The reality of being an auto tech

[Brad]

Hi all:

To all who have seen Eric the Car Guy’s video titled, “Should you get into auto repair ETCG 1”, I am still having cold feet about entering the automotive industry.

For a background I am a 22 year old male living in Northcentral Wisconsin. I can’t decide on a major, nor can I picture staying stuck doing one job for the rest of my life. What I am sure of is I love learning how things work and I like working with my hands, for it can be hard for me to focus on something not tangible for prolonged periods of time.

What’s giving me cold feet about entering the industry is the financial outlook for the industry. I am currently single and have no children, however growing up I’ve always had a desire for money. I want money for security more than I want it for material goods. I always told myself that I wouldn’t struggle like my parents (neither of which have a college degree- one’s a christian radio announcer and the other a medical transcriptionist).

This is a main barrier holding me back, but in addition, I’d like more information from anyone who can help including Eric himself, on whether or not I should purse becoming an automotive tech. I have yet to shadow someone in the industry but I would love to set something up. Seeing as this forum brings in multiple people from all over, I’m not asking for a job shadow but rather honest, and insightful testimonies. I don’t want it sugar coated. I don’t want you folks to tell me that if I love it the money will follow. Although that’s a positive attitude I don’t want to chase it upon falsehoods just because I don’t want to face the financial aspect of it.

I just don’t want to be paycheck to paycheck and feel trapped from doing what I wan’t in life. Traveling and family are huge to me

Anyone please help. No negative feedback please. Just a student whose confused, trying to find his way in the world. To be honest, I’m very scared when I think of the future lol.

Thank you in advance

Topic

[Jason White]

Well, I’ve read your post several times and want to reply but with what. You can make a good living (over 60K a year, 100K+ possible) but it takes a long time to get there. Too long. Not only do you need to get a lot of technical knowledge (education) but you have to have a ton of know-how which can only be acquired through experience. I make a good living now, but I’ll be honest and say that it hasn’t been locked in and stable until recently. If I could go back in time and tell myself something, I’d say to finish school, get a degree (automotive technology, Associates if possible) and then to lock myself to a dealership and insist on them sending you to as much training as possible. Tell your boss that you want more training rather than a raise. Read technical manuals in your spare time. Take on hard jobs nobody wants. Be as professional as possible. Accept that you will never know anything and to constantly learn.

I spent too much time working for independents and I did make okay money and well, had a lot of pride that I was a decent technician. Coming to Nissan I learned that I didn’t know crap. Stuck with it, got promoted, now I am where I am. It’s going to take a while though. Honestly, I love this job.

[Author]

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