I am in community college and I am taking diesel tech. We usually work on more gas burners though. I am really enjoying the class. I will be out in august and hopefully be able to get a decent job

 

high school classes.... yippee....

 

same............

 

hey j hodges, is that a 2 yr course your in. im going for diesel tech next year and ours is a 2 yr course.
currently not taking classes. just working 50 hrs a week

 

When I was just about to go into school, I had alot of questions about what to take and how long to take it.

Now i'm finishing up a bachelors degree in Automotive Engineering Technology (4 years). I'm glad I did too, because around here, a starting job with a 4 year degree is around $40,000 a year. Alot of places wont even consider you without a 4 year degree.

Just something to think about. I remember how much I just wanted to work after high school. Well, as I am going to school, I work part time as a mechanic (ASE certified and everything), and the pay sucks, work environment sucks, you are always getting dirty (which never bothered me, until I realized how gross I looked with my hands permanantly stained in grease), and there is little to no advancement.

Just think about it, working on big diesel trucks might sound like fun now, but 20 years down the road when you are getting old and tired, messing with that stuff probably wont be the dream life you were hoping for.

 

and what is it you will do as an automotive engineering tech?

 

Right now I'm looking at an internship where I would be working for the Ford Tech Hotline. If a technician gets stumped with a vehicle at a dealership, they would call the hotline, and I would try and walk them through the repair process using my knowledge of engineering, and an extensive repair database.

I know past graduates who have gotten jobs working for say Toro, where they would basically destroy lawn mowers and stuff, and determine the cause of failure. Or another one was (I think for the Cadillac Northstar Engine) they would put it on an engine stand, and run it at 7,000RPM's until it blew up, then tear it down and determine the cause of failure, make a recommendation (like increase the amount of material on the cylinder wall, etc) and then do it again.

Someone I know just got a job with Cummins Power Generation, and they basically determine the cause of common failures. For example say a certain model generator kept breaking crankshafts, this person would analyse the root cause of the problem, and come up with a solution that took care of the issue for new models.

Dont think i'm knocking 2 year degrees or anything. I just know that when I was in your position, I had been through 12 years of high school already, and really did not want do do another 4, heck, I didnt even want to go for another 2.

But I had been working since I was 14, and I looked around and observed what everyone else around me does for a living, and about how much money they make. I thought about where they lived, and the quality of their life. One of the other mechanics at my shop has had his house repossesed 2 times so far (mind you most of it is his own spending habits), but I know that he does not make alot of money, and would never be able to have some of the things I want out of life.

Granted there are some good jobs working as a diesel mechanic, but just make sure you do not cut yourself short.

Just for kicks here is a link to the formula car my school built in 2007. This is a senior design project for the Automotive Engineering Technology Majors.

YouTube - 2007 MSU Mankato - Formula SAE Car Demonstration

 

well thats sounds very interesting. dont you think it would be better if you wrenched for 5-10 years professionally and then go into that field? Just to gain some real world working expierence before you tell someone what to change on a vehicle or motor or whatever? because just about everyday i cuss someone like you will be out, on how htey designed this, or why they changed that.

for me, where i live, it is mainly agriculture. its how i grew up, and its where ill die. we dont have a big industrial region unless you go 50 miles or so. i love wrenching, i full well understand about the stained hands. mine already are. but when you go on hte money side of it, most diesel mechs round here start at 17-20 an hour. and round here thats pretty decent money.
with it being mainly ag, we have 7-8 implement dealers within 30 miles or so, and 1 cat dealer. jobs are abundant, so to speak, in my field, there will always be someone needing to fix something, but will there always be someone to blow up a cadilac just to see what will break first? the way the economy is, i wouldnt chance it, but thats just me.

 

Its a one year program for me. I had thought og going into business to become an accountant since I am good with math but decided against it since people with masters can't get jobs in it I figured it would be pointless

 

See it's funny that you say that, because I got my Masters degree in accounting, and I just got a job.

 

Yeah, I bet its a dead end job that you will make no money at too (Sarcasm)

What does a masters in accounting start out at anyway? Like $50-60k per year?

 

Yeah, that's pretty much the range for the southern US.

Accounting isn't as fun as rodeo or driving a forklift, but it does pay the bills easier.

 

congrats. I was afraid of spending the money for a 4 or 6 year degree and not being able to get a job. Plus I don't like english, science and other classes that would be associated with it.

 

One of the big things I did in school was to make sure I worked real jobs and got some hard skills other than my degree. I drove forklifts for a long time, drove trucks for a little bit, and expanded my high school job building fences into a decent summertime and part time gig. Worst case scenario was I had a couple college degrees and ending up working the same type jobs for a few years.

 

that was a good plan. I am going to school because I can't even get a job at walmart