Change of Career INTO the Vehicle Technician Industry

[everson38]

Hey all,

First time posting on her, so be gentle if I make any faux pas.

So I 36 years old and have been working on cars for the past 6 years alongside my main, I where I have built up a small / medi but dedicated customer base from word of mouth. I am wanting to make the change over into the industry full time. I am currently scheduled to start my Level 2 at college in the coming months with the plan to get my level 3, but I want to obtain some experience from people who have been doing it longer, but I am struggling to find any places who want an extra set of competent and honest hands in exchange for some work experience hours. I wanted to see if anyone had any leads or know of any establishments in the west midlands area who are open to this. I have no ego about my learning and simply want to be better and be pro active.

All ideas and thinkings are welcome 😁.

Thank you

[solo2]

I'm not of any use to you but I've been in the Sales side of the motor trade since the late 1980's.

Franchised retailers are unlikely to be interested as there is too much red tape with you not being employed buy them and having set hours etc etc.

A smaller independant/franchise specialist may be more the place that will welcome you. You've probably already tried these avenues though. I think people will find it hard to comprehend you working for free but also be worried you may steal their trade.

[everson38]

Hey Pal,

Thank you for getting back to me. Yes I see your point with the franchised garages thank you for highlighting this. Stealing their trade I also see your point but would be surprised also, because having a good mechanic in my opinion is like a good barber you rarely change willy nilly, so to.lose your customers that easy would be more of a reflection on yourself. I am still reaching out, but currently just.met with "unfortunately no" which again is a little surprising, as all I read is how people are not going into the trade , you would think people would want to get them in, but maybe I have a more rose tinted view of the industry due to coming into it later than average and still having the love. The working for free is more of a selling point for them really, luckily I have placed myself that I am ably to know try to persue another career I am passionate and ideally have no regrets in life when looking back. 👍🏽👍🏽

[Richard-390a0]

I reckon you'd struggle to get into a main dealer as most have their own brand dedicated training colleges / facilities these days, almost like boarding schools for some of our apprentices lol!. I'd also suggest you're at the age most are looking to get out rather than into the trade (I'm still in the trade, but off of my tools at 40). You'll also find the reality of the pressure of meeting timed efficiency targets / bonuses is a world away from pottering about fixing cars at home. Not to p*ss on your chips but there are very real reasons why techs are leaving like rats on sinking ships. There was a good thread on here a couple of years back of someone who was cheesed off 'being on the tools' if you can find it of what the reality is like for most techies these days.

[CoupeKid]

Wasn't there a thread from someone who started a BMW apprenticeship in his 30s? IIRC he went into it bright eyed and keen to learn everything he could and having a career.

He updated it a couple of years later, utterly disillusioned with being treated like dirt and paid a pittance.

[Steve H]

If you are already building up your customer base, keep building!

There’s a decent living to be made in repairing cars but generally not so much if you are working for someone else.

[everson38]

Richard-390a0 said:

I reckon you'd struggle to get into a main dealer as most have their own brand dedicated training colleges / facilities these days, almost like boarding schools for some of our apprentices lol!. I'd also suggest you're at the age most are looking to get out rather than into the trade (I'm still in the trade, but off of my tools at 40). You'll also find the reality of the pressure of meeting timed efficiency targets / bonuses is a world away from pottering about fixing cars at home. Not to p*ss on your chips but there are very real reasons why techs are leaving like rats on sinking ships. There was a good thread on here a couple of years back of someone who was cheesed off 'being on the tools' if you can find it of what the reality is like for most techies these days.

Hey Pal, thanks for getting back to me, yes I agree dealership are going to be hard, as it will be very red tape official. In regards to the reality of things, whilst yes I haven't had that dealership pressure, I have built up a decent customer base size, where I apply this as an official trade, dealing with all the nuances that come the job, definitely more than pottering with cars when it comes to it, but yes compared to.someone like yourself, I won't have the same experience, but for.someone in my position Input myself ahead in that arena. I have gone old school with trying to find some volunteering work, I've knocking on doors and yes a few of the older owners have advised me not to do it lol. But I again I see this as.myself approaching this from a different view point as I am almost doing it in reverse, getting into it older, I'm a big believer of everyone has their own experiences and I die happy to say at least I tried. Unfortunately it has proven more difficult to find my volunteer experience as due to me not having qualifications, it is either an issue of liability or simply the garages just don't have the time or space. But I push on.

[everson38]

solo2 said:

I'm not of any use to you but I've been in the Sales side of the motor trade since the late 1980's.

Franchised retailers are unlikely to be interested as there is too much red tape with you not being employed buy them and having set hours etc etc.

A smaller independant/franchise specialist may be more the place that will welcome you. You've probably already tried these avenues though. I think people will find it hard to comprehend you working for free but also be worried you may steal their trade.

Yes I agree with you, as I have knocked on some garages and they have looked at me as if I am being dodgy, but you can see this as just a shame in their thinking. Because clearly they look at vehicle repair now after many jaded , as this awful industry and why would you do this to yourself, clearly your shady. Where as this for me is.more of I simply enjoy it and get more from it when I do jobs. I get that people who have.done it from 18 and now mids 50s it may seem that way, but hey I know people who have given up life as an accountant for life as a dog groomer. Would seem crazy to most but I guess that is on what your motives are, which most likely would boil down to money. I am someone that is motivated by other things in life and just realised this earlier in life than the average. Still I plug on.

[everson38]

CoupeKid said:

Wasn't there a thread from someone who started a BMW apprenticeship in his 30s? IIRC he went into it bright eyed and keen to learn everything he could and having a career.

He updated it a couple of years later, utterly disillusioned with being treated like dirt and paid a pittance.

Would have been an interesting read, but I have no illusions that this industry is under appreciated and under valued, and I have experienced things, where even I have felt this so not appreciated. But as I've said before my mindset is approaching differently, maybe I would hate it if I went into a garage, as yes I have ran my business my way with the mindset of being that honest to noble mechanic , as I came into late and have lived alot of car ownership as the general public and had bad experiences of being taken
advantage of and catching a garage out, this may all fall on deaf ears, as maybe naively, I thought me explaining and showing my experience, I would of had a few more options, but this liability mixed with not having official qualifications is proving a sticking point, but if I have to get my qualifications first, then that is the case,

[everson38]

Steve H said:

If you are already building up your customer base, keep building!

There’s a decent living to be made in repairing cars but generally not so much if you are working for someone else.

Yes I do agree here, spot like anything in life, but I've seen hourly rates and I make more with my own repair business. I am continuing to build my customer base, but there is that part of me that wants to ensure I have no gaps in my learning, whilst also building a network / getting to know abrotherhood of other mechanics, as it is something I feel I have missed out on, speaking face to face with other mechanics who understand the job the good the bad etc
Just like with any other job it is nice to be able to relate to others, where as presently I am the one people come to, but don't understand the hard work behind it all.

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

disagree with the previous posters about getting experience in a main dealer. You probably need to set yourself up as self employed though and bought in as and when. Dealer's always need competent techs. I'd suggest that if you position yourself as a service tech, which means just spinning filters etc you might be able to get something. However I wouldn't just make myself available to main dealers, a village garage would need someone just as much.

Approach a garage on the basis of you require a day rate of X, and are available at short notice. Stick to service work, then if pushed you could agree to something more involved if they support you with it.