career desishion??

DemonGT · 03-06-2001, 02:19 AM

i now my spelling sucks but..anyway..what im asken is..for the longest time iv always planed on going to school for computers..networking..blah blah...but now i am really thinken of going for something else like autobody..like painting or something...let me know what you guys think...thanx

------------------
'91 GT,91K,T-5,air silencer removed,racing clutch(previous owner put in so dont know what kind),K&N air filter,Aiwa deck,power acoustic amp,2 12" pianeers,UPDATE: Just got my Mac long tube headers and Cat-back

Future Mods:3.73's,Pro 5.0,Shifter knob,FMS 9mm wires

Mach 1 · 03-06-2001, 04:32 AM

with spelling like that, stick to the autobody. good luck.

------------------
1993 GT/AOD
'93 Mustang GT

slowride90 · 03-06-2001, 06:26 AM

I know a couple of cars into the autobody ind. 2 just do repairs and one does custom work. If you really want to do it. Theres some fat cash in it, plus can paint and repair your ride if it needs it.

smithbling · 03-06-2001, 09:13 AM

If you go to school you can become a computer networker and if you don't like it then do autobody.

If you don't go to school then you will never be able to do computer networking. If you hate autobody then What??????

I was going to be a mechanic at BMW but realized that getting a degree from university will always allow me to choose.

School keeps your options open!!

------------------
C ME FLY
88 Notch
MAC headers, H-pipe, and Chrome 2.5" pipes, pullies, K&N filter, BM shifter, 17" ROH ZR6, Dropped 1.5".

95mustanggt · 03-06-2001, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by smithbling:
School keeps your options open!!

This is very true. All the great things in my live have been a result of my education. I have no boundaries in what I what to do, none. Always think long term, sometimes it can be hard but trust me it is worth it.

------------------
White 1995 Mustang GT
Dynomax Cat-Back, Offroad H-pipe, performacne chip, K&N Filters w/o Air Silencer
My 1995 Mustang GT

Super9089 · 03-06-2001, 12:05 PM

I spent 14 years in the auto body profession & the past five in the insurance end of the business. It is a decent living . I own my own home,my wife has been home with my kids for 11 years & I can go drag racing every weekend with my Stang. Also a trade is something no one can take from you,if your good at it you'll aways have the ability to earn a living, but I sometimes wish I had other options. I know a lot of other guys in the trade who feel stuck as well.At five or ten years in you can't try something else without a large paycut.

BTW a good bodyman in my area makes $15 to $20 per hour more up towards Boston

Super9089 · 03-06-2001, 12:09 PM

I spent 14 years in the auto body profession & the past five in the insurance end of the business. It is a decent living . I own my own home,my wife has been home with my kids for 11 years & I can go drag racing every weekend with my Stang. Also a trade is something no one can take from you,if your good at it you'll aways have the ability to earn a living, but I sometimes wish I had other options. I know a lot of other guys in the trade who feel stuck as well.At five or ten years in you can't try something else without a large paycut.

BTW a good bodyman in my area makes $15 to $20 per hour.even more up towards Boston

spinemup · 03-06-2001, 12:57 PM

computir werk is tuff to do, me likes atobody cause i don't half to tipe as much werds.

matt cook · 03-06-2001, 01:22 PM

Demon, while autobody is a good job, think of chemical and hazard exposure also - that's a big negative to the profession to me.

just my opinion...

------------------
1982 Mustang GT

Mr 5 0 · 03-06-2001, 04:57 PM

DemonGT:

