Career change?

[capri5.0]

Just trying to get some input. I have been an ASE certified auto tech and with the same company for 18 years now. I don't know if I am burned out working on cars or if I am just fed up with this company. I have lost interest in all my automotive hobbies and debate on walking out everyday. At this point I know it is time to leave. Has anybody else been in this situation and what other opportunities are out there for a service tech in need of a change?

[redfirepearlgt]

I cannot speak with specifics to opportunities within your expertise, but I have shared your state of mind. Field service work which I did involves travel and being in front of customers listening to their woes, and fixing their problems. That wears on person after a while. So yes I do believe after 18 years a person can burn out, sometimes sooner. A change in employer can be a big boost I have found. Different atmosphere, different people, a fresh start can go a long way to giving revitalization to one's career. Or maybe, just maybe after 18 years its time to make a vertical move within the same field of work. Maybe a supervisor or take a break and work as a parts specialist, or look into opportunities in training where you can share your experience and technical expertise with up and comers at a local trade school or tech college.

It's not uncommon fora person to make 2-3 career changes in their work history. And I am assuming your age and experience places you at or just below age 40 so you still have 20-30 years of career left in you factoring no unforeseeable major health or life blips. WHATEVER YOU DO as far as a major change that would include going to college or back to college to be reeducated make sure you family is supporting if wife and kids are in your picture. A person can do miraculous things when their family backs their decision of this magnitude.

[86gt40]

Absolutely been there ! 17 years, had all automotive ase certifications but one. Got tired of watching the man get rich while I busted my butt. So I went to work in a steel mill. Doubled my income. Then went on to become journeyman millright, then journeyman electrician.. best move I made, it made working on cars fun again when you can do it for fun or hobby or extra pocket cash...

[CNTLOSE]

It can be done, but set out a plan for yourself. I was forced into an early retirement and now I am back in school for a second career. I can tell you if you are not happy with what you are doing, it will wear on you not just mentally but physically as well.

Best luck with your decision!

[draggin50]

I was in the same spot. Working at a GM dealership making decent money flat rate but it got old. Went back to school, now I work on A/C. Been doing that since 2003. More money, lots of cool traveling, and able to move up. Worked on aircraft from 2003 to 2012 and then took a Supervisor spot in Heavy Maintenance. Next step is Project Manager. Still not over $100K a year but Ill get there quicker than working on cars.

Good luck in your decision.

[capri5.0]

I appreciate all the advice. Some type of change is definitely needed and a move into to management with this company is not an option. That would be $30,000 a year pay cut for a different type of headache. If I am to take a large pay cut it will be in a different field altogether. I know I will not make pay wise what I do now if I change careers and I can except that. I think the decision is more for my sanity than money.

[redfirepearlgt]

I wouldn't take a 30K slap in the face for that either. Don't blame you there. But surely your expertise cold be used as an instructor at some place like Great Oaks or another vocational school district.I knew a guy who taught at Great oaks after turning wrenches for a long time. He enjoyed it very much. And to my recollection he did not need a college degree to fill that job. So don't think a degree is needed and let that dissuade you from looking into it. I did training for my last company for over a year in a classroom environment. It was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. Good luck to you.

[kylebach14]

Being that I'm only 20 with little life experience, I'll fill you in on what I currently see going on in the world of the workforce. I attend college at Indiana University East in Richmond going for a bachelors in business. Everyone I know that goes there doesn't know how to do any basic trades or even change their own oil for that matter. Where the money and demand is going to be is in trades (CNC, plumbing, carpentry, welding and electrical). No one in my generation wants to do these jobs, but like in healthcare, you're going to need these jobs no matter what. All these tradesmen are getting old and can't physically do the jobs. If I didn't already have a career path chosen, I would go to a Community College and get a degree in one of these fields. It's going to be hard at first dealing with old roughnecks in the field while you get your journeyman's license, but in the end you will always have work and very good pay. It's also going to take sometime to move up and get your name out there. Our generation wants to come in making CEO money but doesn't want to build there way up through the company. Healthcare is a flooded field because we think that there is always going to be jobs when in reality nurses and technicians stay in these fields until they are so old they can't move. In a nutshell: Get a certification/degree in a trade and move up. Just my two cents.

