Any dealers looking for a smart, passionate young worker...
Discussion
To any dealers out there...
My name is James Bannister, I'm 19 and I'm passionate about cars, in particular classic and prestige cars.
I have wanted to work with classic cars since I was a child (apparently it's all I ever talked about), but haven't managed to make the move to pursue my dream fully as of yet.
I am obsessed with cars, knowledgeable, intelligent and work well with people but lack one thing: experience.
I am looking for the opportunity to work my way up from the bottom, doing as much as I can so as to learn as much as I can.
I know I could be an incredible asset to any dealership, and am willing to work hard for an opportunity.
I have previous sales experience, but more importantly I have passion, knowledge and a can-do attitude.
If any dealers fancy taking a chance and remember what it was like to be young and wanting to work with cars please get in touch!
James
My name is James Bannister, I'm 19 and I'm passionate about cars, in particular classic and prestige cars.
I have wanted to work with classic cars since I was a child (apparently it's all I ever talked about), but haven't managed to make the move to pursue my dream fully as of yet.
I am obsessed with cars, knowledgeable, intelligent and work well with people but lack one thing: experience.
I am looking for the opportunity to work my way up from the bottom, doing as much as I can so as to learn as much as I can.
I know I could be an incredible asset to any dealership, and am willing to work hard for an opportunity.
I have previous sales experience, but more importantly I have passion, knowledge and a can-do attitude.
If any dealers fancy taking a chance and remember what it was like to be young and wanting to work with cars please get in touch!
James
smiffy220 said:
Best of luck with your search mate, be great to hear if something comes of your post on here. I commend you on your aptitude though for trying! You sound like you'd be an asset to someone in the industry.
+1 to this. if your were about 500 miles closer i'd consider you...i'm in south wales lol.JamesBannister said:
To any dealers out there...
If any dealers fancy taking a chance and remember what it was like to be young and wanting to work with cars please get in touch!
James
Best of luck James. If I can offer some advice, write to the dealer principals of all the places that you would like to work (always on their websites) and ask if they have any openings directly. Make sure you're clear about what you want to do (mechanic, sales and so on) and highlight the skills which would make you worth employing and valuable to them. Make it relevant and show that you're interested in them and have considered why you would be a good fit for their dealership. If any dealers fancy taking a chance and remember what it was like to be young and wanting to work with cars please get in touch!
James
Close your letter with an offer to go and meet them in person, even if there isn't an immediate prospect of a job because that shows attitude and commitment. Maybe they don't have anything but they'll remember you and while you might not have experience yet, you have a good attitude and that'll take you far.
Good luck to you. You've made a good impression with a short post. I bet you can do even better in person. Take a short, catchy cv to high profile events where the upper drawer classic car retailers will be exhibiting cars (NEC would have been a good opportunity); try Goodwood events etc. Introduce yourself to sales people, leave your cv, then follow up. Show then you can sell yourself...
Try for a 'placement' or weekend job with any businesses that seem approachable and offer your services to auction houses. I used to have a contact at Bonhams and he was always on the look out for ebthusiastic responsible help backstage. All adds to the cv.
I must admit I tried something similar 15 years ago and found people were generally very willing to give the benefit of their experience in person. One guy, Noah Wyles I think of Wyles, Hardy and Co. in Bovingdon stands out. He gave me about an hour and a half of his time, ending up showing me over his vintage supercharged Bentley which he claimed had part of old no.1 in it (apparently a number of such cars exist!). Anyway I concluded that you either start with money and daddy's reputation or a broom in your hand. I'm afraid I took the decision to stick to classics as a hobby.
I hope you have more determination and make it work - keep us posted.
Try for a 'placement' or weekend job with any businesses that seem approachable and offer your services to auction houses. I used to have a contact at Bonhams and he was always on the look out for ebthusiastic responsible help backstage. All adds to the cv.
I must admit I tried something similar 15 years ago and found people were generally very willing to give the benefit of their experience in person. One guy, Noah Wyles I think of Wyles, Hardy and Co. in Bovingdon stands out. He gave me about an hour and a half of his time, ending up showing me over his vintage supercharged Bentley which he claimed had part of old no.1 in it (apparently a number of such cars exist!). Anyway I concluded that you either start with money and daddy's reputation or a broom in your hand. I'm afraid I took the decision to stick to classics as a hobby.
I hope you have more determination and make it work - keep us posted.
Good luck, I am in a similar position, albeit a little older and I'm currently on a full time restoration course. Theres a few firms local to me (Ginetta in particular, anybody work there? 
