CS13B

iTrader: (11)

If you REALLY want to stick with the automotive field anees, UOIT offers an Automotive Engineering course which looks pretty cool. It's a 4 year course with the option of co-op if your grades are high enough, and the Automotive Centre at our school is finally about 90% done - the one with the largest wind tunnel in North America. A friend of a friend just got a job out of his fourth year of Mechanical Engineering and his starting pay is 60k/year.
Automotive engineering is a serious option if you want to get into the auto field and make some money at it too.

Just as some extra incentive, most engineers never have to learn how to spell properly LOL, so take that 2Fierce.

captain carnage

iTrader: (1)

I already mention that in my post^^^ I honestly wish I had the commitment to get the marks it takes to be there...

Straight up I think you're not listening to us at all and no matter what we post feels like your hearts set on being a tech...

P_Lav

I was a automotive tech for a while after high school, and I love working on cars. But every day, of the same ****, the same crappy cars, if you become a mechanic, you won't be working on nice cars, the lucky people that do, know people who got them the job. I talked to all the older techs, and asked them if they would do it again, or would do something else. All of them told me they'd pick something else, and keep cars as a hobby. Find something you like doing first of all, but not a hobby, you think your gonna want to work on your 7 after working 10 hour days 5-6 days a week, I doubt it. If you like mechanic work, think about heavy duty or something that pays better, I decided to switch, and now I'm attending school to become an AME (aircraft maintenance engineer), and frankly, I love it, its clean work, its still turning wrenches, the stuff is way cooler than anything you'll see in a car garage, and it can pay $100,000 a year on the high end. Only good thing about car mechanics, is the chances of killing someone from making a mistake are alot less in aviation, which is something I'll prob witness in my career.

Also, Airlines give AME free air fare at some places

2Fierce

iTrader: (7)

P LAV! I love your car...so much

CS13B

iTrader: (11)

Oh I missed that one. What happened at UOIT? something to do with the move to downtown campuses? My friend in criminology got moved downtown and her 'campus' (a couple floors in a theatre building) is right across from a homeless shelter/soup-kitchen, so the homeless people line up right across the street from a university campus. how messed up is that!!

anees

iTrader: (6)

the info u guys have been giving me is really good
i am seriously thinking not to become a car tech anymore coz as sum1 said here that i donot want to make my hobby a lifetime career

however that airplane mechanic sounds sik and 100k yummy yummy

Prôdigy2nd

iTrader: (3)

SO ******* TRUE!!!!! after you and understand the systems and all the built in "safety nets" you tend to run the vehicle to the edge... I need to change my brakes and my front wheel bearings... but I know ill be good for a couple thousand more kms, so I leave it till later .... lol


I'm planing on doing Mechanical Engineering....

here's why...

cars are a hobby of mine... lots, and lots and lots of the information learned in my studies as a Mech engineer will be able to be transferred over to my hobby, Cars....

work will never be to far out of reach, and neither is working anywhere in the world...

I think its a solid choice (hence why i'm doing it)

I know I got one ******* long road ahead of me, but I believe the end will justify the travel...


J.

85RotaryRocket

iTrader: (1)

Complete your degree, and then if you still feel like becoming a mechanic, go for it. You will find, like many of us who went to school, there is a decent chance depending on what you take, that you’ll end up doing nothing associated with your degree / diploma anyways. It’s not so much you get a degree(bachelor) to do something specific, but more so to open the doors for opportunity.

RacerJason

iTrader: (5)

Finish your degree, get the CHRP designation, work in HR. I have been in HR for ten years and actually enjoy it. The problem is men either don't get hired by women or women hire men because they love the idea of trying to balance out their department because their typically 90% women. You can earn good, steady money once you have 2-3 years under your belt.

The thing with going to Centennial for auto tech is... where are cars going? Altrenative energy sources, and fact is no tech school is teaching you the latest and greatest. Engineering courses at a university would give you a better opportunity to learn about emerging technologies, add your own two cents, and play with your own cars in your spare time especially if you get a P-Eng.

P_Lav

Thanks alot! I'm glad you think so. it's too bad I no longer have it. I had a bad day, and was late for work. So I was driving with a temper, and I ended up rear ending someone, and wrote it off, it was a shame, just a small amount of damage, a new hood and bumper and it would have been fine, but the insurance company was threatening to deem it unroad worthy from rust under the spare tire well, so I had to give her up.

2Fierce

iTrader: (7)

my heart just broke.

AndyD

This was my choice; my dad was a mechanic and I always wanted to be a mechanic. My parents wanted me to get a degree, so this was the natural choice. I graduated in May with my degree and an Iron ring, with a Job at General Dynamics and now have Two FCs (one with pushrods ) and had a great experience at UOIT. The program is great, though still a little green. Believe me I had the same problem, I couldn't concentrate a lot of the time so don't worry you're not the only one. Do your best; it's worth it.

