To all the Auto Techs out there...

[jrtcbmw]

Ok, well here goes. this is for anyone who is an auto tech.

- What school did you go to?
- Did you like the school?
- Would you have changed your choice on school?
- What degree do you have?
- Was there other choices for degrees (2 year/4 year)?
- Do you regret your decision on the path (degree/certificate/training/schooling) or wish you could change it? Why?
- Where do you work currently?
- If you don't mind sharing...Whats your yearly income (estimate)?

Sorry for the random post but i just need some insight on this.
Jason

[james_ls]

Oh no hes thinking again.

[jrtcbmw]

Originally Posted by james_ls

Oh no hes thinking again.

lol i know its bad when i think and it only goes downhill.

[james_ls]

Don't fall too far down the hill...you know me I'll just pull ya the rest of the way!!

What are brothers for!?

[jrtcbmw]

lol thanks James.

[BradC]

don't go to school to be an auto tech. No offense to anyone that is a tech, but i hear too many people, friends, etc, bitch about their tech jobs

[jrtcbmw]

I already have completed my 2 year associates degree in auto technology, but im signed up for the 4 year bachelors degree and i am having 2nd thoughts about the 4 year portion of it.

[NOPSTNS]

im a tech, dont do it. the auto industry as a whole is slowing down. sales and profits and blah blah blah may be up for companies as a whole, but the service end is takin it up the rear....

in sept of 04 i started at universal technical institute in exton Pa. the place was literally BRAND new as i walked in, i was the third class to start there. in exactly one year i graduated and months before that i had dealers askin me to apply. (personal opinion alert......) ive visited local tech schools b4 goin to uti and they are all crap compared to uti. i dunno about other schools but uti has an entire section of the school devoted to helping kids find jobs, housing, etc etc.....i had two job offers before i even finished school!

then i went to work......

hourly pay is ok man, especially when ur just startin out, but when u start to get a flow and u get good and quick, then they want u flat rate....i remember doina clutch on an rx8 and id ditn wanna do it but my master tech who was trainin me was too busy to do it. so he had me pick at it here and there and before i knew it i had the trans on the ground. needless to say after i reinstalled it and it ran fine they brought me into the managers office and they were like "its time"



flat rate sucks
beina tech sucks
dealerships suck


the industry sucks man dont do it.

there is NO tech in america that goes "i love beina tech" everyone hates it.
i worked at faulkner mazda for a year and it was ok, but there was no money and it was slo so i left and went to reedman toll mazda......theres a little more money...but its equally slow. every auto shop is slower than they used to be, i have other friends that r techs.....toyota, volvo, vw, mercedes benz, they all say its slow. its not a good time to be a kid in the auto industry....

the older guys do fine, 100+ hours a week at 30 an hour, u do the math...
but the good work goes to them and they r fast....real fast....plus they all lie about what work need to be done too so that helps....

where do if it in? besides the 40 year age barrier (no im not exaggerating)im the nice guy, its in my blood, i cant help it. ill always be known as a nice guy and theres nothing the auto industry has taught me except that

NICE

GUYS

FINISH

LAST

cars, money, girls, friends, respect....everything......nice guys finish last



...im left with the bull**** work that no one else wants to do. yes i make ok money still, for my age at least, i got college kids who wont earn beyond 9 bucks an hr at their summer jobs till they graduate.....but in 5 yrs when my college friends graduate and get REAL jobs, they will be killin me and i will be wishin i went to school to do what i really wanted....

Chassis engineer for mazdaspeed







every young guy in shops hate it, itll be 15 yrs before i get decent work

[teh DIRT]

dont settle for a par job. find out what you want to be, and be it. blah blah blah yada yada yada.

[SRT42EnVy]

{Nopstns} Sounds just like me, i finished my first year for Auto Tech at MCCC night classes, i work in a private shop, only make about 9$ an hour, it was my first job and i have been doing it a little over a year. We are usually pretty busy, theres only 3 of us at the shop, 2 owners and me and its a gas and diesel emmision repair facility. We run inspections, and basically do anything that comes in the door. I learn alot and i can tackle just about anything now, i used to just do basic service but now i do actual diagnosis and repair. Some days i like doing my job, but most of the time i dont, i work hard, get very dirty, sweaty, smelly, etc. and its really not worth it. I regret getting into the career and i may change my mind about it...im the nice guy and like you i get all the **** work and do what im told....it sucks man...

[Sentrase00]

Yep Ill have to agree with every one else here. I went to Lincoln tech and graduated and also went to other colleges for Auto tech. Now I work at Honda not getting paid anywhere near what I feel Im worth. Im not on flat rate either. I like my job some days, but with all positives come negatives. Im dirty, I hurt a little, my hands are all cut up. Its a very stressful and frusturating job. I wouldnt mind flat rate right now though, since im a used car tech, there is always work. When service is slow, Im banging out cars that were just sold. Plus I get mad time for servicing these cars. I did a honda pilot today. I did and oil change, trans flush, Front and rear brakes, air filter, wiper blades and rotated tires. That pays like 8hr. I did that in an hour and 1/2. We do atleast 3 of those a day. Plus if our dealer slows down with selling cars, there are still a bunch of untouched cars in the lot taht I can service and "get it ready to be sold." But honestly, I dont plan to be in a dealer too long. I hope to have my own business soon. I truley cant say whether I regret my choice or not. I love cars and playing with them and I hope that my decision pays off in the future. Right now though, experience is priceless.

