careers? need some input.

[Turbo617]

I'm a overnight security officer. I love what I do. I can look into possibly making it a career.

I love cars, I'm thinking of auto technician career field, is it worth it? I'm a member of a auto tech group, all they do is complain about the crap pay for their hard work.

I love driving, I looked into trucking. company paid CDLs, company " PRIME " .. but they require 3 years work history ( security is my first job and with it for 2 years ). and they require no moving violations within x amount of years. ( so have to wait a few years ).

I tried to do the military, My knees are fucked ( genetically ). I want a career. secure future, a house. you know the American dream

anyone have any regrets on automotive technician career?

[bobbycos]

used to be an auto machanic for a Pontiac dealer back in the 80's

now with UPS (better pay,benefits)

get a degree (college) in the field you really want and you will be better off than alot of non-degree job hunters

[Turbo617]

yeah, we just switched contracts, Allied Barton actually has benefits ( last security company didn't ).. definetly room for advancement, they offer training courses I can take online. and a degree in security field could possible help me.

[bobbycos]

some of the security guards i run into have taken couses at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and have been able to advance in their field

is there a college of that type near you

[Turbo617]

a local community college has CRJ degree, at the time I attended, I wasn't all that serious. but now, im beginning to think.

that college is next to my job site too. ( about 5 minute drive no traffic )

edit: I thought about it, im happy with my overnight security job. I can get a second part time job to keep me busy during the day and ill make good money.

my girl brought up a good point, if we move in together, she'll be alone at night.

[bobbycos]

check it out, no harm in that

[wed3k]

im an automotive machinist, no college degree (close to an AA) started 7 years ago cleaning floors.

tough making money, i work 10+ hours but i enjoy it. making a little over 50k.

im good at working at cars but i absolutely hate it and my wrists cant handle the odd and wierd approach angles so i have to do bench type work.

[Accrdwgnguy]

Whats an AA? Applied Associates? Just remember, if the school isn't accredited your degree is fake and worthless, no one will recognize it as a real degree. Trust me I fell into a tech school trap a long time ago.

Anyways, after years of autobody and hating it. I got into computer networking. I started taking classes at the local community college, one by one basically. Then I got a job working in a NOC (Network Operations Center). Now I'm 3.5 years into it, and almost done with my Associates in IT networking. Making close to 40k, yes a little underpaid but thats with no degree or certs, just ambition and hard work.

['93CB7Ex]

it really is the truth about not making much and doing hard ass work being an auto tech. i work at a ford dealer. i see some real shit tickets come through the shop. some jobs you do and you dont even get paid for. that shit gets old.

BUT it does have ups too. some jobs you can make a killing at. you keep doing the same thing over and over again and get good at it and do it faster = more $. key is finding a busy shop with a good dispatcher.

[Turbo617]

what about instead of auto tech, what about auto body?

[bobbycos]

it really is the truth about not making much and doing hard ass work being an auto tech. i work at a ford dealer. i see some real shit tickets come through the shop. some jobs you do and you dont even get paid for. that shit gets old.

BUT it does have ups too. some jobs you can make a killing at. you keep doing the same thing over and over again and get good at it and do it faster = more $. key is finding a busy shop with a good dispatcher.

i remember at the Goodyear auto shop down the street from the dealer i used to work for they went to the system of "flag" to pay their techs and quality of service went from being very good to practically nothing at all. needless to say they are no longer there.

also don't forget that some places develop "cliques" where the dispatcher is good friends with some of the techs and not good with others, some guys will make money and others will starve

[HenRoc]

what about instead of auto tech, what about auto body?

Autotech is an alright gig. I wish I hadn't turned a hobby into a full time job. Right now I'm hourly but to be a flat rate you gotta be able to move and really hustle to make the big $$.

i remember at the Goodyear auto shop down the street from the dealer i used to work for they went to the system of "flag" to pay their techs and quality of service went from being very good to practically nothing at all. needless to say they are no longer there.

also don't forget that some places develop "cliques" where the dispatcher is good friends with some of the techs and not good with others, some guys will make money and others will starve

More or less. Service ad visors will have favorites.

[deevergote]

get a degree (college) in the field you really want and you will be better off than alot of non-degree job hunters

That's a big one. ANY degree can be useful in getting a career-oriented job. However, people with degrees are more common than ever, so it'd be smart to get something that will actually give you a hireable skill when you're done. I have 2 degrees... one in Business Management, and one in Psychology. Neither is very useful at the current level, so they're really only good as generic degrees. I have friends that have the same level degrees, only in Engineering and Education... and they've managed to get very secure, very profitable positions straight out of school.

If funds and/or time are limited, or you're not a very school-oriented person (some people just don't do well in formal education... it's just not how they learn best), then maybe a certification program would be best. Just be sure to do LOTS of research on whatever program you're looking to take, as there are many completely unnecessary, useless, unaccredited programs out there that will do nothing but take your money... leaving you with no added credentials for your resume (bartending "certifications" are useless... and I took a Pharmacy Technician course that wasn't terribly helpful... I spent $1000 for a course, when I could've just read a couple books, took a $200 test, and gotten certified!)


Overnight security isn't going to turn into a career very easily. The only positions you're going to find in that field that will get you any serious money will likely be filled by people with police or military background. Starting any sort of security firm on your own would be difficult without a hell of a lot of experience to sell it.

Automotive technician careers can be a pain. You CAN make a very good living, and you CAN be in a shop where you love the atmosphere. However, you can also get stuck in a cutthroat shop with crappy working conditions. You'll likely go home every day with torn up knuckles and a sore back. The work can get repetitive, even boring... and it can be terribly frustrating if you find yourself dealing with complicated designs and stuck/rusted parts. With the rapid growth of today's auto industry, cars are getting more and more complicated. It might be quite frustrating to keep up with everything! Techs 15 years ago didn't have to worry about hybrids and electric cars... now, they're increasingly common, giving a technician a lot more to learn.
I'm not saying it's a bad choice, but most enthusiasts that I know that have turned their hobby into a career often come to regret it. Many of them also find little time, energy, or desire to work on their own projects!



If you enjoy your security job, and you also enjoy driving... have you considered working for an armored car company? They're usually pretty large companies, so there would be room to move up.

[Turbo617]

I actually didn't think of ACS, I'll look into it.

A automotive school: porter and Chester has called me yesterday ( Monday) I'll check it out tomorrow. I looked them up, nothing but bad reviews. UTI called me, I hear bad reviews from friends ( but they are slackers ).

And I'm definitely not the class room type. I can handle security very well and in all honesty I just want to do " mechanics " on the side as side money. I ask myself is it worth spending 40k for side work? My best friend told me to just read, watch others, try get involved.idk I just don't want to make a wrong mistake since I'm 23, I need, no I want to make the right move.

I apologize for being all over the place, my mind is racing