RM85rider123
Member
- Oct 28, 2007
- 681
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_JOE_ said:If you're looking to work in the local powersports dealer's garage MMI "MIGHT" help you get a foot in the door. Chances are you will start out at very low wages. You might be better off to go ask them if you can get a part time job for the summer/after school and take advantage of the things some of the more experienced techs can show you.
_JOE_ said:If you think it will get you a high paying job with a national MX team or something, keep dreaming.
Patman said:How much further? Perhaps you might be better served with a different route if you have higher ambitions. Engineering , Business, PR, .... Really sit back and think about just what you are wanting to do and it might seem like a real PITA to invest the time and $$ in to a more extensive education now but it's a heck of a lot easier than trying to do it after life gets in the way.
I seriously considered going to a technical school for auto mechanics when I was in HS. So my mom arranged for me to spend a few days shadowing a local mechanic. After my sweat equity time with him he told me and my mom that I should NOT go to the technical school and should instead focus on an engineering degree because I had a better grasp of mechanical concepts than all but one of the other guys in his shop. This was sort of heartbreaking because I really enjoy mechanics. Well long story short, I sort of followed the advice, and still have a good time working on things. I just get to spend most of my time earning my keep in an air conditioned office or truck and then spending my free time working on the things I want to work on and do it on my schedule. As an added bonus I make a pretty nice living and can afford to give my wife and son a good life.
On the flip side I can understand the desire to get in and out of school quickly and do something you see as fun. If you really spend the time reading the links Rich posted though I think will have some good food for thought on just how much effort it will take and how big the "payout" (could be different things to different people) really is.
Patman said:Well that's amusing because I went to school for architecture.... and now do civil engineerig :laugh:
Why? Well grasshopper for some reason architecture has this notion that newbies need to put in their time as a low paid grunt "learning" from the person(s) with their name on the door. All that really means is that you are cheap labor so the name on the door can make more doing less. Sure that's similar to many jobs but it seems to be abused in this profession IMO. No the flip side in engineering where many of those guys are the math based nerds from HS. The problem there is that they generally are very linear thinkers with no creative side. Everything is all cookie cutter number crunching to get a "solution". BUT do not dispair! place a creative mind in to this bland field and you can go places many of the pocket protectors types will never see. Plus the starting out pay is better than in architecture :laugh:
Land development projects, everything from small lot subdivisions to towers downtown that take up a block or two.RM85rider123 said:so.... what do you do in civil engineering?
Patman said:Land development projects, everything from small lot subdivisions to towers downtown that take up a block or two.
Patman said:Like any job, it's only what you make it or what you make out of it. Perfect example is a family member who is a mechanical engineer. Stepped in to a job with GM out of MIT and then stepped up when there was limited takers for a tough suspension design project. That project launched him at GM but it then became a management position pushing papers that he didn't enjoy. He raced shifter karts in his spare time and was at the track one day doing some testing and setup when a guy came over and asked if he would come to his RV to meet somebody. So off he goes, they make small talk and then Paul Newman steps out and offers him an engineering position on his race team. Yes he took it and it went other places from there. Gone are the days of getting hired and then putting in your time until retirement at the same company. This is not a bad thing because it forces people to learn more and be more active in their work.
Patman said:Well the sad not scary part to me is that people actually EXPECTED to be taken care of by a company instead of planning for the future themselves! If you want security and retirement go work for Uncle Sam, the pay might not be as good but the long term benifits are better.
People are generally willing to let somebody else worry about their future because it's too much work for them to think about it. These are the same people that seem suprised when their version of the future and the entity they assumed was going to do it for them is vastly different.
Find something you enjoy doing, continue to improve yourself, plan for your future. Do those three things and you will be miles ahead of most folks that are in a dead end job, doing the same thing every day and complaining about it and crying they have no retirement.
kawraper said:Being a mechanic is tough. I can tell you any trade school you go to will probably be a big waste of money. Shops dont care what school you went to or how many certs you have if you have no experience to back it.
I started as a oil/tire changer when i graduated. I liked cars, enjoyed working on them and I kept my eyes and ears open and was very observant to what was going on around me starting with the techs and all the way up to the owners.
I am now 26 full ase certs, and own my own auto repair shop. Ive never taken an auto repair or business class in my life. Its not easy, its not always fun, but it is mine. I make the hours, I call the shots, and I dont think I could every work for someone else.
Im learning on my own bikes how to rebuild engines do suspension and all other work to bikes and is something I would like to add to my business in the near future.
So moral of the story.......If you want to work as a mechanic dont go to school for it. Its a waste of time and money. Find a tech who will take you under his wing and soak it up......you can pay for school, you can pay for tools but you cant buy experience.
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