MCTI let alone graduate with honors? you have no idea who i am, so don’t you ever assume beacuse i express my feelings once as a attempting technician, that i am the person who drags my ass around feeling sorry for myself!
yep, that is the issue, there is a difference between knowing how a car works and being told how too do the job, and actually knowing how to do it, but the only way too know how to fix a car fast like a good mechanic, is getting experience, and well going too work and gaining the experience. at MCTI there where no jobs where we had to get it done in a certain time, i was able however to do a front and rear toe alignment on a car in an hour and a half once… and i was timed, but there where no major jobs mechanics do all the time that i was clocked to do.
i am willing to be the oil change boy, or the guy sweeping the shop and taking out the trash, but just getting too that point seems difficult.
[quote=”fordranger” post=59600]I whole heartedly can not say I feel like a technician. I did three years in high school auto shop my second year landed my first dealer job washing cars, changing oil so in other words b*&%$ duty. I went in thinking I am the hottest burger off the grill, if you get what I mean. Boy was I wrong. I messed up big time, a 3500 Silverado dully’s bedside and a gate became best friends…I got fired 🙁 . The summer of going to college for automotive I got a nice job at a shop changing oil with a nice sponsorship to pay for wherever I want. I didn’t screw up there I got laid off. the guy that I was supposed to replace didn’t quit so I got bumped out. I am currently getting my 2 year degree in automotive and I did a lot of job in my class was the “go to guy” but ill tell you what man I hate being that. All I do is change parts, I want to learn more diagnosing. I have some experience working on cars, I fix my fiancés families cars my families and friends cars’ by far don’t know it all.id agree with people when they say school doesn’t do it all, experience does, you can be book smart replace a few parts but you have to be street smart. I guess with all of my rambling all I am saying is that,dont be an idiot and don’t brag like I did, people don’t care about what you say you’ve done you need to show you can do it.if I were to redo working at the dealership I got my job at I wouldn’t be
such an idiot.[/quote]sorry too here about your difficulties as a tech too
TO ADD
the posts i have posted i have just realized i clicked the reply button instead of the quote button, too clarify my responses, they are listed in the order in response too the order of replies
ya know bud….I just typed out twice what i wanted to tell you and my stay timed out both times.
I guess i’m gonna have to condense it. I’m sure your education wasn’t easy. I just wish i had a better education.I just thought that i might piss you off enough for you to stop complaining and start fighting for what you want outta life. I didn’t intend to insult you and i’m sorry for that.
I just want you to know that you have to work hard and fight for most things in life. I’m 63 and I have fought for everything that i have and it ain’t much. Nobody will kiss ur ass and give it to you.
You have to reach out and take it……NOW go and get it.
[quote=”wysetech” post=59709]ya know bud….I just typed out twice what i wanted to tell you and my stay timed out both times.
I guess i’m gonna have to condense it. I’m sure your education wasn’t easy. I just wish i had a better education.I just thought that i might piss you off enough for you to stop complaining and start fighting for what you want outta life. I didn’t intend to insult you and i’m sorry for that.
I just want you to know that you have to work hard and fight for most things in life. I’m 63 and I have fought for everything that i have and it ain’t much. Nobody will kiss ur ass and give it to you.
You have to reach out and take it……NOW go and get it.[/quote]
when you already have the pedal too the floor, how much farther can you put the pedal down, i am going out and putting in multiple applications into places, walking into places that would regularly request internet applications, a non automotive job that i am applying for i have put in three or four applications, no luck, put in a application into autozone once, i didn’t get hired, a cute girl did and i asked for them too check my engine light, and i had too show the girl how too use the scan tool wow… :huh:
i understand the concept of no one is going too kiss my ass, i understand the concept of i have to go out and get it, no body is going too hand it to me, issue is there are too many people that are getting it handed too them, and lots of other people looking for jobs that already are looking for that same job, with more tools and more experience!
my intent is not trying too feel bad for myself, if i did my apologies, my intent was too see those who share my issue with me.
[quote=”fordranger” post=59738]about to say whatd I do and love the w bodies as a side note had 2 lumina;s banana:[/quote]
the GM W body is a good unibody, so many GM cars use it!
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