Looking for a career/job in the Motor Industry

[MikePlum]

Pretty Much as the title says...

I'm 20y/o (21 in August) and currently stuck in an shoddy office job, but would ideally love to work in the motor industry.

I'm currently on a decent wage for my age (£20k) and have a family and a house to run, so cant really take that much of a pay cut. The only exception would be if the location was local as my commute and fuel costs would come down. (Current commute 35 mile round trip)

Unfortunatley, I don't have many qualifications specific to the motor industry, but I consider myself a big petrolhead (even though I have never owned an Alfa! Oh sorry Alpha ) and love cars! I am quite savvy with a spanner but have nowhere near the knowledge/experience required to go straight into mechanics. I would love the oppurtunity to be trained up however! I have done 1 year of a 2 year course in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in College but had to get a full time job due to family commitments so dropped out.

I was first thinking I should do some open university course in mechanics or something along the lines of. I haven't really looked into courses to be honest.

Any advice on where I should start to launch my extremeley successful career?

Thanks PH
Mikey

[BoRED S2upid]

Personally I would say the best way to train as a mechanic was as an apprentice rather than learning from books, a mate of mine is a mechanic and takes on apprentices but with your current situation thats not really an option.

Maybe through the OU you could study for a specific area and become an expert in a specific engineering field rather than study to become a mechanic?

[Biscuit Bus]

Depending on where you live and whether you would move, most car manufacturers offer apprenticeships. You should get close to what you earn now during your time if you don't mind some overtime, with decent prospects at the end. I understand there is a lot of competition for the good ones though.

[MikePlum]

BoRED S2upid said:

Personally I would say the best way to train as a mechanic was as an apprentice rather than learning from books, a mate of mine is a mechanic and takes on apprentices but with your current situation thats not really an option.

Maybe through the OU you could study for a specific area and become an expert in a specific engineering field rather than study to become a mechanic?

Thanks for the reply!

I'm open to what "sector" so to speak, of the motor industry I would like to work in. (i.e. sales, mechanics, marketing, design, etc.)

[MikePlum]

Biscuit Bus said:

Depending on where you live and whether you would move, most car manufacturers offer apprenticeships. You should get close to what you earn now during your time if you don't mind some overtime, with decent prospects at the end. I understand there is a lot of competition for the good ones though.

Not really looking to move to be honest.

There is a huge competition for the apprenticeships at the moment. They normally have a certain criteria that you must match to even be eligible for one also.

[deveng]

depends entirely on what level of the industry you want to enter. I know plenty of people with automotive engineering degrees or even masters who are struggling to find work, and there is a rapidly declining requirement for mechanics (very few garages I know are taking on staff).

Anything above working in a garage/dealership/parts place, the automotive industry is very very very difficult to get into, and I don't want to be rude but saying your good with a spanner isn't going to cut it, our technicians at work are either chartered technicians or ex F1 engine builders.

Just because its your passion it doesn't automatically mean it would make a good career choice.

[Devilstreak]

Biscuit Bus said:

Depending on where you live and whether you would move, most car manufacturers offer apprenticeships. You should get close to what you earn now during your time if you don't mind some overtime.

Sorry. Apprenticeships - Nearly 20k? Please tell me you are joking. Half that and you would be closer. Fully trained up yes. But apprenticeships. Expect £80-150 a week. Or have things changed so much recently?

I stand to be corrected but that seems alot.

[MikePlum]

deveng said:

depends entirely on what level of the industry you want to enter. I know plenty of people with automotive engineering degrees or even masters who are struggling to find work, and there is a rapidly declining requirement for mechanics (very few garages I know are taking on staff).

Anything above working in a garage/dealership/parts place, the automotive industry is very very very difficult to get into, and I don't want to be rude but saying your good with a spanner isn't going to cut it, our technicians at work are either chartered technicians or ex F1 engine builders.

Just because its your passion it doesn't automatically mean it would make a good career choice.

I have kind of sufficed to the fact that if I do get into the industry, it will be pretty much bottom entry level of whatever sector. But i'm happy to be able to "climb the ladder" so to speak.

I completley agree that my skills with a spanner ar worlds away from being acceptable to a potential employer in the mechaincs/techincal departments. Hence why I was looking into OU courses to give me the ability. From more research it is evident that an apprenticeship may be the way forward as this combines practical experience with theory based knowledge.

Its interesting you say that about a passion becoming a career as a few people I have spoken to have said your "passion" soon becomes monotonous and no longer is interesting. So that is something that I'm keeping in mind.

[Biscuit Bus]

Devilstreak - I am serious, a lot of the hourly paid apprentices where I work earn comfortably £20k. They put in the hours though. Once through their time they can double that through overtime and shift allowance.

MikePlum - what DevEng says is true, it is difficult but there is no reason if you are able and determined that you can't succeed. I have only recently got to where I want to be at the age of 31 and it has been a windy road!

[MikePlum]

Biscuit Bus said:

Devilstreak - I am serious, a lot of the hourly paid apprentices where I work earn comfortably £20k. They put in the hours though. Once through their time they can double that through overtime and shift allowance.

