career options

[USMCdodge]

Every time I look at a thread about someone asking for advice about wrenching on cars everyone says the same thing. It breaks the body down, doesn't pay and demotivates you to work on your own projects.

Im active duty as of now, starting college soon. I really want to get into a specialized mechanical job and it sounds like people that work on heavy machinery like farm equipment, trains or boats are living good.
Im used to working hard, getting dirty and have a mechanical (and open) mind.

Im looking for advice, criticism, ideas and your experience in your work place. thanks for reading and responding.

 

[BUCKNERBUCK2]

First, Thank you for your service. I hope you get out safely and have a lot of great options open to you.

I always enjoyed wrenching and mechanical workings. Went into engineering and work with technicians daily. I'm glad I am on my end of it. Great pay, mechanically interesting, and an overall very satisfying career.
Plus, when I get home in evenings I feel great and ready to do whatever I would like around the house or to cars. No regrets at all.

 

[wreckerman5357]

Another thank you for your service.

My advice is to make sure you get into something you like. I went to a four year school and came WTF credits shy of graduating before realizing that I could not work behind a desk. I hated academics and paper work, and could not see doing that type of **** for a living for the rest of my life.

At the time I was towing nights and weekends for a bodyshop in town that also ran a couple of tow trucks. I had grown up doing mechanical work and I enjoy it. I had never done any bodywork or refinishing but spending time in the shop I got interested in it. I really enjoy both towing and bodywork and came to the conclusion that that is what I wanted to do.

I transferred my credits to a college about 35 miles away that offers a Bachelors of Applied Science in Collision Repair. This was a two-year, 5 hour a day, 5 day per week collision and refinishing program with a academic portion for the Bachelor's in addition to the collision certificate. I wish i would have started on this path and not took such a meandering path to get where I am, but that's life.

I get the diploma for my Bachelor's on May 11th. I currently have a good job at a local bodyshop as an entry level bodyman and a tow truck driver that will become full-time when I'm done with my academics next month. Since you have the GI Bill I would recomend looking into a Bachelors program in whatever mechanical field you are looking at. It gives you something extra on your resume in addition to giving you options for getting into another part of the automotive industry like management or insurance after you wear your body out.

But that's just my 2 cents, do whatever you feel is right.

 

[Silver6.0]

Thanks for your service. I'll chime in too. I'm 28, and have been a diesel/semi truck tech since I was 17. I have an associates in applied science w/ diesel major which I believe along with my ASE's has helped me move around the "field" to help better myself. I agree it can be hard on the body but it all depends on where you end up, i.e. dealer, fleet, tire shop, trans shop etc. One thing all of my teachers said in college was Diesel is where the money at!

What I have seen as far as your statement about tractor/boat/railroad repair. Most tractor techs I have talked to always asked how to get into where I was working lol. I'm not sure thats where the money is. Boat techs are kind of seasonal unless you live by water and in nice weather all year. And I don't know about rail road techs at all, have never looked into it.

Like all jobs there are high and low ends of the field, I have heard of extremely high paid boat techs who work all over the U.S. travely every other week and auto techs killing it locally just by their strong skills/ knowledge and client base. And have heard of high paid tractor techs for the big equipment companies like CAT.

I haven't looked back and don't plan to change careers. Good luck and I'm sure you'll do fine. You already sound motivated and we need more go getters like you.

Neil

 

[Terra Nova]

I'm going to echo what BucknerBuck2 said. Thanks for your service! and I too went the engineering route. Got into testing in the auto industry. I spend time at test tracks, test trips all over the country, time in the lab with technicians, time in the machine shop making parts or welding, building demo vehicles etc. I'm required to wear steel toe boots and I turn wrenches everyday (unless I don't feel like it! and that's key). FYI: Some of the fastest and most capable drivers out there are engineers.

The other advice I give people in your shoes would be to look into specialized skills. Technically skilled labor is in huge demand right now. Look into CNC programming, HVAC, heck even IT or telecom. Any number of jobs you can do mechanical type work without actually working on cars.

