Dealership Internship?

[Erle385]

i would like to get a internship at a ford dealer while still in high school. i was wondering what it would consist of. or even if they would let me.

how old would i need to be?

can i do it during highschool?

How would i sign up?

Paid or not?

Any experiences you guys have had with this?

 

[trashauler]

Not sure how that works. You would probably start as a porter detailing and preping new cars for delivery. As far as the shop goes I would suggest going in and talking to them. I am always looking for apprentice mechanics and think you are doing the right thing. I wouldnt waste my money on a tech school if you can find a company to work with and train you.

 

[mtwaterguy]

It might be helpful to talk to your school guidance counselor, if they still call them that. We used to hire students to work in the afternoon for our company. We paid them, and they also received credits for school. We would contact the closest high school at the first of each school year. I would think it could work from your end also. Good Luck.

 

[crewchief888]

car dealers may be different, but in every heavy equipment dealership ive ever been at, you have to be 18 years old,
insurance companys have a kitten if they find out theres somone underage working in the shop.

 

[metalhead212121]

Being in the automotive business for 10 years now I'd recommend going to any dealership that "impresses you" inside and out. I know other people on here many disagree with that statement. I worked at a lot of different places and have visited countless automotive dealers and independent shops. Some people think that the "family dealerships/garages" are great... "everybody gets along" and the place is there to "give something back to the community." That gets old in my opinion REAL FAST! Those are the places that DON'T have air conditioned shops.. not the greatest working conditions.. pay isn't the greatest. I've been there... done that. Right now I work for a BMW dealer.. state of the art shop.. central air.. etc etc. I wish I started there from day one. Instead I figured I'd work at small shops when I started out.. One day I work up 5 years down the road and decided I wanted to make some "real money" and work for a dealer.. guess what... no dealer would hire me based on the fact that I had 0 experience as a "dealer tech." That was 5 years of my life down the drain. On top of that I also had gone to vocational schooling for cars. (That was 16K down the drain as well.) Most places I applied to laughed at me when I told them I went for automotive schooling... All the dealers would offer me was a lot attendant job and then down the road I could talk to them about being a tech. Wasn't really feeling that due to $$$$ reasons. Long story short I work in the parts department now and have been for a few years due to extreme back pain. Even if down the road you end up working for a parts department you're better off working at a place that is "pleasing to the eye." Though some may call me "high and mighty" for wanting to work at a "high end shop"... at the end of the day you don't want to deal with cheap people.. they bring you ****** cars to work on.. they DON'T want quality work, parts or service and in the end your paycheck will be small because of it. I hope you take my advice because I'd hate to see you end up like me. Maybe if I had better working conditions I wouldn't have ended up having back surgery... got in with a "quality" dealership and not be stuck living at home at 30 years old.


Good luck to you.. and keep us posted.


Dan

 

[socketjockey]

Get to your local Ford dealer and talk to the service manager. Sure you may be emptying garbage cans for awhile. Talk to the techs. Get to know the tools and the talk. Stay away from negative employees like the plague. Be on your best behavior around customers. Stay available to techs who need help.

 

[metalhead212121]

Get to your local Ford dealer and talk to the service manager. Sure you may be emptying garbage cans for awhile. Talk to the techs. Get to know the tools and the talk. Stay away from negative employees like the plague. Be on your best behavior around customers. Stay available to techs who need help.

I agree 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[all4sho]

metalhead212121, I AGREE 100%, i am the parts manager at a Nissan store, i wish i would have started here first, a nice dealership is the way to go

 

[6768rogues]

You have to sell yourself. Be confident that you can learn the job and be an asset to the company after some training. I hire many people (not the automotive business) and the impression from the interview is what gets people hired. Superior pleasant attitude, superior willingness to learn and superior state of mind will get you wherever you want to go. Good luck.

 

[Stick]

Ford has the ASSET program, and GM has the ASEP program, I'm sure other brands have similar programs. Check with your local community college to see if they are partnered with any local dealers.

 

[crewchief888]

metalhead212121, I AGREE 100%, i am the parts manager at a Nissan store, i wish i would have started here first, a nice dealership is the way to go

i wish i would have started here first, a nice dealership is the way to go


ive worked on construction equipment or 25+ years, and always at dealerships. to me, a dealership is the place to learn.
i had no formal training as a mechanic, all my "training" was as a machinist/tool & die maker, and i knew how to weld.
the 1st dealership i started at, all i did was change oil and tires for the 1st 3 or 4 months, and that was good enough for them. i figured out that the more i knew, the more i learned, and the better mechanic i was, i made more money.
some dealers that ive worked at were very small shops,with little factory support, and some large shops, with advanced training available.

i could probably go just about any contractor, or "fix it" shop, and make more money. but i prefer to stay at dealerships, we have steady work almost year round, and training on the latest and greatest is always there.

 

[61falcon]

http://www.fordasset.com/tcep/New_TCEP_Home.asp

I went to the asset program back in 90-92. i am a senior master tech at one of the largest ford dealers in northeast ohio. Going through that program was the best thing i ever did career wise. find a dealer with a good service manager and talk to them about it. good techs are getting harder to find and a good service manager will pay to keep good techs. its by far not the easiest job, lots of pressure and stress working in a dealer service department and its not easy on the body either. if your serious about a career as a ford tech, its a great way to start.