) and I've just been very direct like you, offered my CV and if there is not any immediate positions available then I've been asking about volunteering or doing a weeks work experience.
Keep trying!
) and I've just been very direct like you, offered my CV and if there is not any immediate positions available then I've been asking about volunteering or doing a weeks work experience. Keep trying!
I wish you the best of luck James.
My son left school and wanted an apprenticeship in the motor trade. I encouraged him to write to several UK head offices asking how he would go about applying for one and he included a general letter about himself etc and eventually he got an interview with VW and impressed the manager enough to offer him a full apprenticeship after a trial 2 week period (which my son offered to do unpaid).
He is now in his 3rd year and loving it so just go for it but be prepared to think out of the box.
Although its not classic cars, he now has a foot in the door so to speak.
My son left school and wanted an apprenticeship in the motor trade. I encouraged him to write to several UK head offices asking how he would go about applying for one and he included a general letter about himself etc and eventually he got an interview with VW and impressed the manager enough to offer him a full apprenticeship after a trial 2 week period (which my son offered to do unpaid).
He is now in his 3rd year and loving it so just go for it but be prepared to think out of the box.
Although its not classic cars, he now has a foot in the door so to speak.
Edited by Stinkfoot on Friday 22 February 21:36
As others have said - great post, you come across very well.
If I was you I would go to my local newsagent and pick up copies of Octane, Classic & Sportscar, Classic Car etc. Then scour the dealer ads and come up with a list that are local(ish) to you. This may be tricky being in Dundee.
Then I'd spend a day hand delivering an application. If there is anything going you'd stand a very good chance. Also gives you a chance to do your revision on their stock so you can surprise them with your knowledge
If I was you I would go to my local newsagent and pick up copies of Octane, Classic & Sportscar, Classic Car etc. Then scour the dealer ads and come up with a list that are local(ish) to you. This may be tricky being in Dundee.
Then I'd spend a day hand delivering an application. If there is anything going you'd stand a very good chance. Also gives you a chance to do your revision on their stock so you can surprise them with your knowledge
James,
You do indeed come across well, so what I'd recomend is that you get yourself out there and see what opportunities present themselves -
Locally you could try these guys: http://www.classicautosports.com/about_us.htm, or Classic Restorations in Aylith? Even just as an assistant / polisher / pusher etc, to get experience? David Lawson (of lawson Auto logistics) had a wee classic garage near Dundee, I think. Chick Doig or Mercury Classics (though I'm not sure how much they do these days in terms of sales?) might have something?
If you are prepared to up sticks to 'the big smoke' a lot more opportunities open themselves to you - Me? I applied on spec to various companies and then a couple of months later Coys advertised for a position, and as I'd applied before, I got the position of Showroom Assistant, later becoming Showroom manager (managing to simply get to the interview in the middle of floods and the aftermath of the Hatfield rail disaster worked in my favour too! I slept on a bench on the platform of Newcastle station!)
So a letter followed by a visit to any possible employers is worth a punt - you never know..... You might not get rich, but you can have some fun!
Also, to get experience you could work at auctions as pusher /polisher etc - Coys, Bonhams, Silverstone, Histoicks etc etc will all need asistants for sales.
Good luck!
You do indeed come across well, so what I'd recomend is that you get yourself out there and see what opportunities present themselves -
Locally you could try these guys: http://www.classicautosports.com/about_us.htm, or Classic Restorations in Aylith? Even just as an assistant / polisher / pusher etc, to get experience? David Lawson (of lawson Auto logistics) had a wee classic garage near Dundee, I think. Chick Doig or Mercury Classics (though I'm not sure how much they do these days in terms of sales?) might have something?
If you are prepared to up sticks to 'the big smoke' a lot more opportunities open themselves to you - Me? I applied on spec to various companies and then a couple of months later Coys advertised for a position, and as I'd applied before, I got the position of Showroom Assistant, later becoming Showroom manager (managing to simply get to the interview in the middle of floods and the aftermath of the Hatfield rail disaster worked in my favour too! I slept on a bench on the platform of Newcastle station!)
So a letter followed by a visit to any possible employers is worth a punt - you never know..... You might not get rich, but you can have some fun!
Also, to get experience you could work at auctions as pusher /polisher etc - Coys, Bonhams, Silverstone, Histoicks etc etc will all need asistants for sales.
Good luck!
Edited by Mistron on Wednesday 20th February 16:53
James, I wish you the best of luck. It says a lot about you that you would offer to do a trial period unpaid. Shows you have a good attitude to want to learn and work unlike that silly bint who thinks the world owes her a living and refused to stack shelves even though she was getting job seekers allowance! Best of luck to you!
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff