| Entry level automotive jobs? - Click HERE for Original Thread |
| anschutz_93 |
I'm looking for ideas (and possibly hookups) for jobs in the automotive industry. Basically I'm a University student looking for a job over Summer and a Saturday shift and the odd shift over breaks. I am knowledgeable about parts and such but have no interest pursuing a career in the automotive trade. I also not interested in anything <$16/hr and would like anywhere from 40-60hrs/week.
I should also say I'm not doing tires... I've been doing tires for 2 fucking years now and If I never have to mount another tire again in my life it would be too soon. I've done pretty much everything in this field from 14" steel wheels to 19" Volks to 24" truck tires. I'm sick of tires/rims its mindless repetitive work, its not the easiest job out there either because most of what I do is bush buggies (raised rig trucks). I have completely lost my enthusiasm for tires, that being said I would possibly do a couple sets a week and help out over the winter rush if it means I get a job.
Better throw oil changes in the list of things I wont do either. I've burned myself on so many cars its not even funny, the only good thing about doing them is your wrists get crazy strong and you can crush shit like teh' Hulk! I will shoot myself in the face before I work at a fast lube place. In Grade 11 I do not think I ever had my hands 100% clean, I've had enough of oil/grease/roadshit.
I wouldn't mind something like:
Lot attendant: I don't know how this would work out, they aren't called bitch boys because they are a respected part of the dealership team...
Detailer/washbay attendant: I don't know anything about washing vehicles, so 16/hr might be hard to find.
Parts desk: I know that Parts guys have to apprentice and such, but how about people who answer the phone and order parts? I'm sure I'm more knowledgeable about parts than 80% of these retards in town. I've never had a "people person" job but I should manage. It would be a welcome relief from working in a shop.
Any ideas outside of the auto industry that you find exciting? I don't mind manual work, I actually enjoy it, but not when I have to exert myself to the point I'm sore the next day. Environment is a key thing too, I would pass up a $20/hr job if I had to work with a bunch of losers, I might even work for $14 if the environment is excellent. |
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| ehos |
Yup, tires suck. I tried it for 1 month. Props for lasting 2 years.
You're in University so I suggest Parts Person. You don't have to apprentice, I'm sure any dealership would love a univ. person applying. The pay is really good for what you do and you sit around and try to fill time. If you know how to use a computer and talk to people = easy. |
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| cupcake |
Good luck finding a lot/wash attendant job that pays $16/hr. Have you actually gone around to dealerships to see what they pay? Or talked to anyone that's working/worked at one? And you expect to get 40-60 hours a week from one place? What business will knowingly pay someone overtime on a weekly basis? It's not the rigs you're looking at.
You're looking for full time work, at the beginning of July. Most places have done their hiring for the summer. If they take you, it'll be more than likely for a part time basis. Considering you will be returning to school in less than 2 months and from what it looks like, you won't be working during the school year, I think you need to be less picky.
Be realistic about your expectations. You enjoy manual labor but not the point where you're sore the next morning? I don't know what to say to that. The only thing I can think of for you is to work as one of those sign holders at construction sites. You'll make decent money and hours, unless being outside all day is not the ideal situation.
Why don't you try pursuing something that's in your field of study? Maybe that'd be more applicable for the future rather than being in the automotive industry considering you don't want to pursue a career in it. |
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| anschutz_93 |
quote:
Originally posted by ehos
Yup, tires suck. I tried it for 1 month. Props for lasting 2 years.
:lol: this thread is going to turn into a rant...
Its not just the job itself (the act of doing tires), its the environment. Its high stress because some guys always riding your ass to finish quicker and get on to the next work order (its not as bad as fast food but its pretty bad). I work with a bunch of retards, I've nicknamed one guy "nondisjunction" (it sounds pretty funny when I yell it across the shop) because I'm pretty sure he has down syndrome. There are some awesome guys that I work with as well but they are few and far between. Sales guys are alway out to prove themselves and show how they are above the tire busters. Your always filthy, I've broken three fingers (VW suck!) and my back hurts. Over winter I was working 30hrs/week while still going to high school. Fuck just look at the unity in my rant, its all over the place... Tires are ruining my life and I want out!
The only good thing that has come out of my current employment that I have realized that money isn't everything. I would rather have a good working environment and free time to do shit after work than make a couple extra grand per year.
I checked out a couple dealers today over my lunch break, I didn't bring resumes and I only talked to one manager. Hopefully I can find some place close to home so I can bike/run to work, that would be amazing. |
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| JoshP2002 |
A stressful job, but not as stressful as fast food?