 

[jetmech09]

Have you considered aviation? Given, you'll need to get an a&p before you can really do anything which is more school (or 30 months as an apprentice), but the pay and benefits are pretty good, depending on what type of company you work for.

 

[cardsworld]

stay out of the collision field, it is regulated 100% by the insurance companys, and lots of shops are driving down the pay to techs to 35 % of labor dollars. body shops have to agree to to many concessions on labor, parts, and material caps, mandated by ins companies to be on their drp programs, so if you dont agree to their conditions, you are left with nothing to work on.... sad but true

 

[Jim C.]

I think the answer is pretty simple....... Just be honest with yourself. What do you really like to do? If you have to convince yourself that you can learn to like something, or that the opportunities would be better doing something that's not really interesting to you, then you'll end up dissatisfied, unhappy, and you'll always wonder what might have been if you had just followed your passion. Don't let anyone talk you out of it. Just be honest with yourself. You'll find your niche.

Jim C.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

I'm also gonna say get into engineering. Since you already have the physical know how to do manual work, get certified in the brain work part of it. Once you graduate you can enter whichever segment you wish with your qualifications and capabilities.

 

[purevl]

There are a lot of suggestions about engineering being made so I'll chime in with a piece of advise: choose carefully. Everything from trash pickup to sales is referred to as "engineering" but there are limited opportunities right now for a lot of types of legitimate engineers. Like you I am mechanically minded, so I got an ABET certified engineering physics degree with mechanical emphasis and passed the FE exam, making me an honest-to-god actual engineer, but I quickly found out I couldn't get a job. There are tons of contract drafting jobs, but I'm overqualified and there's no job security, there are tons of jobs for guys that have PLC experience, but you learn that sort of thing at trade school or on the job. The jobs for which my education is tailored are out there, the trouble is, the current market is absolutely flooded with jobless engineers who either haven't hit retirement age, or didn't plan well enough to retire; they may or may not have the academic chops I have, but they all got into the field at better times and have experience. Employers can hire experienced candidates at recent grad payscales, so they aren't hiring young blood. Long story short, after 14 months of searching, I recently gave up and took a job as a welder/fabricator making half as much as I did as a powder handler before I went to school and a third as much as I planned to make after college. Maybe 4 years from now when you graduate things will be different, but I have my doubts. Good luck!

 

[saturnman]

THIS IS GOING TO SOUND NUTS AT FIRST! go into the medical field and become a r.n. or b.s.n.! a nurse or doctor is basically a "flesh mechanic", except that the "car" can tell you exactly what is going on! you do have to like being around people for this, and the 2 years of schooling will kill you. but the pay is so much better and is overall, a much more rewarding experience

 

[USMCdodge]

Awesome! thanks for the input guys! I am a 6092 airframes composite tech but because theres not many composites on the aircraft in hawaii, I was sent to weld school. Don't get me wrong, I love welding but I hate the aviation side.

Engineers, How often do you have to deal with really heavy math? I can do basic things but not a big fan. and what exactly do you do? very broad question I know. again guys I really appreciate all the advice.

 

[jetmech09]

Awesome! thanks for the input guys! I am a 6092 airframes composite tech but because theres not many composites on the aircraft in hawaii, I was sent to weld school. Don't get me wrong, I love welding but I hate the aviation side.

Engineers, How often do you have to deal with really heavy math? I can do basic things but not a big fan. and what exactly do you do? very broad question I know. again guys I really appreciate all the advice.

I could see how working in the back shop would get pretty boring. Especially composites. A good friend of mine just got his certification in engineering (not exactly sure how it works) and all he does now is sit at a desk and make drawings in autocad...

