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What helps build up my experience in the automotive caree path?

What are major things I should know before starting to get into automotive. When I say this i'm asking what are the pros and cons to this field.

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Kevin’s Answer

Hi Josue,

Working with cars in the automotive industry is a rewarding career path. You will be a superstar among your family and friends who need their vehicles repaired! And their hours tend to be normal 9-5 working hours. However, it is physical labor and you might injure your body or be exposed to toxic fumes and chemicals. I'd ask a car mechanic nearby if you can shadow them for the day to learn about what they do.

Sincerely,

Kevin
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Sreedhar’s Answer

Hi Josue,
One way to get in touch with automotive industry, while in high school, is to work at a car dealership. If you are in college, look for internships in nearby companies in auto industry.
The pros and cons to an automotive career are practically identical to almost any career. There are many career paths that are related to automotive industry and each path has its own attraction. You might be able to judge each path by your own criteria. I can get your thinking started with the below list.
- Does it appeal to you?
- Salary.
- Schooling time taken to acquire qualification.
- Schooling cost.
- Forecast number of jobs available within that path.

Think about what you can add to the above list. I suggest also looking at the below two websites.

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/careers-in-automotive-industry
https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iagauto.htm

Good luck!

Sreedhar
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Steven’s Answer

Keep your skills up. Use your resources and keep learning. You don't have to remember everything that's what google, YouTube is for. Before you start ask yourself. Do you like cars? It sounds silly but its important. Having that passion is important. Are you fascinated by taking things apart and seeing what makes them tick? Do you have the thrill and the fulfillment of fixing things? These are questions that are going to guide you on your adventure. If you said no to these questions is this field really for you? If yes, then go get it.
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Robert’s Answer

I volunteered as an assistant to an independent mechanic for a few months, and it was time very well spent. I found that while I really liked the work, the veteran I was working for had grown to find it pretty monotonous, as brake jobs and oil changes get very routine. He actually looked forward to the odder and more challenging problems that would come in from time to time. He had no trouble staying in business, but he was also frustrated by the increasing extent to which car manufacturers put firewalls around the ability for independent mechanics to diagnose and work on their vehicles. He thought that working at a dealership would allow him to focus on just the "interesting" problems, but moving to that would not be worth the tradeoff in stress and time pressure and the loss of flexibility.

Based on that, I'd suggest you focus on a few questions:
1) Are you good at working on vehicles, and do you enjoy learning about how to do so?
2) Do you see yourself working for someone else, or for yourself?
3) If you want to work as an independent, do you get tired of doing the same thing over an over, or are you fine with that?
4) If you want to work for someone else, are you good with time and management pressure? (Getting things done when and in the way someone else dictates that you should?)

Note that with the move to more electric drivetrains, there will be a lot of change in the auto industry and less time spent maintaining traction units (fewer engines to work on, and fewer miles on those engines, most likely, whereas electric drivetrains require almost no maintenance), so it will focus more on the rest of the vehicle, especially the few remaining wear parts (suspension, tires, trim, feature components, and body).

Robert recommends the following next steps:

Try to find an independent mechanic willing to let you shadow them. Offer to help (hand them tools, move tires, other grunt work) to make it worthwhile to them.
If you can't find that, consider working at a car dealership. You'll be washing and detailing cars, or doing similarly unskilled work, maybe doing oil changes at best, but you'll get some overlap with career mechanics and learn a bit about their lives.
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