Going to UTI for school

Well its finally time to get outta the army and I decided I want to get a job I actually like so Im going to UTI in phoenix,AZ starting in september. Im going to be taking their ford FACT training program and then Im going to apply for the BMW factory as well (which is manufacturer paid for). I figured with the current auto climate it might be a good idea to get school in both an american and a european company.

I know there are some mechanics here and I was wondering their opinion on the school and getting a job here (cause Ill be moving back here after school more than likely).
I was wondering the following:
1.whats the average starting pay for a hard worker with this training (plus a degree computer science) and what will the pay probably be in say 4 years?
2.how hard is it to get on at ford / BMW?
3.What are the cert's that I could be working on school?
4.Also would it be worth it to go ahead and take the diesel courses (since the GIBills paying the tab anyway)?

Any info or advice would be appreciated. Im getting outta the army in august then going back to Las Vegas for a couple of weeks then on to phoenix, classes start sept 15th. So I want to plan ahead.

congrats Ron, we gotta have a seperation cruise/dinner forya b4 u go

That's great to hear Ron!!! I have actually thought about this myself if things turn out bad with my job. Would love for you to come back to this great area and work on our cars......well, maybe, after seeing you work on yours, HAHA, J/K!

Anyway, good luck and let's get a thing together before you leave to celebrate!!

OK, w/ so many things you could do, why the hell would you wanna be a mechanic. I would choose a better line of work. Honestly, after being a tech for 25 years, I wish I had done something else.

Well while I agree with Bernie to a degree, if you love to work on regular cars at the dealership then by all means go for it. I have allways wished I took time out of my life to go to mechanic training schools.

However if I were to do it now, I would go more fabrication side/performance.

glad to hear that ron

The auto bizz is rough right now, and I feel that the dealer techs are feeling the pinch more then anybody. If you want to make money in the field training is a must nowadays. In todays market with full factory training you can probably expect around 40-60K a year in this area. Master techs with steady work can expect 70-100K a year. Hard to say now, depends where you work, hourly rate, and how much work you are getting. The industry has also changed dramaticly in the last 2 years since I left. I had quite a bit of training myself and love working on my stang. But after less then a year working in the field on other peoples $hit all day, it takes all the fun out of it. Good luck on what ever you decide.

I would have to agree with Bernie and Paul. Not to be discouraging, because if thats what you want to do I wish you the best.

I know too many folks that work at a dealership that are struggling, and at the end of the day working on other peoples junk, they dont even want to touch their own cars. In the current economy, many people dont want to spend the money to take their car to the dealer when they could take it to a privately owned shop for less. Also, and im sure its different everywhere, but the benefits arent always the greatest.

Honestly, with a computer science degree I would persue an IT related discipline, something specific, and follow that. You will most likely make better money, have better long term job stability, and depending upon your skills...much more in demand. With a military background you would have a good shot at a DoD related position from the get go. Not to mention better benefits, and you could still work on cars on the side if you chose to do that.

thanks for the info guys..both good and bad. and i know what you guys are saying about working on other peoples junk but i kinda grew up doing that (my dad had a used car dealership and bought junk from the auctions,had me fix it and then sold it). also i havent used my computer degree in so long (8yrs) that its honestly worthless cause I have really no idea what im doing with them now.

also most people were talking about dealerships i noticed...is it any better/worse at private shops?? also i figured with the economy people would be getting their cars fixed instead of buying new ones..was i completely wrong?

VegasGT wrote:thanks for the info guys..both good and bad. and i know what you guys are saying about working on other peoples junk but i kinda grew up doing that (my dad had a used car dealership and bought junk from the auctions,had me fix it and then sold it). also i havent used my computer degree in so long (8yrs) that its honestly worthless cause I have really no idea what im doing with them now.

also most people were talking about dealerships i noticed...is it any better/worse at private shops?? also i figured with the economy people would be getting their cars fixed instead of buying new ones..was i completely wrong?

I have olny ever worked for independants. There is less competition for work in the shop. And there is no corperate bs in smaller shops. As far as ppl fixing their car, now a days it's hit or miss. Not to mention the unstable paycheck. Working stricktly by commision, you never know what your check will be like come the end of the week.

I had to seek out a second job because of the economy and lack of income from what used to be a decent living. So now, my days are like this. I get up around 6a.m. to get ready for the day, leave by 7 to be at work at 7:30, work til 5 in the extreme heat of an unairconditioned shop, leave from there to go to my second job and get back home around 11p.m. Everyday! All because of the down slide in the auto industry. Please, do yourself a favor and pursue something else. Believe me, in 20 years you'll be glad you did. There is no future, or bennies, no retirement in the auto trade, just a paycheck and not even a good one anymore. The stress of wondering how you will pay your bills because there wasn't enough work is enough to make you crazy. Not to mention what this trade will do physically to your body over the years. If I had it to do again, I would def have chosen something else.

Pick a career w/ steady income, bennies and retirement. You'll be happy you did.

Guess there isnt much else to say except good luck with whatever you decide.

I would think if you had the education and wanted to work independently, that would be a bigger advantage than someone off the streets.

Just do what you feel is best for you. It's never too late to go back to school to learn something else either.

I've only been in the business since 2001 and i left the dealerships and went to work for the government, Montgomery County. Everyone told me I was stupid for doing so. I was hired by Metro (WMATA) first in 2006 but ran into serious medical problems and was let go ( failed DOT physical exam and could not get a CDL). Metro started me at 46K a year i was a D level tech which is pretty much a lube tech. I now work for MCPS as a auto tech. I work on diesels now. Metro was diesel, compressed natural gas and hybrids as well as air brakes and everything else that comes with heavy equipment vehicles. Soooo if i were you and you wanted to come back here after school apply and send a resume to Metro. It pays way better and its also hourly plus you get a ton of overtime which is time and half. If you work holidays its double time and a half. Plus your fully covered with health insurance, and pensions and the job is secure which is important. Having ASE's will definitely put you in the door faster. when i applied only 1 cert was required and thats all i had lol. Plus they train you for your class A CDL as well as working on the buses too. 1 month of training at their New Carrolton shop.Just having a diesel course @ UTI under your belt will grab their attention faster. Plus theyre looking for people like that.I know its not the most exciting thing working on big slow buses or trucks but the money, benefits, job security is good. Put in 30 years and you can retire. We get sent to training courses periodically just like we did in the dealerships to keep up with new stuff . If i want to work on cars i work on my own car at home thats good enough for me. Hope this helps steer you in the right direction. Hope you do well in school. UPS, Fed Ex, FBI are also decent places too so i hear.