Five tips to help jump-start your career in automotive

Whether you’re a newcomer to automotive or someone who’s struggling to find direction on how to get in the trade, consider me your trusty 10mm as I share my five tips to wrench yourself into the industry.

The motor trade is bigger than people realise, it’s not just down to dealers. You have car designing, bodywork, paint spraying, modifying, engineering or even becoming a social media specialist. There are so many opportunities.

As with anything in life, research is key, and it’ll always help if you have a genuine passion for what you want to do. So, no matter who you are and what you want to achieve here are five tools to help you succeed:

01_Get social savvy

If you haven’t already, get yourself a LinkedIn account. It’s basically the Facebook for businesses and opportunities. Here you can advertise if you’re looking for work, get in touch with companies and post any work progress you’ve made. You can easily build contacts, friendships and create yourself a path. There are always companies searching for the right candidates. Personally, I’ve found this one of the best things I’ve invested my time into.

02_Listen to the experts

If you’re in college or university seek out talks from experts in the industry. People coming in with real-world experience can help guide you on how to get into the different trades available in the sector, what to expect and the opportunities available. I did my first college talk this year and realised I never had that when I was there. People get to hear from the horse’s mouth what their career choice is like, and how they can create their own path to reach the goals.

03_Grab the bull by the horns

No matter what career you want to take in automotive, just go for it. This could be seen as a strong move, but what if you walk into a dealership and ask for the head of business, or rock up at a workshop office and ask if the manager’s available? It’s bold, but could leave a huge impact because you’ll be remembered for this rather unorthodox approach. And even if a job doesn’t materialise from it, you’ll have another contact in your book, and it could also open up some very interesting conversations.

04_ Fire up those digital applications

Applying online is the most common approach to jump-starting any career. You get to see the pay, what your expected hours are and the basics of what each role requires. And don’t be afraid to give companies a ring too a little further down the line, asking something along the lines of when you should expect to hear back – it can show enthusiasm.

05_Talk to people

Sometimes it’s about who you know. Lots of people who work in the trade managed to land their first job through someone they knew. So, get talking, speak to people, find out if they have a link to the automotive sector, easier if you’re in education studying for an automotive qualification as there should be a huge number of people you can ask for advice. But even if you aren’t, there have been plenty of people who have even been customers first that have ended up working in the trade.

The bonus tip for anyone looking to get into automotive is be brave. If you don’t push yourself you’ll spend more time regretting not doing it that going for it and wondering what if. This is your time.

Jade Price is an Mot Tester, Service Technician and Content Creator.

For the latest help and advice on working in the automotive sector head to the IMI’s careers hub