Q: Career Questions

Q1. Both my dad and grandfather were automotive technicians, so it just sort of felt natural. I spent a lot of time in the garage as a kid.

Q2. Working with your hands and problem solving. Once you’re done with your work, you get to go home and not think about it anymore. No bringing your work home with you.

Q3. Much of the industry pressure to sell people work they don’t need. The way shops make money is by selling work, sometimes in regular shops and dealerships, work gets sold that doesn’t necessarily need to be done. Typical shops have so much overhead that it’s hard to get a decent wage out of them too.

Q4. Went to a 2 year technical school, worked as an apprentice while in school.

Q5. There is opportunity for advancement, but you have to really want it. Nothing comes easy.

Q6. My daily work is a mix of various automotive tasks, from changing oil and replacing brakes, to changing clutches and diagnosing electrical problems. No two days are the same, plus changes of scenery along the way.

Q7. Patience and virtue are the two most important qualities. Customers need to be able to trust you. Without customers, you have nothing.

Q8. Specialized training classes, reading training materials online, and staying current with industry news. The internet is a terrific resource for technical information.

Q9. I would look for a person with qualities I see, or desire to see in myself.

Q10. Not much. One thing I will stress is to keep yourself in good shape. Moving around all day helps, but you need to stay on top of working out, to keep your body happy.

Q11. I would say just go for it. There’s a lot of job opportunity out there.