Auto Industry Employment

I worked a total of 25 years directly in the Ontario Canada auto industry, first in a design shop in Windsor doing drafting for machine lines that processed GM transmissions from a rough casting to a finished housing. The design shop did all the detail drawings of each component of the machining line. Hated that job!

Then 24 years working for a metal stampings and assembly supplier that was purchased by a German company. I did sales & price estimation, then project management, then Purchasing and Environmental Management. Fair amount of travel to Europe, Detroit, Southern USA. We did all manner of metal stampings and assemblies for Ford, MBUSA, Continental, Keiper Recaro, Brose, other seat belt and safety components.
 
~2001: About two years at a quick lube shop while in high school.

2003: About 10 years at a large dealer group. Started as the GM / Subaru shop help, moved to the Chrysler / Jeep team (I was there in the era that Chrysler closed up a lot of shops, mine included), moved back to the Hyundai / Subaru team. I was always chasing $ and the dealer was upsetting me as I was only getting factory certified as far as I could on the internet (they’d never send me to school, only the more senior guy). They promised a couple dollars an hour per ASE (because nobody could pass them seemingly). So I took 6 at once and passed them all, they’d only give me $2/ hour…not 6 times $2/hour.

Somewhere in the middle of my 10 years at the dealer I went to an independent for 6ish months.

Went back to the Jeep team I left. Got a lot more money. They turned the whole facility into a super team…it was already hard enough being on a team of 15-20…then they made EVERYONE a team…Chrysler Jeep Hyundai GM Subaru.

2013-present: took a government fleet mechanic job. Pretty crap $ but great benefits, hours, vacation etc.
 
I’m from the other side of the industry…

I’ve been fortunate to have spent my career since ‘95 working in advertising and marketing at the factory level.

Started in marketing at AMCI Global, doing ad claims, acceleration testing and ride-n-drives fo various carmakers. The company was founded by the “godfather of the GTO” Jim Wangers, he was John Delorean’s ad guy. You should’ve seen his fleet of muscle cars…we got to drive them.

Then worked for an ex-Road & Track editor, producing sales training, press releases and brochures for BMW.

Then went to The Designory, the produced brochures for several carmakers. As an assistant on Mercedes-Benz, then was lead on Infiniti.

Then went to Lexus’ ad agency - Team One - as a product specialist.

Then went to Hyundai’s agency at the time, The Richards Group, as product director.

Then went in to product director at Infiniti’s main agency - TBWA Chiat-Day.

Then back to Team One as Director of Product Insights.

Then went to run a car prep & transport company - SWE (Shelly Ward Enterprises) for carmaker commercials and some movies/TV shows.

Then onto my latest gig, sales lead / Senior Manager for a Tier 1 supplier (I won’t name) to many carmakers…my customer is TMNA (Toyota/Lexus) in Plano.

We decided to have our first kid when I was 50, and as the dad of a 3 and 5 year old - both boys - retirement isn’t part of my vocabulary LOL
 
56 years as a mechanic, I started my apprenticeship in 1970 and am an ''A Grade'' certified mechanic in NZ. I have had no ambition to ''work my way up'', fixing things is my calling. I have worked on everything, run several workshops and had my own for 11 years. For the last 6 years have been working for a guy the same age as me, just the 2 of us, I'm 72 and was hoping to retire when he sells the business or shuts it down...he was shutting down at the end of March, but we are still going, so have cut down to 4 day weeks. I'm not rich from doing this, but have worked on things you have never heard of, it's been a great journey in a lifetime of repair.
 
t1snwrbrdr12 said:
~2001: About two years at a quick lube shop while in high school.

2003: About 10 years at a large dealer group. Started as the GM / Subaru shop help, moved to the Chrysler / Jeep team (I was there in the era that Chrysler closed up a lot of shops, mine included), moved back to the Hyundai / Subaru team. I was always chasing $ and the dealer was upsetting me as I was only getting factory certified as far as I could on the internet (they’d never send me to school, only the more senior guy). They promised a couple dollars an hour per ASE (because nobody could pass them seemingly). So I took 6 at once and passed them all, they’d only give me $2/ hour…not 6 times $2/hour.

Somewhere in the middle of my 10 years at the dealer I went to an independent for 6ish months.

Went back to the Jeep team I left. Got a lot more money. They turned the whole facility into a super team…it was already hard enough being on a team of 15-20…then they made EVERYONE a team…Chrysler Jeep Hyundai GM Subaru.

2013-present: took a government fleet mechanic job. Pretty crap $ but great benefits, hours, vacation etc.
Click to expand...

Gov job with union benefits and retirement is very important in the future when you retire.
 
