Thinking about being a mechanic. Advice?

Gabe said:
I don't know what you are talking about, I finished last year and all my friends are working and got a job before finishing. I highly suggest to go the cegep technique, it teach you the basic mechanical stuff before going on with calculation and also you learn really practical stuff like machining (CNC and conventional), in depth 3D modeling. Also you can work as a mech eng tech in the summer if you dont have a coop program in your university ( which I highly suggest, an engineer without experience is hard to take seriously). If you have other questions don't hesitate.
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This is why im leaning towards going into the mechanical engineering tech wich is 3 years. It will dive me straight into the field and i will be able to work as a tech during summer so i get to know what the work environment feels like. I would like to ask you about how much fun you have at work, where you ended up getting a job and what you do at that job? I really appreciate your help as this is the path i am 99% likely to take after reading so many negative comments about automotive techinician. I have the education, the motivation and the youth (18) to delve into mechanical engineering :)
 
pmbrunelle said:
I did pure and applied science before getting into Concordia. I feel like the 2-year cegep program adequately prepared me for university. Ask someone who did a three-year though, maybe they think it was worth it.

The three-year people are given credit for some courses they did in cegep. I know a guy for example that doesn't have to take thermodynamics 1 since it was covered in cegep, or mechanics of materials. That said, you might get mildly screwed over. Like the mechanics of materials course in cegep (at least the one my dad took) doesn't cover mohr's circle, but then in a later class in university you might be expected to have that base knowledge, so in a way it's easier to do everything at one school.

Depending how broke you are, doing a greater proportion of your education at the cegep level is probably cheaper though.
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This is something i will definitely look into with dawson college. How do you like your job?
 
MyRidzPhucked said:
If you want to keep loving auto mechanics, don't become one professionally.
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It's ok, just don't work on Audi's lol...

But srsly...

I opened my shop and wouldn't have it any other way. It's not easy and it's damn expensive, but keep at it and you'll get it. If you love it, do it. I love working on cars and enjoy the reactions of my customers when they can go a bit faster, a lot faster, with less noise, or no vibration...etc.

It's a tough competitive world...but I love it.
 
Pay is shit for starter and expensive with tools, but I still like it.

Sure they charge 99.95 an hour and I barely make 14 out of that but I'm an apprentice.

The headmech is over 30$/hr..

The hard part is finding a good place, once you find it, stick with it.

And you neeeeed to love to fix other people shit, smelly shit sometimes.
 
Haxworth said:
This is why im leaning towards going into the mechanical engineering tech wich is 3 years. It will dive me straight into the field and i will be able to work as a tech during summer so i get to know what the work environment feels like. I would like to ask you about how much fun you have at work, where you ended up getting a job and what you do at that job? I really appreciate your help as this is the path i am 99% likely to take after reading so many negative comments about automotive techinician. I have the education, the motivation and the youth (18) to delve into mechanical engineering :)
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Right now I dont have a job since I moved to Mexico for many good reasons hehe. But I did 3 internship, in 3 differents places to get as much experience as possible and I got offered a project engineer job in Mtl before I finished that I refused even if it was really nice. As for my friends, one is project engineer in a HVAC engineer firm, other is working up north in Sept-Iles for another firm, another in the lab of Bombardier so you have many choices. As for the work well you choose what you like, I am a maintenance/project guy so this is where I want to work. Sure sometimes it's hard, you have to manage old union guys that hate their job but when you succeed and complete your project, you love your job. You also have to get used to get laught at by the people of the plant because you are the engineer hehe.
Finally, don't worry if you dont like the school too much because you will use like 10% of what you see and learn more specific stuff you need to learn. As for the tech, it is basic stuff that you will use all your career like drawing, machining and thinking how you will make what you design and you will make a lot of good friend in the way.
 
