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Hey, don't fret to much...times are tough right now and it might take a little bit to hear something back. When I was in college, my (now wife) had to quit a job because they were scheduling her MORE than she was wanting to work...it happens to everyone.
I once stuck out a second job during college that I should have quit. I was working as a mechanic during the morning, go to class for several hours, work back at the shop during the early afternoon, then head to a couple more classes before my telemarketing job started at night...I had ZERO time to complete homework, was running myself ragged, but somehow managed to balance things enough to complete the required work...my GPA definitely suffered some, and I never made that mistake again...I simply started living a little more within my means one one paycheck.
Put the applications out there to anywhere that's better than where you're at. Clean up, and polish off the resume'. Use a standardized format, and highlight your achievements. Have a parent, guardian, teacher read over the resume and make suggestions for you. Then start putting them out there again. Hit any of the major dealerships, talk to their service managers, see what type of qualifications they'd like, or as they glance at your resume as them if they have any additional qualifications that would make you more marketable to their dealership. Explain your goals of working for a major manufacturer, hit up VW and express your love of VAG automobiles (I like em too). Use technical jargon (i.e. B4, B5, B6, MkIV, MkV, MkVI, TDi, etc) If you find a tech who's not busy, try to strike up a quick convo, ask him some of the same questions that I mentioned for the managers...Make them like you, be persistent, and make followup phone calls. You'll land a job!
Put your two weeks in..."sticking it to the man" is never a good decision, since the man's word can often outweigh yours.
If you're ever looking at a career decision and thinking "I'm going to really show these guys" the truth is, nothing will really change despite your perception. Midas was getting along fine before you came there, and they'll do fine after you're gone. Not giving the generally accepted 2 week notice will hurt only one person, and that's you.
Always keep in mind your future plans. If you're wanting to run a business some day, you're going to the be the one making "serious money"...You'll also be dealing with the stress of managing employees, resolving conflicts, controlling a strict budget, setting schedules, and ensuring deadlines are met. Those responsibilities will be the same regardless of what business your working in, and whether your wearing a tie to work, or coveralls, they're simply the basics.
Now imagine yourself running your future automotive business. You're doing everything you can to successfully complete the tasks mentioned above. Your employees are relatively satisfied except for one disgruntled individual. He's been a good employee, showed up on time, but because your previously agreed upon pay rate isn't paying his bills, he leaves for other employment opportunities. Unfortunately, he quits in the middle of a custom build, just walks out the door, or better yet doesn't show up one day...You call his cell, where he says "Eh, i'm done..." When his next prospective employer calls, what will you be relaying to him?
If you're honest, you tell the guy..."He does good work, great craftsman! However he quit on me without any notification, and I had to call him to hear that he wasn't going to come in and complete his assigned project." That may have some bearing on the decision made by the potential future employer. As a guy who sits on numerous hiring panels, I know it would be a consideration for me!
Here is my 99 cents I say tha because I am going to be LONG... Im 39 years old have been a tech since 1993. I do not have any college degree but have taken so many classes over the years it exceeds the course work of a PHD. My speciality is Diagnosis/driveability issues specifically on Mercedes Benz I do other European makes as well. I am not an expert and laugh at people that say in 4 years of traing they have mastered 120 Years of Automotive Technology. Electronics and computer science are my hobbies as well as turbo technology.
I started out changing oil at an Arco in Palos Verdes, CA because I wanted to work on Mercedes Benz but had no experience so I went to the neighborhood that had a high concentration of these vehicles in the hopes that I would get to look under the hood. That worked and after 6 months I was well verses on the different models and configurations.
Considering the amount of Automotive and Computer Science education I have my pay is quite low for a 19 year career. I did not start working on cars to make a lot of money I wanted to be able to drive any car i desired.
As I always knew you could find even basket case Ferrari and rebuild and who would know.
Ive owned 50 plus cars to date with about 1/4 being junkers for parts. Another 1/4 being high end Luxury cars, another 1/4 daily drivers then the last bid classics. The benefit of Being a Tech is that every care i have ever desired I have owned. I currently have 6 cars 3 Mercedes Benz, 2 BMW's and A Porsche. oldest is a 1987 BMW M6/Turbo(custom) newest is a 1999 Mercedes ML 430. I have a 1998 Porsche 993 Twin Turbo that I will never part with..etc my point is this is why i became a tech to drive and be able to afford the cars I wanted. I maintain all my cars and the only thing they go to the shop for is Wheel alignments or body work( I can do Body work) its just cheaper to pay.
I have never worked at Midas but I will say if it works for you as in its part of a bigger picture do it. Let them teach you how to weld then take the knowledge and move on, far cheaper than buying a welder and practicing on your own...
Now Working on Luxury cars versus other cars will not make you more money. I know plenty of buddies that work on Toyotas and make the same money or more than I do.
