In about 3 months I'm going to have to decide whether to continue my career somewhere else, or do something different. Mid 30's, been doing this a long time and I think it's time to be done.
Roll on out. It's a shitty career with shitty pay and shitty benefits. Get out now before your body is all broken.
True that. Modern cars are just such a nightmare. I was stressed to the max 24/7. I switched to construction so my body is still taking a beating, but the pay is better and my mental health has improved tremendously.
Following. 36 here, ready to get out, as well. Almost ten years working on passenger automotive and... cars can get fucked.
My situation has been a bit unique. Right now im a shop operator, and a lead technician. Writing on the wall says a big corp bought the land my shop sits on and will not renew the lease. This leaves me with about 3 months left. Its been a struggle these last 5 years, and its not getting any easier.
Find something adjacent. I'm about to move into some other form of technical repair with no direct customer contact. I don't have it in me anymore to deal with people who don't understand what I'm explaining to them. It's soul rending.
Yes sir it is. It's gotten progressively worse. For me it's my body. After 20 years my hands are already pretty tore up, I have 3 bad vertebrate, and my knee is on its way out. It's time.
Left automotive for a fleet shop. It's still wrenching but it cut out the automotive business part which was the thing I hated.
Not having to be the end all be all would be nice. If i didnt have to deal with the general public that would sweeten the deal a little.
I have one customer, don't have to ask for approval unless it's something really big (engines or transmissions) or the truck is high miles. I look it over, go to parts and order what I need. It's a little less money than when I was a flat rate tech but it's way less stress. Generally only work on 2 models of truck too. I've been packing a ton of tools home and may even downsize my toolbox.
I was a chef/manager until my early 30s. Sometimes its just time for change.
I know this is the case, writing is on the walls. Just scary
I slowly worked my way into leading analytics and data science teams. It was an indirect path for sure and I can't claim that I really "planned" this direction, but I'm happy with where I've landed. I started with a fairly basic office admin role when I was 30 where they needed someone really good with Excel, and over the intervening 10 years I've worked my way into a directorship at a software company.
A lot of these skills can be self-taught if you have the diligence, aptitude, and interest. This work engages a lot of the same parts of my brain that wrenching on cars did - investigation, troubleshooting, understanding highly complex systems and how they interact, and explaining technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
I hate to be the "learn to code" guy, but it worked for me.
Self teaching has never been an issue for me, and i know i can adapt and do anything. I guess after 20 years its a little scary to ask myself what i want to do.
I've said multiple times on this sub, that instructor positions at the local community college could be a route for guys leaving the industry. Better late then never but trades are starting to flourish as retirements are stacking up and depleting the trade ranks.
Food for thought.
Nothing open in my area currently but i may go take a visit to the local community college. The guy running the program doesn't impress me, maybe they need change.
I moved to IT 40 years ago. Same skills, clean hands, better working conditions.
when you say same skills... you mean problem solving and low voltage stuff?
Problem solving and diagnostics. I write software and that is pretty much all it is. I had a hunch my skills would transfer and I was right. The difference is training material is more plentiful today. I my day it was locked up in degree programs.
Same skills, clean hands, better working conditions, better pay, better benefits. You will encounter bad bosses in some places, good bosses in others.
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Sounds like an industry about to be decimated by AI in 10 years man
Started a lawn care company. It took a few years, but now I make the same and work way less, like, 20 hours a week max. I could work more and make more, but it's a trade-off for physical labor at this age.
The hardest part for me will probably be working for someone else. Its been a long time since ive had a "boss". So another business could be in the plans.
Longshoreman/merchant mariner working on reefer containers and gensets
Rolled out 3 years ago. Getting my bachelors degree this year at 36.
What in my good sir?
Environmental Science. Hoping to work in the park district/forest preserve doing conservation and youth education.
I got into working in a warehouse, packaging so i basically prep materials for shipping. Still physical, but the money and benefits are pretty solid.
I went into welding/fabrication for a while. Then got sick of it. My dad quit to drive a forklift. He wrenches on his terms now, he's happy. I got back into wrenching, I was not happy without it. And I also am wrenching on my own terms now (read: as many side jobs in the driveway as will fit)
Colleges/universities are always looking for fleet managers, if it’s a union shop you’ll never touch a wrench again. Usually starts around 100k
Project manager, commercial construction. Lucky to find it
I went construction as well after almost a decade as a Chrysler tech. I do residential not commercial, specialize in luxury composite decks but do a little of everything. It’s still a very physical labor intensive job, but my mental health has improved exponentially. I’m still in my early 30’s so hopefully I can learn enough to be more of a lead man/supervisor within the next few years before my body gets too broken down. Pretty sweet gig actually!
