Dreadful first years

[Justin Fitzgerald]

I haven’t been in the field long. Graduated trade school in June. I’ve had 4 jobs in the field and a few more interviews. My question is “How do I get better?” Everywhere I go I get stuck doing just oil changes. No one cares that I went to school. Here I am owing money for school and doing just oil changes. What’s your story? How did you get to where you are today?
Signed “give me a wrench” lol

Topic

[Dave]

Typically that is the way one starts out.
You didn’t mention what kind of facility you work in.
Perhaps if you seek out some place where there are dedicated full time lube techs you will have better chances at getting to do other work.
I worked in a shop that went through a slow spell, they had a couple of apprentices that were vocal against having to do oil changes.
They were missing the big picture that licensed techs were emptying trash, sweeping the floors, and doing oil changes.
The slow spell lasted a few months, the apprentices ended up losing their jobs.
I apprenticed in a small rural dealership, I had to clean the shop, paint the shop, wash and clean cars, then if needed do oil changes, if the other techs were busy I then was allowed to do small repairs. It went this way until I earned their trust and after a couple of years they hired another apprentice and it became his responsibility to clean up and do oil changes. That is the way it was. I don’t think all that much has changed.
I understand you finished school, in some way that was your choice and nobody owes you anything for that.
Your employer has some obligation to train you but that will happen as and when the need arises.
What you need to do is have a positive attitude, be helpful and eager to learn.
Respect the other experienced techs because they are the ones that will be able to help you when you are stuck in a situation.
Read and learn from whatever training material you can get your hands on.
If you discover you don’t know something, ask for help, study up on it learn about it.
Sometimes what tools you have make a difference. If you show your employer you are eager to help, eager to learn, you keep trying to improve yourself, look to have tools that you need to make your tasks more productive for yourself you will find that you keep moving up in most places you go.

[Justin Fitzgerald]

I’m at a good place now, it’s the most money I ever made doing this and they let me do more advanced things. I am the hourly tech amongst 3 flate rate techs. I had jobs where it seemed I’d be doing oil changes forever. One line tech was there for 18 years and one for 5 years. They had a guy doing more advanced work and I was more qualified than he was. That’s the job I left for the one I have now. I guess what I’m really complaining about is that I believe there should be a middle ground. Going to school should be a little more recognized. A lube tech, a mid tech, and master. The master watches over the mid and reports back to management.

[Justin]

I was stuck where your at a few years ago. I took it upon myself to start learning things and still have a lot to learn. I got a few ase’s and have watched tons of Paul danners videos and bought his book. Motor age has many videos, Eric has a ton of videos, there’s lots of free information out there. Though some false that you may run into. But be open minded. Learn what you can. I was stuck being a lube tech at a Mazda Kia dealer, and that’s all the manager saw me as. I left and went to chevy as a B level line tech which at the time is what I considered myself to have knowledge wise at the time. Mainly because I took the time to learn while I was at the previous place before I jumped into heavier work.

That was the best thing I could have done for my career. It may not work for some but for me it was sink or swim and I had to learn how to become fast and diagnose properly or I didn’t eat. Few years later I left due to management issues and here I am working for a different manager than when I left the Mazda dealer I was at previously, but this time I came back as a line tech with much more knowledge under my belt and much happier as a technician also.

Show them your eager to learn, it did wonders for me. But like said above respect the seasoned guys and see if you can make their good side. Many times they will see a new eager guy that wants to learn and some don’t mind sharing their knowledge with you. That was the best advice my old school shop teacher gave me.

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[Jason White]

In this field, you learn by trial and error. In the beginning you are doing a lot of errors, to learn how to do things. It’s taking you longer. You are going under more stress. To top it off, you get paid less. It’s not really worth it. No wonder so many people leave the field. Once you get down to really being a technician, the first two years are hell. The worse thing about trying to be successful in this field is that the ability to work on cars is only apart of the skill set you have to master in order to really make a living.

[Steve O’Rourke]

[quote=”Jasonw1178″ post=181656]In this field, you learn by trial and error. In the beginning you are doing a lot of errors, to learn how to do things. It’s taking you longer. You are going under more stress. To top it off, you get paid less. It’s not really worth it. No wonder so many people leave the field. Once you get down to really being a technician, the first two years are hell. The worse thing about trying to be successful in this field is that the ability to work on cars is only apart of the skill set you have to master in order to really make a living.[/quote]

Amen to that my friend.

I just celebrated my 12-year anniversary in the trade here in Ontario Canada and it’s been a VERY rough road to get to where I am now. I’m in a small shop where my boss lets me do all the work I want and gives me the freedom and space to spread my wings and grow.

I started out and spent eight years in a dealership and actually left the trade twice briefly due to politics and resentment from being held back and treated unfairly.

From my experiences, I think small general repair shops are where it’s at if you want to learn and not fall victim to the politics, skill dilution and overall constraints found in massive shops or dealerships.

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[Bobby]

[quote=”Jlfitzgerald01″ post=181625] Going to school should be a little more recognized. A lube tech, a mid tech, and master. The master watches over the mid and reports back to management.[/quote]

I entirely agree with you. If we were in any of the other trades, Electrical, Plumbing, even Carpentry. There are three levels of skill that determine generally how you are paid and what work you do. Apprentice, Journeyman, Master. The apprentices should get all the LOF’s and filters along with a LOT of time for education. Requirement to get ASE’s etc. Journeyman would have Most of the ASE’s and be able to tackle everything except for Heavy electrical, drivability and problem vehicles. Masters would over see the training of the Apprentices and keep an eye on their work quality, deal with heavy electrical, Drivability, Problem cars, and then would be Shop Foreman/Dispatcher. They would be ASE Master Certified in every area.

That is a broad stroke of how things should be done IMHO

[Author]

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