What makes you money is Effeciency(Spelling) tools, Experience, and most importantly not taking on anything that is beyond your capabilities.
I chooses Mercedes Benz because I wanted to understand and work on the one car Make that every car on the road can trace their origins to. The Germans were the first to build cars, Ford was the first to perfect assembly.
I have worked at Independent shops plus Mercedes Benz and Porsche dealerships. I left the Dealers for good in 1999 as I grew tired of changing parts, they have massive overhead and spending time on diagnosis was frowned apon. It many cases if I would have had a few more minutes I would have gotten to the source of the failure rather than fixing the resulting issue only to revist 6 months later. This was my experience....
In 2001 I decided to go at it alone and opened my first shop in Alamitos Beach, Calforinia..from there in 2005 I moved the shop to Hermosa Beach, CA, then moved to Redondo Beach, CA. in 2008 I moved to Seattle, Wa and opened another shop before moving to Delray Beach, Fl in oct of last year.
I worked in West Palm Beach at a high end luxury Independent Dealership... I took the time to get to know the area. Without any customers and not knowing anyone in South Florida I opened my own shop in Jan 2012 in Delray Beach,FL....
I only work on European cars over the years picking up knowledge on BMW, PORSCHE, AUDU, VW, JAGUAR, FERRARI, LAND ROVER....but my Mercedes Knowledge is still king.
Performance shops are like restorations shops very few every make it past a few years. 90% of all customers want a stock vehicle with all factory options. the 10% that wants performance work, of that 10% less than 1% can actually afford what they THINK they want. So the reality is a performance shop is trying to make to working on 1% of cars on the road (meaning those that want the work and CAN PAY).
I'm a Convertible fanatic and 70% of the cars I have owned have been convertibles or I have modified them into convertibles....
I have spent untold sums looking for proper automotive education and many times I sat in the Automotive seminar that was to provide the latest technology only to realize I could teach this class and provide way better information that this 10 year old stuff that was passed of as new technology when I signed up for this $600.00 10 hour class.
In 19 years I have accumulated a brand new AMG Black series SL 63 worth of tools, Look up the list price of that car you will understand.
I have traveled to Germany many times on my dollar to take classes on new technology.
Working on Mercedes Benz or a similiar GERMAN make you will be far ahead of most techs that work on any other make...I'm Talking Mercedes Benz, BMW, Porsche Audi some will argue but this is fact. The first time you get to Germany and get on the A1 AutoBahn leaving Frankfurt International Airport you will realize why German Cars are superior and are loaded with the latest technology. When you are Mercedes Benz for example and building cars that are destined for 160 MPH driving all day everyday you build them very well.
Most well built German Cars have far more repairs operated in the United States versus Germany...these cars are designed to be near max rpm all day but being mostly idled at our dismay 65 mph freeway speed, they have more maintenance issues because of it. Its like Giving Lance Armstrong the very best bike money can build and limiting him to riding that bike at 5 mph up hill....if that makes sense.
Im not rich and have no desire to be..But I have made a good living over the last 19 years..Many of my less educated friends have made sometimes double my yearly income...However many have been unemployed through out the 3 recession I have seen in my career.
During every recession I have had more work and made more money...and its simple, no matter how the recession started or for what reason it started the same thing always happens-Financing dries up. So that 6 year old car that in normally traded in now is kept and more miles are put on and it needs more service etc,.
After 9/11 when a lot of my friends was getting layed off I was buying my first house. In 2007 Right before the current recession started I was buying a 2nd and third, Right now in this recession/depression Im buying a 4th.....
I cannot stress enough though a few things others have pointed out. A good technician has many expenses and gets very little reward unless you open your own shop which like anything else has its highs and lows.
Then the most important of all being a Technician/Mechanic is hard if you care what others think, people have very strong feeling about mechanics either they love they mechanic or hate them with a passion. When people meet you they will love you or lump you in with the thieves that are in jail...
My customers are lucky to have me,they tell me that all the time.
looking back on 19 years with my love affair of cars would I do it all over again yes...But with once exception I would have fgotten a degree in Computer science or Mechanical engineering first...
Ive slowed down a bit,but I am a lot sharper so it balanced out nicely. I was lot faster when I was younger tearing things apart, the difference now is that 95% of the time before I ever grab a tool I already know what Im looking for. its almost like a 6th sense.
Its helps being a Good Tech if you are a neat freak, OCD, or Bi Polar..Im a combination of all three. My place is immaculate think Operating room.
I had a medium sized shop that i sold in California with myself as a tech, another full time tech a part time tech and a service writer.. In Washington I went small and did it all. In Florida I work by appointment only and do 2-3 cars per days that goes out perfect...I have a great customer base and they tell their friends co workers and neighbors about me..I recently started scaling back my advertising as I got a little too busy last month.
