Careers and Certification in the Automotive Industry

Careers in the Automotive Industry

There have been a lot of  advancements in the automotive industry, especially recently. There are many high-tech systems on our vehicles today that were never heard of only 30 years ago. Some of these are stability and traction control systems, adaptive cruise control and variable valve timing.

For young people to have a career as an automotive technician, they should have some math, science, communication and technical skills. Some advantages of obtaining an education in this field is, unlike other hi-tech educational options, it only takes two years to become certified, leaving you with the chance to get out into the "real" world faster and less college debt. It also won't be very hard to find a job once you are out of school. It is expected that the automotive repair and maintenance industry will add over 237, 500 new jobs, and have a 30% growth rate right through until 2020. That makes technicians one of the top 20 jobs to have over the next decade, and with many other careers like computer programming, customer call center work and accounting services all going over seas, it is safe to say that the automotive repair and maintenance industry is immune to such moves, and not threatened like how many other career choices are today.

There are so many jobs and positions those who are certified as an automotive technician can look forward to. There is work in technical areas, there's the growing field of high-performance machining and building, there is collision repair and painting, there are also positions with high schools and community colleges plus so much more. You could even start your own business if nothing seems to work for you, or if you just enjoy the challenge. In fact, there are so many different career choices and opportunities, that the role as an automotive technician is seen as a sort of "portal career". So many people have started their careers in the automotive aftermarket, especially as an automotive technician, that it definitely deserves the title.

I think I actually wouldn't mind being an automotive technician. I have never been extremely enthusiastic about cars, but my father is a mechanic, which I know is not the same thing, but i don know a little bit about how they work. I think I would enjoy the challenge of being an automotive technician, and how it is almost always a learning experience. Everything you would do, every new problem you would face, you would learn form it, and that's what I think I would enjoy.

A couple things from the video that I found interesting was definitely the Hybrid. I have never really had the opportunity to see what they look like and how they run, and I never really thought about researching or bothered to looked into it. It was cool to see under the hood and how there is a rather large battery in the back. I also found the device they used to find the problems interesting. Although it's a little weird to think that a car is completely run by computers and electricity, it was interesting to watch them plug a handheld computer into the car and have it tell them what was wrong, instead of the tedious process of having to figure that out.

To be an automotive technician, you are committing to a life time of learning, which isn't that much different form any other job or life that you are going to live. As humans, we are always learning. Our brain is like a sponge that is continually picking things up, and especially as an automotive technician, this is necessary. With the continual advancements in the technological, mechanical and electrical worlds, you will be expected to know how to run and maintain the new products. That is why it is important to remember that you have to learn. Without that, you'll be left behind while the newly developed world keeps developing.

When considering a career as an automotive technician, I think it is very important to have patience and communication skills, along with the ability to decipher and locate problems to fix them. Math, English and some electrical/technological sciences would definitely be helpful as well.

Certification in the Automotive Industry

NATEF-  National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation, it's primary focus is to improve the quality of automotive technician training programs nationwide at secondary, post-secondary, public and propriety schools.

SGS- Help you to manage your supply chain, provide safe and reliable vehicles, improve quality, efficiency and safety, and reduce environmental impact.

ASE - National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, it's primary focus is to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service by testing and certifying automotive professionals.

Jobs in the automotive Industry

Out of the top ten jobs in the automotive universe, I think I would like to be a car designer. Although I am not extremely artistically inclined, I think it would be fun. The job I would like the least is surprisingly enough the automotive journalist. Although I love to write, I am not that good at journalism and it's not something I fairly enjoy, especially if it would be primarily about cars.