It's not as simple as 'computers or auto body'. It's really; college education vs trade school education and with a degree, you have a real advantage, as others have already stated. On the other side, my best friend co-owns a repair shop (3 bays) and a used car lot combined and nets around 50k per year, plus money the taxman never sees and of course, all the work he needs on his 3 cars and parts at wholesale.
On one hand, sitting at a computer all day can get old (ask Dan McClain) just as banging out dents and painting, masking and so on can get pretty old, too.
So, your decision is just as much about what you want to do and where you want to be in five years as it is about what you may 'feel like' doing today. Gotta think long-term because either college or trade school is a big time and money investment to waste if you pick wrong. Talk to folks in body shops and hang around (if you can) to see if this looks like something you want to do for 40+ hours a week. Sometimes things look interesting from a distance but up close, they lose appeal. Computers are the future, but you have to be into the whole deal to get anywhere and not be just a grunt in some big company, tapping your life away. Dan McClain has talent and drive and his love of computers has paid off for him, but he has devoted thousands of hours to it and honed his skills as well as increased his knowledge over the years to make himself very valuable and in demand in his field.
My mechanic buddy has done the same and has so many customers he has to turn them away at peak times (spring/fall) because he does excellent work and doesn't screw anyone. If he repairs your car and a week later the part fails, he replaces it and eats the lost labor. Doesn't happen a lot (he would starve if it did) but his rep is solid as a fair and expert mechanic. Only way to do it, whatever the field, is to do it well and for that, you gotta be motivated and love your work, otherwise you'll end up just a face in the crowd, collect a check but never rise above average and probably get frustrated when you've been a business 10 years and still are near the low end of the scale, because you just don't have the drive to be the best and do it better than anyone else around you.
Pick a career carefully and make sure you'll want to be there in five years, If so, that's the way to go. Good luck in your decision. Oh, and get a dictionary, or at least a spell-checker. Poor spelling makes you look, well, dumb. You may be the smartest guy in the room for all we know, but perceptions count, especially in the written word.

DemonGT · 03-07-2001, 12:50 AM

yes a good freind of mine dose the painting part at a autobody shop..he used to own his own business and this summer he is again going to start his own business...he started out at $13 a hour and after a week anda half got a raise to $15...he is good

------------------
'91 GT,91K,T-5,air silencer removed,racing clutch(previous owner put in so dont know what kind),K&N air filter,Aiwa deck,power acoustic amp,2 12" pianeers,UPDATE: Just got my Mac long tube headers and Cat-back

Future Mods:3.73's,Pro 5.0,Shifter knob,FMS 9mm wires

03-06-2001, 02:19 AM	#1
DemonGT Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 879	career desishion?? i now my spelling sucks but..anyway..what im asken is..for the longest time iv always planed on going to school for computers..networking..blah blah...but now i am really thinken of going for something else like autobody..like painting or something...let me know what you guys think...thanx ------------------ '91 GT,91K,T-5,air silencer removed,racing clutch(previous owner put in so dont know what kind),K&N air filter,Aiwa deck,power acoustic amp,2 12" pianeers,UPDATE: Just got my Mac long tube headers and Cat-back Future Mods:3.73's,Pro 5.0,Shifter knob,FMS 9mm wires

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03-06-2001, 04:32 AM	#2
Mach 1 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Location: Georgia Posts: 3,866	with spelling like that, stick to the autobody. good luck. ------------------ 1993 GT/AOD '93 Mustang GT

03-06-2001, 06:26 AM	#3
slowride90 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Mendota Posts: 96	I know a couple of cars into the autobody ind. 2 just do repairs and one does custom work. If you really want to do it. Theres some fat cash in it, plus can paint and repair your ride if it needs it.

03-06-2001, 09:13 AM	#4
smithbling Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Kitchener Ontario Canada Posts: 239	If you go to school you can become a computer networker and if you don't like it then do autobody. If you don't go to school then you will never be able to do computer networking. If you hate autobody then What?????? I was going to be a mechanic at BMW but realized that getting a degree from university will always allow me to choose. School keeps your options open!! ------------------ C ME FLY 88 Notch MAC headers, H-pipe, and Chrome 2.5" pipes, pullies, K&N filter, BM shifter, 17" ROH ZR6, Dropped 1.5".

