Job change help

[Royboy82]

Hi sorry this is my first post so hello everyone
I've been a Car mechanic for 16 years and in need of a change before I go mental, it's not just the bad wages that I'm payed but the whole jobs has become stale,
I've fancied the thought of Working for the RAC for a while but ive never had a job interview because ive always worked at the garage I'm at now so the whole thing is a bit scary !
What I wanted to know is what the RAC are like to work for and what's the hours and pay like ? Do you do every weekend or do you alternate ?
Cheers for any help

[TooMany2cvs]

Royboy82 said:

I've been a Car mechanic for 16 years and in need of a change before I go mental, it's not just the bad wages that I'm payed but the whole jobs has become stale

What's "stale"?

Just another oil change/set of pads? Do you still enjoy it when something comes in, non-running, and you've got to figure out why?

Royboy82 said:

I've fancied the thought of Working for the RAC for a while

Two-thirds of jobs will be just another tyre change/jump start/taxi-ride-home... but at the side of the road, in the dark and rain, with the owner standing over you demanding to know when it'll be going again because they've got a meeting to go to.

The others will be diagnostic, can-I-fix-it... at the side of the road, in the dark and rain, with the owner standing over you demanding to know when it'll be going again because they've got a meeting to go to.

Royboy82 said:

but ive never had a job interview because ive always worked at the garage I'm at now so the whole thing is a bit scary !

Think about how you can sell yourself. Remember, the guy interviewing you is talking to a couple of dozen identikit blokes and trying to remember which is which, and what's good about each one of 'em. What can YOU say to make YOU stick in his head (for the right reasons)... Think about what an RAC guy does - think about how they're customer-facing, and think of some stories of how you helped to turn a bad story for a customer into a good one, or quickly identified a problem that'd immobilised a car.

If you've not done any interviews for years, and you've set your heart on the RAC (what about the AA/Green Flag/etc?), then maybe apply for some "normal" garage jobs, just to get some interview practice in. Not all recovery/roadside people are directly RAC/AA/GF/whatever - some are contracted garages. Think about applying to them for a garage position, and moving into roadside over time.

What about other ways of moving from everyday to interesting? Race team? Marque/classic specialist? Restoration? What floats your boat?

GOOD LUCK!

[Royboy82]

To be honest mate cars don't intrest me anymore, I don't think your a mechanic these day, you have to be a computer technician and for that roll I think mechanics are well under payed ! Going back to collage doesn't intrest me so I see the AA/RAC my only option !

[james12345]

Would you be able to look for a classic car type place, working on all aspects of older cars from before they had computers running everything? A bit like Car SOS, where you can do absolutely everything to a car? Are there any places like that local to you?

[Royboy82]

As I say I don't realy have any intrest in cars anymore but if the moneys there I'll do it, ive been told that Aa/RAC is not bad money ? I wouldn't mind working weekends as long as it wasn't every weekend.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Op you say you dislike computers, or don't have the skillset, yet IT Diagnostics will form a big part of the role at RAC, reading fault codes etc..

Difficult one, try applying and discussing the role with them if you get an interview to see if it is one that suits.

[Royboy82]

I can do the diagnostics no problem it just bores me ! He's a big world out there when you've been at the same family buisness all your working life !