School help needed!

[Damian]

I was planning on attending Wyotech at the end of summer, so I visited the campus down in LB. So we did the tour and they showed me the board of graduates and where they are working now. It felt like I was kicked in the nuts when alls I seen was Jiffy Lube, Firestone, and Goodyear. I am not stupid when it comes to cars, I could honestly pass most of the classes right now without a problem. I know it's bsic training there and they offer more classes up in Sacramento. So I was actually wanting to go up there and continue schooling. But I am still reconsidering since I seen where people get jobs at when they graduate.

So my desires are to go to school and learn about actual engine building and basically fixing up cars, not changing engine oil. I worked on gas turbine engines into Navy, but that is a hard field to keep a job in. I would like to work at a shop like some sort of race team (dreaming) or even just a shop that does engine upgrades and what not. I've done brakes, suspension and some electrical work as well.

With that being said, what are some good options out here for me? I have my GI Bill stuff, so paying for school isn't an issue. Or is going with Wyotech all the way up to get my AA worth it? Or is UTI the way to go?

[kdracer73]

I went to UTI..We called it Universal Testical Insitute back then.
It was 1984-85 when I went though. It was domestic only and not that great. I think it is much better now, and the factory/high performance program is the only way to go.
I have been wrenching for 25 yrs, and still work 2 jobs to survive. It is a hard way to make a (honest) living. Good paying jobs are hard to find. My current employer is the first to pay any benefits-including the dealers I have worked at.

Every job I have had was based on commission type pay. The guys I have worked with that made real money, where down right THIEVES ! Short cutting and over billing. A Tundra starter book time was 2.6 hours....They would flag it high and charge the customer 6 hours. I like to sleep at night, knowing I am a good guy.

[Vettezuki]

I take a an old school approach to these kinds of questions. Make a list of the kinds shops you'd like to work at as a goal. Go there in person and talk to the owner/shop manager. (Calling ahead to make an appointment for a face to face is probably a good idea rather than just dropping in.) Tell them your story and your willingness to work starting at the ground level, minimum wage (free in the good old days), sweeping floors if necessary, whatever. Demonstrate ability, reliability, willingness to learn, and shadow the master builders and fabricators and work yourself into an apprentice situation. As you demonstrate ability and usefulness in a team environment, the owner (unless a total dip shit) will promote you to positions of increased responsibility and pay.

You won't make much money and it'll take years of consistent quality of effort to get to a higher level, but I think this is still the best way to get to where you want IMO.

[kdracer73]

I take a an old school approach to these kinds of questions. Make a list of the kinds shops you'd like to work at as a goal. Go there in person and talk to the owner/shop manager. (Calling ahead to make an appointment for a face to face is probably a good idea rather than just dropping in.) Tell them your story and your willingness to work starting at the ground level, minimum wage (free in the good old days), sweeping floors if necessary, whatever. Demonstrate ability, reliability, willingness to learn, and shadow the master builders and fabricators and work yourself into an apprentice situation. As you demonstrate ability and usefulness in a team environment, the owner (unless a total dip shit) will promote you to positions of increased responsibility and pay.

You won't make much money and it'll take years of consistent quality of effort to get to a higher level, but I think this is still the best way to get to where you want IMO.


The Jiffy Lube and tire shops are the only ones that work that way.

The market is flooded with techs looking for work We have had 6 dealers, just in my area , that closed in the last 3-4 years... @ 20 techs each, that is a lot of guys looking for jobs.
I went on 20 interviews when I got laid off 2 years ago... I have 25 yrs in the biz.. ASE Certified Master Technician with a L-1 Advanced level Performance certification and a CA Smog Lic...( Which really means, I know how to take tests)


The industry is so technologicly advanced, you need a indepth training program, to understand the way all the electronics work. I am still having to take update classes every couple of months , just to try to understand the new stuff. It is changing soooo fast !

[Damian]

I think the main problem I have is now I work for an oil company as an operator. I will be going back to my 7 days on, 7 days off schedule. I work 12 hour shifts and make $22.50 an hour. I make over $60k a year while only working half the year. It's hard for me to step down to minimum wage especially when I have a little one to take care of. The wife works too as an RN, but she only works night shifts.

I'm almost just thinking I need to do something different than this career. I like my job, it's easy and I take a week vacation every other week, but I can't stay at the same location for the next however many years and my boss won't transfer me (bastard). I also need to us my GI Bill before it expires in 3 years too.

[Damian]

The market is flooded with techs looking for work We have had 6 dealers, just in my area , that closed in the last 3-4 years... @ 20 techs each, that is a lot of guys looking for jobs.
I went on 20 interviews when I got laid off 2 years ago... I have 25 yrs in the biz.. ASE Certified Master Technician with a L-1 Advanced level Performance certification and a CA Smog Lic...( Which really means, I know how to take tests)

I also have been thinking about this and also makes me think about this really long and hard.