 

[wreckerman5357]

There are a lot of suggestions about engineering being made so I'll chime in with a piece of advise: choose carefully. Everything from trash pickup to sales is referred to as "engineering" but there are limited opportunities right now for a lot of types of legitimate engineers. Like you I am mechanically minded, so I got an ABET certified engineering physics degree with mechanical emphasis and passed the FE exam, making me an honest-to-god actual engineer, but I quickly found out I couldn't get a job. There are tons of contract drafting jobs, but I'm overqualified and there's no job security, there are tons of jobs for guys that have PLC experience, but you learn that sort of thing at trade school or on the job. The jobs for which my education is tailored are out there, the trouble is, the current market is absolutely flooded with jobless engineers who either haven't hit retirement age, or didn't plan well enough to retire; they may or may not have the academic chops I have, but they all got into the field at better times and have experience. Employers can hire experienced candidates at recent grad payscales, so they aren't hiring young blood. Long story short, after 14 months of searching, I recently gave up and took a job as a welder/fabricator making half as much as I did as a powder handler before I went to school and a third as much as I planned to make after college. Maybe 4 years from now when you graduate things will be different, but I have my doubts. Good luck!

I could see how working in the back shop would get pretty boring. Especially composites. A good friend of mine just got his certification in engineering (not exactly sure how it works) and all he does now is sit at a desk and make drawings in autocad...

A lot of engineers I know are doing this sort of thing. None if them are doing anything hands on. Most of the engineers i know are also some of the shittiest home mechanics I have ever met. Not saying this as a generalization, so hopefully I don't get any engineers pissed at me.

If you consider engineering, talk to some engineers. They can tell you what it is they actually do. One thing I do know for sure is they have to take a shitload of math in school and it is not easy stuff. If you are not good at math it is probably the wrong field for you. I would have never made it through the math they are required to take.

 

[bassbone52]

Awesome! thanks for the input guys! I am a 6092 airframes composite tech but because theres not many composites on the aircraft in hawaii, I was sent to weld school. Don't get me wrong, I love welding but I hate the aviation side.

Engineers, How often do you have to deal with really heavy math? I can do basic things but not a big fan. and what exactly do you do? very broad question I know. again guys I really appreciate all the advice.

My degree is in mechnical engineering from a four year engineering school. I graduated in 1979. The experience of school was like one endless, complex story problem. When i got out, i went to work for GM. I can't remember working any real math problems. computers do that. A lot of engineering is spent in meetings, doing paperwork, trying to put together budgets, interpreting regulations, writing reports, more meetings, etc. I wasn't allowed to pick up a wrench because i wasn't in the UAW. After eight years I quit and became a land surveyor. The key would be for you to find your own little niche in an engineering field and to hook up with someone who is a little farther down the road who can mentor you.

And thanks for putting on the uniform!

 

[BUCKNERBUCK2]

Engineers, How often do you have to deal with really heavy math? I can do basic things but not a big fan. and what exactly do you do? very broad question I know. again guys I really appreciate all the advice.

I am an engine developer/calibrator at one of the big 3, my experience has been the complete opposite of purevl's.
I graduated in 2010, all of my classmates have excellent jobs and we are all doing well. Going to school in MI, 2009 seemed like we would all be unemployed but we kept our heads down, and graduated early. Hired immediately. Within a month 5/5 of us had jobs that were paying us well and what we were interested in.
I do quite a bit of Matlab and modeling, stuff that if you showed it to me before I went into engineering I would have said no way I will ever be able to do that. But 4 year engineering school is going to build your math skills quickly, and if you are put in a situation to do some heavy math you will be able to handle it.

Btw, I believe your service would make obtaining an ungrad in engineering affordable. And if you work for the right company - they will pay for your masters.
I have zero complaints or regrets.

 

[Terra Nova]

Engineers, How often do you have to deal with really heavy math? I can do basic things but not a big fan. and what exactly do you do? very broad question I know. again guys I really appreciate all the advice.

Very little, the math in engineering school is tough, not going to lie and I was bad at math to begin with. I got through on pure determination and stubbornness. I had to do an integral a total of once in my professional life and just made an intern do it... If you get into the design side of things or FEA development you'll use more math.

Engineering field is extremely varied and can take many shapes once you're out there and becomes what you make it. Good point someone made about UAW shops. Engineers can't turn a wrench where UAW types work so if you like getting your hands dirty you'll want to avoid the big 3.

