Thinking about being a mechanic. Advice?

Some really good comments in this thread.

But now that the OP has heard from all the mechanics... what about the mechanical engineers lol? :D

I really don't think you can just decide to go into mechanical engineering just because you don't want to become a car mechanic anymore. Keep in mind that engineering is a program you definitely have to be committed to in order to maintain a good GPA at graduation, and that there is a shitload of per-requisite courses you'll have to complete before getting accepted into engineering (ie. Cegep sciences).

Also, engineering is nowhere near as hands-on as car mechanics. And you HAVE to enjoy working with advanced mathematics.
 
i finished my DEP in january and for the cash you have to invest in tools and the salary youre paid it isnt really worth it.
I would say go for it if you want the knowledge or if you are REALLY passionate about it.
I did it for the knowledge more then for a career.
 
Tres peu de garage vont bien payer leurs mecano !

Dire qu'un dealership cest de la marde, je suis pas pret a dire ca. Du moins ce nest pas le cas de tous les garages !

Je crois pas que le salaire est le probleme majeur mais plus la stabilite de la job. Beaucoup de garage vont slaquer 3-4 fois dans lannee pour des periodes indeterminables ... Plutot difficile de se faire un budjet quand tu nas aucune idee du salaire que tu vas avoir au courant de lannee !

Sauf que parfois tu tombes sur une bon e place et cest la que tu peux apprecier la job ! Je suis moi meme dans un dealer qui nont jamais slaquer des gars (dans les temps mort les plus jeune finisse plus tot je laccorde mais ils ont quand meme un salaire et nont pas les semaines dattente du chomage). On est 13 mecanos et je crois quil y en a 2 qui sont payer en bas de 22$/h et environ 11 gars entre 27 et 32$.

Alors il ne faut pas toujours generaliser !! Il yba de tres bons endroit a travailler !!

Et pour lachat des outils cest deductibles dimpot quand tu es apprentis alors tu vas rechercher pas mal dargent au bout de lannee !!
 
Some really good comments in this thread.

But now that the OP has heard from all the mechanics... what about the mechanical engineers lol? :D

I really don't think you can just decide to go into mechanical engineering just because you don't want to become a car mechanic anymore. Keep in mind that engineering is a program you definitely have to be committed to in order to maintain a good GPA at graduation, and that there is a shitload of per-requisite courses you'll have to complete before getting accepted into engineering (ie. Cegep sciences).

Also, engineering is nowhere near as hands-on as car mechanics. And you HAVE to enjoy working with advanced mathematics.

This is bang on. You should definitely realize that a mechanical engineering degree is a completely different ballgame than going to school to be a mechanic. YOu're talking about heavy mathematics and sciences courses; if this isn't your cup of tea, it'll be a huge drag. But, on the other hand, I would say that the education level that you'll finish with, ie a bachelors of science, is very valuable, even though the mechanical engineering sector as far as work is concerned is in a bit of a slump currently in Canada. Unless you go to ALberta; you'll make a shit-ton of money there with that degree.
 
En ce moment je fais un dep en mécanique d'engins de chantier, c'est 1800 heures et ca se fait sur 2 ans. Jusqu'à venir j'aime vraiment ca et le plus beau est a venir. Les perspectives d'emploi et les salaires sont pas mal bons dans le domaine et t'as la possibilité de faire du nord. C'est certain que c'est parfois plus sale qu'en mécanique auto comme job, mais ca reste une bonne possibilité.
 
Some really good comments in this thread.

But now that the OP has heard from all the mechanics... what about the mechanical engineers lol? :D

I really don't think you can just decide to go into mechanical engineering just because you don't want to become a car mechanic anymore. Keep in mind that engineering is a program you definitely have to be committed to in order to maintain a good GPA at graduation, and that there is a shitload of per-requisite courses you'll have to complete before getting accepted into engineering (ie. Cegep sciences).

Also, engineering is nowhere near as hands-on as car mechanics. And you HAVE to enjoy working with advanced mathematics.

Lol its true that i do need some advice from mechanical engineers too :p. I am still 18 and i just finished completing all my prerequisites to go into pure science in college. I have the determination and the liking of math in me, and getting to design jet engines and mechanical machines, even if its a drill, is something i can enjoy. So if theres any mechanical engineers on mr, id definitely like to hear what they have to say. I know my chances of getting into the automotive sector from mech engineering is slim but i still have a chance if i prove myself, if not i dont mind working on airplanes and jets :p
 
I did my dep in auto mechanics, fuck i regret it... first of all i didn't learn much at school, all my teachers were old and american car lovers, they all talked shit about every brand of car unless it wasn't an american.Putting that aside, I ended up finishing my degree and did my stage at Audi Prestige on st jeans... few months later they called me to offer me a job, I took it.I ended up HATING cars!! I was soooo disappointed, at the begging they offered me courses every 3 months this and that, I could be a head mechanic bla bla bla bla my ass!!! never got sent to ANY course, actually all I did was oil changes, brakes, tire bitch, wheel bearings... thats about it!! not to mention the SHIT ass pay i was getting... my recommendation, if you love cars and you want it to stay that way, DONT become a mechanic!!
 
@DARIOBKN

shit this is what most of the people here are saying, and i really wanna keep my love for cars, i dont wanna come home and end up hating working on my car because i work on other peoples cars all day. This is something to think about.
 
