Auto Electricians/Wedding Videographers

[DUK13Y]

I am 16 and don't really have a clear idea on what career path I want to take. I have really taken an interest into cars and how they work and was originally interested in car mechanics but I'm trying to keep up with the industry so I have switched my thinking towards the electrical aspect of it.
Are there any auto electricians on this forum that could give some advice on the trade (What it's like, what kind of work you do, what qualifications you need and how to get them, etc).

I'm also interested in producing wedding videos as maybe a part time job. My parents are trying to push me this direction (well mum is) and are going to buy me a decent HD camera. I already have the editing equipment and have already done a pro-bono wedding but with an old camera and little knowledge. How competitive is the wedding videographer field? What are peoples average prices (ballpark is all I need just to get an idea of how much they make. If you hired a videographer for your wedding, how much did he/she charge?). Are top of the line cameras required or will a $2000 camera do?

Thanks in advance.

[andyman]

can i just ask how wedding videographer came up, its a pretty random job

[DUK13Y]

I was always good at film in english and my cousin asked me to film his wedding. He and his now wife were very impressed and my mum suggested that I should pursue it. I don't really want to do it for a full time job (unless I can get a business started and make a lot of money from it) but I think it would be a good weekend job to earn some extra cash.

[one_and_only2004]

I suggest doing an electrical apprenticeship - when i get qualified in less than 2 years i'm actually qualified to play with car electrics. It's a good trade though it's not all fun and games. If you want to think when you get to work, lose sleep at night thinking that you've burnt someone's house down, become an electrician!

[DUK13Y]

lol. My dad's an electrician so I have a fair idea on what the whole trades like. I'm more aiming at the auto-electrical speciality so what sort of courses should I take? Is it in uni or tafe? Should I drop out of school and pursue it or finish years 11 and 12 and get an apprenticeship then?

[naf33n]

i just finished my apprenticeship as a auto eletrician, came a tradesman in december. i reckon auto sparky is a great job, but i dont have a normal sort of job as far as auto electrical is concerned, i dont have to deal with the public, just government poeple, so i dont have to deal with poeple trying to be cheap, i also get to play with lights and sirens

just a quick tip though if you decide to go with auto sparky, dont tell anyone, everyone has some thing that needs fitting to a car, mostly cd players, or if you dont mind that sort of thing, charge them well

as for the course its 3 years once a week at tafe, pretty easy, i personally finsihed year 12 as i had no idea what i wanted to do in year 10, if your employer decides to hire you through a apprenticeship agency, goin to year 12 will get you a better pay, approx 2 dollars and hour more, but i would try avoid the agency thing all together, it usually is crap pay compared to just been hired by your employer

[And_ROOS]

i just finished my apprenticeship as a auto eletrician, came a tradesman in december. i reckon auto sparky is a great job, but i dont have a normal sort of job as far as auto electrical is concerned, i dont have to deal with the public, just government poeple, so i dont have to deal with poeple trying to be cheap, i also get to play with lights and sirens

just a quick tip though if you decide to go with auto sparky, dont tell anyone, everyone has some thing that needs fitting to a car, mostly cd players, or if you dont mind that sort of thing, charge them well

as for the course its 3 years once a week at tafe, pretty easy, i personally finsihed year 12 as i had no idea what i wanted to do in year 10, if your employer decides to hire you through a apprenticeship agency, goin to year 12 will get you a better pay, approx 2 dollars and hour more, but i would try avoid the agency thing all together, it usually is crap pay compared to just been hired by your employer

Amen to that, my best mate is a sparky and we get slabs to do car stereos, then recently had to help someone wire up stuff for a spa, and apparently some sort of front yard lighting is next on the agenda.

[naf33n]

Amen to that, my best mate is a sparky and we get slabs to do car stereos, then recently had to help someone wire up stuff for a spa, and apparently some sort of front yard lighting is next on the agenda.

funny you should say that, im doin front lighting at a house at the moment, water front property, with about 90 steps to the front door, they want 2 led lights on each step edge,..... thats alot of lights

[And_ROOS]

funny you should say that, im doin front lighting at a house at the moment, water front property, with about 90 steps to the front door, they want 2 led lights on each step edge,..... thats alot of lights

Aha good god i do not envy that. I didnt like doing the domestic kind of thing, then i bumped into a mate who is an apprentie, and he tells me he gets made to do the roof crawling among the rats and other brick-a-brac.

[one_and_only2004]

just a quick tip though if you decide to go with auto sparky, dont tell anyone

I'm pretty sure that works with any trade though. I've got 3 fans and a bathroom tastic to put in on the weekend for a friend, plus one car stereo!

[DUK13Y]

Thanks for the help guys. So can I finish years 11 and 12 and do tafe at the same time like at night or something?

[Boonz]

funny you should say that, im doin front lighting at a house at the moment, water front property, with about 90 steps to the front door, they want 2 led lights on each step edge,..... thats alot of lights

thts alot of beer

[naf33n]

ha i wish, its the bosses house, so its just normal pay, except i get to lay on nice sharp rocks and dirt, and all the other goodies around a newly built house

[-Junior-]

\
just a quick tip though if you decide to go with auto sparky, dont tell anyone,

as for the course its 3 years once a week at tafe, pretty easy, i personally finsihed year 12 as i had no idea what i wanted to do in year 10, if your employer decides to hire you through a apprenticeship agency, goin to year 12 will get you a better pay, approx 2 dollars and hour more, but i would try avoid the agency thing all together, it usually is crap pay compared to just been hired by your employer

Agree with this too! I did year 12 then app and have been tradesman for 5 - 6 years now. Do the right subjects for year 11 and 12 and it will be easier later.

thts alot of beer

HA I didn't buy beer or bourban for 2 to 3 years just in foreign orders!

[axemurderer101]

i would reccomend an auto electrician pre-apprentice course at tafe which i did, the course was about 6 months and it will better prepare you for an apprentieship. you learn alot of the basic stuff like rebuilding starter motors and alternators, wiring up spot lights and quite alot of other stuff. The tafe will also help you find work at the end of your course which is really helpfull. im just about to finish my 3 month trial to become an apprentice and i do alot of fitting electric brake units, wiring up spotlights, reconditioning alternators and starters, re-wiring trailer lighting. most of the time its real good but you occasionally get a starter or alternator thats a real pain in the butt to get out of tight engine bay but overall i really enjoy it.

[DUK13Y]

Do the right subjects for year 11 and 12 and it will be easier later.

What subjects would you recommend?

My current subjects are:
3 unit english
2 unit maths
business studies
economics
modern history
Legal studies

I had no idea what so ever on what I wanted to do but I wanted to do something in business. Should I just stick with these and do tafe and get an apprenticeship?

[one_and_only2004]

get some physics in there and you'll be fine

[naf33n]

i did
standard english
standard maths
automotive
building and construction
design and technology.

i never had a problem with anything, you need to be cluey about maths, not smart or anything, but a basic understanding.

also you be surprised how easy things are when your interested in it, and you see a point to it all, no just learning random crap in a class room about stuff your never goin to need.

[DUK13Y]

Ok. Thanks for the help guys.