[kdracer73]

I think the main problem I have is now I work for an oil company as an operator. I will be going back to my 7 days on, 7 days off schedule. I work 12 hour shifts and make $22.50 an hour. I make over $60k a year while only working half the year. .

I made 60k once......working 12 hours a day..6 days a week.... 51 weeks a year ! Are you guys hiring ?????:censored::censored:

[Vettezuki]

The Jiffy Lube and tire shops are the only ones that work that way.

The market is flooded with techs looking for work We have had 6 dealers, just in my area , that closed in the last 3-4 years... @ 20 techs each, that is a lot of guys looking for jobs.
I went on 20 interviews when I got laid off 2 years ago... I have 25 yrs in the biz.. ASE Certified Master Technician with a L-1 Advanced level Performance certification and a CA Smog Lic...( Which really means, I know how to take tests)


The industry is so technologicly advanced, you need a indepth training program, to understand the way all the electronics work. I am still having to take update classes every couple of months , just to try to understand the new stuff. It is changing soooo fast !

Certainly I can understand a fairly radical over supply of qualified guys making it exceptionally difficult, but I get the distinct impression (from limited exposure) that several of the performance shops were started by guys who were just really into what they were doing and had an entrepreneurial bent to start their own shops and then developed from there. Of course, those are the owner/entrepreneurs, I don't know about the employees so much. I certainly defer to your experience.

But what I CAN say as a general trend in the work environment (obviously not professional levels: Doctor, Lawyer, etc.) since people with "education" are plentiful, is that demonstrated ability and experience within an organization is increasingly important to advancement. Just having an MBA for example doesn't really mean nearly as much as it once did. Different fields of course, but it seems to be a trend. So the trick, regardless, is getting in. Convincing owners you'll work your balls off for cheap is a time honored tradition. :judge:

Another way to go, in many ways harder, but potentially more rewarding both psychologically and financially, is to go ahead and get as much schooling as possible, then start your own tiny owner/operator shop and build out from their. I'd recommend to anyone with the inclination, to be an entrepreneur. But it does present whole new levels of "excitement". Think working for a boss can be PITA, wait til you have employees and customers to deal with.

[Damian]

I made 60k once......working 12 hours a day..6 days a week.... 51 weeks a year ! Are you guys hiring ?????:censored::censored:

We just hired someone a little over a month ago, sorry.

[Vettezuki]

I think the main problem I have is now I work for an oil company as an operator. I will be going back to my 7 days on, 7 days off schedule. I work 12 hour shifts and make $22.50 an hour. I make over $60k a year while only working half the year. It's hard for me to step down to minimum wage especially when I have a little one to take care of. The wife works too as an RN, but she only works night shifts.

I'm almost just thinking I need to do something different than this career. I like my job, it's easy and I take a week vacation every other week, but I can't stay at the same location for the next however many years and my boss won't transfer me (bastard). I also need to us my GI Bill before it expires in 3 years too.

Since you have a good gig in a very tight labor market, and three years before your GI expires, why not sit on it and pool as much cash and eliminate any consumer debt as possible, this will give you some options and a stronger base to work from in just a couple years. In the interim you could independently build your skills and knowledge, even take on small side projects since you have so much time off. You really have a pretty enviable position to be operating from, you might want to leverage that instead of just giving it up. Just something to think about.

[Damian]

I'm actually in the middle of a motor and trans swap here at my house right now and another motor swap lined up to be built and swapped in at the end of summer.

I can't collect on the GI Bill unless I go to school. I should just man up and take online classes, but I dislike that kind of "schooling". I'm more of a hands on type of person.

[Shaolin Crane]

Fuck UTI, tis all i have to say

[Damian]

I have been thinking today about some sort of alternative fuel school. Internal combustion engines are going to be around for a long time, fuels will change. I'm no tree hugger, but better fuel with more potential is always good (E85, methanol, ethanol).

[Vettezuki]

I have been thinking today about some sort of alternative fuel school. Internal combustion engines are going to be around for a long time, fuels will change. I'm no tree hugger, but better fuel with more potential is always good (E85, methanol, ethanol).

From a business point of view, any needful niche is good. I think you're probably right as an array of bio-fuels become more common. Some of the algae stuff looks pretty promising.

[Damian]

Especially with some of the industrial emissions setups I've seen.

I'm going to look at this route.

[Shaolin Crane]

I'm in the fuel industry per-say, let me know if you need any pointers

[Damian]

I'm going to try and set up an appointment with a higher end car manufacturer service manager and not necessarily try and get a job there, but see if they can get me in the right direction.

I'm not really wanting to turn wrenches for the rest of my life at say GM or Ford, but at a Lamborghini dealership would change my mind on that. Granted that's a long shot, but you never know.