03-06-2001, 12:05 PM	#6
Super9089 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Coventry R.I. U.S. Posts: 37	I spent 14 years in the auto body profession & the past five in the insurance end of the business. It is a decent living . I own my own home,my wife has been home with my kids for 11 years & I can go drag racing every weekend with my Stang. Also a trade is something no one can take from you,if your good at it you'll aways have the ability to earn a living, but I sometimes wish I had other options. I know a lot of other guys in the trade who feel stuck as well.At five or ten years in you can't try something else without a large paycut. BTW a good bodyman in my area makes $15 to $20 per hour more up towards Boston

03-06-2001, 12:09 PM	#7
Super9089 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Coventry R.I. U.S. Posts: 37	I spent 14 years in the auto body profession & the past five in the insurance end of the business. It is a decent living . I own my own home,my wife has been home with my kids for 11 years & I can go drag racing every weekend with my Stang. Also a trade is something no one can take from you,if your good at it you'll aways have the ability to earn a living, but I sometimes wish I had other options. I know a lot of other guys in the trade who feel stuck as well.At five or ten years in you can't try something else without a large paycut. BTW a good bodyman in my area makes $15 to $20 per hour.even more up towards Boston

03-06-2001, 12:57 PM	#8
spinemup Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: middleboro,ma, usa Posts: 734	computir werk is tuff to do, me likes atobody cause i don't half to tipe as much werds.

03-06-2001, 01:22 PM	#9
matt cook Registered Member Join Date: Dec 1998 Location: Richmond, Virginia Posts: 449	Demon, while autobody is a good job, think of chemical and hazard exposure also - that's a big negative to the profession to me. just my opinion... ------------------ 1982 Mustang GT

03-06-2001, 04:57 PM	#10
Mr 5 0 Conservative Individualist Join Date: May 1997 Location: Wherever I need to be Posts: 7,487	DemonGT: It's not as simple as 'computers or auto body'. It's really; college education vs trade school education and with a degree, you have a real advantage, as others have already stated. On the other side, my best friend co-owns a repair shop (3 bays) and a used car lot combined and nets around 50k per year, plus money the taxman never sees and of course, all the work he needs on his 3 cars and parts at wholesale. On one hand, sitting at a computer all day can get old (ask Dan McClain) just as banging out dents and painting, masking and so on can get pretty old, too. So, your decision is just as much about what you want to do and where you want to be in five years as it is about what you may 'feel like' doing today. Gotta think long-term because either college or trade school is a big time and money investment to waste if you pick wrong. Talk to folks in body shops and hang around (if you can) to see if this looks like something you want to do for 40+ hours a week. Sometimes things look interesting from a distance but up close, they lose appeal. Computers are the future, but you have to be into the whole deal to get anywhere and not be just a grunt in some big company, tapping your life away. Dan McClain has talent and drive and his love of computers has paid off for him, but he has devoted thousands of hours to it and honed his skills as well as increased his knowledge over the years to make himself very valuable and in demand in his field. My mechanic buddy has done the same and has so many customers he has to turn them away at peak times (spring/fall) because he does excellent work and doesn't screw anyone. If he repairs your car and a week later the part fails, he replaces it and eats the lost labor. Doesn't happen a lot (he would starve if it did) but his rep is solid as a fair and expert mechanic. Only way to do it, whatever the field, is to do it well and for that, you gotta be motivated and love your work, otherwise you'll end up just a face in the crowd, collect a check but never rise above average and probably get frustrated when you've been a business 10 years and still are near the low end of the scale, because you just don't have the drive to be the best and do it better than anyone else around you. Pick a career carefully and make sure you'll want to be there in five years, If so, that's the way to go. Good luck in your decision. Oh, and get a dictionary, or at least a spell-checker. Poor spelling makes you look, well, dumb. You may be the smartest guy in the room for all we know, but perceptions count, especially in the written word.

03-07-2001, 12:50 AM	#11
DemonGT Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 879	yes a good freind of mine dose the painting part at a autobody shop..he used to own his own business and this summer he is again going to start his own business...he started out at $13 a hour and after a week anda half got a raise to $15...he is good ------------------ '91 GT,91K,T-5,air silencer removed,racing clutch(previous owner put in so dont know what kind),K&N air filter,Aiwa deck,power acoustic amp,2 12" pianeers,UPDATE: Just got my Mac long tube headers and Cat-back Future Mods:3.73's,Pro 5.0,Shifter knob,FMS 9mm wires