Restoring classics. Your skills are relevant, but you won’t have to deal with anything like as much crap.
Idk, I banned pre 1985 vehicles in my shop for the sole reason of their customer base. Super picky, always hounding my guys or myself, never good enough, want special treatment. It would have to be nirvana itself to touch classic cars.
Haven't left just yet, but I am going to leave soon. I have gotten into making mead(honey wine) homebrew stuff and writing books etc. I will probably gind something in the meantime. I would like to get into the industry somehow. Im definitely done with the auto industry period. It is getting worse and worse.
I did a stint as an industrial maintenance mechanic at a manufacturing plant. That wasn’t too bad other than 4 years on a night shift Pittman schedule. Had I stayed I would have gone and learned PLC programming and troubleshooting.
I managed to find a job on the manufacturer side as a prototype/development fleet tech. They’re basically “new” cars so I’ve only had a handful of what could be considered heavy line work in 2 years. No customers, no warranty, salary, and I’ve gotten to meet awesome people and go to cool places. Not to say it doesn’t have its own stresses but I’ll never go back to dealership life again
Substation/relay tech. Steep learning curve but there are a LOT of overlapping skillsets. The money alone makes it a no-brainer.
Isn't this quite dangerous job?
It can be. You need to follow all the rules and build good work habits.
Isn't this one of the jobs that are dangerous even when you follow rules to a tee?
https://www.reddit.com/r/CatastrophicFailure/comments/1gi2lm9/electrical_substation_burns_and_explodes_in/
Do things wrong and bad things happen. You shouldn’t pull the cap off an expansion tank on a car that’s overheating or smoke a cigarette while changing a fuel filter. You also shouldn’t defeat interlocks like the guy in the video did.
I'm 36 and this is my last full week at the dealership after 16 years there. I'll still be turning wrenches but I landed a job as a mobile fleet tech. The pay was better and guaranteed, no more flat rate. The benefits were the best I've seen anywhere (we had none at the dealership). Also got a company truck and gas card so no more wear and tear on my vehicle. I'll admit I was looking to get into another trade because I was tired of wrenching in general but I couldn't turn this down especially since the labor is more along the lines of services, diagnostics, DOT inspections, tires, brakes, etc.. Plus the main reason I hated turning wrenches was the stress of flat rate and management always demanding more even when you're at 100% and the god awful customers. If nothing else I'll never go back to that
Millwright
Left the auto/body shop world 2yrs ago after almost 15 in for a local municipality water department. Was working for my best friend/shop owner but the benefits and pension is what brought me over. Hard decision to leave but I had to look towards my future
Edit to add 33yrs old now
Left after 16 years to do mobile forklift repair. Same union I was in as a dealer tech. The pace you’re expected to do work was the most jarring thing early on. I destroyed myself being fast and finding as many short cuts for jobs as possible to beat the book in the dealership and now it takes as long as it takes to get the job done right. It’s great. I like the freedom of working alone and the road, seeing lots of different industry up close and personal. Does get lonely at times though. Getting out of cars was a great decision for me.
I shifted to customer service at a performance auto parts company and grew into a strong member of the wholesale team there. Was there maybe 7 years and wanted a change. I work with commercial wood doors now! It’s still stressful but far less than my last job. I make more money now and I’m closer to home, so it’s a win win for me at least. I do miss wrenching sometimes though.
Technical project management.
Went to telecom. Cant say its a super rosey career path at the start but 10 years later im happy with my choice.
Scientist.
Swapped over to HVAC. The repairs are about 75% electrical so if your any good diagnosing electrical in cars you'll probably do great.
Only thing that keeps me from going that route in spending time in crawl spaces. I hate spending time in my crawl space.
I feel that, HVAC is a very wide industry. I do commercial HVAC so it's mostly stores and apartment buildings. I've been in 2 crawl spaces in the last 5 years.
Not going to sugar coat it, I've been in some shitty attics though hahaha. But I'd rather be doing that then trying to contort my body getting to that hard to reach bolt.
I appreciate the insight, ill definitely be checking out the industry. I can man up if i need to lol