[Sentrase00]

Oh and avoid Lincoln tech...
waste of $22K

[jrtcbmw]

Right now i am currently half way done at Penn College of Technology for Auto Tech Management (4 year bachelors degee). i just debating on weather its worth staying for the 4 years or just get done my 2 years(associates degree) and get out. i plan on owning my own shop down the line.

[Sentrase00]

Originally Posted by LCbmw97

Right now i am currently half way done at Penn College of Technology for Auto Tech Management (4 year bachelors degee). i just debating on weather its worth staying for the 4 years or just get done my 2 years(associates degree) and get out. i plan on owning my own shop down the line.

One of my close friends goes there for auto body. his name is Dave Leigner. You know him???

[Honduh]

I'm yet another tech that does not enjoy his job.

I went to UTI, and was probably the 8th class to start, so little did I know I went to school with nopistons lol.

Anyway UTI ****ing sucked and I didn't really learn much even though I did get good grades. There are a few good kids in each class and I'd like to say I was one of them, but all the other idiots that are there either on a free ride or mommy and daddys money ruin it for everyone else trying to get the instructors bad and just causing trouble in general.

Then I got out of school and uti was trying to line me up with jobs, about 2 months after being out I finally decided to go work for saturn because they called me and asked me to come in. It was pretty sweet at first, learned a decent amount. Unfortunently I caught on alittle too fast I think and I was put to flat rate after a exactly 2 months of being there, which was really hard to keep up but I was able too with a bit of hustle. Then the winter months came and the work dropped off like a rock and I was bringing home 54 hour checks for two weeks, watching all the good work go to the A techs and the younger guys taking all the oil changes and bull **** stuff. Then there is my team leader, who is seriously one of the best techs I have ever met, and for some reason he thinks everyone should be just as good as him because it seems so simple to him, and I hate having to asking him for help with doing diag cause he gives me such a **** additude a lot.

The work is picking up now and with the new hours we have we work more days, which is kinda good for making hours, but we wost the 4 day work week so we lost some days off.

Service writers can be real assholes and expect **** done instantly when they don't even know whats going on or how to do what you are doing while they sit up front in the nice air condition. Then they bitch how hard their jobs are having to talk to customers, big deal lol.

Also being a young guy in a shop with a bunch of 30-40 y/o dudes you are going to get ridden a lot. I get made the blunt of jokes a good bit, which is fine and all but sometimes I just don't want to hear it and I get pissed.

Don't think that just because you went to school for auto means you know how to fix cars either. I had kids in my classes that would study a lot and get good grades, but when faced with turning wrenches hands on, they just can't do it because they don't know how. I had about 2 years of working on my own cars before I went to school and that realllllllly helped me out I think. We had a kid come into our shop about 18 y/o just out of highschool autotech and he didn't know anything and he just crumbled. There was days when he was literally in tears because he couldn't figure stuff out it was sad.

Before anyone decides to get into this industry think deep down about it. Think if you want to diagnose ses lights, its more than just using a scan tool a lot of times. Think if you want to deal with bolts that wont move that you have to heat with a torch on an alignment rack. Think of the serious hussle to have to have when working on a waiting customers car. Some days it can be fun, and other days its a real pain in the ass and you go home with sore feet and cut up hands.

[jrtcbmw]

Originally Posted by Sentrase00

One of my close friends goes there for auto body. his name is Dave Leigner. You know him???

name does not ring a bell, but maybe if i saw him i might recognize him.

[ThePrimerSuspect]

ok, im here to settle it. every tech now officially hates their job. i went to ATC in exton. they promise you $50k a year to start and the dealer pays for school blah blah blah..... its all bull****. i didnt make $50k for the first 2 years together. i work for honda now and as far as manufacturers go, its probably one of the best. but it still sucks. flat rate sucks. theres a lot of favoritism at dealers. if whoever is handing out the work likes you, then you get good jobs and everyone else hates you. if your not getting good work then people are friendly to you and will (for the most part) help you out when you need it, but you dont make any money. i tell everyone the same thing when they ask me, DONT DO IT. if i had it to do over again, i definitely would not have. but then again, everyone told me not to do it and i didnt listen.

[jrtcbmw]

Well this thread became a "Dont Do It" thread and i wasn't supposed to be one.

i am already doing it, i just getting a stand point of what degrees equal what jobs and if its worth staying at school for 2 more years for the bachelors degree. but thank you everyone for your input on it.

jason

[NOPSTNS]

heres some schooling info...i went to one year at uti for its basic technician training. they have more in depfth courses like diesel, vw, ford, etc etc etc. but i skipped all that and went straight to work for mazda. mazda has thier own school and my dealer sends me out to the school for teachings....normally when a new model comes out, they issue classes both online and teacher led so u can learn the ins and outs....

ive been to intro to mazda
mazdaspeed (2.3 DISI engine training)
CX9
hard top miata
"new" tribute

and next month is electrical diag.

its pretty cool, my dealer pays for the trip, gas, etc etc. its fun i like goin to mazda school. we do real hands on and break stuff. mazdaspeed was the best bc we took apart the 2.3l engines, damn those things r stout yo! forged internals o snap!

anyway.....
ur classes screw me up, i dunno what u want to be, a tech, a manager? service writer? if ur goin to school for 4 years of auto stuff, u better be somethin other than a tech. most tech schools are 1-2 years.....

let us all kno what ur goin to be! good luck

[Sentrase00]

From what Ive seen and learned working in the field the bachelors degree makes no difference whatsoever. Most of the techs asked why I even bothered with school.