When you're done your degree and still want to be a mechanic, do it then.

djphonics

iTrader: (1)

I agree with everyone. I went to a pre-apprentice program at mohawk, dropped out to just do the apprentice, realized i didn't want to do it. started working on going back to school. Just got accepted And my dad is a mechanic, they can make decent money, but you got to be at the right shop.

and ps, it's very difficult to get into engineering if you've messed up your later high school courses. as someone said, education is for opportunity

01Racing

Well of course I dont agree with the advise you have been given. I run a dealership and can tell you I have techs making over 100K per year. I have university grads working for me making 30K. Whenever we need an electrician, carpenter or any trade I cant even get these people to come out, and when I do it costs thousands of dollars. In my opinion if you are looking to become a professional in the way of DR, Lawyer, Architect, Accountant or Engineer you have to stay in school. The person that owns our dealership and 2 others doesnt even have a high school diploma, I myself just have a high school diploma. The real money is available to those on commissions or percentages of running a business. When you work for someone else as a white collar employee your earnings will always be capped regardless of how hard you work.
Just an opinion

djphonics

iTrader: (1)

I agree with you to an extent. When I was at the dealership, one mechanic was putting in 16 hours by noon (so he claimed). However, two months later, the 'recession' started, and he was doing 6 hours through a day. I felt bad for some of the mechanics, as they had expected to always be able to do crazy long days, for crazy long hours and bank them. And the end of the day, they would be dead though.
With the dr., lawyer, engineer, they simply put in their 8 hour day, go home relax, aren't physically stressed out, and have some energy to do something.
So yes, mechanics can easily clear 100k in a year, but they work too hard to do it. What's the point of making money if you can't have any time to enjoy it?

84stock

iTrader: (5)

Couldn't be better said! Working on your own car is a pleasure and a challenge. Fixing everyone else's car gets old real fast! Thankless field of employment for sure. You go to school to start an apprenticeship, next every shop will pay dick since "you need the hours", then you starve every year going to school again (UIC takes forever!). Last of all, you constantly invest in tools and much like a farmer, you never get to realize their full worth until you reture and sell them. Unlike a farmers land though, your used tools will be worth 25% of what you paid.

Last of all, serving the public sucks, their expectations always far exceed their budget. Repairs are always an owners shock, so they are never happy paying the bill or seeing the estimate.

Get your degree, then get employed, and then take some auto courses and welding courses and learn to fabricate and work on what "you" want to work on. Use you new found skills to help your buddies and enjoy your hobby while your career pays your mortgage and funds your 3 car workshop.

84stock

iTrader: (5)

Some mechanics do make good money, these are the ones that work flat rate and take advantage of the consumer by selling additional services that are not required.

In the flat rate industry,

you have to check your ethics at the door

to make a lot more.


Forget you morals,

say what the heck!

Sell the customer new rotors,

drums, returns spring too!

You'll take home a healthy cheque,

But carma's a bitch when you're so busy,

and you wife is ******* everyone but "you"

LOL

2Fierce

iTrader: (7)

If that was a poem, it was terrible....and Karma has a K.

djphonics what kind of lawyers and dr's do u know?

Most lawyers and drs are working ALL the time. Not to mention how intense the schooling is, go look up the JD program requirements at U of T. It's an 80 hour work week. Most universities fail rate for first year engineering open is over 50%.

Really, here's what I think and I know it's a bit cliche. Do what you love. Here's why, one word. Craftsmanship: it's a quality that MOST lack. I don't care what it is you are doing, but if you put your all into it, and your not lazy or stupid, results will follow.

Now if you're talking about simply making money, and acquiring financial freedom so you can sit around all day receiving residual income to fund your hobbies, well, yah, school probably won't get you far unless you're a software engineer. Otherwise, stocks.

Either way, 90% of the time the job you get in your field has to do with connections anyways.

Len-Len

iTrader: (9)

To be honest being a technician is alot of hard work and doesn't pay that well UNLESS you get into the right place. I graduated from UTI in Phoenix AZ. Out of all my friends that I graduated with, I'm the only one still working in the field. All the others quit because they realized how tiring and stressful it can be, or weren't getting paid nearly enough.
I guess I kind of got lucky. I got into a good BMW dealership and have been there for over 3 years now. The pay is pretty damn good and I still enjoy what I do. Its not the best job ever but I'm happy.
It all depends on where you work, your work ethic, and your education. But I wouldn't drop out to go pursue this ****. If you still wanna do it after you get your degree, then just go to school again and get a degree in automotive technology. You can get one in like 2 years or less. (I got mine in less than a year in a half because I was haul-assin' through school)

Nd4SpdSe

Ya, I agree, stick with school, even if tha degree is a piece of paper to you, it's something solid to fall on later on. This is an unstable world, it doesn't hurt to have some extra qualifications that you can fall back on or turn to if things don't work out or that you just don't like it.

squealy

iTrader: (12)

^^^ I agree totally. The thing I found with a university degree is that it opens doors that normally would be closed to you, even if you're not in the field that you trained in. The experience of a university education also broadens your perspective, and allows you to see life in a different way. People that have not had that experience will never understand the impact that it has on your quality of life, regardless of whether you use the piece of paper or not.