Lol its true that i do need some advice from mechanical engineers too :p. I am still 18 and i just finished completing all my prerequisites to go into pure science in college. I have the determination and the liking of math in me, and getting to design jet engines and mechanical machines, even if its a drill, is something i can enjoy. So if theres any mechanical engineers on mr, id definitely like to hear what they have to say. I know my chances of getting into the automotive sector from mech engineering is slim but i still have a chance if i prove myself, if not i dont mind working on airplanes and jets :p

We are a couple here on MR. For my part I did my technique in cegep in MEchanical Eng and after my bachelor at ETS. You better love physic and mathematic since you have one class of each, each semester for 3 years almost. Also you have enough studying or project to complete to do that day and night hehe. At the end of the bachelor, the classes start to be interesting but the work is the fun part for me after all the work you put in school.
 
We are a couple here on MR. For my part I did my technique in cegep in MEchanical Eng and after my bachelor at ETS. You better love physic and mathematic since you have one class of each, each semester for 3 years almost. Also you have enough studying or project to complete to do that day and night hehe. At the end of the bachelor, the classes start to be interesting but the work is the fun part for me after all the work you put in school.

I like physics and math, but i hate chemistry, so if theres no chemistry im ok :p. before doing your bach you did a technique? how long did that take, 3 years? Is that the only way to get into the bachelors of mech eng or can i just take pure science?
 
^ +1000
I did the DEP halfway then decided to go another route, I went into this class cause of my passion for cars but it will make you hate cars after a while unless you reaaaalllly love mechanic. Now Im working in a part department, Im paid about the same but my job is much more easy even if it gets so boring sometimes I can browse MR all day.

X2 on that ... aircraft > car
 
there also isn't that big of a demand for engineers at the current point. Lots of people in the 80s and 90s were told trades were for idiots, so they all became engineers and what not, so now there are a ton of engineers and no one to do the work.

i'm a Welder, make a bit over 50k at 23 years old, only have room to go up. my friend spent 5 years at school for engineering; he's a roofer because he can't find a job. If you have balls of adimantium, oil rig underwater welders make 300k a year and work in 3month on/off shifts.
 
I like physics and math, but i hate chemistry, so if theres no chemistry im ok :p. before doing your bach you did a technique? how long did that take, 3 years? Is that the only way to get into the bachelors of mech eng or can i just take pure science?

ETS takes 3-year program CEGEP grads, but the other universities take people with 2-year DECs.

There's some chemistry in CEGEP, but basically, bite the bullet and get over it if you don't like it. Life is like that, sometimes you have to do stuff you don't enjoy to get what you want. I hated the language/humanities garbage in CEGEP, but I didn't allow that to scare me away.

I'm a mech eng student... as my education is progressing and the more knowledge I'm acquiring, the more rewarding the automotive hobby is.

Working on my car is fun because I can take the time to do things. Wire-brush fasteners, put anti-seize on them, clean holes with thread chaser, take a break to drink beer. I imagine it's not the same as working in a garage while rushed day after day.
 
ETS takes 3-year program CEGEP grads, but the other universities take people with 2-year DECs.

There's some chemistry in CEGEP, but basically, bite the bullet and get over it if you don't like it. Life is like that, sometimes you have to do stuff you don't enjoy to get what you want. I hated the language/humanities garbage in CEGEP, but I didn't allow that to scare me away.

I'm a mech eng student... as my education is progressing and the more knowledge I'm acquiring, the more rewarding the automotive hobby is.

Working on my car is fun because I can take the time to do things. Wire-brush fasteners, put anti-seize on them, clean holes with thread chaser, take a break to drink beer. I imagine it's not the same as working in a garage while rushed day after day.

this is some really good advice. Im thinking of getting into dawson college into their mechanical engineering techonology 3 year program then applying to concordia or mcgill, depending on my grades. Is this a good route?
 
this is some really good advice. Im thinking of getting into dawson college into their mechanical engineering techonology 3 year program then applying to concordia or mcgill, depending on my grades. Is this a good route?

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.
 
there also isn't that big of a demand for engineers at the current point. Lots of people in the 80s and 90s were told trades were for idiots, so they all became engineers and what not, so now there are a ton of engineers and no one to do the work.

i'm a Welder, make a bit over 50k at 23 years old, only have room to go up. my friend spent 5 years at school for engineering; he's a roofer because he can't find a job. If you have balls of adimantium, oil rig underwater welders make 300k a year and work in 3month on/off shifts.

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.
 
The best part of being a mechanic or as my business cards say "Automotive Technician" is that you pay dues to the CPA and receive nothing in return.
 
I worked in a garage for 6-7 years doing mechanics (no mechanic school) while going to school in Mech. Engineering Technology and then a Mech. Engineering Bachelor's degree, and have been working in Engineering for a year and a half now - so I may be able to provide a little insight.

The garage was fun but definately not something I could spend the rest of my life doing. I love cars and love working on cars but fixing other people's crap got really tiresome. It may have been better if I followed through with it as a career but it takes a toll. I was always dirty, used to get pins and needles in my hands if I slept with them under my pillow, cuts on my hands etc...

Working in engineering pays better, better benefits (well compared to the small garage its hard to make a fair comparison), I can go out to dinner after work without showering & scrubbing my fingernails, no more cuts/pins and needles (although I noticed the skin on my hands and fingers is not as thick as it used to be and I'm more susepticle to cuts!) and I gained about 25-30lbs because I'm sitting a lot more than I was at the garage I guess. The work COULD be pretty boring depending what you get in to, but I don't have regrets about not becoming a full-time/professional mechanic.
 
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