I live in a very rural area. Tired of the usual retail and food service jobs. Want a real trade but I can't afford to go to trade school. I'm willing to learn and work hard but I don't want to be the shop hand and learn nothing. Or as a wal mart lube tech and be stuck as that for my whole life. What's the best way to learn from 0 and become a mechanic or apprentice to a mechanic? If you are a mechanic what are you looking for in an apprentice? Literally the only experience I have is working on my own truck and getting a 94 Honda 300 atv to run after its been sitting for years. All using youtube of course but I ended up really enjoying it. So far I could try and focus on diesel, agriculture or auto. Again I would like to get into it with no debt on schooling or tools just learn while I earn so unfortunately aviation is out probably. Thanks for your time
My company paid for my trade schooling and paid me my full wage to go to school. Pretty sure that's how it works for most trades. Without you're ticket you likely won't be able to do much more than being a lube monkey.
>>29146834Look man. Imma keep it real with you because the stakes are much higher for you (fuck ups hit harder when you got little wiggle room)Automotive is fucked. It's not like it used to be. It's systematically setup now to fuck YOU the (future) technician. Use your wrenching to lower your cost of living. Do not go into it. Maybe there's a case to made about diesel techs but outside of that niche. You will get FUCKED. >tool debt out of pocket and you will need ALOT of tools to do shit to these new POS >You're paid last in every business >warranty work warranty work warranty work>customers fucking loathe you because they think you're the reason their modern LED headlights cost two thousand dollars>cars designed today are not designed to be repaired, but replaced. >You're rural, so you're gonna deal with RUST and that takes a TOLL on your mind AND your body>Turbo fuck your body just for crumbs and no creditIf things were different I'd give you better advice, but as things are. Leave this as a hobby and find another way out of that town made of dirt. Maybe you could flip dirt bikes for a small profit here and there but you genuinely need another route if you don't want to make yourself want to kill yourselfAlso. Those schools are fucking useless and will only shake you down for cash. Become a shop apprentice / floor sweeper before you ever consider mechanic school! KEEP SHIT CLEANPUT THE TOOL BACK EXACTLY WHERE IT CAME FROM EVERYTIMEBE PUNCTUALBE USEFUL EVEN WHEN UNHAPPY/MISERABLEIF SHIT GETS TOO SHIT THEN GO SIT ON A BENCH AWAY FROM THE ACTION TAKE 5 THEN COME BACKDO NOT LEAVE GREASY ASS TOOLS IN PLACES THEY DID NOT COME FROM. I WILL REMOVE YOUR STARTER IF YOU SABOTAGE MY SETUP>t. 3rd generation mechanic in a family of ASE Cert techs
>>29146834be youngish and apply at a local American brand dealership like Ford/Chevrolet/Jeep
>>29146840Well when I was a apprentice plumber yeah they pay you and you have the option to go to school and get higher up after you get the required hours. Not sure of its the same way with this >>29146841Yeah brother I know it. Everything is shit now but I feel like you're better off with a trade than a job as a overnight stocker at wal mart. Man, it sucks that everyone tries to screw the techs over. Thank you for the advice! I'll keep that in mind when I try to ask around if shops need a helper. Have you tried starting a mobile mechanic business? I'd imagine you could clean up if you had a good start on tools and experience. >>29146850My town is about 3k people population so I only have like two dealerships here but I'll check into it! So far I been to just mom and pop shops who in turn told me to go to the local community College and apply there to get hired lol. Crazy shit
>>29146834Heavy equipment repair guys are raking in the money in the mid west right now.But you have to be willing to work on large shit.Auto repair is kinda fucked, a slave labor job now
>>29146993Heavy equipment repair and Agricultural mechanic sounds pretty cool! Is it common to start out as a shop hand and just sweep your way to an apprentice?
>>29146863Trade goodMechanic badGo choose something else. It's not good right now, use wrenching to lower cost of living not as a career.
>>29146834I like being a mechanic as a hobby but as a job it’s not very fun, the work is hard and it takes a toll on your body, the money isn’t very good, as a hobby it’s great though because you can do it on your own time, save money doing your own work and it’s extremely satisfying when a job is done and done right
>>29146834If the rural area you live in has lots of farming and not just ranching then I would probably go that route. Try to get in with some local mechanics that are already doing that type of work and work your way up. After getting some experience you could always get a service truck and start doing some mobile work.
>>29146834No longer possible, unless you stick to classic cars. Modern cars are too complex and require training in several disciplines to properly execute repair and maintenance procedures.
>>29146841Listen to this guyEven when i was entering the industry in 2014 it was already bad and getting worse. Even going in, my plan was to stay long enough to learn to be self sufficient and build a toolbox and then fuck off. That was in like 2016 and its only gotten worse. My anecdotal evidence is every one of the rare occasions ive taken my car to a shop since like 2018, they either fucked something up or didnt do the job right while asking for more money than ever. Do not under any circumstances go to auto as a career.
>>29147438>Modern cars are too complex and require training in several disciplines to properly execute repair and maintenance procedures.>finish work>plug scan tool in>hit reset on whatever it is you worked ondang that's a college degree right there
>>29147450>Can't replace brake light because it's incorporated into a dynamic electronic system that's tied into every other computer component Old cars are better. New cars are not ment to be repaired like the pre 2016 vehicles. You're just an ignorant knob with no skin in the game.
