Career advice

[Porsche Monkey]

I have been a Porsche tech for 6 years now and working on cars professionaly for over 10.  I am ASE Master and Porsche Master certified.  It's safe to say that I am the the best at what I do in San Antonio and South Texas and my pay reflects this.  I routinely fix cars that other dealers cannot.  I also run the best numbers for my dealership compared to the other techs we have.  With that said, I used to enjoy doing what I do.  Lately I'm just bored with it and its wearing me out.  I'm 32 years old and I wake up every morning with an aching back, shoulders, arms and hands.  Its hot down here.  Its going to hit 100 every day this week and its still a month out from the hottest time of the year.  Working on these cars after they have been sitting in the sun all day or are still hot from their drive in is no fun.  I'm sweating so much its hard to stay hydrated.  I am exhausted when I get home and am no fun for my little boy or my wife.  I have been avoiding hanging out with friends after work because I just want to unwind.  This has also kept me from riding much. 
How many of you have made a career change?  What was your reasoning behind the career change?  Are you happy with your decision? 
I am not certain that I am going to do this.  It would seriously affect the people I work with who I have come to call family.  I don't even know what sort of line of work I would be looking at.  I also know this really isn't the time to be in the job market, I guess I'm just trying to weigh my options. 

Jon

[KnightofNi]

do porn. master certified, good with the tools...it's already there. 


on the serious side...
have you given much thought to doing the same work for another shop?

[Popeye the Sailor]

Sounds to me like half of it isn't just the work, but the working conditions.


Imagine a 70 degree year round climate controlled shop in San Diego. Would it suck so bad still?




I've never done a career change for happiness, only for money. I figure work is supposed to suck.

[metallimonster]

We've already talked about my exodus from being a tech but I think you're going to have to take a pay cut to go the route I went.  

What sucks is you're probably going to have to get some kind of degree to make what your making as a tech.  I found a nice university here in Columbus that caters to working adults.  Got a similar paying job about 6 months into and have moved up in pay twice since then.  

[Porsche Monkey]

We've already talked about my exodus from being a tech but I think you're going to have to take a pay cut to go the route I went.  

What sucks is you're probably going to have to get some kind of degree to make what your making as a tech.  I found a nice university here in Columbus that caters to working adults.  Got a similar paying job about 6 months into and have moved up in pay twice since then.  

Actually our conversation is what comes to mind. 

Sounds to me like half of it isn't just the work, but the working conditions.


Imagine a 70 degree year round climate controlled shop in San Diego. Would it suck so bad still?




I've never done a career change for happiness, only for money. I figure work is supposed to suck.

I know quite a few techs from all around Cali and several from San Diego because the Porsche training center is in wonderful Ontario and I'm required to go twice a year.  Sometime in the next two or three years we will be getting a new facility with an airconditioned shop.  It will be very nice but I think I will still be worn out. 

do porn. master certified, good with the tools...it's already there. 


on the serious side...
have you given much thought to doing the same work for another shop?

If I make a change, it will be to get out of this business alltogether. 

[angler]

I've had several careers and have gone back to school twice after my undergrad degree.  I've been working since I was 15 and have done everything from hard rock mining, to carpentry, and now I am an economist. I'm 38.  My first degree was in forestry and worked all over the South when I couldn't find a job in the West due to complete cessation of public timber sales in the 80's.  The first time I went back to school, I did so because I didn't want to be 50 and putting on my snake/briar chaps every morning only to come home every night exhausted and covered in ticks, chiggers, etc.  I went back to school a second time to advance my degree to the point that I could become a consultant.   If it ain't working, by all means, change it.  That doesn't mean doing something rash - each time I made a major change, I got my ducks in a row first.   I now run a one man consulting business and couldn't be happier.  Making the leap from a "forever" government job to owning my own business was daunting, but one I am really glad I took.  BTW, it took me three years of planning and saving before I could hang up my own shingle......

My point is, life is short, do what you like.  It might take years to get to that next step, but you gotta get up every day and move the ball forward.

[acalles]

man, I can hear that.

when I worked for a dealer, it was hell.. the shop was Freezing in the winter, and hotter then hell in the summer, it was a constant rush to finish this, that, and the other, all at the same time, pay was crap and the advisor would pretty much give our time away to keep the customers happy.. our manager was a dick, if you wanted a raise you would have to go beg for it, he would ususally just remind you that its a "at will state" so take your pay and be happy.

I almost changed to working in computers, I even took a bunch of network cert classes.

I said make the beast with two backsit, and started saving, every penny I could, when I had enought to rent, get tools, open doors and have enough saved for the lean times, I quit and opened my own shop. I'm much happier now, though still worn out, but knowing that my work goes to me, and no one else (cept the gov  ) has made a huge difference in my out look and pay check. Eventually, I want to be at the point, where I own a few shops, and have people breaking their backs for me.. I would also like to get into opeing a few other businesses out side of the auto field.. I'm actually looking at starting one soon (it would be a small coffee shop, thats inside a laundrymat, right next to a school, in a neighborhood with nothing else in it, I already have some one who's lined up and ready to run it with experiance, the zoning is proving to be the tricky part)

If your as good a tech as you say you are, talk to porsche corprate, if there anything like VW (and I'm sure they are) they have a rep for each area who they fly around, with the simple job of fixing problems others can't before they have to buy back a vehicle.  That would be a pretty sweet gig, when the reps came down, they always had this half on vacation set of mind.

