Moving Up

[William]

I know that I’m new blood in the automotive industry, and I need to put my time in. However, I’m looking at the big picture. I’m a tire tech that does a little light mechanic work, brakes, suspension, etc. I don’t mind it… for now. But I go to work and the guy that works next to me has been a tire tech for 10+ years, and I’m thinking I don’t want that. Maybe it’s just the place I’m working, but I see no transition into mechanic work. I ask, or mention that I can do certain jobs, but they have me back cars out and give the work to other guys.

I also understand the mechanics get priority over me, but there are certain times where it makes no sense. The mechanics are tied up, it’s steady, and they have plenty of work lined up. Just let me knock it out.

But that’s not really what this topic is about, I’m just wondering how others move out of tires. Besides time put in, how does one make that transition? If they don’t let you get experience, how can you show them your experience. I’ve often thought this might make a good ETCG1 topic. I’m sure there are a lot of tire techs out there that may have this in the back of their mind.

Topic

[zero]

The quickest and easiest way to get a raise or promotion is to get a new job. Get a new job and make it very clear that you expect to do more than tires.

Don’t gauge your own “success” versus others. If some guy has been busting tires for 10 years, there’s a reason why.

[William]

Well, getting a new job really isn’t something I can do now, but when it comes time to move on from this shop, I’ll remember that. Hopefully by then I won’t be strictly a tire guy, either.

I’m wondering how to get noticed. I’m running into a case where if you do your job good enough, nobody will be sure you did anything at all. One of the old-timers asks if I’ve whined and complained yet. I don’t want to be that guy, but I have a feeling that might be my only option. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, you know?

Overall, it’s a great place to work, I’m not knocking that. It’s just that everyone has been hired into their positions. Maybe you’re right, maybe that’s a flag I should have noticed.

[Douglas Haynes]

Why isn’t getting a new job something you can do? Having a job doesn’t mean you cannot look for another; I was employed when I found the job I have now.

Have you talked to any of the management where you work about it? You never go anywhere unless you make it clear it is something you require from them. Let them know that you want to do more is a clear and simple manner.

[Mike]

[quote=”DaFirnz” post=141089]The quickest and easiest way to get a raise or promotion is to get a new job. Get a new job and make it very clear that you expect to do more than tires.

Don’t gauge your own “success” versus others. If some guy has been busting tires for 10 years, there’s a reason why.[/quote]
DaFirnz offers consistently good advice on these subjects, and I’m afraid he’s right again.

You can make all the self-studying and self-improvement efforts you can (as you should be), but if your current employer is not interested in allowing you to prove you are better than what you’re doing, there’s nothing you can really do there. The only way you get raises as a mechanic is to make obvious transitions to the higher levels of work (lube to C to B to A to A+, as it’s typically put), while continuing to be efficient and profitable. What can be worse is taking the opportunity to do a job that’s beyond your current ability level, which is why successful growth depends on knowing your ability and being honest with yourself.

It’s far more common for a cocky tech to end up sucking at what he claims to be the man at than for him to turn out to be all he’s cracked up to be. That being the case, peers and managers are usually pretty happy when guys actually turn out to be as competent as they claimed to be. If you’re able to do create the situation where you’re that rare guy who knows who knows what he is and is forthcoming about it, it’s a good way to play it. You don’t have to be claiming that you’re great for either. Whatever level you’re at, just be real about it.

There is also one piece of advice I live by that works very well for me:

“If you don’t know why you are doing something the way you are doing it, you can probably do it better”

You can analyze any task and apply this idea. Sweeping a floor, doing a brake job, parking a car, cleaning a room, changing a tire, anything and everything can be improved upon if you’re fundamentally alright with realizing your shortcomings. Mastering that is how to elevate yourself above your peers.

[Mike]

[quote=”Fopeano” post=141185]There is also one piece of advice I live by that works very well for me:

“If you don’t know why you are doing something the way you are doing it, you can probably do it better”[/quote]

I’m going to cross the yellow line and put a different spin on this:

“If you don’t why you are doing something the way you are doing it, you have a lot more to learn about the topic.”

[William]

Alright then. I’ll stick it out a bit longer and have a talk with my service writer. If he has no intention of giving me opportunities, you guys are probably right, I should think about moving on. It’s just a frustrating position. I know I have valuable knowledge from school, but regarding my career, some days I wonder why I even bothered?

But alright, I needed some outside opinions from people other than my coworkers. Thanks for your words of wisdom!

[Rick]

I was in the same position as you. I was busting tires and begging for extra work, more challenges. My old shop was promoting these back yard mechanics with no verifiable work experience. I could do everything the mechanics could do and I was never given the opportunity to show it. Not even oil changes. Just tires, and tires, and tires.

One day I answered an ad for tech in training at a dealership. I immediately started changing oil, brake, coolant flushes, brake repairs and replacements, suspension work you name it. I was also able to work with technicians and help them when I had no work in my bay.

Fopeano hit it on the head. You have to know what you feel confident doing, and don’t be afraid to extend yourself. I’ve done jobs where I was shaking I was so nervous. But I had great techs that checked on me through out the work to make sure I was ok.