Now if you have not fallen asleep yet if I was 20 years old again would I get into this career..yes.....
Eventually I will go to law school, as it is the only other career I can see that would bring me as much joy.
I hope I did not lose you there.
I wish you would not have gone to Lincoln Tech though they charge an awful lot for what could be obtained at a Community college for less than 1/2 price plus a AS degree in hand....good luck
Here is my 99 cents I say tha because I am going to be LONG... Im 39 years old have been a tech since 1993. I do not have any college degree but have taken so many classes over the years it exceeds the course work of a PHD. My speciality is Diagnosis/driveability issues specifically on Mercedes Benz I do other European makes as well. I am not an expert and laugh at people that say in 4 years of traing they have mastered 120 Years of Automotive Technology. Electronics and computer science are my hobbies as well as turbo technology.
I started out changing oil at an Arco in Palos Verdes, CA because I wanted to work on Mercedes Benz but had no experience so I went to the neighborhood that had a high concentration of these vehicles in the hopes that I would get to look under the hood. That worked and after 6 months I was well verses on the different models and configurations.
Considering the amount of Automotive and Computer Science education I have my pay is quite low for a 19 year career. I did not start working on cars to make a lot of money I wanted to be able to drive any car i desired.
As I always knew you could find even basket case Ferrari and rebuild and who would know.
Ive owned 50 plus cars to date with about 1/4 being junkers for parts. Another 1/4 being high end Luxury cars, another 1/4 daily drivers then the last bid classics. The benefit of Being a Tech is that every care i have ever desired I have owned. I currently have 6 cars 3 Mercedes Benz, 2 BMW's and A Porsche. oldest is a 1987 BMW M6/Turbo(custom) newest is a 1999 Mercedes ML 430. I have a 1998 Porsche 993 Twin Turbo that I will never part with..etc my point is this is why i became a tech to drive and be able to afford the cars I wanted. I maintain all my cars and the only thing they go to the shop for is Wheel alignments or body work( I can do Body work) its just cheaper to pay.
I have never worked at Midas but I will say if it works for you as in its part of a bigger picture do it. Let them teach you how to weld then take the knowledge and move on, far cheaper than buying a welder and practicing on your own...
Now Working on Luxury cars versus other cars will not make you more money. I know plenty of buddies that work on Toyotas and make the same money or more than I do.
What makes you money is Effeciency(Spelling) tools, Experience, and most importantly not taking on anything that is beyond your capabilities.
I chooses Mercedes Benz because I wanted to understand and work on the one car Make that every car on the road can trace their origins to. The Germans were the first to build cars, Ford was the first to perfect assembly.
I have worked at Independent shops plus Mercedes Benz and Porsche dealerships. I left the Dealers for good in 1999 as I grew tired of changing parts, they have massive overhead and spending time on diagnosis was frowned apon. It many cases if I would have had a few more minutes I would have gotten to the source of the failure rather than fixing the resulting issue only to revist 6 months later. This was my experience....
In 2001 I decided to go at it alone and opened my first shop in Alamitos Beach, Calforinia..from there in 2005 I moved the shop to Hermosa Beach, CA, then moved to Redondo Beach, CA. in 2008 I moved to Seattle, Wa and opened another shop before moving to Delray Beach, Fl in oct of last year.
I worked in West Palm Beach at a high end luxury Independent Dealership... I took the time to get to know the area. Without any customers and not knowing anyone in South Florida I opened my own shop in Jan 2012 in Delray Beach,FL....
I only work on European cars over the years picking up knowledge on BMW, PORSCHE, AUDU, VW, JAGUAR, FERRARI, LAND ROVER....but my Mercedes Knowledge is still king.
Performance shops are like restorations shops very few every make it past a few years. 90% of all customers want a stock vehicle with all factory options. the 10% that wants performance work, of that 10% less than 1% can actually afford what they THINK they want. So the reality is a performance shop is trying to make to working on 1% of cars on the road (meaning those that want the work and CAN PAY).
I'm a Convertible fanatic and 70% of the cars I have owned have been convertibles or I have modified them into convertibles....
I have spent untold sums looking for proper automotive education and many times I sat in the Automotive seminar that was to provide the latest technology only to realize I could teach this class and provide way better information that this 10 year old stuff that was passed of as new technology when I signed up for this $600.00 10 hour class.
In 19 years I have accumulated a brand new AMG Black series SL 63 worth of tools, Look up the list price of that car you will understand.
I have traveled to Germany many times on my dollar to take classes on new technology.
Working on Mercedes Benz or a similiar GERMAN make you will be far ahead of most techs that work on any other make...I'm Talking Mercedes Benz, BMW, Porsche Audi some will argue but this is fact. The first time you get to Germany and get on the A1 AutoBahn leaving Frankfurt International Airport you will realize why German Cars are superior and are loaded with the latest technology. When you are Mercedes Benz for example and building cars that are destined for 160 MPH driving all day everyday you build them very well.
