My motoring inspiration: Jordan Salt

This YouTube star explains how he went from school leaver to Managing Director of his own paint repair business

How did you get into the motor industry?

To be honest, the motor industry wasn’t something I pursued with great gusto initially. I just sort of left school and fell into it. A family member happened to be the manager of a bodyshop at the time and offered me a job. Having just left school, I felt very lucky to have a full-time job offered to me. I took it and I’ve never looked back.

How has your enthusiasm for the industry grown?

The more time I’ve spent in the industry, the more I’ve come to love it. The motor industry is huge and so diverse in its offerings that there’s something for everyone, no matter their background.  And there are so many other opportunities that can come from gaining qualifications in repair and paint.

How has your career evolved?

Most people will know me from my YouTube channel Repair and Refinish, along with the accompanying social media pages across Facebook and Instagram. I started the YouTube stuff in 2012 and it has grown from there, gaining a respectable 13,000 subscribers along the way.

My journey through the motor industry has been an interesting one. After getting the job at the workshop and spending a few years on the shop floor, I decided I wanted more, so I went on to complete a basic teaching qualification. Soon after, I was offered a job as a tutor at Chesterfield College, where I was tasked with showing like-minded trainees the bodyshop side of the motor industry. While teaching there, I gained some more teaching qualifications in order to progress within my role.

From there, I went on to develop new paints. Now I’m the Managing Director of paint manufacturing facility Repair and Refinish Coatings Ltd, creating automotive paints and coatings under the MULTI-MIX brand. I also won the IMI Skill Auto award back in 2015.

Is there anything about the motor industry that you think should change?

I would say the salaries. Salary is a big attraction in any job. There is such a skills shortage in the industry at the moment, and revising salaries to offer a little more would go a long way towards addressing that.

What are your plans for the future?

Now that I own my own business, I’m putting all my time and effort into building the brand, with a view to making MULTI-MIX a known brand in every bodyshop in the UK and beyond.

Do you have any regrets?

I wish I’d trained a little more on the vehicle repair side, operating jigs and other repair machinery. I’ve always been interested in the heavyweight side of vehicle repair, but even so, I’m really happy with the skills I’ve gained on the refinishing side.

What words of wisdom would you pass on to those wanting to get into the industry?

Honestly, the best advice I can give is to be open-minded about the huge range of opportunities within the motor trade. The industry is massive and there are so many different avenues available.

Also, if it’s painting cars that you’re interested in and if you have the time and money, try to get as many qualifications as possible and take as many different training courses as you can in order to become skilled in all the different areas of the repair process.

This is an edited extract from IMI's new MotorPro magazine, received free as part of IMI membership. Time to find out more about becoming a member of the most influential community in UK automotive…?