RAC/AA Mechanic - Aircraft Maintenance Qualifications?

[TheRingDing]

Hi guys,

I currently work as an aircraft maintenance engineer for a large airline. Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances, I am starting to prepare a backup plan in case I get made redundant. No airline will be hiring for a while after this, so I would need to be able to do something in the mean time.

I was browsing jobs and an RAC Mechanic job appeared so I took a look. The only qualification they seem to be asking for is a Level 2 light vehicle maintenance qualification (or similar).

Now, I don't have that qualification, but I do have a Level 3 NVQ in Aeronautical Engineering, a Level 3 Diploma in On-Air Maintenance Category A1 - Aeroplanes (Turbine) and an aircraft maintenance license.

Does anyone know if my level 3 aircraft qualifications would count as being similar to the level 2 light vehicle maintenance one? I do have experience in car maintenance (I've played around with couple of classics), but wondering if the RAC or AA etc would accept this?

Cheers!

[EddyP]

Personally I would say your skills are wasted working for the RAC, where are you based? I'm sure there will be more technical mech roles available.

[Darkslider]

I've got an NVQ level 2 in automotive engineering (mechanics) and I was surprised how complex the online assessment questions were for the RAC patrolman role, I think unless you've got a fairly in depth knowledge of vehicle fuel and ignition system diagnostics you'd be lucky to get through to an interview.

Up to you whether you think it's beneath you as the above poster mentioned, RAC/AA jobs are some of the best paying in the motor trade, £28-32k seems about the average and I seem to recall aircraft technician salaries certainly at entry level weren't staggering so they might not be all that much different.

[dai1983]

How old are you?

[Pit Pony]

Ironic. They need vehicle repair qualifications ?
No. They need to give a st.
RAC patrolman suggested the steam coming from my daughter's BINI was head gasket failure.
It hadn't overheated, and still had coolant in the reservoir.
It took me 5 minutes to diagnose a split coolant pipe ( now on order from autodoc.com.for £4.50 ) which was spraying coolant onto the exhaust.

[RobXjcoupe]

You are certainly well qualified in your own area of work. I’m in a similar position trying to get my automotive toolmaking skills into a different mechanical type job. Unless the interviewer knows exactly what you have been doing you will fail on simple questions even with your experience. All I can suggest is do a bit of research for any new job and how they operate so you have a chance of applying your current skills to the new job.
I recently had an interview for mechanical craft person within a hospital. Luckily the supervisor on the interview knew about automotive toolmaking and adjusted his questions regarding fixing industrial heating systems boilers, clearing st pipes and maintaining air con, water systems to suit me. Even then he said I was over qualified. I asked wouldn’t it be better to employ someone that can quickly crack on with minimal re-training. His reply in front of the hr man was yes but it’s up to him to choose. I’m here to make sure you know your stuff of which i would be happy to have in our team.
Two weeks later and not even a courtesy call, text to say sorry you wasn’t successful.
So even with research and one decent interviewer I still didn’t crack it, but it’s experience and I know to let the hr man sound wonderful now