[Vettezuki]

I'm going to try and set up an appointment with a higher end car manufacturer service manager and not necessarily try and get a job there, but see if they can get me in the right direction.

I'm not really wanting to turn wrenches for the rest of my life at say GM or Ford, but at a Lamborghini dealership would change my mind on that. Granted that's a long shot, but you never know.

When entering grad school and looking for money, on a whim I applied for a somewhat famous private fellowship, fairly certain I wouldn't get it. I did. It paid for school in full plus a little scratch. DON'T ever count yourself out. The worst that can happen is a no thanks.

I would imagine the deal with places like that is that you will be dealing with the most anal of all anal customers, and scratching a $20k paint job while doing an oil change or whatever may be met with a shit storm. I imagine the pressure is pretty high not to F anything up. The cool thing about being a tech at places like a Ferrari dealer is that they get factory training. That means you go to Marinello.

My guess though is that generally there will be a lot more opportunity if you speicalize in something that may have a broader appeal/application, say performance engine building/tuning for alternative fuels.

In a different life I think I would really enjoy something like assembling F1 engines in a clean room.

[Kozak]

When entering grad school and looking for money, on a whim I applied for a somewhat famous private fellowship, fairly certain I wouldn't get it. I did. It paid for school in full plus a little scratch. DON'T ever count yourself out. The worst that can happen is a no thanks.

I would imagine the deal with places like that is that you will be dealing with the most anal of all anal customers, and scratching a $20k paint job while doing an oil change or whatever may be met with a shit storm. I imagine the pressure is pretty high not to F anything up. The cool thing about being a tech at places like a Ferrari dealer is that they get factory training. That means you go to Marinello.

My guess though is that generally there will be a lot more opportunity if you speicalize in something that may have a broader appeal/application, say performance engine building/tuning for alternative fuels.

In a different life I think I would really enjoy something like assembling F1 engines in a clean room.

While we're on the subject, where do you work? I'm curious of everyone's profession and I've figured some out just from having and/or reading conversations yet yours eludes me. (Note: Answers may be omitted if they result in death of inquirer:jester:)

[Vettezuki]

While we're on the subject, where do you work? I'm curious of everyone's profession and I've figured some out just from having and/or reading conversations yet yours eludes me. (Note: Answers may be omitted if they result in death of inquirer:jester:)

Ask me in person. I keep my public (websites, FB, etc.) and professional lives completely separate. Those who know and have (innocently) referred to it in posts have been summarily edited without mercy or compassion. . . Soviet Style. :judge:

But I'll tease you a little. I'm the R&D Supervisor for the United States of a multinational you absolutely know. So why the separation?

1) I don't want to get hit up for "bro, can you get me a deal" all the time
2) I have some fairly radical socio-politcal opinions and it's just a good idea generally in the modern world to keep some distance between those and your professional life.
3) I just think of my private and professional lives as separate spheres of action

[Kozak]

Totally not surprised you said that, lol

[Sonic03SVT]

Im going back to school myself this fall, finishing up my mechanical engineering degree and at the same time working on an automotive program, I figure it cant hurt, and its only a 48 unit course if you take only the basic level stuff, can add on what you want. IMO places like cypress college, citrus, Fullerton college etc are really the way to go. Same program as UTI/Wyotech really, but for a fraction the cost and time. Check into it.

[Shaolin Crane]

I agree, citrus is a great school

[enkeivette]

I went to UTI..We called it Universal Testical Insitute back then.
It was 1984-85 when I went though. It was domestic only and not that great. I think it is much better now, and the factory/high performance program is the only way to go.
I have been wrenching for 25 yrs, and still work 2 jobs to survive. It is a hard way to make a (honest) living. Good paying jobs are hard to find. My current employer is the first to pay any benefits-including the dealers I have worked at.

Every job I have had was based on commission type pay. The guys I have worked with that made real money, where down right THIEVES ! Short cutting and over billing. A Tundra starter book time was 2.6 hours....They would flag it high and charge the customer 6 hours. I like to sleep at night, knowing I am a good guy.

My friend always called it the school of untrained idiots. If you do go to UTI or a vocational school, make sure they hand out a legit degree.

I have two mercedes tech friends. One got an AA from the UTI in AZ, the other went to a UTI out here and has no degree.

The AZ friend quit his mercedes job and went to work for an engineering company, he has more optioins.

[Damian]

Im going back to school myself this fall, finishing up my mechanical engineering degree and at the same time working on an automotive program, I figure it cant hurt, and its only a 48 unit course if you take only the basic level stuff, can add on what you want. IMO places like cypress college, citrus, Fullerton college etc are really the way to go. Same program as UTI/Wyotech really, but for a fraction the cost and time. Check into it.

I've done a bit of reading on Cypress and Fullerton (which is about 4 blocks away), sonill look into Citrus. Where are they?