I apprenticed as a teen to be a mechanic, eventually made it to master tech at a dealership, then independent shops. Became disillusioned with the industry, and went to school at night to earn a degree.

I used the knowledge learned from obtaining that degree, to start my own unrelated business. I made it a success eventually, and sold that business and retired early.

Then I took up a hobby in professional racing, which was possible due to my background as a mechanic. I've been doing that with breaks here and there, for 24 years. I'm in Charlotte for the 4-Wide race this weekend.
 
Worked at a tire store, just weekends, for four months then broke my ankle and retreated to my crummy 9-5 I was trying to jump ship from. Just as well.
 
I volunteered 6 days a week straight out of high school. Monday to Friday was at a general vehicle repair center and Saturdays at a jobber. I was hired by both companies 2 months later as an apprentice and as parts counter person.

5 years later I became a licensed service technician, got married and we purchased our first home.

2 years later, after going from shop to shop and a dealership thrown in the mix, I took on a foreman/management type role at a privately owned vehicle repair facility.

3 years later our first home was paid off by working and saving. We never drove newer vehicles unless they were hand me downs, hardly ate in restaurants and took one economical vacation per year.

5 years later I had grown tired of retail and went back to school while still working in management (see above), to get a job in education. My wife had also begun staying home to raise the kids at around the same time, and therefore we've been a one income family ever since. We stay disciplined in order to put our kids through university (tuition and rent x2). which are now both home for the summer.

I try to stay up to date through research, and taking automotive training courses (workshops) at my own expense.
 
Worked at a few indy shops during the summers in HS, then went to a small german parts store the last summer. After HS in '99, got a job at a Toyota dealer and spend 2 years there in the shop, then went to GM dealer for about 6 months, then to Centric Parts in about 2003 or 4. I left Centric in 2020 after the First Brands acquisition and started my own little business doing specialty brake caliper parts mainly for the performance/enthusiast market. 30 years so far in the industry. Made enough money to survive with a few minor luxuries, but never really became what I'd call "successful" working for someone else.
 
I've been a gearhead all my life. Started fixing mowers as a kid then spent 35 years working on school buses and everything else motorized in the school district. Basic upholstery, air brakes, to engine inframe overhauls. Retired early and moved far from CA and now run a saw and small engine shop 1 mile down the street from our house. Old cars and antique engines as lifetime hobby too. I have a passion for fixing stuff.
 
From July of 2006 to February 2007 I worked as a salesman at a Kia dealership in Waukesha, WI. From June 2011 to December 2011 I worked as an auto detailer/driver at a Ford dealership in Buda, TX. Both jobs paid basically minimum wage, and were temporary until something better/higher-paying came along. I did get let go from the sales job (for not selling enough cars) but within about a month I was making more money and had better benefits. My time in sales did give me valuable experience when it came to buy my first car at a dealership… 20-some years later.
 
lbhsbz said:
Worked at a few indy shops during the summers in HS, then went to a small german parts store the last summer. After HS in '99, got a job at a Toyota dealer and spend 2 years there in the shop, then went to GM dealer for about 6 months, then to Centric Parts in about 2003 or 4. I left Centric in 2020 after the First Brands acquisition and started my own little business doing specialty brake caliper parts mainly for the performance/enthusiast market. 30 years so far in the industry. Made enough money to survive with a few minor luxuries, but never really became what I'd call "successful" working for someone else.
Click to expand...
I read this a thought to myself “I think I know this guy”…turns out, I really do know you LOL

it’s pron from RDP :-)
 
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Started in sales at a dealer not long after high school, with the plan to eventually become a mechanic. Hated doing sales, just not my personality. Took a job at an automotive finance company arranging repos and eventually moved into the auction side and wholesaling cars. Did that for about six years. Last time I checked, I had moved about 8000 cars. As I was doing this I was going to school at night and decided cars wasnt where my heart was, it was with anything with wings so I got my A&P and started working on jets and said goodbye to the automotive industry.

Automotive sales was as scummy as the stereotype suggests, mostly on the management side, but most of the salespeople out in the showroom were mostly good people in it just trying to make it through life so it wasnt all bad. Turnover was super high. I really enjoyed the auction side of the industry, I met a lot of interesting and good people there and had a lot of fun. Dealing with repos was hit or miss, there were certainly a lot of bad people there, but surprisingly also plenty of good ones and I gave as much business as I could to the good ones. Dealing with tow companies... pulling broken down cars off the side of the road, trolling downtown looking for expired meters...now those were all 99.9% evil. You wont talk me out of that, too much experience with those subhumans.
 
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