Gabe said:
Right now I dont have a job since I moved to Mexico for many good reasons hehe. But I did 3 internship, in 3 differents places to get as much experience as possible and I got offered a project engineer job in Mtl before I finished that I refused even if it was really nice. As for my friends, one is project engineer in a HVAC engineer firm, other is working up north in Sept-Iles for another firm, another in the lab of Bombardier so you have many choices. As for the work well you choose what you like, I am a maintenance/project guy so this is where I want to work. Sure sometimes it's hard, you have to manage old union guys that hate their job but when you succeed and complete your project, you love your job. You also have to get used to get laught at by the people of the plant because you are the engineer hehe.
Finally, don't worry if you dont like the school too much because you will use like 10% of what you see and learn more specific stuff you need to learn. As for the tech, it is basic stuff that you will use all your career like drawing, machining and thinking how you will make what you design and you will make a lot of good friend in the way.
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This is amazing advice thank you. I will definitely go into the technique.
 
CPA sucks.. according to them I'm supposed to get around 12$/h for 5 years of experience in parts. And you have to pay 3$ if I remember well on each pay ... for that...
 
Avoir une passion pour son auto et en faire un travail/gagne pain est 2 choses differente..i guess..
Tu vas surement commencer a 15$/h et changer des pneus ou changement d'huile..tu vas te tanner vite!
et passer 40 h semaine sur des auto pourri..tu auras meme pu le gout de toucher ton auto, ni le temps!

I'm a chef et a passer 80/h sem to cook for others..i rareley cook for myself on my days off! this is why i love amgs...ca me change les idées!
 
@ Haxworth. About 5 years ago I was pretty much in your shoes. I though about being a mechanic and a mechanical engineer. Unfortunately in Cegep I realized I didn't have the patience or the drive to work as an engineer because sciences turned out to be a bad fit for me. I then went to mechanics school and became an apprentice. That didn't work out either because I HATED the feeling of being an expendable, replaceable tirebitch. Eventually I stopped and finished my DEC in Science. Then I went on to business school in the field of international business. So far I like it.

The only real advice I can give you is continue with your education and have an open mind. Life rarely goes the way we originally plan it but generally things end up for the better. For me it ended up well because I get to preserve my love for cars and when I find a job in IB I'll be able to pay for some pretty cool stuff. Don't limit your options and get as much education as you can while life is easy.
 
Toutes les réponses sont pertinentes je trouve,
Va le plus loin possible au CEGEP/Université...idéalement choke pas pendant un programme pré-universitaire...parce que tu va avoir perdu du temps...

Fais une technique ça coute presque rien
Commence part-time mécanicien pour voir si t'aime ça pendant ta technique
Si t'aime ça bin finis la technique et sois mécanicien
Si tu trouve pas ça l'fun bin tu vas vouloir continuer
Fais le BACC
Fais les stages
Ton 3e-4e stage vont surement de donner une job si ils t'aiment

Ensuite tu va tout avoir pour revenir mécano, rester ingénieur mech, ouvrir ta shop de tuning, ou même changer de domaine...en ingénierie tout est possible.


Dans mon cas j'ai fait le cheminement que je t'ai proposé, mais en électronique...et même si j'avais pas les mains trop sales comme un mécano...j'avais aucune envie de rester tech.

Je suis pas super bon à l'école, j'ai fait l'ÉTS, et après la première année (incluant un cours de chimie)...c'était chiant parfois mais pas trop dur.
Toute mon université j'ai eu bin du fun, pas mal de fin de semaines libres...travaillais la semaine seulement, en parallèle avec l'école.

Moyenne de 76-77 au secondaire si ça te donne un aperçu

J'dis pas que c'est facile, mais ça se fait très bien.
 
Hey i went to mechanic school and finished it maybe 2 years ago and to be honest with you im not really happy about my choice

When you start the pay really sucks and you will always almost do services and not actual mechanics for awhile

Right now Im not working at toyota anymore and I am looking to go back to school and choose another career(anyone have any suggestions for me?)