Wow, sounds like you need to look into maybe a couple of paper routes, but make sure you get a wheel chair so you dont have to walk too much. At least you wont have anyone breathing down your neck. |
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| cupcake |
quote:
Originally posted by JoshP2002
Wow, sounds like you need to look into maybe a couple of paper routes, but make sure you get a wheel chair so you dont have to walk too much.
I believe this is appropriate, and think of all the gas you will save!
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| JoshP2002 |
quote:
Originally posted by cupcake
I believe this is appropriate, and think of all the gas you will save!
Golden. Just make sure you find the proper times that they get up and go so you dont even have to bother catching a bus to the neighborhoods your delivering the papers to. And then if you steal their lunch you dont need to have your mom make you one, and have little to no overhead.
With all of those savings, you should be up to about 16 per hour. |
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| anschutz_93 |
Cupcake: I would pursue something in my intended field if I could but in the career I'm going image/job title means everything, I would be lucky to get a data entry job and I doubt I could even find one.
As for the wage comment, at the dealer I went to parts desk starts at 16.00/hr. I do not know if this is the norm so take it with a grain of salt.
quote:
Originally posted by JoshP2002
A stressful job, but not as stressful as fast food?
Wow, sounds like you need to look into maybe a couple of paper routes, but make sure you get a wheel chair so you dont have to walk too much. At least you wont have anyone breathing down your neck.
Well apparently it is stressful enough that I would leave a $19/hr job for one which pays considerably less...
Whatever, I don't need to justify myself to people on the interwebz. |
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| cupcake |
quote:
Originally posted by anschutz_93
Cupcake: I would pursue something in my intended field if I could but in the career I'm going image/job title means everything, I would be lucky to get a data entry job and I doubt I could even find one.
What is your intended field? Maybe someone here will know someone that can hook you up. Build up your image. Or make fancy business cards. :blue: You'll never know unless you try. If your intended field is as hard to get a job as you say it is, then I would suggest doing something that is related. If you can't do data entry in your field, then maybe data entry in another field. It's all about making previous experiences work for the future...or some fancy interview talk like that. :) |
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| zhao |
$16 a hour isn't crazy for a detailer to make, its even possible to make $20+. however, thats if you know wtf u are doing, like actually know what you are doing, not just thinking u do. i don't see you getting hired as a detailer anywhere because you have no experience, unless its a huge dealership and they start you out at 11 a hour or something. you should be able to get a detailing job like that pretty easy.
washbay. thats washing customer cars that just got serviced or whatever. no idea what that would even pay, but its not going to be that great. i'd say cupcake is right, gl finding one of those jobs that pay what you are looking for. they probably pay $10 a hour. same with lot attendant.
parts counter, i don't see a dealership hiring you for that, not for 16 a hour anyway, because you have no experience doing it and parts counter at most dealerships means you are one of a handful of people on shift doing that, sometimes the only one, so you need to know the job. maybe napa would hire you? or parts source? no idea what they pay, but i'd say your chances of getting on at a dealership for that are slim, napa or whereever should hire you though. |
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| anschutz_93 |
I'm in engineering... chances of getting hired at a firm for a data entry/assistant would be slim to none. You can't do much until you have your degree, I'm aiming for the Co-op program and that pays pretty well (my neighbor had a placement in up in Fort Mac with Syncrude, $28/hr as a chem doing field work. all expenses paid).
I might go into roofing again just over summer... thats not the easiest job either but for the brief time I have tried it a lot of the guys are pretty cool. |
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| cupcake |
Which year of engineering are you in? And which area?
I'd say you're wrong that you can't get a job, even a menial one, if you don't have a degree. I've known several people who have managed to get jobs during the summer. It's all about which companies you're looking at and what you're willing to do.
Have you actually tried and applied? Or did you just hear? Do you think data entry clerks in engineering companies have engineering degrees? Of course not. They're called administrative support. You're probably more than a little late to get hired as full data entry clerk full time, but you can always try.
And how easy of a job are you looking for? Something in an office environment that requires no physical labour? |
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| anschutz_93 |
| Year zero @ the UofA and I don't have a clue which area I will choose... I just had my acceptance go from conditional to final a couple days ago for the fall term (funny as I gave them all my final marks a couple months ago). |
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| ehos |
Want a job in Alberta?
Say, 'hey, it's Alberta..' to every interviewer question.