Most well built German Cars have far more repairs operated in the United States versus Germany...these cars are designed to be near max rpm all day but being mostly idled at our dismay 65 mph freeway speed, they have more maintenance issues because of it. Its like Giving Lance Armstrong the very best bike money can build and limiting him to riding that bike at 5 mph up hill....if that makes sense.
Im not rich and have no desire to be..But I have made a good living over the last 19 years..Many of my less educated friends have made sometimes double my yearly income...However many have been unemployed through out the 3 recession I have seen in my career.
During every recession I have had more work and made more money...and its simple, no matter how the recession started or for what reason it started the same thing always happens-Financing dries up. So that 6 year old car that in normally traded in now is kept and more miles are put on and it needs more service etc,.
After 9/11 when a lot of my friends was getting layed off I was buying my first house. In 2007 Right before the current recession started I was buying a 2nd and third, Right now in this recession/depression Im buying a 4th.....
I cannot stress enough though a few things others have pointed out. A good technician has many expenses and gets very little reward unless you open your own shop which like anything else has its highs and lows.
Then the most important of all being a Technician/Mechanic is hard if you care what others think, people have very strong feeling about mechanics either they love they mechanic or hate them with a passion. When people meet you they will love you or lump you in with the thieves that are in jail...
My customers are lucky to have me,they tell me that all the time.
looking back on 19 years with my love affair of cars would I do it all over again yes...But with once exception I would have fgotten a degree in Computer science or Mechanical engineering first...
Ive slowed down a bit,but I am a lot sharper so it balanced out nicely. I was lot faster when I was younger tearing things apart, the difference now is that 95% of the time before I ever grab a tool I already know what Im looking for. its almost like a 6th sense.
Its helps being a Good Tech if you are a neat freak, OCD, or Bi Polar..Im a combination of all three. My place is immaculate think Operating room.
I had a medium sized shop that i sold in California with myself as a tech, another full time tech a part time tech and a service writer.. In Washington I went small and did it all. In Florida I work by appointment only and do 2-3 cars per days that goes out perfect...I have a great customer base and they tell their friends co workers and neighbors about me..I recently started scaling back my advertising as I got a little too busy last month.
Now if you have not fallen asleep yet if I was 20 years old again would I get into this career..yes.....
Eventually I will go to law school, as it is the only other career I can see that would bring me as much joy.
I hope I did not lose you there.
I wish you would not have gone to Lincoln Tech though they charge an awful lot for what could be obtained at a Community college for less than 1/2 price plus a AS degree in hand....good luck
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm leaving Midas because the guy cut out most my OT hours for no reason. I make him 600-700$ a day off oil changes and up sells I do myself alone and he can't even pay me an extra 10 -15$.
I'm waiting on a start date from an acura dealership after there finished with their background check.
So I guess ironically I reached one of my goals.
What you said was very true...about the performance market.
My plans are still a bit ifffy as far as how I'm going to go about pulling something that seems unrealistic off and make a dream reality in regards to opening my own performance parts shop.
I think I will find the answer in my education. I am doing engineering now but will be doing business as well. Once I pursue my business degree I think I will have my answer.
I'm leaving Midas because the guy cut out most my OT hours for no reason. I make him 600-700$ a day off oil changes and up sells I do myself alone and he can't even pay me an extra 10 -15$.
I'm waiting on a start date from an acura dealership after there finished with their background check.
So I guess ironically I reached one of my goals.
What you said was very true...about the performance market.
My plans are still a bit ifffy as far as how I'm going to go about pulling something that seems unrealistic off and make a dream reality in regards to opening my own performance parts shop.
I think I will find the answer in my education. I am doing engineering now but will be doing business as well. Once I pursue my business degree I think I will have my answer.
The performance market is not what it was just 20 years ago and has been reduced to big ugly chrome wheels, stick-on chromed plastic bling crap, rear deck wings, fake dual exhausts and some sort of intake snorkle. Then there is the obligatory sound system. Lot's of people truly believe their cars to be modified if they have a new sound system put in along with the above. The worst part is they want to recoup all of the money they sunk into the junk when selling the car. Good luck with that.
Real performance is what the guy who owns the car can do for himself with parts he bought at Jegs or Summit. Cars can't really be hot rodded as they could years ago so the performance market is basically how the factory tuned the car.
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(I like em too). Use technical jargon (i.e. B4, B5, B6, MkIV, MkV, MkVI, TDi, etc) If you find a tech who's not busy, try to strike up a quick convo, ask him some of the same questions that I mentioned for the managers...Make them like you, be persistent, and make followup phone calls. You'll land a job!