Anyways good luck in what you choose to do
 
C'est sur que travailler dans un concessionnaire et et garage c'est différent. Moi au début j'voulais commencer dans un concessionnaire... mais j'ai une porte qui s'est ouverte dans un p'tit garage. Aujourd'hui j'suis bien content d'etre la.

Ceux que je connais qui sont rentrés dans un dealer direct en sortant de l'école; ils ont commencé direct a 18$/hre. Par-contre, ils ne font pas grand chose et n'apprennent rien... ils ''désaprennent''! Ils font juste des jobs niaiseuses comme des changements d'huile, pneus, freins... et installer des démarreurs a distance. L'un d'entre eux m'a dit qu'il serait gené d'aller porter son CV dans un garage... parce qu'il ne se souviens probablement pu comment changer un bearing de roue sur une presse (exemple). Le gars du CPA qui fait passer les examens pour les classes m'a dit qu'il y a une bonne différence entre les gars de dealers et les gars de garage. Ceux de garage sont généralement plus débrouillards et plus a l'aise lors des examens. Ya aussi le chomage dès que ca tombe mort pour les derniers rentrés. Et mes chums qui travaillent chez Mitsubishi et Mazda peuvent a peine rentrer leurs chars pour faire de l'entretien/réparations. Moi j'ai les clés du garage et le code de systéme d'alarme. J'y vais quand je veux sans devoir avertir mon boss... en autant que ce soit pour ma voiture personnelle ou celle de ma femme.

Peut-etre que dans 10 ans je vais vouloir faire le switch dans un dealer pour avoir une job plus mollo et plus propre... jusqu'a maintenant j'suis content de mes conditions, mais c'est clair que c'est pas rose tous les jours (comme dans n'importe quelle job).
 
dolomight 74-86 said:
@ Haxworth. About 5 years ago I was pretty much in your shoes. I though about being a mechanic and a mechanical engineer. Unfortunately in Cegep I realized I didn't have the patience or the drive to work as an engineer because sciences turned out to be a bad fit for me. I then went to mechanics school and became an apprentice. That didn't work out either because I HATED the feeling of being an expendable, replaceable tirebitch. Eventually I stopped and finished my DEC in Science. Then I went on to business school in the field of international business. So far I like it.

The only real advice I can give you is continue with your education and have an open mind. Life rarely goes the way we originally plan it but generally things end up for the better. For me it ended up well because I get to preserve my love for cars and when I find a job in IB I'll be able to pay for some pretty cool stuff. Don't limit your options and get as much education as you can while life is easy.
Click to expand...

I love this, mr consists of alot more resourceful people than i thought. This is exaclty what i need. Thanks alot man. I will start off by doing the technique for mechanical engineering and hopefully il be able to go through with it :) Luckily i have so many people helping out here on mr.


(im giving rep to every person replying to this thread :p)
 
JsLeard said:
Toutes les réponses sont pertinentes je trouve,
Va le plus loin possible au CEGEP/Université...idéalement choke pas pendant un programme pré-universitaire...parce que tu va avoir perdu du temps...

Fais une technique ça coute presque rien
Commence part-time mécanicien pour voir si t'aime ça pendant ta technique
Si t'aime ça bin finis la technique et sois mécanicien
Si tu trouve pas ça l'fun bin tu vas vouloir continuer
Fais le BACC
Fais les stages
Ton 3e-4e stage vont surement de donner une job si ils t'aiment

Ensuite tu va tout avoir pour revenir mécano, rester ingénieur mech, ouvrir ta shop de tuning, ou même changer de domaine...en ingénierie tout est possible.


Dans mon cas j'ai fait le cheminement que je t'ai proposé, mais en électronique...et même si j'avais pas les mains trop sales comme un mécano...j'avais aucune envie de rester tech.

Je suis pas super bon à l'école, j'ai fait l'ÉTS, et après la première année (incluant un cours de chimie)...c'était chiant parfois mais pas trop dur.
Toute mon université j'ai eu bin du fun, pas mal de fin de semaines libres...travaillais la semaine seulement, en parallèle avec l'école.

