I can offer a little constructive advice, though my background is in aviation maintenance rather than automotive.

If you are _really_ serious about working on cars professionally, bite the bullet, get a student loan if necessary, and get professional training! Sure it is expensive, but the payback will be a better paying job at the end of the school, working on a better class of cars in a better shop. You should be able to recover the cost of schooling through higher wages within a few years. (And you will get an income tax credit for part of the interest paid on a student loan.) You will certainly climb a few rungs of the promotion ladder by being certified.

Sure, starting out doing oil changes and lube jobes is a way to achieve that goal, but there is a very steep initial learning curve. A classroom setting makes learning how to diagnose electrical problems, or tear down an engine, or align the front suspension, much much easier. An organised curriculum, visual aids and reference materials are important, but _the_ most important aspect of school training is that the instructors are experienced in teaching novices how to do this stuff....a lead mechanic in a tune up shop is usually not! Nor is he willing to spend his valuable time teaching some "new kid".

I spent 17 months earning my Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A & P) Certifications. I never once regretted spending the time to learn the basics in a classroom.

(Most of) today's cars are sophisticated instruments. I think it is very hard to just "pick up" what you need to become a good professional technician with a solid future.

How about this: ask the head guy at Lincoln Tech if you can sit in on a couple of classes on different subjects, to get a feel what is going on there before committing to a major expense? I'll bet he would gladly allow that and it should help you resolve the issue in your mind.

ps: That mechanic certification on the wall means a LOT to the car owner who is worried about some self-taught hack ruining his car!

• Career move...mechanics advice please.., 91Aerojr, Sat, 13 Jan 2001 11:45:31
  • Re: Career move...mechanics advice please.., Toby, Mon, 15 Jan 2001 16:04:09
  • Why didn't I think to ask you guys..., BobH, Mon, 15 Jan 2001 01:56:15
  • Re: Career move...mechanics advice please.., Mike Stone, Sun, 14 Jan 2001 20:22:40
  • This Is How I Did It, Ben D, Sun, 14 Jan 2001 15:04:16
  • Re: professional training or not? (long), John Davies, Sun, 14 Jan 2001 12:37:02 <-- Viewing This Message
  • start at the bottom...read everything you can..., jim, Sun, 14 Jan 2001 01:57:16

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