Q: 'Whats' your qualifications?'
A: 'hey, it's Alberta...'
Q: 'What will you work for?'
A: 'hey, it's Alberta...'
And leave a long, uncomfortable pause in between.
I betcha anyone would hire a pre-univ/univ. person right now (hey, it's Alberta!). |
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| sixsixii |
| it's unlikely that you will find a job until you finish your second year. Oh, just so that you know, co-op jobs are the worst in terms of work environment. |
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| kevito_ |
Since you are actually replying and asking genuine questions, I will try to give you some advice and pointers.
First off, please don't say you are in Engineering until you have gotten past your first semester. "Year Zero" sounds about as lame as "pre-med" or "pre-law" bullshit. What if you fail out in the first year? Is it going to be fun to explain to everyone that you fucked up because you are no longer in Engineering. Nobody leaves engineering because they wanted to... they just couldn't hack it, and anyone who has gone through the same shit knows that.
If you want to keep good company in the university, try to be humble as there will be people in school who do not study and do not do homework and get 100% on exams, steal all the scholarships and take up all the co-op positions. And then there will be people who sit in Cameron library, playing Family Guy on their laptops while trying to find out where the microwave is in the library. Because the library is a cafateria, right? I guess they aren't welcome in ETLC cafeteria anymore since they were kicked out of engineering in first year...
Nobody cares if you have work experience in your specific field at your age. All they want to know is that you are smart and savvy enough to actually go out and find a decent job, whatever it may be. Expect $10/hr to $18/hr as your range of acceptable pay. You will be very hard pressed to get anything higher paying than that. Also take the advice of others in this thread and accept the fact that you will get the shittiest hours, be told not to come in for a week at a time, and asked to do the dirtiest jobs. It's a fun life as a student. You are worth almost nothing to a company so why on Earth would they pay you and treat you well?
The summer before University began, I worked at Park Paving rock's concrete crushing recycling center just after high school. 16 hour days in blazing heat wearing full leather gear and a face shield, cutting rebar out of concrete. That was the worst job I have ever worked in my entire life. But I stayed with it and those who know about construction and manual labour jobs know how horrible working a crusher is and you get some sort of 'field respect' just for working there. It helped me get my second job...
Where I worked at a civil Engineering company for my "pre-second year" summer doing soil testing, concrete testing, and various other civil and highway engineering technologist projects.
In the university, I worked under Dr. Meldrum in his lab as an assistant. I helped rebuild his particle accelerator and do various other research related things. I also did manual labour and moved stuff around physics before the building was demolished.
Just before I graduated my degree programme, I worked as an accountant assistant for National Oilwell Varco accounts payable and accounts receivable along with their shipping materials.
Now I work as a field Engineer for Schlumberger based out of Saudi Arabia.
It's what you make of it. Now go out there and work your ass off to find a job. It's already July, so there should be a bunch of openings after companies have most likely fired some of their more incompetent student workers already. |
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| anschutz_93 |
quote:
Originally posted by kevito_
First off, please don't say you are in Engineering until you have gotten past your first semester. "Year Zero" sounds about as lame as "pre-med" or "pre-law" bullshit.
lol I definitely here what you are saying, which is why I was hesitant to bring it up until asked directly.
Thanks for your post though definitely things to look into in the future. |
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| kevito_ |
quote:
Originally posted by anschutz_93
lol I definitely here what you are saying, which is why I was hesitant to bring it up until asked directly.
Thanks for your post though definitely things to look into in the future.
Just take what you can get. Anything is better than nothing. |
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| TRDTercelen |
| go sell cars...some guys in the industry make over $100,000 a year |
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| spiff_d |
The only way you'll be able to work those types of hours in a parts setting is Jobber.
Napa/PartSource are what you're calling is. $16.00 an hour how ever is going to be unheard of for starting. Expect $13.00
A dealer won't hire you as a partsman if you're looking for hours like that. They won't hire you period without experiance because it's a trade and you can apply for an apprenticeship. Depending on the dealer it's eaither stressful or a walk in the park. I run my ass off from usually just before 8:00am until when ever I feel like i'm far enough ahead to go home. (Usually 6ish, my shift is supposed to end at 5:00)
Partsource is a good working environment. I also work part time at the South Common location and it's chill and really flexable for hours. They're always looking for employees and although it isn't $16.00/hr, its money right? Drop off a resume and ask for Vern or Rob Lopez. I think it might be what you want.:thumbup: |
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