How to become a professional car mechanic / technician.
I have been asked this question many times throughout my entire career. Mostly because I worked at a technical school. However, many truly believe that being an automotive technician is the career path for them. That makes it a very important thing to talk about.
Before, I go into what it takes to become a car technician. I want to talk to you about the trade itself. Most car mechanics get paid in a flat rate system. Especially, if you decide to work in the dealerships. If you don’t know what a flat rate system is, let me explain it to you.
When a customer pays for a repair. They pay for parts and then labor by hour. So, if an alternator replacement for your vehicle takes 2.4 hours to complete. That is what the mechanic is going to get paid for that job. The rate the mechanics get paid can range from Minimum Wage thru $40 an hour. Depending on experience and credentials.
2.4 Hours X $20 per hour = $48 you get paid to do the alternator.
Yes, it is similar to commission. However, you get paid $48 if it takes you 10 min. to perform the job or 3 days. Having a the skill set to do this is crucial or you will starve to death in the profession. What do I mean by that?
Are you good with your hands? If they gave you a bicycle would you be able to take it apart and put it back together? I have a great friend of mine, that I consider one of the smartest people I know. Until I hand him a wrench. He is just no good with his hands. He wouldn’t make it in this industry. Those are the questions you need to ask yourself. Am I any good with my hands? This is not meant to discourage you. You just need to know what you are good at so that you can excel at it.
If you are good with your hands and are excited to work on some cars. Im gonna break it down into 4 things for you. Education, Certifications, Experience, & Will to Work.
This is where you have to start. If you don’t know what a wheel is you wont know how to fix one. However, there are many ways to get educated. Technical School, Work Experience, or Self Taught. Each one of these have their own pros and cons.
Lets start with Technical Schools. I have worked for 2 types of schools. The good kind and the bad kind. Luckily for me, I also went to school in the good kind. The bad schools are schools that are for profit and really do not care about your education and are just trying to get you for a federal loan. The good schools are concerned about getting you certified and placing you in a job immediately so that you can gain experience. Good schools would have moderate class sizes. The schools should also have a lab area or automotive shop. Make sure they have enough equipment, engines, and relatively new cars so that you can be taught the newest technologies.
CERTIFICATIONS
Not all great mechanics have certifications. However, this proves to people who are trying to hire you that you know what you're talking about. ASE is the number one certification company for the automotive industry. Collecting as many of these ASE certifications is crucial to increasing your hourly rate. Once you collect all eight certifications in the automotive technology section. You become an automotive ASE master technician. Once you become a master tech, you will get higher paying rates and making money in this industry becomes much easier.
With that being said. ASE certified technicians are in high demand. The easiest way to get hired as a tech with zero experience is to already have a certification.
EXPERIENCE
Unfortunately, in this industry the greatest teacher is experience. Even if Harvard offered an automotive program. You still wouldn't fix cars efficiently. That is why the best technical schools think about your experience along with your education.
Even I started with zero experience. The first two years of me turning wrenches was as a helper. In those first two years, I would break things all the time. Experience teaches you what not to do.
WILL TO WORK
You need to have the will to work. Becoming an automotive technician is not the easiest thing to do. It is physically exhausting, stressful, and dirty. You really don't get good at fixing cars until you have 2 to 3 years under your belt. So that means 2 to 3 years of hard labor for little pay till you get the experience you need to make the big bucks.
To sum it all up, becoming a professional mechanic is going to take work. You need to find a technical school that is willing to get you certified, and maybe even placed in a job. You have to work your hardest to get at least one certification to get a job, if you can't find one without it. Learn & get experience.
This blog has inspired me to write more about the 4 things needed to become a professional mechanic. So follow the Educated Grease Monkey account for more on the topic.
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