…. Soooo… what now?
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Well, I have since graduated from tech school and been employed at a used car lot for the last 8ish months. Coming up 6 months FT.
Now I don’t quite know what to do because I don’t mind this job, but it is a job. I’ve had worse jobs before and its not what I’d invision myself doing as I’m a bit .. nerdy.. for autobody work and honestly cars aren’t my thing. I like them but I can’t identify parts or know motor stuff really.
I’m in my early 30’s and trying to save for a house, so need solid employment but also trying to plan out some of my future because honestly, as much as I don’t mind this used car lot body shop I do feel a bit like I’m biting myself in the ass the longer I stay. It is the same old, every day. Take a bumper off, sand it, fill it, prime it, scuff it and boss man paints it, I put it back on, sand it then buff it. Whether its a bumper or some other part varies, but 98% of the cars get a bumper taken off and then maybe ding out a fender or a dog leg. I get a lot of box sides, done a few dog legs and few other things. I can paint but we recently switched over to PPG so the boss man just took that over and no one besides his second in command really get to paint anything. I am on the schedule to get to go to a PPG painters certification course through the company though which I am happy about and I would like to paint more because I used to get to paint like once or twice a month until a few months ago now I almost feel like I might be forgetting how to go about the process of punching in the code and such.
I’m still making my $11.50 / hour plus between $75 and $150 a month of comission or “bonus.”
Its not horrible pay and I know I’m still learning and refining my speed and mud work and I’m not sure how hours I put out a month or how ever you all figure it.
I guess I’m just looking for any follow up advice. What would be a good step from here? I can’t just jump into a full frame booth and tear apart radiator supports or cut up 1/4’s, even though I wouldn’t mind trying that more but I’m reserved to mostly bumper duty and I feel like in the grand scheme, if I went looking for another auto body job I wouldn’t have any real skills to bring to the table other than cake work mostly superfical stuff.
I just want to expand my skills and this place won’t give me the chance really but I don’t really want to just up and quit my job. I don’t want to turn 50 and all I can do is bumper covers, prime and paint. I know I can do more, I just need more hands on or at least exposure.
Just wondering the best way to go? Try to find a helper’s position yet?
[b]Also wondering, when applying for a new job, what do you(the hirer) ask for questions? I mean what information will I want to know.[/b] I’m mostly asking about what numbers will I want to know. My monthly output hours(billable) vs my input hours equals how much I’m really worth to the company, correct? I know the first month of FT boss man told me I was 25 over(I think) and he hasn’t told me since but I’ve been real curious and been wanting to track that for my own records.
[b]Is there anything else I should know of going into new interviews?[/b]
Well since I have this .. degree and a foot in the door of sorts I have to decide, am I in it for the long haul or should I just cut and run and try something else?
I’m not looking to get rich. I’m looking to be happy, IE, time for my own pursuits, time for family, enough money to own at least an ok home and enough to save for for a nice vacation every couple years. Thats not asking for much. Thats not asking for anything really, thats what everyone deserves I think and right now, 11.50 I don’t think is a liveable wage, but they bumped me up 1.50 since I started in Nov so I can’t complain. I’m just looking more to aim myself at a goal as my field is still pretty open.
Ideally? I’d want to get a job at a vo-tech teaching autobody like my instructors I went to school with. 7-3pm work. Probably $45k a year, summers off, government perks.
That’d be ideal. I hope to maybe work towards that.
Otherwise, theres painter, tech, helper, estimator, …. potentially an adjustor, working at a merch supplier, get a job in the paint industry like PPG or something, do work myself and hope I can scrape by and have next to nothing for retirement….
Those are the options I currently see and I’m wondering what do you all think is the most open to me from where I’m at and has the best chance for making a decent living?
If you want to give any details, what are the ups and downs of those? I always say, “yeah, hey that job’d be cool.” Then the negatives set in. Like estimator. I think it’d be “easy” but yeah reading here I do realize they have to deal a lot with insurance companies and that would suck and having to inform the customer would suck because you can’t control it and they’d be ****ed at you when they should be ****ed at the ins co.
Helper be ok but no pay.
Tech would be ok, but you need to try to work fast. Harder dirty work, can get boring if your doing the same type of jobs day in day out.
I’m not sure how a tech would be at like a restoration shop though and I think it’d be interesting to learn a bit more of that field. I(like everyone probably, would like to learn to fabricate stuff and do “custom” work. And I don’t mean hot rod’s. I don’t get into big hot rod’s, I’d rather fab new designs and stuff but I don’t know how. Only learned of an english roller a few months ago.
Honestly they teach a bear minimum at my school. Not entirely impressed, but oh well.
btw, I do take some pictures of jobs I do at work, a kind of before, during and after. I have a [url=http://http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3418318816008.2127418.1211275821&type=3]facebook album for a couple jobs from work and school over at this album[/url] if anyone wanted to take a look and tell me opinions or if they see flaws. I try to take different angles so you can’t go by a “best shot where they can’t see the flaw” shot. I do have a few more pictures of different jobs that I might add tomorrow, but its late and I want to hit the hay. Hopefully the link works, I set it to public.
Wow, that is a long post 🙂
Good experience is basically the largest asset you can have in this industry. It takes many years to become a good bodyman & painter. I also understand it can be very hard to find a job starting out in this industry where they are willing to teach you.
Personally, I would recommend going to as many shops as possible and dropping off a resume. Ideally you would be somewhere that does quality work and is willing to teach you and sign you up for an apprenticeship. You should be asking questions about:
-how they will teach you
-will they be willing to let you go to school when it is time
-will you get a chance to work in the different areas (prep, body, paint, frame, glass, airbags, suspension/basic mechanical etc)
-what their process/quality of work is like
-their expectations of youAs someone who is starting out, you will not be able to be crazy fast and good. Any reasonable shop will recognize this and be willing to assist you in getting there. As long as you have a good attitude and are truly willing to learn, it will work.
Any place I have applied to, I have always asked the see the shop and work in progress. I always ask questions in regards to what I see in the back. (is the shop clean and well equipped, is there a reasonable amount of work, does the work look to be of good quality, is there anything odd about the place…anything missing etc)
I hope this is helpful, good luck to you
My first advice is move somewhere that has a stronger economy. They pay $12/hr at mcdonalds here….
Good body man here makes $70k/ year or so, but it takes years to be good, and fast, like Ben said.
I suggest you go back to school for something a little more glamorous than auto body. Perhaps something along the lines of an elementary school physical education teacher? :whistle:
^ 😆 ^ 😆 ^ 😆 ^
:p :p
[quote=”bloverby” post=27422]I suggest you go back to school for something a little more glamorous than auto body. Perhaps something along the lines of an elementary school physical education teacher? :whistle:[/quote]
Are you really fat? That’s a pre-requisite for that job.
:silly:
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