We're having a hard time finding engineers and programmers right now, especially recent grads. A LOT of people left the state when things tanked in '09.

 

[96Mustang460cid]

Like other posters in this thread, I'm a mechanical engineer. I work in the oil & gas industry as a drilling engineer. This industry has a huge demand for degreed and non-degreed labor. I had a job offer from GM before graduating college. When I learned what the oil & gas industry was paying compared to other industries...I easily decided what direction to go.

Engineers' job duties in the oil & gas industry can vary vastly. You can find work that's 100% office all to way to 100% field work. I work in the office predominantly, but go out to the field when I desire. I watch the weather and plan accordingly .

If you're interested in non-degreed work, the oil & gas industry is still a great place to work. It's not at all uncommon for workers to start at $65k - $125k per year. The top end of that will come with a lot of overtime. But, where there's a will, there's a way.

World travel??? My company only works locally -- tri-state region. I like it that way, for now. The options are almost endless -- off shore, over seas, N/S Dakota, Pennsylvania, E/W coasts, S. America, Canada, ect.

The oil & gas industry affords me the freedom to travel as desired. But, I have the time and $$$ to enjoy my family and hobbies, too. The oil field offers job opportunities that can take you almost any where in the world, pay very well, offer varied work schedules (month on/month off, week on/week off, work all the time, ect, ect, ect.), endless variety (day to day), daily challenges to mundane tasks...pick your poison. It's all here !!!

Have a good day!
Michael

 

[4x4gearhead]

I have been working for a company that manufactures snowgroomers and other various hydrostatic tracked machines for about 6 yrs now. It is a good job with good benefits (pay could be better but im young at the ripe old age of 23). The work is hard and the hours are long but it can be rewarding to know that I can fix these machines and get a customer up and running again. My particular field is kind of a nitch for sure, but there are many familiar components that can be found in a lot of other equipment the more im noticing. It is neat to be able to do some engine work, a lot of hydrostatic/hydraulic and electrical work with some metal fab and welding thrown in there from time to time. Its never really the same from day to day mostly pretty different. I like the big and heavy and having to use 2 1/4 in wrenches and huge drive tools to get things apart. I hope whatever you choose brings you luck my friend. Thank you for serving!

 

[larryq]

I do quite a bit of Matlab and modeling, stuff that if you showed it to me before I went into engineering I would have said no way I will ever be able to do that. But 4 year engineering school is going to build your math skills quickly, and if you are put in a situation to do some heavy math you will be able to handle it.

Just curious, what school did you go to, and what sort of equations are you working on in Matlab for the most part?

 

[srmofo]

I wrench, I love it, I HATE what the profession is becoming (flat rate ). I would like to get into fleet work but its few and far between right now. I'm a healthy active 29yo and Im sore when I get home at night (not everyday, but definitely some days). I am mentally exhausted and really have no interest in tinkering with my own stuff. It ***** to constantly put your aspirations to the side because after a 10 hour day of fixing cars you just dont feel like playing with your own stuff.

I am going back to school for industrial engineering and getting off this sinking ship

 

[bcradio]

Just curious, what school did you go to, and what sort of equations are you working on in Matlab for the most part?

Mostly I've done signal processing and some algorithm work using eigenvectors. And I went to UNM

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Ok, so stay with me for just a second, marry well, stay home, and play in your shop doing whatever trips your trigger. Ive got a life long friend who does that for a living. He races off shore boats, 2 different boats, in 2 different classes, that's his employment, and loses a **** load of money doing it. He is living a charmed life while doing it. When they are not racing, as in out of season, he does allot of drinking and partying. Not sure how hes still alive.

Best job advice I can give.

The best job you can find, is the one you do on vacation.

If you get stuck in the real world,... the deeper the niche, the more in demand you will be and should make the most $ for your time. Youll need to figure that out. Id specialize in something, dont be everything to everybody. That applies to almost all fields/vocations, just make sure there is a demand for your niche skill set before learning it, and setting sail after it.

Oh and thank you for your service !