Some opinions needed about future in the auto field

[Silverbullet]

hey guys. I'm currently a senior in HS and i take Autotech. In autotech class we have guess speakers come and talk once in a while that are reps from techincal institutes like Ohio Tech and Lincoln Tech. Of course their job is to get as many students to enroll as possible but some of the stuff they say really made me think about what i want to do with my life after HS. I was planning to goto a decent 4 year college but i want to be an auto technican now. They say that the auto field is in a huge shortage of technicians, espeically BMW and some of the larger companies. There are lots of new technology comming up and of course when idiots that dont know **** about cars buy them, they need people to work on them and whatnot. Now what i need opinions of is of the different schools. There are quite a few such as UTI, Wyo Tech, Ohio Tech, Lincoln Tech; but like are any of these rated higher or better than another? Is there some type of site that will help me choose which college to attend?

my 2nd pondering consists of the salary. They all say many techs make 80-100+ grand a year. However, i thought mechanics were low paying jobs, like 30-40k a year or something liek that. Whats up with that?

i would appreciate any type of help.

[BeatJunky]

I start UTI in Feb., My friend started 3 weeks ago and I tell ya he's learned a LOT!

Anyway, I dont know squat about how well jobs will really pay but my ambition is to own my own shop.

-Omar

[DuffMan]

You can make decent money as a master tech. 30-40 is about right for dealer or ase certified techs entry level. The hours are long usually though, something to think about.

[camppain]

I was a Nissan tech. I went to lincoln tech aka lube tech. You dont learn as much as you would if you got a job at a dealership. I started Nissan same time as LT. I quit 5 months later still had to pay 10k when then whole school is 13 months and tuition was 16k go figure. anywho i would say dont waste your time thier, uti is the same you learn barney style basics. Workin as a mech is tough. If you get paid book time you gotta work to get paid. and if your new all you get to do is oil changes. But I worked pretty hard and was about to go to Nissan school until I quit to go to the Marines.

Its a shady business Managers at stealerships rip the customers off.

As far as ase goes its all gm ford and chrysler stuff on thier. a good mech fully certified makes close to 70k thats what one of the guys at nissan made. But remember you need 2 years work exp. to get them.

[Silverbullet]

so if u dont make much at dealerships, where is that u work at to make the big bux?

[Silverbullet]

i'm thinking about going to Ohio Tech and taking auto tech then BMW's STEP program and work as a technician for BMW afterwards. Do u guys think that will be decent? Because like i dont want to end up finding out that it isn't that great of a decision when i could have gone to a real college since my grades are pretty ok and i'm doing fine in school.

[DoriftoSlut]

Go to a Tech school and study Mechanical Engineering. Then you can be a mechanic for BMW Willams, traveling the worls working on a $5million car, not wroking at a BMW dealership changine oil.

Ok so its hard as fucuk, but if i was going to go through all that schooling i would at least shoot high.

[S13SilviaGirl]

well, I started working for GOODYEAR after high school and worked for them for 4 years as an assistant manager, and part time tech. The master mechanics taught me all that I know & some stuff I didn't know. I have ASE certifications in A/C and Brakes. I am pretty good with other stuff too. I also have a crapload of GY schools that they paid to send me to. Not to mention all the free races and corporate *perks* in the centerfield. It was wayyyyyyyyyyyy cool working for them and I learned A LOT!!! My opinion is try one of your goodyear dealers local to you and start as a lube tech or a tire chaser...hehe. But anyhow goodluck....just PM if you have any ?'s