If your shop won’t give you the work you are trying to get, you need to look somewhere else.
I left the shop where I got a lot of experience with brakes, oil changes and ect when I started getting offers to be a flat rate tech and a 6 month apprenticeship. My old shop wanted to keep me hourly and I felt I was ready for flat rate. They offered me a $2 an hour raise when I put my two weeks notice in.

I know you can’t leave your current job, so I hope things work out for you. Maybe if you have something else lined up they will bump you up.

If you have any questions or need more details hit me up with a private message.

[zero]

[quote=”Fopeano” post=141185][quote=”DaFirnz” post=141089]DaFirnz offers consistently good advice on these subjects, and I’m afraid he’s right again. [/quote]

Giggity.

Let’s just say that I have more than my share of experience finding new jobs.

I think I might be crying.

J/K I only cry when a car dies because of poor maintenance.

[Jason White]

Good advise on here, but I can really relate to OP. Coming from a technician that was stuck as a tire tech/GS for a long time in a similar situation as OP.

First of all, most of these tire shops that do it all, there is such a huge jump between tire tech, and technician, that it is nearly impossible for someone to make that leap there. They kept me back for a while. You need a stairway. Either find a shop where as far as the techs go, they stop at basic work like suspension work, or go to a larger operation like a dealership. That’s what I did.

Some employers are not interested in you moving up. Loyalty means nothing these days. They would rather hire someone else than promote you while you go through the learning curve. They will tell you what you want to hear though. I worked at one shop for 4 years because they promised me when the position opened I would get it… never happened.

Another problem, you might be too good at what you do. This was my problem. Honestly, most guys in the lube tech, tire tech, alignment tech, general service tech, maintenence tech positions are unexperienced and honestly, unreliable and not very good when it comes down to it. Anyone with any real ability is going to want to move up. If they find someone who is willing to take pride in being good at the simpler stuff, they love it, but that love won’t go into your paycheck. I took a lot of pride in what I did. Not trying to brag, but I am one of the best when it comes to making a vehicle drive smooth and straight down the road. It doesn’t go to waste, I still get them at the dealership when the other guys can’t get them right, “help jason” lol.

Good things happen for those who GO FOR IT. Waiters just wait to be disappointed. Go getters get. The Early Bird gets the worm, the worm comes to no bird.

I took a lower position at a dealership, came in as an entry level oil changer, despite my ASE Master status, oh well, I became the best damn oil changer that had. They all liked me because I took care of all the BS that didn’t really pay and the techs didn’t want to deal with. I insisted I wanted to move up, and they were hesitant because I was their go to guy in the lube center. I threatened to quit, either move me up or I quit, and they didn’t want to lose me so they moved me up. I went to RECON, the Used Car Department, basically taking trade ins and making them into sellable cars minus the cleaning aspect. Kind of pissed because I was getting good at that and they moved me to the main service building. I don’t get any of the gravy, or the easy work, haven’t done brakes in I don’t know how long. All I get are check engine lights, electrical problems, and no-starts. I somehow always get through it, I never give up, they put me through the fire and somehow I always make it through, but I’m not going to lie that I get burned a lot. I’m not making that great of money right now, but I’m getting better, and things that were intimidating or hard are getting easy and I don’t mind. If I can keep it up, I’ll be that go to tech, and life will get much easier. 🙂 Just got to keep on keeping on.

[William]

Well, unbeknownst to me, one guy is quitting for personal reasons, so there’s going to be a rotation. Allegedly. It’ll be a couple months but I’m going to stick it out and see what happens. The most logical solution would be to move the top tire guy to the tech position, and move me to his, but they haven’t been the most logical at times. I literally just found out about an hour ago. So we’ll see how that goes. But I’m still inclined to take the advice from everyone on here if things still don’t go in the direction I’m satisfied with.

[Mike]

I would certainly suggest being fairly blunt about your desire to move up to whomever may be in the position to decide what will happen. You absolutely cannot expect that a ‘wait and see’ attitude will work out well, hoping that someone has noticed your predicament and sensed your needs on their own..

[Rene Perez]

I myself, am in that same situation, or close to it. I work at Infiniti, I came in with just lube tech experience. After 6 months, I can do more service and maintenance work. I have took on jobs that were a little above my level such as suspension, recalls and stuff. My problem at the dealership is that I was stuck working the night shift, which is 12 pm to 9 pm. By 4 pm, all the day techs were gone and I was stuck doing all the oil changes and what have you. So I tried asking for a raise not too long to be compensated for that. But my boss insist on giving me a raise because he says he wants me to do better and take on bigger jobs. That I have no problem proving, I just lack the time because I am always given the dumb work and I am always the first up to be given that work because no one else in the shop would take it. So I am not really sure what to do at this point. I really would like to stay in the business but I also just want to feel appreciated for what I do. Sometimes I want to jump to another dealer for a raise/promotion. What is the best advice you got for me? I honestly never thought this would be so tough and harsh.

[Author]

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