[cstreu1026]

We're paying driver $24-25 an hour and can't find enough qualified people. Driving trucks is beneath the current generation that thinks college only way to get a good job.

[redfirepearlgt]

^^^ But aren't truck drivers mean, over bearing, ogre like, "ROUGH NECKS" that mistreat their trainee/apprentice hire ons? Where I work the millwright apprentice program requires the new hires to mate with Emu's in the basement to prove they have the dexterity to succeed. Only then do they get to be trained by the mean nasty old rough necks.

Hey Kyle - Try the trades on your own advise. Transfer credit to a tech college like Cincy State and come join us afterward. You might find that the "Sea Stories" you have bought into aren't what they are trumped up to be. You would likely graduate in the same amount of time with in a field you have a chance of getting a job in. After all we aren't rough necks in the trades where I work at. BTW the Emu's said to say hi. :evilgrin:

[kylebach14]

^ I'm not saying they are all hard to work with, but my uncle is a journeyman electrician and I've worked with him and others. They like to have things a certain way and can get crappy with you. I was talking to other electricians around my age doing apprenticeships and they have all said that the older journeyman's can be difficult to work with at first because they have little patience for questions. Didn't mean to offend anyone, I respect all tradesmen because I know its hard work.

[redfirepearlgt]

No offense taken. I'm a journeyman. The only thing that gets my panties twisted up is rained out car events. LOL! Inside joke.

[redfirepearlgt]

oops fat fingered

[vertigo]

I think this post is interesting: to capri5.0, I understand your frustration. After 5 years of electronics in the Navy, I left, and found sales to be my forte. Which was lucky, because in my spare time, I was doing engine swaps and mobile audio for people who didn't care to learn. I debated getting ASE certified and doing that for a living, but quickly realized that I would not enjoy my "hobbies" if they were my full-time gig. I'd never get the dirt from under my nails, and would cringe when I saw my own car blown apart in my garage awaiting reassembly.
My point is, if you're burnt out, which sounds like you are, a few questions need answered: a) is it the place you work?
B) is it the work itself? And C) what else interests me that I can still provide for my family? Unfortunately those can only be decided by you. Can you ask our opinions of what we do? Absolutely! But ultimately, we do us, and you do you. This sounds like the time to have a serious discussion with those you hold dear....except Chad. He will only speak Navy to you, which is like listening to heiroglyphics.

[redfirepearlgt]

^^^ Oh you swabby tweaker.

[vertigo]

^^^ Oh you swabby tweaker.

Right?!? Didn't I actually sound like a somewhat educated (Florida public school system, so that's sketchy at best), tax-paying, nearly full-fledged adult? Look at me, I'm a person!!! Not a bubblehead any longer!

[redfirepearlgt]

Wow... At first I thought you were trying to be funny. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. You must be having a bad day and in need of stroking your ego at my expense. Personally I don't care what a "car peddler" thinks of my writing style. But just to clarify where it comes from for your sake, I suppose it is based off of working in the technical world since 1993 after the military. I pursued what I received training in and have remained in the technical trades, and over the years I have enjoyed changing jobs from time to time for a fresh start. I've done training, written technical procedures, been a national tech support manager, but have mostly worked in field service until the past 4 years. So my writing style often reflects my technical trade. As for education since you brought that up "sales rep", like you I went to high school in the public school system. Unlike you I didn't spend a third of my career in military tech schools.

I am proud I served. But I would never do it again. And it was hardly an enjoyable experience, though I loved being in San Diego and learned to fit in outside of my work hours. I have taken the good and the bad of those years and used them all to my advantage. I'm sorry you feel you have to self righteously attack the writing of others. It is a display of immaturity.

I pity you. And I hope you have found the ego stroking you were looking for to lift your spirits back up. Feel free to ridicule me more when your self esteem falls off. Glad to be a verbal punching bag for you. Now go have a great day and sell some cars.

[vertigo]

Ok, let me put this to rest before it gets blown way out of proportion: in no way, shape or form was I making fun of you. I was making fun of ME, my background, and the Florida public schools, which are crap. It was totally self-deprecating. So, if you took offense, my apologies, for that was not the intent. I absolutely don't need my ego stroked, I'm very comfortable in who I am, hence my ability to make fun of myself and not take things too seriously.
I am just a "car peddler" and that's fine. It's what I've chosen to do, and I accept the image people have of me because of that. I never asked you to do an IQ test, or review ASVAB or ACT/SAT scores with me. Your background is yours, and has made you who you are, and I happen to respect your take on most topics I read of yours. I find them to be well-thought out, witty, and generally from a perspective I've not considered. Why would I insult you? I'm not some teenager who hides behind a laptop. If I don't like what someone says, or don't agree, I typically just won't reply. Sorry, Squid: no offense meant.

[k062693w]

Wow... At first I thought you were trying to be funny. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. You must be having a bad day and in need of stroking your ego at my expense. Personally I don't care what a "car peddler" thinks of my writing style. But just to clarify where it comes from for your sake, I suppose it is based off of working in the technical world since 1993 after the military. I pursued what I received training in and have remained in the technical trades, and over the years I have enjoyed changing jobs from time to time for a fresh start. I've done training, written technical procedures, been a national tech support manager, but have mostly worked in field service until the past 4 years. So my writing style often reflects my technical trade. As for education since you brought that up "sales rep", like you I went to high school in the public school system. Unlike you I didn't spend a third of my career in military tech schools.

I am proud I served. But I would never do it again. And it was hardly an enjoyable experience, though I loved being in San Diego and learned to fit in outside of my work hours. I have taken the good and the bad of those years and used them all to my advantage. I'm sorry you feel you have to self righteously attack the writing of others. It is a display of immaturity.

I pity you. And I hope you have found the ego stroking you were looking for to lift your spirits back up. Feel free to ridicule me more when your self esteem falls off. Glad to be a verbal punching bag for you. Now go have a great day and sell some cars.

Dude ... Eat a Snickers !!!
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f45/WildBill1946/180px-Snickers_wrapped.jpg (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/WildBill1946/media/180px-Snickers_wrapped.jpg.html)

He was CLEARLY making fun of himself ...

[86gt40]

So what did we decide here? Besides Aaron making everyone hungry? Career change or no career change? Kinda like to know how this turned out.

[k062693w]

So what did we decide here? Besides Aaron making everyone hungry? Career change or no career change? Kinda like to know how this turned out.

I'm just here to Help !!! :tongue2:

[86gt40]

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l11/86gt40/20160303_214921_zpscqmw3sqc.jpg (http://s92.photobucket.com/user/86gt40/media/20160303_214921_zpscqmw3sqc.jpg.html)

Enough to go around

[capri5.0]

The job hunt is on. I am looking for something more in the small family run type shop with better hours. I will stay in the automotive field for now. I am going to look at going back to school at night once I have new employment. The wife's new promotion goes into effect in April so money won't be an issue at that point.

[86gt40]

Good deal, glad to hear it worked out. When you become miserable at your job it's no fun for sure. Working on cars when you want to makes it fun, not when you have to...I was so glad I changed my career, less stress too..

[redfirepearlgt]

The job hunt is on. I am looking for something more in the small family run type shop with better hours. I will stay in the automotive field for now. I am going to look at going back to school at night once I have new employment. The wife's new promotion goes into effect in April so money won't be an issue at that point.

Sounds like a well thought out plan...:bigthumb