MikePlum - what DevEng says is true, it is difficult but there is no reason if you are able and determined that you can't succeed. I have only recently got to where I want to be at the age of 31 and it has been a windy road!

Well that's good to know about apprenticeships earnings!Maybe a feasible route to go down - i will do some research!

Thanks for the encouragement! I've had a lot of "hmmms" and "hisses" about me wanting to get into this industry, but am still determined to do it!

[Matt UK]

Can you sell?

[renrut]

Whats the reasoning for getting into the motor industry? Obviously a passion for cars is great but only if you're driving, selling or looking at them all day. I'd imagine if you aren't at the sharp edge it will be very much like a lot of other industries. What do you see yourself doing within the industry?

I ask this because it would suck to make the move and then find out its exactly like your old office job but with cars in the background.

[MikePlum]

Matt UK said:

Can you sell?

I have been told I could sell sand to an Arab

Edit for spelling: I'm in work and typing fast, I'm not a dunce - Honest!

Edited by MikePlum on Wednesday 20th April 14:24

[MikePlum]

renrut said:

Whats the reasoning for getting into the motor industry? Obviously a passion for cars is great but only if you're driving, selling or looking at them all day. I'd imagine if you aren't at the sharp edge it will be very much like a lot of other industries. What do you see yourself doing within the industry?

I ask this because it would suck to make the move and then find out its exactly like your old office job but with cars in the background.

I see where you are coming from and I desperatley want to avoid this! Although, I have to suffice to the fact that I may have to start low and work high, which I am more than willing to do if I cannot get in at the deep end, of you know what I mean.

I have just been researching Ford Masters Apprenticeship Program which seems to offer an excellent developement program. It does say it is paid, but now how much. It's very much aimed at 16 - 19 year olds also. The brochure says stuff like "Your Son or Daughter will be..." I wonder if they have many self sufficient 20y/o succesfully applying!

[JonnyFive]

renrut said:

Whats the reasoning for getting into the motor industry? Obviously a passion for cars is great but only if you're driving, selling or looking at them all day. I'd imagine if you aren't at the sharp edge it will be very much like a lot of other industries. What do you see yourself doing within the industry?

I ask this because it would suck to make the move and then find out its exactly like your old office job but with cars in the background.

To be honest, I absolutely love cars.. But being in the motortrade isn't anything like your passion for cars. Yes, if you get a job thats technical it'll be ok but you're doing the same thing day in, day out.. Now and then you'll get a "good" job in that actually needs some thinking but even then it's mostly electronic.

I love cars, but sometimes after dealing with them for 50hours a week I can't be bothered to mess around with mine for 10 hours at the weekend too, where as if I didn't work with cars I'd imagine I'd love working on it.

Just, imo..

[MikePlum]

JonnyFive said:

To be honest, I absolutely love cars.. But being in the motortrade isn't anything like your passion for cars. Yes, if you get a job thats technical it'll be ok but you're doing the same thing day in, day out.. Now and then you'll get a "good" job in that actually needs some thinking but even then it's mostly electronic.

I love cars, but sometimes after dealing with them for 50hours a week I can't be bothered to mess around with mine for 10 hours at the weekend too, where as if I didn't work with cars I'd imagine I'd love working on it.

Just, imo..

This is another point that I'm weary of. I don't want to tarnish my passion for motors by numbing my mind to a conveyor belt of metal boxes.

[AndyandChrisGTR]

MikePlum said:

Its interesting you say that about a passion becoming a career as a few people I have spoken to have said your "passion" soon becomes monotonous and no longer is interesting. So that is something that I'm keeping in mind.

Think carefully about going to work within a business that is your passion. Not quite the same thing but I am a keen fisherman and when I left school I went to work in a tackle shop. I thought I'd love it and I did but it totally put me off going fishing because I was surrounded by it all day every day.

Not saying it's going to be the same for you but since I've been out of that industry I haven't looked back and now I enjoy my fishing again.

Bear it in mind but decide for yourself

Chris

[MikePlum]

AndyandChrisGTR said:

Think carefully about going to work within a business that is your passion. Not quite the same thing but I am a keen fisherman and when I left school I went to work in a tackle shop. I thought I'd love it and I did but it totally put me off going fishing because I was surrounded by it all day every day.

Not saying it's going to be the same for you but since I've been out of that industry I haven't looked back and now I enjoy my fishing again.

Bear it in mind but decide for yourself

Chris

Indeed it's not the first person I've heard that from... and I doubt you will be the last!

It's certainly something I will seriously consider! Thanks Chris!

[Haighermeister]

Sounds like you're in the same boat as me.

I worked in car sales and moved on, but I miss it and want to go back, but with commitments as they are, the thought of having my basic.scares the crap out of me!

Good luck, hope you get what you want....

[MikePlum]

Haighermeister said:

Sounds like you're in the same boat as me.

I worked in car sales and moved on, but I miss it and want to go back, but with commitments as they are, the thought of having my basic.scares the crap out of me!

Good luck, hope you get what you want....

Yeah, I really cant afford to be taking a pay cut with a house and a family to run! So it is scary... And even though I'm not really kean on my job, it's a case of Better the Devil you know!