Being a mechanic

[vt1538]

There is more to mechanics than just cars. The heavy diesel mechanics make huge wages & are in very short supply. Plus you learn the basics in petrol & are only a few courses from having the same if not better knowledge base on passenger cars etc.
Plus you have generally better access to parts( you only need two elbows instead of three).

 

[impulsesv6]

how bout some mechanical engineering trade

im a mechanical fitter and turner and i find this to be the best trade, some times the job can get kinda dirty but if i was 17 again id do it again, i finished my time in 3 1/2 years and came out with my cert, $4000 in tools paid for by my work, and great skills which led me to my current employer, im currently 22 and clear between 1g and 1.5g a week.

the best bit about being a fitter is that not only are you working with mechanics, but your tools (spanners, sockets, torque wrenches, etc) are paid for (pipe wrench no good for a car) the extra savings like getting trade price at suppliers by saying you work at ???????, and also the boss doesnt mind if you bring in a turbo or starter motor to reco during work time using work parts, cos its considered "training"

choose maintenance fitting!!! thats what i do and i love it, at our work we machine, weld, fabricate, repair, modify, and of course foreigners.
i much prefer this than working at a jobbing shop doing production work.

but one important thing to keep in mind, choose big businesses:
lots of tradesmen= lots of work,
check out their steel rack= not afraid of spending money,
ask where the company is going in the future= assess how far off china taking over is- its a sad reality but you have to be prepared for it.
tafe= most big business will pay for it and other courses needed as well

but do a day or a week work experience and find out which you prefer

 

[redcv6]

my dads a mechanic, we are doing alright, own a house in warrandyte, own a house in rye, own 1/3 of a house in st lenards(across the bay from rye), own 6 cars (80 series landcruiser, brand new lexus is250, 2 1957 chevs, my vt, sisters mazda 323 and a barina, he bought that to drive whilst his wrist is broken, and he owns his business, so i wouldn't say mechanics get paid ****, just gotta get a good job, like every trade. although saying that he wouldn't let me be a mechanic in a million years because of the stress it puts on the body.
cheers johnny

 

[Troy711]

be a plumber. if you play your cards right and get yourself set up then in 8 - 10 years you could be earning 250K a year before tax. you would be surprised what good tradesmen can earn when they are on contract rates.

simple as this, do your 4 years. once that is up work for yourself for a year or two to get some money behind you. after that, take on a partner. two years later put on 1 or 2 apprentices. in 2 years your business should be turning a very tidy profit, providing you have the initiative and you are hungry for money. when you apprentices finish put them on a set wage and then put some more apprentices on. basiclly continue the cycle and you could have 10 people working under you and your partner. it isnt easy, but it is possible.

 

[ash1169]

good on buddy more people should b doin tht then they might understand wat really goin on under the bonnet. ya right cubic feet tooo

 

[cruzncommo]

plumbing is what i wanted to do but couldnt find an apprenticeship. mate if you do your trade and work your ass off for a few years who says you cant retire at like 30? at the moment i work at a sawmill and looking for a boilermaker/heavy mechanic/any apprenticeship.

 

[VSSPak]

I've decided to go with plumbing.. Only problem is now i gotta get the appreticeshipp...kinda hard coz they accept like 30 epople and over 250 applied..But i can try find my own apperticeship..

thanks guys.

 

[Burt_vn]

:thumbsup: good luck mate.

 

[cruzncommo]

I've decided to go with plumbing.. Only problem is now i gotta get the appreticeshipp...kinda hard coz they accept like 30 epople and over 250 applied..But i can try find my own apperticeship..

thanks guys.

try every plumber in your region

 

[vtdemon]

I'm doing a Light Vehicle Mechanic apprenticeship now (2nd Year) and I kind of started it as something to do to earn money(after leaving uni after 1st year), build experience, cause at this point I still don't know what I want to be doing, haha. I do enjoy it for the most part, but for most of the same reasons as mentioned in the thread ($$$, conditions, somewhat dead-ended etc.) I can't see myself doing it for much more than my apprenticeship lasts.

I'm wondering if anyone knows how much of a step or what differences in qualifications are there going from being a mechanic to say, a mechanical fitter or similar would be?