Just some advice needed please.

I've been in mobile phone sales for the past 10 years and the market is not what it once was, so it's a dwindling one. I was made redundant 6 months ago and have just been laid off again from the company I joined after this.

So, I've reached a point in my life where I can either jump straight back in with another company doing the same thing, but potentially be back in the same position again in another 6 months or I can look to get into something I enjoy and could potentially make a career out of.

I've got a real passion for cars, so the obvious thing to look at is becoming a mechanic. Now at the age of 27 and with a mortgage to pay, I need to look at starting a job and learning at the same time but I'm interested to find out what sort of money I'd be looking at as a trainee, how long this would last and what money I would potentially look at earning once I was trained. I also be keen to know where to start? I've got a pretty good business head, so would like to learn the ropes, then potentially start up my own business in a few years but it's the time between now and then I really need to get clear in my head before deciding what to do. The easy option is just to get back into mobiles, but I'm not sure if that's where I actually want to be.

Any experiences or advice would be a great help to me.

Thanks

 

Well Ive just completed and passed the Level 2 NVQ in mechanics and id say ive learnt not a fat lot more than I already knew... 50% of the friggin course was health and saftey...

They never really went indepth on anything which was remotly interesting and pretty much only covered the basics...

Only good thing is when you pass and you have the qualification you will have more chance of getting a job over someone with no qualifications

 

Paul i knew eaxctly where your coming from, i really really realy want to sell motors and have done since i was 15odd, but way to many bills to pay to even contemplate thinking of lookinginto this, Now dont laugh but Matt has a Mechanics home course, why dont you get it and have a look at it.

God luck mate, have you spoken to Rob/steve? he may be able to offer some advice

 

You probably will find the wage too low if you need to qualify 1st....

Alex

 

actually thinking about it, your a pretty damm good salesman, ever thought about working for a dealer or whereever selling cars? could b a way in to doing what you want?

 

Possibility, but I'm just fecked off with sales. It pays well, but the quality of life is shite!!

I just fancy something that I can eventually make a career out of and where I can get to work, get my work done, get paid then go home and enjoy life. This last 6 months have been hell and to end up with no job after giving everything is a real kick in the nuts!!

 

not alot fella around the Ł150 mark!not alot when u qualified its a crap trade fella u better off not going into it i would not go into it if i had the chance!plus remember u got to buy your own tools its hard work u have to know mechanical as well as electrical

 

Its not worth it chap, i went on a YTS sheme to become a mechanic done city & guilds & the NVQ level 3.

Wages wasn't a lot when i started & still crap when i left garage, just done a plastering course & the money you can earn from that is amazing

 

I wouldnt say its crap... its more varied than plastering for example.

And lots of dealerships provide tools too these days!

But again - its low wages till you qualify! For example an Apprentice can be on Ł2.50 - Ł4 an hour!!

Alex

 

its not good money fella for wot u have to know!they only supply tools that u need for doing certain jobs like sub frame lining up tools etc apart from that u have to spend Ł1000s

 

Top for Paul

 

when i was training and doing my apprenticeship (nearly 18 years ago now) we didn't need to do any courses other than the first years worth of basic engineering and college and then we were supposed to go into the dealerships and get cracking

things have changed a lot since then now and you are going to get stuck in the position wehre you will be "qualified" but have no "experience" which means no one will take you on
alternativly, i have "expereience" but no "qualifications" so i'm fucked too

to be honest though, it's long hard work and you never get the smell of grease and oil out of your body, added to the fact that you boogies come out black when you blow your nose and your fingernails are constantly dirty and it's not something you want to start doing when you are enarly 30 with a mortgage to pay

fair play for trying and this isn't a post to tell you not to bother, but go in with your eyes open rather than think you can swan in and start spannering on day one and love it for ever

there are also loads more diagnostic tools to use nowadays so you've got to be able to figure out how to use them too, and don't forget that you may not be able to gain access to them straight away

i was spannering since i was about 6 so i had a fair bit of experience before i started my apprenticeship but even then, when my dad's mate was telling me how to do stuff it was still plugs and points, fuel injection hadn't really started then and cars were still using cart springs and no one had air con or any of the fancy gizmo's most cars now come with so you will be getting in at the deep end

 

i did a motor vehicle engineering course when i was 17-18 and was good crack met some mates who are good friends now

went for few job, didnt get one, and they all wouldnt pay more than 10-12k, SHITE really, i think even if i didget a job bak then with as a mechanic i couldnt see id be on more than 18-20k now which is not very good

 

Cool, I appreciate the posts guys this is exactly what I was looking for.

Looks like mechanics is out of the window then. It may just be something that I look at doing in my spare time even if it's only to save myself a few quid on servicing the Golf and Cossie.

 

deffo mate, get that course off matt and just do in your spare time, any luck on thejob front at all?

 

Hi paul,im an hgv mechanic with a main daler,ern 36k a year,mate works for vovo cars main dealer,mechanic come ot tester he makes 20k a year,more money in hgv,s and a lot of places are know taking on a lot of semi skilled mecanics becauese there is a trad shortage, go on a lot of trainning corses even though ive been at t 22yrs and all the guy,s from around the uk tell me the same,cant get mechanics,but mte once youdo it for a living your passon for cars wears of,thats how my 3drs been off the road nearly 4 yrs

cheeRS stu

 

With Paul's post in mind (questions answered) can I hi-jack the thread a touch?

Anyone know of any courses in something along the lines of 'race engineering'..............I'm an Electrical/Avionics technician in the RAF and I've always had a love for car mechanics and motorsport - I'm more than happy getting my hands dirty and spannering but I'd love to do some sort of course about racing, car setups, theories of what works and what doesn't in terms of suspensions, brakes, engines etc etc.

Anyone know of anything or am I pissing in the wind?

Apologies again for the hi-jack but the original question has been answered and mine's along similar lines.

 

being a diesel fitter does pay loads, my cousin was one and you could walk out of one job and straight into another, especially around the airport

 

SOME do supply tools.......


Alex

 

I'm an NVQ level 2 qualified mechanic,,, and i'm USELESS

Get a trade such as plumbing, plastering, spark etc... thats where the money is imo