Moyenne de 76-77 au secondaire si ça te donne un aperçu

J'dis pas que c'est facile, mais ça se fait très bien.
Click to expand...

Ca cest une tres bonne idee et je pense vraiment faire ca apres avoir fini ma technique pour mechanical engineering. Merci beaucoup pour ton aide, chaque reponse fait une difference. :)
 
young_makaveli said:
Hey i went to mechanic school and finished it maybe 2 years ago and to be honest with you im not really happy about my choice

When you start the pay really sucks and you will always almost do services and not actual mechanics for awhile

Right now Im not working at toyota anymore and I am looking to go back to school and choose another career(anyone have any suggestions for me?)

Anyways good luck in what you choose to do
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Thanks alot makaveli. Why dont you look into mechanical engineering? Ive been researching all about for the past week and it seems to be very interesting and fun.
 
RamboAE86 said:
C'est sur que travailler dans un concessionnaire et et garage c'est différent. Moi au début j'voulais commencer dans un concessionnaire... mais j'ai une porte qui s'est ouverte dans un p'tit garage. Aujourd'hui j'suis bien content d'etre la.

Ceux que je connais qui sont rentrés dans un dealer direct en sortant de l'école; ils ont commencé direct a 18$/hre. Par-contre, ils ne font pas grand chose et n'apprennent rien... ils ''désaprennent''! Ils font juste des jobs niaiseuses comme des changements d'huile, pneus, freins... et installer des démarreurs a distance. L'un d'entre eux m'a dit qu'il serait gené d'aller porter son CV dans un garage... parce qu'il ne se souviens probablement pu comment changer un bearing de roue sur une presse (exemple). Le gars du CPA qui fait passer les examens pour les classes m'a dit qu'il y a une bonne différence entre les gars de dealers et les gars de garage. Ceux de garage sont généralement plus débrouillards et plus a l'aise lors des examens. Ya aussi le chomage dès que ca tombe mort pour les derniers rentrés. Et mes chums qui travaillent chez Mitsubishi et Mazda peuvent a peine rentrer leurs chars pour faire de l'entretien/réparations. Moi j'ai les clés du garage et le code de systéme d'alarme. J'y vais quand je veux sans devoir avertir mon boss... en autant que ce soit pour ma voiture personnelle ou celle de ma femme.

Peut-etre que dans 10 ans je vais vouloir faire le switch dans un dealer pour avoir une job plus mollo et plus propre... jusqu'a maintenant j'suis content de mes conditions, mais c'est clair que c'est pas rose tous les jours (comme dans n'importe quelle job).
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C'est quand meme beau d'avoir un mécano qui ne me déconseille pas de la mecanique. En plus tu conduit une AE86, ca me fait avoir confiance en toi :p. Je viens d'apprendre que le cours de mechanical engineering accepte juste du monde chaque automne alors je vais essayer de trouver une job de mécanicien a temps partiel pour essayer voir comment j'aime ca. Merci pour ton conseil et si jamais tu veut donner a quelqu'un un lift dans ton AE86, pm moi :p
 
tu peux commencer tes cours généraux en janvier au cégep pour avoir des sessions plus relax après, aussi informe toi au cegep ou au département de mech eng, tu peux aller passer une journée de cours pour voir si t'aime ça ou non et poser tes questions aux profs/étudiant.
 
Haxworth said:
I love this, mr consists of alot more resourceful people than i thought. This is exaclty what i need. Thanks alot man. I will start off by doing the technique for mechanical engineering and hopefully il be able to go through with it :) Luckily i have so many people helping out here on mr.
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Don't mention it. Sometimes when people are lost they just need a little push in the right direction to be happy. Before I forget make sure that your technical program covers the same pre-requisites as the science program. This way if you change your mind (again) once you reach university you will be able to go into "ANY" program you want. Anyway good luck and good hunting.
 
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