[metallimonster]

when I worked for a dealer, it was hell.. the shop was Freezing in the winter, and hotter then hell in the summer, it was a constant rush to finish this, that, and the other, all at the same time, pay was crap and the advisor would pretty much give our time away to keep the customers happy.. our manager was a dick, if you wanted a raise you would have to go beg for it, he would ususally just remind you that its a "at will state" so take your pay and be happy.

Dude did we work at the same dealership.  You had to threaten to quit to get a raise where I worked.  I just couldn't stand flat rate and being the low man on the totem pole I had to work 50 hours to make 40.  Couldn't be happier as an accountant.

Do check the rep avenue.  I have a buddy who is in the process of becoming one for Audi.  He got started on this track by placing in the top five of the Audi Twin Cup Challenge.  I'm sure Porche does something like that and it seems like you could do well on it.

Other than that, pick a new career, go to school and network until you find an in.  Thats what I did.  Like I mentioned before I loved actually working on cars it was just the pressure to go faster and make money that turned me off.  I know accounting isn't the most glamorous carrer but I make good money doing it and don't want to drive my car off a bridge after work every day.

[derby]

Sounds to me like half of it isn't just the work, but the working conditions.

Imagine a 70 degree year round climate controlled shop in San Diego. Would it suck so bad still?

i'm sure having to pay ~10% state income tax would.

[corey]

with your experience, sounds like you should be moving into a managerial spot with some techs underneath you, and them doing most of the work, whilst you tell them how... from behind a desk... with A/C... and a big window... to watch them... screw everything up...

[zzilla]

I was a Benz tech for about 3 years. Got a dealership gig right after graduating from Wyotech. Bosses were dicks, always trying to make the tech out to be the bad guy. So I ended my term of service with them and joined the Army. I've been in for just over 3 years with about 14 months deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan (2 and 12 respectively) I miss my family while I'm gone, but I love what I do.


This is me in my upstairs "office"

[teddy037.2]

what corey said.

is there any way you can start gettin' up the food chain?

i'm in a similar sitch, myself. been actively looking for a way out/up from where I'm at...

[River]

I am 36, have changed careers twice now, and am working on a third.  I used to be in IS/IT (Information Systems or Information Technology, depending on the company--basically fixing computers and administering a network).  Then made the leap into marketing and was a go-between for the engineers and the marketing department at Hitachi because I could speak geek and translate to English.

Climbed the ladder, made COO of a software firm by the time I was 29, and was making a lot of money but also under A LOT of stress.  We could travel and do whatever we wanted, but there were days when I honestly wanted to murder people.  My late husband encouraged me to make my favorite thing--yoga--my livelihood.  So I bought a yoga studio and started teaching.  It was a labor of love, mostly, because you really don't make a lot in that business.  But I had my husband's 6-figure paycheck to fall back on, he didn't mind paying the bills, and I was happy which made him happy, so on I went.

When Caleb died last year I realized I had to do something to support myself that was generally recession-proof and a guaranteed job.  So now I'm in school for nursing AND teaching yoga AND running a business--which is extremely challenging.  I am also trying to sell said business so I can concentrate on school and get a good job before I run out of money.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  

My strongest word of advice: if you can do what you LOVE, DO IT.  If earning a certain dollar amount each month is a necessity, I don't recommend making a leap into a new thing right this second unless you have enough saved to cover yourself for a year or more.  Going to school and working is tough--take it from me--but doable.  Then again, I don't have a family to worry about--just my dogs and cats.  Weigh ALL your options carefully, talk to the wife honestly, and go from there.

Good luck!

[Speeddog]

------------snip---------------

My strongest word of advice: if you can do what you LOVE, DO IT.  If earning a certain dollar amount each month is a necessity, I don't recommend making a leap into a new thing right this second unless you have enough saved to cover yourself for a year or more.  

------------snip---------------

There's the core issue.

[Porsche Monkey]

If your as good a tech as you say you are, talk to porsche corprate, if there anything like VW (and I'm sure they are) they have a rep for each area who they fly around, with the simple job of fixing problems others can't before they have to buy back a vehicle.  That would be a pretty sweet gig, when the reps came down, they always had this half on vacation set of mind.

I didn't mean to sound like a car god, I am good but there are plenty better, just not anywhere around here.  If I was to work for Porsche North America I would be living out of a suitcase.  Our regional service manager owns an Ironhorse that he hasn't had a chance to ride in six months because he is only home on the weekends and that time is for his family. 

what corey said.

is there any way you can start gettin' up the food chain?

i'm in a similar sitch, myself. been actively looking for a way out/up from where I'm at...

Wouldn't mind making service manager here, but that would mean my boss would no longer be here.  We are close. 


Zzilla thanks for serving.  Be safe.




More money would be nice (it always is) but thats not the issue.  I'm tired of busting my ass to fix other peoples toys and the lack of appreciation for the things I do.  I'm tired of coming home every day and being mentally and physically exhausted.  I guess I'm just starting to wonder if there are better things out there.  Nick, River, I used to love what I do.  The job still has its satisfying times.  I may still stick with it I'm not sure.  Whenever I take my play and turn it into work I become bored with it and then quit playing.