Would you enter a career in the motor trade again?

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yogibearz, Jan 10, 11:02am
A number of us on this site are employed in the motor trade. I did 40 + years, the last 20 as a service manager .( Retired now)If you had the chance to do it again wouldyou re enter the motor trade !I dont believe I would. Mechanics/ Technicians have always appeared to be under valued, under paid and traditionally seen as one of the less appreciated trades. This is the total opposite of what it should be with the complex systems and electronics that are dealt with daily.How do you make mechancs more valued and appreciated !What would you do instead of the motor trade ! They should firstly be paid what they are worth, imagine what the charge out rates would be and the whinging you would get.Maybe its all to hard I think the WINZ office is looking attractive !
sandypheet, Jan 10, 11:20am
It is a trade that has given me a lot of both joy and grief and not one that I would like to do again.I have always thought the building trade although very competitive would be good.Seeing something that you have built 25 years ago still being used and thinking,I built that would be satisfying.Best job I have had was operating a power station,it gave me a very handsome income,so much time to do other things because of shift work,a place to live for very little and a great place to bring up the family, I did not even know where it was when I applied for the job there (Ohakuri) and feel it was one of the best moves I had made but was automated out of it many years ago,so in hindsight having the motor trade to fall back on has been good in that respect.
superdave0_13, Jan 10, 11:25am
I think that every trade can relate to what you just said there. Having said that I think I paid around $100 ph for someone to check my tyre pressure and windscreen washer level at my last service. That's not too bad is it!
yogibearz, Jan 10, 11:32am
Dont get me wrong the motor trade has been bloody good to me ,great friends from both the staff and customers and a lot of great memories. I can see its getting harder to attract the right sort of person to ensure its a viable employment prospect in the future. There are many easier and more lucrative opportunities.
ceebee2, Jan 10, 12:40pm
It certainly is different from the "good old days" but having transitioned from contact (points)systems to hi tech computerized cars, I didnt find it that daunting as once you understand and know how these systems function then diagnostics are alot easier. I still laugh when most modern Techs make a grab for the diagnostics unit instead of the simple stuf because they weren't taught that way to be practical. I had the benefit of undertaking fuel injection / electronics courses, some paid for by myself but it is the only way to keep pace with developments.
smac, Jan 10, 12:58pm
But how much did the guy doing the work get!
superdave0_13, Jan 10, 1:31pm
I don't know. Wouldn't it be rude to ask that!
The last comment was posted with tongue in cheek. Lets get back to what the OP was on about aye!
smac, Jan 10, 1:37pm
wtf! My question is entirely on topic, with regard to the employees in the industry being undervalued. Wasn't having a go at you, just highlighting the common misconception with trades that the price the customer pays somehow reflects what the tradie gets paid.
alan1111, Jan 10, 2:19pm
27 in the trade here. If i could go back to being 15 again i would of stayed in School got a better education. No i would not do it again. The job is so under appreciatted you get abused by customers for their bill at end of job.Hell not my fault it cost what it does.
I started when points were on the way out and electronics on the way in so i am lucky can do both.But young mechanics today have no idea how a car actually works if something goes wrong plug in the scanner that will tell us the fault.I bet 3/4 of them got no idea how a oxy sensor works or whats its for.
So in conclusion i would not do it again i should of worked on a trawler seen the world got my Skippers ticket and now i would be doing what i love best being the skipper of a charter boat.
superdave0_13, Jan 10, 2:29pm
Yes it was wasn't it! It is weird that there is an ever increasing gap between what is charged and what is actually paid to the tradesman in a lot of trades.
yogibearz, Jan 10, 2:31pm
i tend to agree with alan1111 but dont know what I would have done instead of the motor trade.
alan1111, Jan 10, 2:37pm
As for pay i get 1/3 of what we charge out at work which is about right. I dont charge out 40 hours a week because of phone calls, sales reps,customers etc. I am happy with my paypacket have not had a increase in 3 years now but saying that if i worked Saturdays i get paid $25.00 for every wof i do and that is paid in petrol lol so i can fuel my boat over summer. I am in a win situation.
socram, Jan 10, 2:41pm
Spare a thought for those of us who became highly qualified technical and management experts, specialising in the clothing and footwear manufacturing trades, only for the government(s) to sign free trade deals with low cost countries, using what most of us would consider slave labour, often in appalling conditions.

At least the motor trade still exists here, even though assembly is long gone.

I wish I had taken my passion for cars into my working life.

As for what the tradie is paid compared to what the customer is charged, is no different from any self employed tradie, who carries his own overheads such as his vehicle, protective clothing, tools, accounting, GST and office costs etc.He doesn't actually get $60 an hour either.

All tradies and technicians (except computer technicians)are undervalued and underpaid, not just in the motor trade, but try telling that to the academic politicians who have been running this country for the last 30 years.Meanwhile, check out the percentage profit Price Waterhouse Coopers and their ilk make.
budgel, Jan 10, 2:44pm
My son did a year's pre trade Mechanics course at a polytech, and a short time after he finished it he came to me and said that he didnt want to be a mechanic.Working on his own cars part time was fun, full time not so much.

I understood completely and told him to get looking for something else.
He is now in his third year as a sparkie apprentice and is very happy with it. The career path seems to have more opportunities, and he isnt working in the same place every day.
NCEA is good in that each level of training sets you up for moving on up the ladder to the next level and so on.

In terms of ones work not being appreciated, that is common with lots (most!) jobs at some time or other, and accepting it is part of life's lessons.

For myself, while I enjoy tinkering with cars, I am glad that I chose to work in the building trade.
johnf_456, Jan 10, 2:53pm
If I had a choice again I'd probably do building / construction, possibly even a electrican. But then again every job has its ups and downs and varys, but at the end of the day its bringing home the money.
johnf_456, Jan 10, 2:57pm
I agree but not so sure about computer technicians, some are very under paid but of course there is lots of variations to factor. I know a few tech's that are highly skilled but earn poor money considering the experience needed and certs some need vs the motor trade.
socram, Jan 10, 3:01pm
Exactly.I wouldn't want to be a full time chef/cook, artist, writer, builder, electrician, auto sparkie, book-keeper, painter, landscaper, paperhanger, chauffeur, car washer, cabinet maker, kitchen fitter, tiler, lawn mower, fibreglass fabricator etc., either.
sw20, Jan 10, 3:04pm
I can imagine the motor trade is fantastic. Especially if you own a dealership or six.
budgel, Jan 10, 3:16pm
Socram, I am surprised you have left Gigolo off your list!
elect70, Jan 10, 8:39pm
All tradesway under valued in NZ , I should havestayed working for Dunlopsuntil they closed , somelong timers got$250G in golden handshakes .Even in 1980tyre builders got more $ than themaintenancetrades, dirty work though
h.e, Jan 10, 8:48pm
father in law built tyres in chch in the late 70 early 80's.was getting quite good money then by todays standards
h.e, Jan 10, 8:51pm
im a boilermaker,make a decent living,enjoy the job,but there is no way in hell i would do it again if i had my time over
socram, Jan 10, 9:03pm
Never got paid.Did it all for love - for the last 26 years anyway!
carmedic, Jan 10, 10:38pm
AFTER THE DAY I??
joanie32, Jan 10, 10:52pm
I was always going to be a car kinda bloke but 12 years panelbeating was enough.I now have a great hobby building cars after hours. I didnt touch the tools for ten years after leaving the trade and now enjoy it very much.