Case in point: my brother in law.
He works as a general manager for Value Village. It might not seem like a great job, but with bonuses, he probably makes way more than me in a year. I'm a high school teacher nearing the top of the pay grid. He has a disdain for people with higher education, and doesn't see the point, since he's been very successful. I think you have to keep in mind that he's the anomaly, just like 01Racing. To come out of high school and get a job running a dealership, or as a GM of a corporate store anywhere making $100k+ is pretty much impossible these days. Also when you figure that on average, people with university degrees will make hundreds of thousands of dollars more than those without over their working lifetime, it becomes pretty clear which path to take.

Having said that, you have to enjoy your job, and if you hate working in HR, then what's the point? Also, not everyone's capable of a university course of study. I would assume that since you had the learning skills to get in, that you probably are able to hack it. If that's not the case, then a program change makes sense.

Long winded, but i hope that helps.

Regards,
Matt

Nd4SpdSe

Indeed. Myself, I've got a college diploma and A LOT of relative experience, but when the economy fell apart, I spent a year and a half job searching and in the end, joined the armyin March. I will say I feel out of place in here, but not that bad, I'm very useful, lol.

When I was working in the medical industry, I was a contractor with the promise of an internal position, working with a few other friends too that also have college diplomas. I had applied to an internal position several months prior, even did the phone interview and also what they call the "gallop", it's a personality assessment test to make sure you're a fit with the company, apparently it's over 80% failure rate, and passed all those, but didn't get the job because someone with more seniority got it over me. Anyway, I passed the interview AND the gallop so I was pretty much readilly employable to the company. Somehow during that time, the company decided to make it that only those with University Degrees were allowed to apply. Sadly, despite that I've already been working for the company for several months and know their products, showed them how awesome I was (and that's not an exageration, I made my boss look good, making deadlines for him), having only a college diploma I wasn't allowed, but what was MORE ironic/sad, is that anyone with any degree could apply, even if it was non-relevant, like history, geography and just stupid stuff like that, for a job position of a TECHNICIAN, a person that physically works and repairs with equipment. I comtemplated to go to university, but for what, just to spend money and get in debt to play that game and still wouldn't guarantee be a job when I'm done anyway, and economy analysts were saying it was a bad idea too, which was nice that they also shared that opinion.

It's a tough world out there, get what you can for knowledge, education and experience, but anything less than college/university and you're going to have a hard time...this isn't like it was for our parents anymore.

$lacker

iTrader: (9)

Go to a CC and become a welder or something
You'll actually make decent money and can put your skill to good use occasionally when doing your hobby (car stuff)

Nd4SpdSe

I know MANY welders, they love the job, but they're all unstable careers. I can name you 4 of them just off the top of my head that were welders, but left the trade because of consistant unemployment.

One friend from the Nissan Truck club, he lives in Cambridge and worked several jobs in the area, even Milton, Guelph and kept getting laid off. He joined the army as a Vehicle Tech last year
An old acquaintance from elementary school used to weld and loved it, but he spent months on and months off, and with a wife and kids, he needed something stable, so I believe now he's working at a call center
A guy from the local Niagara 4x4 club used to weld aluminum Corvette frames. Last I hear he was laid off.
My sister's boyfriend used to weld for John Deer, but they moved their operations to Mexico and closed the plant. He knew years in advance and tried getting another welding job but with no sucess, even his contact in Ontario Hydro he couldn't get in there, so he decided to become a full time student and went to Niagara College for an Engineering diploma. He struggled alot with the workload and the math, but he'll be done school early next year.

Nismo Convert86

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, specialized trades like welding are a crapshoot, I was a Union Millwright until a few weeks ago when I got into Bruce Power full time for the same thing, just way more stable. The constant layoffs and travelling to different job sites are hard on you, and hard on relationships, I'm sure that is one of the reasons my Fiancée and I are no longer together.

Any construction Trade is going to mean layoffs, Industrial Red Seal trades are where its at, But Millwright (Industrial Mechanic), or Industrial Electrician are good safe jobs, plants need them to operate. With an Millwright and Electrician, you can do anything from a Plant Maintenance stand point!