Showing Your Stuff: 9 Tips for Landing Awesome Auto Mechanic Jobs

So you have a love for cars, you are the type of person that has to be constantly moving around, and you love jobs that require you to be hands-on.

If all of that describes you word for word, you would be the perfect person to become an auto mechanic!

There will always and forever be a need for auto mechanics and many auto companies thrive from having employees just like yourself.

Now it's all about putting yourself into the best position to become one.

Here are nine tips to landing an Auto Mechanic gig that you'll take pride in for years to come.

1. Practice Whenever You Can

Of course, you'll learn the most about being an auto mechanic once you start your career.

But that doesn't mean there aren't things you can be doing to gain experience beforehand.

Offer up free (or cheap) oil changes, slight adjustments, or even "best guess" checkups to family members and friends.

That will help you build both a resume and experience at a few of the things you'd be doing as a car mechanic.

2. Learn about "Preventative Maintenance"

Unfamiliar with the term? Don't sweat it, a lot of people are.

Preventative maintenance can be defined as using your expertise on the proper usage and operations of a machine (such as a car) and making adjustments to ensure safe daily usage of that machine.

In short, it's the sole reason people go to an auto mechanic in the first place: to keep a car running smoothly and making changes before things go wrong.

Familiarize yourself with any maintenance "red flags" on a car to impress in your next interview.

3. Hone Your Communication Skills

After an auto mechanic observes what's wrong with a car, they have to explain what they found to the client.

Since they don't use mechanical terminology on a daily basis, it's up to you to simplify the problem and explain it in a way that's easy to understand.

Give this a try with the friends and family you do minor car adjustments for and ask them for suggestions or improvements you could make.

4. Develop Some Sales Skills

After you've gotten your communication skills down to a fine art, it's time to work on your sales skills.

Sometimes clients won't take the advice you give them, they'll see the price attached and think they can go without it. It's then up to you to sell them on why it's needed.

There are other times where your place of work has partnerships with certain brands, so your company will ask you to push those products more often.

Developing some sales skills with most certainly put you at the top of the applicant list.

5. Work on Time Management

An auto mechanic's job is to keep a client's car running safely and fix any setbacks in a timely fashion.

At any given day there could be a whole row of cars sitting on the lot waiting to be worked on. That's why it's so critical for mechanics to understand how to prioritize their time.

The best way to put this into practice is by developing healthy timekeeping habits in your everyday life.

Try organizing and scheduling those free oil changes for your friends and family to get yourself some real-world experience.

6. List Any Car-Specific Experience on Your Resume

Auto shops may be interested in hiring you even if you haven't had a previous auto mechanic job; everyone has to start somewhere, right?

They're still looking for someone with experience in working with cars, however.

Have you done tune-ups somewhere previously? How much work have you done on your own car? It's all valuable experience, so list it all on your resume.

7. Develop Troubleshooting Skills

Regardless of how many years you end up working as an auto mechanic, there will always be issues and obstacles popping up that you've never experienced before.

It's incredibly important in employers' minds to hire people with a proven knack for troubleshooting.

Read up on how to improve these skills and talking about what you've learned in your interview. It will show your dedication to improving yourself.

8. Familiarize Yourself With Product Brands

As an auto mechanic, people outside of your workplace will turn to you for advice on what brands they should use.

Learn which car brands to trust and which to stay away from. It's easy to pick these things up over time by reading car magazines, asking professionals in the auto industry, or by just simply listening to the experiences people have had with certain products.

Becoming a walking encyclopedia of auto product knowledge will make you irreplaceable to employers.

9. Keep an Open Mind to New Opportunities

Maybe you're fixated on getting an auto mechanic position with the local shop down the street.

While that's all well and good, make sure to keep an open mind to other opportunities along the way.

Any auto position can grant you some of the experience you're searching for. 

If it means working at the nearest Auto Zone while you continue your search for an auto mechanic position, so be it!

Start Applying for Your Dream Auto Mechanic Job Today!

Now that you've read up on how to prepare for your future career as an auto mechanic, it's time to start applying!

Be sure to check out this article on the highest paying automotive jobs to learn more about other auto job positions you should consider.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out our Automative Jobs to see if new positions are available.