Questions and Answers
Advice For A New Tech
Q. Vincent, I am planning a career change to become an automotive technician and was wondering if you had any advice. My plans are to attend Universal Technical Institute in California which is a 62 week automotive program and then specialize in Audis by going through their factory training.
I have never worked in a repair shop but am handy and have a great interest in cars. If you were a service manger looking to hire a new tech what would you look for? Are there any web sites or resources you recommend checking out. Thanks for your time.
Brett
A. Well Brett, there is a shortage of qualified technicians and the good ones are making very good money. I know of one technician who makes six figures a year just from fixing cars. Now this is the exception and not the rule, but there is that potential.
When I hire a technician I look for two things. First thing is their knowledge. What do they know and how far that knowledge ranges. When I was a dealer Service Manager, I looked for specific knowledge in the particular cars my dealership handled. Then I look at there experience and see how far that goes.
The other thing I look for is his or her drive and ability. His willingness to accept new challenges and persevere even though the job is a tough one and the clock is running against him.
A lot depends on the person interviewing you. I am willing to give a new technician a shot even though he or she lacks experience but shows me they have the drive and eagerness to learn and want to do the job. Some Service Managers only want people with years of experience and are unwilling to hire a novice. It costs a lot of money for a dealer to send a technician to a factory school and some Service Managers save money by only hiring experienced people.
In short I want a person who is willing to go the extra mile to learn the job and give me 150%, and I do measure that. If he does that, as far as I'm concerned, he has a job for life.
You might want to look at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence web site for some useful information.
Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA