Discouraged Beginner Mechanic

[ethrty]

Plenty of people have said this in different ways, I have no idea what I want to do otherwise. My grandfather has built homes for his whole life...? I'm not sure if I should change my whole mindset and career path just yet.

If he is still in the game, go out and give him a hand for a couple of weeks (not a couple hours or couple days) and see what you think.
worst that will happen is you dont like it (no worse position than you are now), and you will earn some brownie points with him

[Ether-D]

To echo others, you're just gonna have to put in the time. There are no 19 year old master hot-rodders. Those guys are all older because it takes time to become that badass. I say work at some shop. While you're there, leave your phone in the car. If your boss asks you to clean the bathroom, do it. Work on your car in the evenings and weekends. In 5-10 years, you'll be the guy you want to be. You can't have "ideal" right now. "Ideal" requires experience, experience requires putting in the time.

[Zreberlcoe]

To echo others, you're just gonna have to put in the time. There are no 19 year old master hot-rodders. Those guys are all older because it takes time to become that badass. I say work at some shop. While you're there, leave your phone in the car. If your boss asks you to clean the bathroom, do it. Work on your car in the evenings and weekends. In 5-10 years, you'll be the guy you want to be. You can't have "ideal" right now. "Ideal" requires experience, experience requires putting in the time.

Man I need to go back to Denver. The options here are not ample.


Zack Eberl-Coe

[4x4_e30]

Whatever you do, don't be afraid to ask questions. If you show a genuine interest and learn to ask the right questions, your employer/ coworkers will be happy to show you the way. If there's not enough time for them to show you how to do things correctly, they shouldn't have hired someone without experience in the first place. In the first year or two of whatever job you decide to go for, consider it to be paid training.

[flyboyx]

it sounds to me that you are the type oriented toward a blue collar career? what about welding? there is good money in it with some experience. its cleaner and to me, a lot more fun that working on some old lady's greasy shitbox.

the theory behind becoming an auto mechanic is pretty cool. however the actual reality will squash the living shit out of any delusions you may have about the trade in a hurry. first, you need to spend thousands of dollars on tools. within a couple years, you will be in debt to the snap on guy for about 20k. second, entry level auto techs make shit for pay. you will settle on a couple bucks above minimum wage in most areas. third, the work is really dirty. even if you wear nitrile gloves religiously, you will go home every day covered in grease.

as others have mentioned, dare to dream a little higher. there is something out there for you better than this. you just need to figure out what it is and screw up the balls to put yourself out there to get it.

i have thought about what i would do if i couldn't fly anymore. one of the possibilities i came up with for myself might be wind generator technician or installer. i haven't done a lot of research but those i have talked to say that the pay can be pretty outstanding.

[Zreberlcoe]

it sounds to me that you are the type oriented toward a blue collar career? what about welding? there is good money in it with some experience. its cleaner and to me, a lot more fun that working on some old lady's greasy shitbox.

Well that was as honest as it gets, and I like it. I have thought immensely about welding, the little amount I have done I enjoy it, and researched my opportunities in it. I'm just not one for traveling or pipeline work.


Zack Eberl-Coe

[jalopi]

OP you don't like layin' pipe?

[Zreberlcoe]

OP you don't like layin' pipe?

Hehe :D


Zack Eberl-Coe

[cale]

Tried that, failed.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I can say with certainty that anyone who claims to have "tried and failed" something like schooling at 19 did not put in a serious amount of effort.

[Ether-D]

Well that was as honest as it gets, and I like it. I have thought immensely about welding, the little amount I have done I enjoy it, and researched my opportunities in it. I'm just not one for traveling or pipeline work.


Zack Eberl-Coe

Really? Who doesn't like to travel?
Also, why not pipeline work? Why don't you like it? I have no idea what is involved in pipeline work, and I really don't know if it's for me or not because of this fact.

Try some things, you have a ton of time that you can spend finding out what you like by trial and error.

And why doesn't your sig work anymore? It's freaking me out.

[Ether-D]

Ok, now I notice your sig says "like grandfather, like father, like son". Why? Your dad and granddad were both bmw mechanics? Or? I'm wondering if your "passion" for working on cars is more of an obligation to some family tradition. No matter, just do something for a minute and work on your car on the side if you love to.

[Zreberlcoe]

Discouraged Beginner Mechanic

Haha no my grandfather worked for Frontier and was the one who calculated how much flights would cost through algorithms and what not, can't remember the job title. My dad is pretty much a mechanical engineer, but they both passed down the love for BMW's to me. Out of me and my three brothers I was never really one who was strong with ordinary school and white collar life. Also I own the E30 and one brother owns a mini and the last owns a bicycle hah.


Zack Eberl-Coe

[Gerta]

it sounds to me that you are the type oriented toward a blue collar career? what about welding? there is good money in it with some experience. its cleaner and to me, a lot more fun that working on some old lady's greasy shitbox.

the theory behind becoming an auto mechanic is pretty cool. however the actual reality will squash the living shit out of any delusions you may have about the trade in a hurry. first, you need to spend thousands of dollars on tools. within a couple years, you will be in debt to the snap on guy for about 20k. second, entry level auto techs make shit for pay. you will settle on a couple bucks above minimum wage in most areas. third, the work is really dirty. even if you wear nitrile gloves religiously, you will go home every day covered in grease.

as others have mentioned, dare to dream a little higher. there is something out there for you better than this. you just need to figure out what it is and screw up the balls to put yourself out there to get it.

i have thought about what i would do if i couldn't fly anymore. one of the possibilities i came up with for myself might be wind generator technician or installer. i haven't done a lot of research but those i have talked to say that the pay can be pretty outstanding.

Big Money in wind turbine repair $90-120k+ for skilled mech's.

[uturn]

future

"Youth is wasted on the young."
You're in a position to explore the world. Don't let material things tie you down. Knowing what I know now I would have stayed in school and stuck to it. You say you want to wrench? Top engineering programs always have some ASE sponsored program/competition you can wrench on. Summer internships will get your foot in the door. When you're spending the company's money they want to know you covered all the bases, so generally weed candidates out by looking for that undergrad degree.
If you want to go full bore blue collar then join the navy. You'll get to work on a multi million dollar platform, learn some discipline and make some life long friends. Just don't be a shitbag.

[cWalk3r]

Do something you love in your free time and do something you like as a career.

If you become a mechanic you'll slowly hate working on your own car. That's an experience my friend has. He does it all day and then doesn't want to work on his afterwards. I was thinking of becoming a mechanic but I dont think it would be as much fun working on others cars and not my own. I'm gonna be going back to school for electrical!