Based on your feedback, we're launching weekly articles to provide more detailed information on securing some of the best jobs out there for veterans, along with a list of four things you need to secure these jobs. This week's hot job: automotive service technician and mechanic.
Traits
If you want to fix and maintain cars for the rest of your career, you have to love them. Being an absolute gearhead will get you through boredom, frustration and hardship. If you're the guy everyone knows as "the car person," this is probably the right job for you. If you're willing to get dirty, work with power tools and thoroughly muck around with modern transportation, seriously consider this as a career option.
Education
Becoming a mechanic starts with finishing high school and ends with obtaining the right certifications. If your high school offers auto-shop as a class, take it. If your local junior college offers associate degrees in automotive service technology, earn it. The time commitment isn't high, nor is the cost, and walking into a job interview with education and experience under your belt will make you a competitive applicant.
Some positions don't require certification before being hired, because they'll place you in a program after you've been employed. Make sure you know how a particular company operates before going into the interview. When in doubt, being more educated on the topic can't hurt your chances.
Marketable Skills
Cars are fairly universal in the U.S., so find one and get to work. A wealth of online resources can help you understand the basic parts and workings of a car, and you don't necessarily have to take it all apart to learn how to fix it. (Although, you'll eventually have to.) If you're completely lost, start simple with basic maintenance such as changing the oil, checking coolant levels and ensuring the tires aren't worn out.
Aside from your own experience, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence provides credentials for mechanics and service technicians. Even if your prospective employer doesn't require a certification, it may increase your pay. Although the basic principles behind the workings of an auto have largely gone unchanged, new technology is always changing how people interact with their vehicle. Understanding how things such as sensors and GPS are wired will demonstrate willingness to stay current in your knowledge and passion for the job.
Helpful Resources
If you feel prepared and are ready to plunge into the job search, search for "automotive service technician and mechanic jobs" on Monster.com.
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
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